Logs:Complicated Family Histories
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| RL Date: 3 July, 2010 |
| Who: Madilla, P'draig |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: A heavily pregnant Madilla meets Milani's brother P'draig. |
| Where: Outside High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 11, Month 2, Turn 23 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: B'tal/Mentions, Milani/Mentions, W'chek/Mentions |
| Outside High Reaches Weyr Impressive enough at a distance, up close, the sheer size of the mountain is imposing -- to the vulnerable, overwhelming -- the more so as its crown of spires, distinguishing High Reaches from every other Weyr on Pern, thrusts long fingers of rock into the sky. The plateau just short of the Weyr's shadowy entrance can seem very small and very flat at the best of times, pinned as it is against the side of the mountain, but at least it's a refuge from the narrow, tight-kinked road that has to twist its way through the rest of the mountain range to reach the rest of Pern. Steady, today's snowfall sticks, creating dunes on the bowl floor. It's getting on toward later afternoon at the Reaches and P'draig's come up for one of his regular visits to his family, though he's currently not in the Weyr proper, but on the plateau just outside, perhaps strangely enough, he's currently occupied with rolling and rolling a snowball that has reached up to his waist in size by now between the thick layer of stuff on the ground and the flakes that continue to drift down from on high. As pregnant as she is - and we're talking pretty pregnant, only a few sevens to go - there's a purposefulness to Madilla's waddling gait as she makes her way out of the tunnel from the weyr and into the open world. Not that purpose prevents her from needing to pause for breath just outside, one arm propping herself up against the stone. It's from this position that she notices P'draig and his snowball: she watches, silent and thoughtful, and apparently quite delighted by what she sees. P'draig keeps on pushing that snowball, picking up an inch or so of new layer on every rotation which brings him back toward the wall of the Weyr. The brownrider stops for a moment to catch his breath, cheeks pinked by the cold and the effort and catches sight of the pregnant healer. "Hey there!" he calls over cheerfully and waves. "Needed some fresh air?" Paddy asks with a smile. "Afternoon," says Madilla, with a faint blush that could just as easily be explained away by the cold air. Perhaps. Straightening, carefully, she takes a few steps away from the wall, closer to the brownrider, as she says, "Mm. Even the bowl has started feeling too closed in; is that strange? And the /view/ from here." "No I don't think it's strange," P'draig says with a shake of his head. "Anyplace cold and snowy can get like that in winter, which I suppose is one upside to places like Ista," he adds thoughtfully. "Sorry - was talking about the relative benefits of a tropical climate versus a cold climate the other day," Paddy explains and gives the snowball a pat. "And this always has been a great view," he agrees, turning about on his heel. "The Reaches' can claim pretty dramatic views from a number of angles." Amused, Madilla returns, "And I think an Istan summer would get just as oppressive, if in a different way, after a while, right? I've had this conversation, too." She drops gloved hands to rest on her middle, surrounding it comfortably before she adds, "I admit, I've never quite gotten used to /this/ much cold. Or living in a mountain, even." Her gaze slips past P'draig and back out over the vista, but returns after a moment as she adds, "I suppose there are good and bad things about living anywhere." "Iii am not a fan of Istan summers, no," P'draig admits. "They're wet and the air is thick enough to cut with a knife. It's brutal in the kitchen in summer." He makes a little face that fades away quickly, replaced by a smile as her hands curve to her belly. "And there's definitely ups and downs to any place." Casually: "You're due soon?" Though mention of her pregnancy makes Madilla's face blossom somehow, she remarks, first, with a wrinkle of her nose, "I can imagine. Too many sources of heat. The summers here are lovely, at least." One hand circles her belly as she adds, then, "A couple of sevens. First seven of month three, officially. I'm not sure if that seems too long or far too short, at this point." "I miss Reaches summers," Paddy confesses. "Even if my Southern-born weyrmate thinks I'm crazy," the brownrider adds with a laugh and then smiles at Madilla warmly. "Shells, yeah that's really soon. Excited and nervous all at once? I remember feeling that way before my first was born." "Why? They may not be /really/ hot, like Istan ones, or - I assume - Southern ones. But they're nicely warm, and just--" Madilla trails off, laughing at herself. "I don't know. They're just nice." A shy nod precedes her next comment; "Exactly. It's overwhelming. I can't wait to meet him or her, though, and I think that's the most tangible emotion. I think. How many do you have?" "Because in his mind, it's cold here all turn," P'draig says laughingly. "It's too cold for him as soon as it's not full summer here," the brownrider explains further. "And I agree, it's nice here. Not too hot, not too cool in summer, plenty of sun. Pretty." Paddy leans a hip against the snowball, hands clapped together to free them of clinging snow bits. "Four all together, though my oldest son lives with his mother at Telgar Weyr instead of with me.' Madilla's head shakes in disbelief. "Imagine!" is all she says, though, less judgmental and more amused by the whole concept. She blows a snowflake off of her nose, watching it float downwards and land on her belly instead; turning her attention back across to P'draig, she nods. "Four's a nice number, I think. I like big families. I know children in weyrs grow up with so many other children isn't not so bad, but... siblings are important, I think." "It's just like me not being used to the heat in the other direction," Paddy says with a grin and looks upward for a moment at falling flakes, opens his mouth to catch one. "Yeah, I love my family," the brownrider answers, gaze returning to the healer. "I'm always excited when there's another on the way." He pushes away from the snowball then, holds out a gloved hand. "I'm P'draig by the by. Jekzith is my brown. He's off up there flying in the snow somewhere." "I suppose," allows Madilla, laughing. She extends her hand to meet P'draig's, shaking his with a firm grip. "Madilla, Journeyman Healer. You're Milani's brother, aren't you? One of them. She's mentioned you." "Well met, Madilla," P'draig says with a smile and nods. "Yes, her oldest brother. And she's mentioned you as well, from a few turns back especially. You know, when things were rough for her," the brownrider says lightly, his grip firm but not too hard. "Thank you for being such a good friend to her. She really needed one." A pleased smile lingers around Madilla's lips for only a few moments, growing more serious at mention of that rough time. Her nod is a firm one, though: "She's been a very good friend to me, too. I'm glad I could help. And I'm /very/ glad that things have been working out better for her, more recently. She deserves every happiness." "Yeah, seems she's in a good place now," P'draig says, tone pleased and fond as he speaks of his sister. "You seem pretty happy too, which is always nice to see," the brownrider adds, with a grin for the healer. There's a faint furrow of Madilla's brow for Milani's present happiness, but the healer clears her face into a smile in an instant, nodding enthusiastically. "I am," she tells P'draig, firmly. "I've wanted children for-- as long as I can remember, I think. "As long as he or she comes out in good health, and doesn't disrupt mine in the process, I don't think there's anything more I could ask for." "I'll wish you a very safe labor then," P'draig says sincerely though there's a faint flicker of something in his face too, some trouble perhaps. "And family's just ... it's important. So I get it," the brownrider adds. "It's hard to believe sometimes, that Palia's almost 9. Seems yesterday she was just born." "Thank you," says Madilla, firmly. Seriously, too, her expression drawing in tightly. But she relaxes a few moments later, allowing the return of another smile. "That's your eldest, then? Palia? Time must fly, I suppose. It always does. Except... sometimes it just drags on, too, and sometimes, it's both at the same time." She blows out a breath of cold air. "Yes. She was born at Fort Weyr when I still lived there," P'draig explains a little about Palia. "And for the most part, time's been doing a lot of flying for me lately. I can understand that switch back and forth though when you're waiting for a long-wanted baby. Paddy shifts to lean against the snowball again. "Think you'll try to have a big family still, after this one?" Madilla nods along to P'draig's explanation of Palia, smiling. She's silent until his question, and then her expression turns rueful. "I suppose it depends," she says, finally. "I would like to, but the logistics of it, the circumstances... that's all more difficult. I suppose that means I'll wait and see, doesn't it?" "I understand complicated logistics," P'draig says with a nod and an understanding look. "All four of mine have different mothers," he explains with a touch of self-deprecating humor. "Having a guy for a weyrmate makes it you know, a little bit interesting working around the whole family concept." That makes Madilla laugh; she nods, cheerfully. "I understand that. This one's father has a male weyrmate, too." She pauses a moment, and then, utterly amused, adds, "Actually, his weyrmate used to be my fiance, just to make things /really/ complicated. It's-- actually, not so very complicated, now. But I'd rather something less complicated, next time. Yours are... flight children, mostly?" "Shells, now there's a story," P'draig says with a laugh. "That's kind of like my brother now being my son's mother's weyrmate," the brownrider relates and pauses for a moment, reviewing. "Yeah, got that right." A nod follows. "Yes, all of them actually. Though I was weyrmated to Palia's mother for a little while," he admits. "It's not how I'd planned things or dreamed of when I was younger. I thought I'd be with my first weyrmate for the rest of my life and we'd raise our kids together as much as riders can, but it didn't turn out that way." "Weyrs make for awfully complicated family histories," declares Madilla, laughing, her head shaking thoughtfully. "No-- this is not how I planned my life, either. I don't know that I'd trade it, though, so... I'll just live the life I've got, I think. I suppose that's all we can do." She tilts her gaze back out over the view, then slides it towards P'draig again. "I should go in. But-- it's been nice to meet you, P'draig." "Exactly, it's a good life, regardless," Paddy agrees, smile warm. "And Weyrs do have a habit of turning things on their ear it seems." He pushes away from the snowball, nodding. "It's been nice to meet you too Madilla. I'll ask Milani to keep me up to date about you and the little one. I hope we'll get a chance to talk again sometime. Have a good rest of the afternoon. I'm going to continue being completely childish and make a very big snow man while I still can." Madilla glances at the big snowball, and then laughs. "Have fun," she tells P'draig, firmly. "That's the best part about snow and ice, isn't it? Thank you. I'm sure we'll run into each other again." And then she turns, waddling back towards the weyr slowly but surely, her dark hair glistening with fallen snow. |
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