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.
Early evening is descending on the Weyr, that span of time where most would be finishing with their duties or work for the day and likely off to the caverns for dinner. On any other given day, Kiena would be there as well, as the Weyrsecond has been seen often or not of late in Xanadu though usually preoccupied and going about her own business. With the searches now called off, she has backlogged issues to attend to, regardless if she can focus or not within her office. She really has come to hate that office of late and on this evening she is in low spirits, not wishing to socialize and foregoing the caverns to head home instead. Home, to her weyr but not to privacy and quiet. Kiena IS expecting guests and though she had Ujinath relay her requests to both Kalsuoth and Moncerath, the bluerider isn't certain on who may be available. One or the other would be acceptable, while both would be ideal. As she waits, she'll tidy her modest (and very quirky) weyr and prepare some light fare for snacking on. It keeps her distracted, which is good these days.
Mur'dah arrives not long after Ujinath's request, the brownrider having taken a few little jobs for Comet today. Just to get his mind off things. He knocks first and then enters, looking around and offering Kiena a smile. "Hey, little bird. What's up?" Walking forward, he'll offer her a kiss and a hug, smiling tiredly before he takes a seat to watch her.
It may be early evening but it feels much later than that to Kera when she drags herself from the infirmary. Intent of food, she starts towards the caverns, but half way across the clearing she shuffles to a stop. With a huffed mutter, Kera turns after a short time and starts in a new direction. Fingers drag through her frazzled hair trying to smooth it to some semblance of behaving. Giving herself a quick once over, making sure nothing unpleasant got on her clothes from work, Kera makes quick steps to where she was told to go. Kiena's. Pausing outside a moment, she admires the place, mostly working up the nerve to knock while taking some calming breaths, then knocks briskly a couple of times.
Kiena is still tidying up in the kitchenette when Mur'dah arrives and she smiles softly to his calling her by nickname. "Hey, Mur'dah." The hug is returned and so is the kiss and when he goes to sit, she'll go back to arranging a few platters of food. "Just off duty now. It's been…" A hard day. "… busy. Did you have some transport duty today? Wanted to come here for quiet and then figured now is the time to see if I, or we, it looks like… could talk to Kera—" About? She never finishes that sentence, because there's a knock at the door. Speak of the devil? Kiena will stride forwards, setting the platters down on the low table by the chairs and couch and gesturing for Mur'dah to help himself while she goes to answer the door. There's cheese, flat breads, crackers, thin sliced meats, what look to be olives, sliced veggies and even some assorted fruits. Kiena eats light! When she reaches the door, she'll open it and Kiena doesn't even so much as bat an eye in surprise to see Kera standing there. "Evening," she greets, before stepping aside to let the greenrider walk in. "Welcome. Come in… make yourself comfortable. Glad you could drop by." It's a bit of a tumbled greeting, as she seems almost… nervous and awkward because of it.
Mur'dah nods, "Yeah," he agrees to everything she said, sprawling on the couch and leaning back. But then he sits up. "Oh, Kera? Oh." This is not going to be the evening he thought it was going to be. Well. Shards. When Kera arrives, the brownrider studies her for a moment and gives her a little nod. "Hey, Kera, how're you?"
Kera lets her gaze drift around the yard while she waits. Giving thought to the wide open windows, she's not paying attention when the door first opens and looks back quickly, a forced little smile on her face to the bluerider. Things have been very busy all around lately. The searches, regular duties, extra infirmary shifts to cover the detained Journeyman. Many reasons to have not spoken very much to Kiena and other friends. She hasn't been avoiding anyone at all. But one can't really be too busy for a direct request, especially when it's relayed through Moncerath. She may or may not give a startled blink to her friend, before snapping out of it and dipping her head politely. "G'evening Kiena,…ma'am." Clasping her hands loosely in front of her, mainly to keep from fidgeting, she nods again and steps in when invited. It's unavoidable, she can't help but slip her gaze around the interior, taking in the rather interesting… everything. Mur'dah's voice whips her attention to where he lounges on the couch. Looking between the two uncertainly, her thumbnails start battling each other between her clasped hands. "I'm fine, Doing alright sir." Gaze flickers back to Kiena "I must have misunderstood Moncerath's message. I can come back another time." Kera seems rather reluctant to look either in the eye for every long.
Kiena will look back on this and wonder what in Faranth's name she was thinking and how she could have fumbled on organizing and… proper warning. She can be forgiven, can't she? The Weyrsecond's not been having an easy time of things and she flashes Mur'dah a look that is both apologetic and guilty. It may still be the evening he thought it was going to be. Just… delayed. Kera's formalness has Kiena wincing a bit as she closes the door and doesn't seem troubled at all when the greenrider takes her time in observing the place. "No need for the ma'am and sir, Kera. And no, it's fine. Please? Come sit. There's food if you're hungry and I can get you something to drink too…" Alcoholic even! Everyone might need it. "… Sorry this is all so sudden. Just, uh… wanted to catch up with you and I wasn't too keen on being in the caverns." Where people can overhear and stare and… no. Kiena can't deal with that right now.
Mur'dah sits up a bit and reaches for the drinks, and after a moment's hesitation he pours himself an ale. "Yeah, Kera, come on in," he encourages with a faint smile. To Kiena, he just nods and offers her a warm and encouraging smile. He understands now, it just took him a minute to figure out what was going on.
Kera evidently didn't misunderstand, and is right on time it seems. Stepping further into the room, the mention of food does get her attention. "Um, thanks. I was just heading to get something to eat when Mon gave me your message." Grabbing a few crackers and slices of cheese from the platter, a grateful little grin and nod at the offer of something to drink. "Whatever you have is fine." She has never been much one for drinking, but the past few sevendays have seen a few mugs pass through the girl's hands. Settling on one of the chairs across from the couch, Kera cast curious glances around the open room, head lifting or canting as she takes in some of the more unique features that she can see from her chair. Glancing back around, she eyes Mur'dah somewhere between warily and nervously. Opening her mouth a couple of times before snapping her mouth shut and studying her cheese and crackers, which she pinches off a bite and hurriedly starts chewing.
And it was going so well and now it's back to awkwardness again! It doesn't help that Kiena has lapsed into a troubled silence as she settles herself beside Mur'dah on the couch, not touching the food or the drinks. She'll gesture for Kera to help herself though, from the water or the cool tea or the ale. "Ah, so it wasn't a bad time then?" Kiena finally murmurs, glancing sidelong to Mur'dah as she does and then back to Kera. How to start? Why not just… barge right into it? Unfortunately for all of them, she's too tired for much in the cryptic games and so she starts "gently". With an apology. "Kera, about Cyrus…" Sorry? "… I had no choice but to have him arrested that day. I meant to come talk to you…" And now she is… belatedly.
Mur'dah sits up a bit straighter when Kiena sits, resting his ale mug on his knee as he listens, looking at Kera with a troubled frown. "He's insane, Kera," he says quietly. "The things he said to Kiena…she really didn't have a choice. Then with all this stuff with…" Mom. He glances away briefly, and then takes a deep pull of his ale. "Not that we're blaming you for his actions or anything but since he's your friend and it was about you…wanted to talk to you about it all."
Kera nibbles on the cheesy cracker, back a little stiff due to the tension that has settled heavily over Xanadu in the last month. A few uneasy glances passed, before Kiena treads through yet another awkward conversation. Looking a bit surprised at first, then frowning, which grows deeper after the brownrider adds his observations and opinions. Insane? How did her level headed friend go so far off coarse. Shaking her head to both, worry and frustration seem very comfortable on her face lately, as they are now. "No, I don't blame either of you, Really. In fact, it's me that owes you an apology Kiena." Her gaze settles mostly on the bluerider then. "I've always known that Cyrus had his issues concerning dragons." She gives her head a quick shake, flicking her gaze from one face to the other, then her face reddens a bit. Focusing on her crackers, adjusting them in her hand studiously "He's always been a good instructor, healer and friend. But he started acting a bit differently a couple of sevendays before Mon rose. More…..distressed over dragons… and flights. " Refusing to look anyone in the eye now, her fingers keep fidgeting among the crackers. "Then Mon rose." A moment of silence before her throat will let anything else slip through. "After I was able to check on Moncerath, I reported to shift in the infirmary and learned I had been indefinitely suspended infirmary duty. I went to confront him about it and.." She trails off, not seeing a point in explaining that little chat further. "Long story short, We talked and I thought he understood.." Looking back between the two "I'm sorry." She's not just talking about the flight issue or Cyrus when she looks to Mur'dah "I'm sorry about everything."
Kiena grimaces when Mur'dah straight out calls Cyrus insane, but the bluerider doesn't correct him either and blatantly shows where her opinion of the man rests. She starts when Kera begins apologizing to her, her gaze darting sidelong to Mur'dah and then back to the greenrider. "Kera… this isn't your fault. Not, uh… trying to make it seem that way. You didn't know," And neither did they! Boy, did the Weyrsecond not have a single clue. Listening quietly to Kera's side of the story, Kiena's expression remains neutral, though her cheeks do flare with a bit of colour when the topic of Moncerath's flight comes up and she pointedly doesn't meet anyone's eyes for that. Nor does she reflect on it. She does stiffen though and frown heavily when Kera goes on to mention her shifts. "Can he do that? Wait." Kiena scrubs at her face as she mutters to herself, trying to recall Craft protocol now. "… Journeyman. Have you been scheduled back in in the Infirmary?" Shards and shells, how out of touch is she with the rosters? WHY didn't she see that? Kera's apologizing again and Kiena holds up her hands, palms out. "It's not your fault. Right, Mur'dah?" He thinks the same, doesn't he? She sighs, "You thought things had been settled. What Cyrus did lies on his head, not yours, alright? But that… Kera, you do realize the consequences he might face, right? His behavior — it's unsettling. I'm, we're…" Another glance to Mur'dah, questioning and then she's fixing Kera with her eyes again, her expression tense and troubled. "Worried. I know he's your friend but we worry about what he might be… doing or saying or trying to force…" Well, this is awkward. Kiena begins to fidget, "I know it's not any of my business, but as your Weyrsecond, I may have to step in. I just — I guess I wanted to warn you. Before things move ahead." Before it goes to the Weyrleader and the Masterhealer. It's a big 'ol mess, that's for certain.
Mur'dah listens to Kera while he sips his ale, his hand briefly reaching out to rest against Kiena's back. Subtle, but a show of support when she falters. "No, this isn't your fault at all," he says firmly. "You didn't know - how could you know he'd go off on Kiena like that?" Then, another frown. "Why did he suspend you from the infirmary? Just…" He glances at Kiena, then back to Kera. "Be /careful/ around him. He's not right. I…I don't even want to think about some of the things he might try, all in the name of experimenting or trying to fix dragons and riders…he's not right in the head." Ironic for a mindhealer. "Something in him has snapped or something."
Kera reluctantly lifts her gaze back to Kiena and Mur'dah when they both snag on the trivial fact of her suspension first, rather than on other things she said. Sighing a bit, she pinches off a little bite of cheese and pops in her mouth. "That's just it, I did know he seemed upset still. With you particularly Kiena. But I didn't realize he was still/that/ upset." Ignoring comments about her friend's mental state "And no, my 'suspension' was something he did while I think he was drunk. The other Journeyman on duty tossed it out after getting all the facts." If only this whole mess could be explained away so easily. "It's not the first time someone has done something rash like that while drinking." A little uncertain gesture with her hands before she continues. "I know his behavior was out of line, I won't insult any of us by trying to make excuses for the way he behaved. I think there is only one other person who was more surprised by his actions that I was." She looks pointedly to Kiena then before dropping her gaze back to her little snack. Trying not to frown at Mur'dah's insistence that Cyrus isn't 'safe'. "I know he acted rashly Mur'dah." Pursing her lips together before she huffs out a frustrated sigh "Maybe he did snap a bit. I don't know. I'm not in his head, got enough going on in my own lately. I can't say what caused him to say the things he did."
Kiena will lean back just as subtly to Mur'dah's hand against her back, though her posture remains tense and stiff. She will glance to him again as Kera explains and her grimace becomes tighter. "We're just trying to tell you how he comes across as to us, Kera. You might know him better or differently than we do." She tries not to scowl when the greenrider admits to having known Cyrus was upset with her, but she shakes it off. Still not Kera's fault! There's upset… and then there is just uncalled for hatred. Kiena can't help but scoff a bit, snorting, for the reference to drinking. "True but they face consequences for their stupidity while drunk," she points out, bluntly but unable to keep it from lacing her voice and she will look away sheepishly for her lack of control and up to Mur'dah, shuddering faintly at the thought of experimenting on riders, only to see Kera looking at her pointedly and clearing her throat. Surprised… would be an understatement. "He's going to have to face what he's done, Kera. I'm not sure what is in store for him but… just be prepared that it may be the worst, alright? And that… my hands are tied in this." She understands, doesn't she? That anything done isn't against her. Another tense silence seems to settle over them, as Kiena has said most of what she wanted to say to Kera and heard the green rider's side, formally and without the pressures of rank. Time to… move into more awkward territory! "You and… Moncerath have been well, then?" Otherwise.
Mur'dah ahhs, nodding as he listens to Kera. "We're just worried is all," he murmurs. "And just want…you to know what happened so you can be informed." And prepared. His hand presses gently against Kiena's back and he nods. "He's brought this upon himself. No one here is…like…out for revenge or anything." Except maybe Cyrus. As for the last question, the brownrider leans back and sips his ale, running fingers through his hair and momentarily staring across the room, distracted.
Kera watching Mur'dah as she gives his words thought, but even after arranging them every which way, they still don't make sense to her. Looking between the two briefly, a quick confused headshake "Experiments on dragons? And riders? He's not mentioned such things to me before." Another headshake and she sighs "A couple months ago I started trying to track down a lizard egg, maybe work out a deal for one somehow. Hoping that if he were to have a lizard friend, he may begin to understand, even slightly. But, it's been one thing after another and well…" She shrugs and lifts her gaze back to Kiena, nodding after a moment. "I know there will be consequences. But is there some way for him to retain his posting? Perhaps assign a rider to…mentor him, for lack of a better word." She trails off as he brain flickers through ideas, suggestions, anything to help her friend. "Maybe he could ride with differant Wings on rotation. Work with them side by side. Show him that dragons still their purpose on Pern, only…..adapted." Peering to each and making herself look to Kiena and Mur'dah in the eyes, she tosses in somewhat bluntly "Not to mention, the infirmary has been a bit short staffed the last few sevendays." Journeyman don't grow on trees, unfortunately.
Kiena nods her head as Mur'dah speaks up and then backs him up by adding, "Definitely no revenge or vengeance of any sort. Nothing like that. Just… consequences." It's the word of the evening, apparently. Kera's suggestion and idea as to what could be done for Cyrus only have her blinking, her expression blank and almost stunned. How does one word it that she does not wish to see Cyrus in Xanadu again, for fear of the man's hatred towards her? She has two girls, her daughters, to think of too. Last thing she needs is for them to overhear how Cyrus has labeled their mother. There's a lot mixed up in that, a huge snarled tangle and Kiena is walking a very fine line along it. Her posture has gone rigid, her hands curling against her thighs. Not in anger and certainly not directed to Kera, but the Weyrsecond has had a rough time with this and coupled with her insomnia worsening rather than lessening, it's wearing her down. "I can't promise you anything, Kera. He… it may not be so simple. It will be up to Ka'el and Sorrin as to what is to be done, as well as Cyrus' Masterhealer." Journeymen don't grow on trees, but one's who go corrupt are usually culled, as harsh as it may seem. There's a whuffled sort of chuffed-bark from the wallow and Kiena twitches, only to grimace again. Social time is over? "I'm sorry to lay it all on your shoulders, Kera. Given all that's happened. But I had to talk to you… We both did. We'll… see how this works out." And hopefully no one is hurt further in the end. "I need to see to Ujinath." Kiena's rising from the couch then, preparing to see Kera to the door.
Mur'dah frowns slightly at Kera, slowly shaking his head. "It's not that simple, Kera. He threatened Kiena. The Weyrsecond." This is very serious, the brownrider darting a nervous glance at the bluerider. "I…can't see how he could stay in Xanadu. But I'm not involved in the decision making." At all. "I'm sorry, Kera, but…it's out of our hands. If you want to vouch for him, you'll have to talk to Ka'el…" But Mur'dah, clearly, does not want Cyrus to stay in the weyr. When Kiena rises, Mur'dah does too, giving her a worried look. "Thanks for talking with us, Kera…" The awkwardness continues.
Kera nods to Kiena, not missing the rigid posture of her friend. "I understand Kiena. I know this isn't easy for anyone." Shaking her head, clutching the couple of crackers and warmed cheese slices loosely still, Kera gets to her feet a few seconds after the bluerider, her gaze taking both Mur'dah and Kiena in "I appreciate that you took the time to speak to me about it, and letting me speak on his behalf. Everything considered, it was more than I expected." A quick lift of her shoulders and she nods before wasting little time slipping through the door, muttering something along the lines of 'enjoy…vning'.