We'll Start With Freaky and go From There

Warning: Contains strong language

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.


There are some things that Darsce has put off - and for too long - since the death of Seryth and Thea. Not that she’s been idle. Not with the chaos the emotional impact has left on her cavern staff, but that’s not really an excuse - or the main reason. To that end, she steels herself to do what she ought and that is why, this restday afternoon finds her on the coastal road, turning down the path to Kiena’s cottage. Despite the twist of uneasiness upon her face, she knocks upon the door, calling a deliberately flippant, “Hel-loooo? Is anyone hooooome? Please tell me you two aren’t indisposed with each other at the moment, becaaaause that’d just be all kinds of awkward.” Nevermind that it’s probably an awkward sort of greeting to her brother and his girlfriend! Also - ‘indisposed’ is a safe word for little ears, right? Because Kiena can truthfully tell her girls it means ‘sick’. Which truthfully, to Darsce? Interrupting something between her kid brother and Kiena, would be… somewhere that and only because, y’know, as most sisters… she’d rather not be aware of details! At least she has remembered Kiena has spawn (probably at the last minute, but - hey! does she get points for that at least?

Many have not been idle and certainly not in Kiena’s case either. Being Weyrsecond does not leave much time to be idle and more so when chaos and tragedy fall. Given all that has occurred between the death of Seryth and Thea and her unfortunate encounter with Cyrus after Moncerath’s flight, Kiena has been busy. Far more busy because of the distractions it brings. She distracts herself with her work, with Mur’dah, with her girls, with anything… so long as it isn’t silence and idleness. Which makes it a problem when night falls and one is suppose to sleep. Really, the Weyrsecond ought to take up the Weyrleader’s offer of leave of absence and it’s something she is slowly considering, especially after an enlightening conversation with Soriana made her realize… she is woefully overdue. Several Turns overdue. Luckily for Darsce, she has not yet fled on such a vacation. Kiena is within her cottage and is lacking both in the company of Mur’dah or those little ears. No awkwardness to be faced and certainly no walk (slinking by?) of shame for the brownrider. No having to lie either to two very keen little girls. The bluerider is alone and had been napping, as her body decided that NOW would be a good time for some idleness… despite there being things that need to be done. If anything, Darsce may be facing a slightly untidy cottage. Horror of horrors! “Ain’t no two of us in here and certainly not indisposed…” Kiena’s sleep groggy voice answers just as flippantly and the door opens seconds later to have her standing there, properly dressed if not a bit rumpled. Her hair is unbound though and it’s… a mess of it’s own even on a good day. She peers at Darsce, proceeds to scrub her face and half stifle a yawn before blinking and focusing a bit more clearly. Now here is someone she wasn’t expecting. Uhh… “… afternoon, Darsce. What can I help you with?” Kiena’s stepped back by now, elbowing the door open a little further and gesturing for Darsce to step inside. “I’ll take a wager and guess this isn’t… work related?” Awful long walk just to deliver a message that could otherwise go to her desk!

Darsce doesn't know anything about Kiena's work schedule, her talk with Soriana or her sleepless nights. However as the door opens and she's greeted by a sleepy Kiena, it's pretty obvious that she's interrupted a nap. Ooops? Her response to the assurance that Kiena's not indisposed with her brother is a saucy grin and a, "Better luck next time?" She's gestured inside and although she's just been told Mur'dah isn't here, she steps through the door anyway. The clutter is noticed, but not commented upon. Instead she admits, "It's not work-related - or it wasn't. I was looking for my brother, but since he's not here, and you are… " She allows that comment to stretch while she gives the weyrsecond a once-over, the look brightly curious, but not unkind. "…are you awake enough to hear something work-related?"

Kiena blinks for a moment at Darsce’s saucy grin and the comment that follows, brows lifting up in a half-second of surprise until she snorts and smirks right back at the Headwoman. “Maybe for me, but not so much for you if you drop in unannounced,” she replies with a drawled and amused tone. Once Darsce has stepped inside, Kiena will nudge the door closed and proceed to hastily tidy a few things as she strolls further into the living area. Aside from the clutter, the Weyrsecond’s cottage and weyr is… eccentric at best. First to note is that the spiral staircase leading to the loft bedroom has a slide with it. Not far from that is the rope, thick and sturdy enough for climbing or… swinging. Huh. “Come in, make yourself comfortable. Mind the trampoline.” Mind the… what now? Sure enough, Kiena points to a certain corner of the floor and there it is, sunk into the boards. At least the denim covered couch and chairs look comfortable (and safe)? “Ah… he’s out on duty. I can tell him you were wanting to speak with him though when I see him?” she offers as she pauses just before the kitchenette, turning to peer curiously at her. “Can I get you anything? To drink? Or you hungry?” Kiena is a good host, honest! She even looks a little more alert, though no less rumpled and dishevelled. “I’m awake! What is it?” It’s not asked impatiently, just blunt and straight forwards and followed with a faint and crooked smile.

"Touche!" Darsce's smirk turns into a drawled, "I'll try to keep that to a minimum." She strolls after the tidying Kiena, giving the weyr a look 'round. This is one she hasn't been in - perhaps it was one of her assistants who brought girls in to clean and ready it for Kiena's occupancy. The rope swing doesn't seem to surprise her, for she says matter-of-factly, "N'shen and Natali have one of those in their cottage." The trampoline, now, that gets a second look, the lift of one shapely brow and a tone suggestive of anything but innocence when she says, "I'll bet you and… your girls have fun with that." No mention of Mur'dah. She's innocent, innocent! Of Mur'dah, she nods and says casually, "I'll catch up with him; it's nothing urgent." She does like the denim couches and says so, "These are nice," while a brush of light fingertips appreciate the fabric. Kiena's question draws a gulp, "Not hungry, no. Not much these days, anyway. But don't let me stop you from eating. If you don't mind, some water would be great?" The headwoman doesn't seem to mind the weyrsecond's bluntness in the slightest, returning a smile to her until the topic of work-related things are brought to the fore of her mind. She'll drift to hover halfway between those couches and where Kiena is while her brow pinches in concentration. It's been a few days and other things have been on her mind and she wants to get it right. "So… a seven or so ago, I delivered dinner to the jailbird of the day and was a little surprised to find it was journeyman Cyrus." Only a little surprised, says the roll of eyes and wry tone, but that's probably just her sarcasm showing. "So I stayed and chatted with him- do you mind if I sit down? This may take a few minutes."

Kiena never paid attention to who brought her to this weyr when she transferred in, only the shock she received when she walked in. Definitely not what she was expecting! It’s home now though and she’s come to love the eccentrics of it. “Do they? Huh. And here I thought only I had the rope swing.” As for that trampoline, Kiena just glances sidelong to Darsce and says nothing, save for the mischievous hint of a smile. Right, her girls. She’ll let her think that. “They like the waterbed too,” she drawls innocently. She’ll gesture with a wave of her hand to the denim covered couches. “They’re quite comfortable. Almost too comfortable.” Case in point: herself! No wonder she crashed and napped, until Darsce came a’calling? The dismissal to the offer of food is just met with a shrug, Kiena not finding anything odd of it or the request for water. To each their own and she’s not about to pry. “Water it is!” she murmurs and steps into the kitchenette. Her back will be turned to Darsce then and most of her hidden behind the counters or more or less completely out of view if she’s sat down by now. While Darsce speaks, there’s hte normal sounds coming from the kitchenette. Rummaging, soft movements… glass clinking overly loud against some surface. Okay, not so normal. Kiena have a case of the butter fingers? Or is it the topic brought up that has the bluerider fumbling? At least nothing broke and when she emerges moments later, she has some glasses in hand (whole ones!) and a pitcher. She’ll pour a glass for Darsce first, offering it to her as she steals a quick and studious look. Wondering, perhaps, where this is going. Or is she wary? It could be both. Kiena will pour her glass next and then flop down on one of the chairs which is nothing but an overglorified beanbag cushion. Probably meant more for the children, but Kiena’s not about to sit side to side with Darsce, preferring to face her instead. “I’d imagine he had… much of interest to say?” Even her voice betrays a sense of caution, as though Kiena’s trying to look relaxed, it’s clear she’s got her guards up.

What Darsce really thinks about the trampoline - and waterbed - is left unsaid, probably for the best. The headwoman, having declined food, foregoes elaboration on her eating habits, instead drifts over to the couch and sinks down upon one with a sigh. She makes no attempt to speak over the sound of glass clattering against the counters while Kiena is in the kitchen. Sensitivity might dictate that she ask if the other were alright, but she merely throws her a quizzical glance as she returns. She remains silent, accepting the glass with a murmured thanks and sips the water while Kiena pours her own. Lowering the glass, she gets right to it, responding dryly, “Oh it was interesting alright! I wanted to know what he’d done to land himself in a cell. So he told me…his version.” The last bit accomplished with biting sarcasm and a roll of her eyes. She’s aware that the journeyman must have done something pret-ty serious to get himself tossed in a jail cell. “He said he ‘confronted’,” the airquotes are obvious on her emphasis as she says the word, “you about Ujinath winning Moncerath’s flight.” She blows out a whoosh of air that stirs her bangs and mutters, “The nitwit!”

Settling herself into that denim covered cushion-like chair, Kiena will hold her glass between her hands, her grip firm but the drink otherwise forgotten. Her blue eyes remain focused on Darsce, blank at first and neutral, only to harden a bit and narrow when she goes on to explain her talk with Cyrus. “His version?” she says quietly, her voice stiff and spoken with a slight inhaled breath between her teeth. Clearly, the Weyrsecond doesn’t like how that sounds. There’s no rolling of her eyes or sarcasm from her, just wariness and uncertainty. Which is all shattered and blown to the wind with the word ‘confronted’ (with airquotes!). Kiena’s expression twists to one of contempt and frustration. There’s anger there too, but she’s keeping a strong grip on that emotion, less Darsce get an earful (and likely an unwanted one at that). “Confronted!” she scoffs, swearing quietly under her breath as she snorts in a rather undignified manner next. Lady-like? Kiena? Never. “… that’s almost an insult. Nitwit doesn’t even cover it. He’s insane.” Simple as that!

Darsce nods along with Kiena, unperturbed by - or more likely agreeing with - the anger she sees on the other woman’s face. Rather than look uncomfortable, she’s relaxed. “Well, yes,” she points out reasonably, though still rich with sarcasm clearly aimed at Cyrus, not the weyrsecond. “His version. There was no one else there to contradict him, see? And, I might add, I didn’t exactly believe him.” She lounges back against the pillows leveling a look to the other, agrees with insane in a droll tone, “That’s putting it mildly. I told him haranguing the Weyrsecond was stupid-” And one hand lifts as she interrupts herself with, “-It was a guess. I mean, the dude didn’t get thrown in the clink for nothing.” The lifts her glass once more and takes a long swallow of water, iceblue eyes watching Kiena over the rim. “He’s crazy and stupid because even when I explained that riders do what their dragons do, he thinks otherwise. And… ” she rolls her eyes again, “He aims to fix that so it doesn’t happen again. Or… hah! So he says.”

Kiena’s anger seems to diminish, but it’s not entirely gone. The Weyrsecond has just carefully tucked it back behind a mask of an annoyed looking scowl. Not directed to Darsce, but by the news of Cyrus’ ‘story’ while he was behind bars. “Didn’t think you believed him. Else you wouldn’t be here, would you?” she replies dryly, giving her a long and lingering look. She’s about to protest and stops when Darsce lifts her one hand, thinking it was meant for her and not to interrupt herself. So she’ll wait and while her eyes widen in mild surprise for what Darsce shares further with her, she quickly blinks it away and swears again under her breath. Kiena forces herself to take a slow sip of her water, taking a few precious and cautious seconds to calm herself and her thoughts lest she go on a rambling vent on the woman. Despite the tactic, the bluerider’s voice is still tense and laced at times with sarcasm and anger. “Haranguing? Shards, it was more than just some scolding! Is that what he thinks it was? He was crazed! Raving mad, is more like it! Slanderous, insulting, threatening… He called me a…” Kiena stops there and grimaces, shaking her head and taking another hastier sip of her drink. “So what’s his foolproof plan to “fix” things? Or do I even want to know?” she mutters and having looked away briefly, her eyes now lift back to Darsce. Do tell?

Darsce coughs dryly and clarifies, “No, sorry, that was my term for it. Cyrus made it sound like a mere discussion.” She is unsurprised by the words ‘slanderous, insulting and threatening’. “Mmm, he played that part down, of course, but that’s pretty much what I meant by harangue.” The harsh smirk directed at her glass is for the healer - whom her finger is busy doodling a depiction of by tracing in the condensation of her glass. The figure, when completed has bars and the word ‘jailbird’ printed underneath. Iceblue eyes lift from the her artwork to the other woman. Casually curious, “Called you a what?” The glass is slowly turned in her fingers so the picture faces Kiena, a silent reminder that the man is an idiot who landed himself behind bars and thus has little credence. As for fixing things, “Cyrus thinks he can change the dragonbond by working on the mindlink so that flights no longer affect the rider. I don’t know how really, probably with psychotherapy.” Her answer is laced with heavy sarcasm accompanied by an eyeroll.

Kiena mutters something under her breath and not surprising it sounds much like an oath while Darsce doodles and traces a depiction of Cyrus behind bars in the condensation of her glass. It serves to bring a faint amused smirk and snort from the Weyrsecond when her gaze falls on it and puzzles it out. Called her what? Kiena’s hesitation is obvious and she gives Darsce a long, thoughtful look. Can she be trusted? She’s the Headwoman and the bluerider can think of nothing that the woman can gain by the information. “In simple, polite terms, he called me a monster.” she says, her smirk twisting into something of a strained grimace. “But the truth is he called me a monster,” she hesitates with just a small breath and then lets the other words flow through. “A rapist, a molester and… other things. Claimed I had hurt Kera or something along those lines. Actually tried to command me not to ever see her again and if I did…” She shrugs. “He described some very disturbing things afterwards, none of which I believed but it’s best left… unrepeated.” Unless Darsce wants nightmares? Kiena blinks and then just stares at the other woman. “How… how is this man a Healer…?” she exclaims, dumbfounded, despite the sarcasm. Her mind may have just skipped a few tracks and screeched to a halt. What?

Darsce listens, her posture against the cushioned couch back remains unchanged though her expression of disdain for the mindhealer turns to one of distaste. “Yeaaah. He played that down also. In fact, he didn’t even add that part in,” says the headwoman with a contemptuous curl of her lip - lips that soften as she leans forward and she loses the flippant guard she usually wears in her iceblue eyes, instead looking quite earnest. “Look, I’m not a rider, but even I know that what happens in flights is beyond the riders’ control.” That’s firmly said before Kiena elaborates afterwhich she spits out, “Cyrus is fucking crazy! You are not any of those things!” Then she mutters, “I hope you told him how insane he is.” Her look is questioning. Did she? Flopping back against the couch, she tilts her head back to regard the weyrsecond through her lashes, hiding perhaps. She cannot, however, hide the tremor in her voice though she tries, “Flights suck. Most riders don’t like them. My parents let them wreck their relationship.” The very public double-punch to the stomach Ers’lan got in the cavern entrance for asking her to stand has likely made the rounds by now - or perhaps Mur’dah might’ve shared it with Kiena. There is only one other person (and Zhaoth) who knows why she reacted thus - and now Kiena might have an inkling how strongly Darsce feels about not wanting to be a rider. As for Cyrus, she’s unsurprised by the shock on Kiena’s face, nodding confirmation. Yes, he wants to mess with the dragonbond. “It’s totally freaky, isn’t it?” She shakes her head, then refers back to how the healer has treated Kiena, “How’s he a mindhealer, even? He’s forgotten the key oath, ‘First Do No Harm’. And now he wants to mess with something he knows nothing about, the idjit.” With a rueful pulls of glossed lips she adds, “Too bad he couldn’t’ve stayed locked up!”

Kiena figures most weyfolk and even holderfolk have a general idea of how flights work. She expects a difference in knowledge and opinion and she’d be fine with that. Darce’s outlook would likely be considered “normal” or understandable by the Weyrsecond. Even if she knew about the double punch to Ers’lan… which she hasn’t be told about or heard about. Would it surprise her? Maybe a little. However, it still pales in comparison to Cyrus. His reaction was a straight up from insanity; at least to her, he is insane and will forever BE seen as such. “Oh, I told him. I also told him to leave and he refused to do so and only became increasingly aggressive towards me. So I had him arrested. After I made sure to drive home the point that I could make it so that he never saw Kera again, if I really wanted to be a heartless bitch.” Obviously she’s not acted upon that. She did her part in trying to talk to the greenrider but beyond that the Weyrsecond won’t meddle any further. Not, unless, Cyrus starts to do actual damage. THAT will be a whole different kettle of fish then. Kiena’s features twist into one of disgust. “Freaky and disturbing. Beyond troubling and yet it suits him. The man is dangerous. To himself and to others. Shards if I know how the Healer Hall tolerates him and something makes me wonder if they’re even aware of his perversions and disturbed thoughts. Probably not. Otherwise he’d have been turfed out on his idjit,” Hey, she LIKES that word! Thanks, Darsce! “ass by now.” She smirks and then sniffs. “I say good riddance.”

Darsce nods once, her concern softening as Kiena says she spoke up for herself. “Good deal. Not that my opinion matters, but I think you did the right thing. And he’s gone now, so hopefully he’s where he can’t do any damage…to dragons.” So all is over and done? She knows better than that. “I’m going to go find my brother now,” she says offering over her nearly empty glass and rising. “Thanks for the water. I’ll let you get back to your nap.” She turns and heads for the door, though she stops there with her hands on the knob and half-turns back to say, “I’m… also going to have something delivered here for you.” Her…okay it’s a smirk by now…is one part mystery and nine parts wicked. “I want you to use it when thoughts of what he’s said to you keep you awake.” She flutters her fingers and slips out.

It might be about an hour later when the knock sounds at Kiena’s cottage. In the young lad’s hands is a square, flat package that, when opened reveals a round dartboard and darts. The target? That’s right, it’s a rough pencil sketch of Cyrus, signed ‘Darsce’ with a flourish and a note that says, “Enjoy!”


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