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.
It's getting along in the evening, dinner has been caught a few hours ago in the Caverns after a very busy day of hold visits, paperwork, flamethrower drills with the other weyrwomen. Seryth is bedded down and curled up soundly asleep in the wallow outside the Weyrbarn, not even twitching an eyelid as Thea passes with Muir and Marella to step up onto the weyrbarn porch. She has a toddler on each hip, all three rosy-cheeked and damp-haired from their time in the bathing caverns. As she shoulders the door open she says quietly, "Bed time. Don't wake Daddy up if he's sleeping."
D'had wasn't exactly asleep. More dozing in and out on the couch than anything. The sound of the door and Thea's whispers to the children finds him stiring again, but for the time being he goes on pretending he's asleep until the twins are in bed. It's likely easier to get them down that way anyway. When Thea returns from putting them to bed however he's there waiting with a glass of wine in hand for her. "Long day?"
Thankfully, Thea had the foresight to take the children's bedclothes to the bathing cavern and so they're mostly ready to get to bed. Amazingly, the pair are relatively quiet upon glimpsing that 'dozing' figure on the couch. Though while Thea is busy removing Marella's coat, Muir sneaks over to Siebith's stone couch. Mommy didn't say anything about not waking up the blue, did she? He gives a surreptitious glance 'round to make sure no one is watching before he leans over to give the blue's nose a kiss, leans back casually - no one saw that, right?! Gives it a pat and whispers, "Night 'Beth." A manly good night. Then he's sauntering back to stand behind mom - there all the time - when she's ready to remove his coat. Up to the loft with the pair, some murmurs as she tells them their story, tucks them in and back down the ladder to find D'had there. She accepts the glass gratefully, but with a brow raised for that not-asleep man, she merely nods wearily, gently chiding, "You could have told them goodnight."
"I could have, but it would have taken three times as long," D'had replies quietly. "I'll check on them later," he assures. Not that that's the same as saying good night when they're still awake. "Come on," he adds, changing the topic as he reaches for her free hand in effort to lead her along back outside with him.
"But Donn, they need your-" Blink. Her hand is taken and she's being led off. After a glance over her shoulder up to that now-quiet loft, she follows, but as she does Shep wriggles out from under the damp strands of her hair, leaving his warm perch at the back of her neck and flits silently up to sit on that top rung. Careful not to spill her wine, she sips as she goes, murmurs appreciation, "This is good stuff! What's the vintage?" And of course, he's getting a bemused look along with that. It’s written all over her face: 'What are you up to?'
D'had doesn't comment on that unfinished remark of hers. Instead he just flashes a grin back at her as they step outside. "It's a Benden," he replies to the question of the wine, "Been savin' it for awhile." For something special some might say. Outside he leads her on down one of the paths that follow the coast. Shep up there on the rail might notice someone else slip in a bit after they've left. That would be Hali, so apparently he's even made sure to have someone there. She's said they'll be fine with the brown watching and them not so very far away, but he's just making sure.
Benden! Thea's dark brows lift; she's impressed. No, they don't have that often and thus the look she lifts from that glass back to him is now intrigued, but she says nothing further. Instead, she smiles back, clearly charmed by that grin of his. "You should do that more often," she says lowly as she leans to kiss the so-rarely seen dimple in his cheek. She obviously didn't know anything was planned, so when Hali's arrival is reported by Shep, any tension she might have had leaks from her and the result is visible in the line of her shoulders as she laughs quietly while she follows him down that trail, "Good thing I didn't decide to pull an all-nighter in the office tonight, hmm?"
D'had chuckles, "Then I would'a just had ta come find ya, but I figure ya had ta bring them home sooner or later." Them of course being the twins, she wouldn't have left them at the nursery all night even if she was working through it. "Almost there," he notes as they continue down the path to a semi-seculded cove.
"Would you now?" Playful, Thea appears to consider this, tipping her head to eye him with a twinkle. "I'll have to try it sometime and see if you remember to come find me then." Though. She -could- have the twins delivered to him by the nannies if she had to work all night. Now wouldn't -that- be fun? "Almost where?" She leans, mindful of her glass not to spill it, to see around him.
No. That would not be fun. For her maybe, for him it'd be more likely to resemble a nightmare. "Almost here," he replies after a few steps more when the path he's turned onto leads them to the small sheltered cove. There on the beach, well out of reach of the tide, a blanket has been spread and set - though there's only one glass there - and a few glowbaskets left out to shed a dim light over it.
It might be fun for the twins, too! Though the thought is amusing enough to preoccupy Thea for those last couple of steps, especially since D'had merely repeats himself, leaving her in suspense. Stepping out onto the sand and beside him now, she can see where he's going, her gaze sweeping over the beach to that glowlit blanket, the waves breaking gently with a whisper beyond and back to him with a half-smile, "Is this why I didn't see you at dinner?"
For her question as to why she didn't see him at dinner, "I was busy?" Which is more or less 'yes'. D'had grins as they cross that stretch of sand to the blanket where he offers to hold her drink if she would like while she takes a seat. Once she's settled he takes up the spot across from her. There's not dinner spread before them, but there is food - some special dessert from the Reaches that she'd grown up with.
There's a quiet laugh following his answer. Yes, she's well-used to his indirect answers by now, but that doesn't mean she wouldn't like to get a straight answer now and then. She sinks down to have a seat on the blanket, sitting cross-legged in one graceful motion and takes her glass back with a murmur of thanks. That dessert though. It catches her eye and after a blink, she leans forward to peer at it closely. "How did you-" It's a frozen concoction - brandy-laced ice cream inside a mound of meringue atop a sponge cake, topped with a tart berry sauce. A High Reaches specialty. She can't believe it. "Okay, I want to hear the story behind this!" And she's looking at him expectantly while she sips her wine.
D'had just grins. Apparently he did as good as he thought he had, perhaps better but that remains to be seen. "Thought ya deserved somethin' special for your turnday, so I called in a few favors." There's really not nearly as much of a story there as there could be. "Know it's prolly not the right day an' all," he admits with some disappointment in himself for that, but it's the thought that counts. That's what they always say. Right?
He keeps doing that, those rakish grins of his, and he's going to have her wrapped around his finger in no time flat. Frankly approving, she makes no pretense at trying to hide it, she drops her gaze to that dessert. "Some favors, huh?" Back up to him, clearly teasing, "So you didn't pop up to High Reaches yourself?" She leans over, pretending alarm, feigned wide eyes and everything. "I don't see any battle wounds, so you must have sent someone else to get my mother's handiwork?" Well, she's -guessing- her mother made it, anyway. She can't bear him to be down on himself, though and continues that lean with a "Shh," and presses a kiss to his lips, murmuring as she pulls back just enough to say with sincerity, "What matters is you did this. That's all. And I love you for it, Donn."
D'had chuckles, meeting that kiss, and if he were a shy man he might well blush at all that. "Didn't figure it was worth risking my life for," he teases when she pulls back. "Had a cousin who's a trader up there pick it up from your Ma, met them a ways off." But that does clarify the fact that yes, her mother did make it.
Thank goodness he's not a blushing shy man!! Thea snorts, pretended offense in the tilt of her chin, "Definitely worth risking your life for! You can only say that because you haven't tasted it yet." This as she's settling back to give him breathing room. He needs that, right? She searches the area, finally finds forks under the cloth napkins and offers him one, a brow raised, sea green eyes sparkling a challenge. He'll try it, yes?
D'had turns that lopsided smirk of his one her as he accepts that fork. "It's your turnday," he replies, "You should get the first bite." Not that he's not going to share in the delicacy, but he will allow her the first. "But yer right, might be worth riskin' it but figured ya'd rather have me alive." Wink.
With a smirk right back at him, Thea's quip is delivered on the heels of that remark. "I get to bite you for my turnday?" She's tempted, but will settle for dessert. For now. "Alive? Mmhmm, You figured correctly," she tells him merrily, her smile still flickering at the corners of her lips as she uses her fork to cut the thing open, the meringue crackling in the quiet night. She takes her forkful, salutes him with it and pops it in her mouth, closes her eyes, mmms and swoons.
D'had just shakes his head. No, he did not mean him. "Take it I got something good," he comments, if only to himself, at her reaction to taking that bite of the dessert. Once she's had her first though he digs in for one of his own. "Mmm," he remarks, "Not too bad." He's playing it down of course.
Thea pouts at that headshake of his, pretending huge disappointment that he didn't. Well! At least she doesn't flirt with other men and saves it for him instead? And she might be playing it up just a little with the dessert, though she is enjoying this unexpected treat, to be sure. He's scored big points with this. She scoots over to sit beside him where she can lean against him while she scoops another forkful. Need to eat it before the ice cream melts, after all. "So." She begins casually, eyes sliding sideways to give him an under the lashes look, "They didn't seem scared up there the other day."
D'had laughs in that low, amused chuckle. When she slides over beside him he reaches an arm around her. As for dessert, he's had his bite and he's leaving the rest of her. At her mention of that ride however, "We aren't talkin' about that tonight. Tonight's for you." He's going to avoid that conversation for the evening as much as he can.
Oh he is? Well, he knows how to sidetrack her if he wants to avoid the conversation. Thea's bite is halfway to her mouth, she pauses to assure him sunnily, "Oh, I don't mind talking about it." Though she can't with her mouth full, which is what happens as soon as the fork resumes momentum. She's watching him expectantly - she can't eat all this herself! And she is mighty curious about what he's thought about the ride, so she'll be unlikely to drop the subject.
"I do," D'had replies. Mind talking about it that is. "They might not have been but it was a short ride," he replies. That much she knows, it wasn't very long at all. "And I don't know if I can do it again." She might have an idea how hard it was for him. Might.
Thea swallows hard at that "I do." Well, if he minds talking about it, she's not going to antagonize him by forcing him to talk about it. She drops her head to study that fork she's holding, whispering, "I'm sorry." If he won't talk about it, how can she know? How can she tell him she might understand? His last comment though draws a look of dismay. Can't? And she can't say a word because he won't talk to her. Great.
"Ain't nothin' ta be sorry about," D'had replies, tilting his head to rest his cheek against the top of her head. "Ain't your fault babe, just what if I hadn't been able to keep it in control the whole time we were up? We ain't used ta flyin' like that."
Thea presses in to his side, a troubled sigh escaping her lips in spite of his words. "It would have been very bad," she admits after a long silence. "I could feel there was some strain through Seryth," she tells him quietly. "Was it that much of a strain? You seemed very tired afterwards." Though she has to know, "What will we do? Muir won't understand if you won't take him up anymore. The child-" she gives a short, helpless and mirthless laugh, "-is besotted with him! He wants to be with you!"
"We'll figure out something," D'had says with a sigh of his own. "But yeah, it weren't easy. Only time we fly straight like that's drills." And with drills the smooth and straight is intermittent, there's plenty of evasive maneuvering in them. "For now though, why don't you enjoy your evening, hmm? And we can talk about this more tomorrow."
"Seryth - or Kilaueth - can inhibit him, you know." The blue might not like it, but he'll obey. With a roll of her eyes that hopefully goes unseen with her head on his shoulder, Thea mouths a silent, 'suuuure tomorrow.' She's been the recipient of that 'we'll talk about it later' once too often to believe he'll want to do it when tomorrow comes. She reaches to poke at the melting sweet with the fork. "I… thanks for doing this, Donn." He knows her. Hard not to worry about things and just let them go. Though he helps her quite a bit.
"Well then you should have done that," D'had shoots back. If Seryth can do it she should have the last time. "It’s just that while we're on the ground I know what has to happen, but we get up there its somethin' else." A shake of his head and a sigh follow. "We'll figure somethin' out. Don't worry. I can't take 'im up everyday but I'm not not gonna take him ever."
Thea winces at the tone, feeling chastened as she lifts her head to give D'had a look that is both hurt and surprised. "She did! I told you she was helping! Don't you remember?" It must have been very difficult indeed. Concerned for him now, she encircles him with her arms. Humbly, "Will you tell me sometime, what it's like for you up there?" Because she wants to understand! For now, though, she will try to trust he'll do the right thing by his son. "Alright, I won't worry." He could help get her mind off it?
D'had shakes his head. No, he doesn't remember her saying that. "Sorry babe," he replies. He didn't mean to snap at her says the tone of his voice. "I'll tell you one a these days, but for now…" he trails off shifting to press his lips to hers and change the topic of the evening back to what it was originally intended to be. And if that dessert melts… well that's her fault. Or so he'll say.
That dessert is quite delicious. And spreads better when mel- Ahem! Let's just say it's a good thing D'had picked such a secluded cove. Meringue keeps. As does the cake, so it won't be a total loss. As for Thea? She'll be happy to take the blame - all of it. And whatever else he's dishing out!