Logs:Sleep
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| RL Date: 4 August, 2010 |
| Who: Josian, Madilla, Lilabet |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Josian ventures to High Reaches to meet Lilabet. He and Madilla catch up. |
| Where: Craft Complex, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 23, Month 5, Turn 23 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: B'tal/Mentions, Nenita/Mentions |
| Craft Complex, High Reaches Weyr A passageway hewn into the rock and heavily patched with cement leads a short distance in to the bowl wall, with a door on either side. Aside from the light of regularly spaced glowlamps, the walls are bare, with just a coating of whitewash to cover the otherwise uneven layers of stone and cement. To the left of the entranceway, just a single step inside, a spiral staircase opens out of the wall, leading upwards through the stone. There's a door on either side of the corridor, staggered by a few feet, and at the end of the corridor there's another staircase hewn from the stone, leading upwards to the residential corridor, as well as a door that leads off into bathing facilities. One final door leads into a short corridor containing a few more residential apartments. The door leading to the east opens into an expansive room that seems to provide both a general working space with long, bare benches and chairs, and what will probably be a cozy lounge once it gets more than a single fuzzy armchair. Three tall windows carved into the stone offer air and light when the heavy wooden shutters are left open, though the lounge area has to make do mostly with glows. A hearth at the back of the room provides both heat and basic cooking facilities. The western door leads into another passage, off of which the main workrooms have been built. The loading dock is to the northern end, leading back out into the bowl, with the rest of the rooms leading deeper and deeper into the wall. So much for 'spring': High Reaches is cool and foggy, today, with the kind of weather best avoided entirely. Conveniently, Madilla's plans involve staying in - as she told Josian in her reply to his note, she'll be in the lounge area of the new craft complex all afternoon, and he's welcome to drop in at any time. There's still only one chair in the lounge, though, ignoring the benches in 'work' side of the room, so the healer has set up on the floor near the hearth, cushioned by quilts, with the two-and-a-half month old that is her daughter snoozing breezily on the ground beside her. Madilla's quilting again, keeping her fingers busy even as she keeps rather more than one eye on her daughter at all times. Josian strides in, moving quickly into the room. His jacket is pulled tight around him, but he's busy glancing around with a grin on his face. "Snazzy digs you all have going on here now. At least they'll keep you inside when it's way below freezing." There's a teasing tone to Josian's voice as he greets Madilla with that, heading her way. The tone drops a bit though when he sees the baby sleeping. "Caught you at a nap time?" Madilla's head tips up at the sound of Josian's voice, and she smiles, waving him across even if he /is/ already heading in her direction. "They're pretty impressive, aren't they? Though they'll be /more/ impressive once we get some more furniture in here. Or... much of anything, really." It really is quite sparse. She doesn't seem too concerned about the sound of voices, though she notes, "It's almost always naptime at this point, except when /I/ want it to be, I think." Perhaps she'd be more amused by this if she didn't look quite so tired. "There's plenty of time to fill it all. But having space to fill. That's something." And once he gets over to them, Josian has no problem taking a sprawling seat on the edge of the quilt, giving the baby a closer look. "She is pretty adorable, though. And that sounds exactly right. Want to be awake most when their mommy wants to get some kind of actual sleep at night." Madilla casts another glance around the room, looking - for a moment - thoughtful, and then nods. "You're quite right, of course. And having the space... it /is/ lovely. The greenhouse, and the workroom, and--" She breaks off, looking a little rueful, though she doesn't explain exactly why, and anyway, a moment later her attention is back on her daughter. Who /is/ pretty adorable. "Isn't she just? That's it, though, isn't it. Sleeps just fine half the time, but at night... And it's not as though I can just hand her off to someone." She pauses, then adds, hurriedly, "Not that I'd-- you know. She's perfect. Lily is perfect. I just wish she'd sleep more." Josian grins widely at that. "You know that you sound like every mother of a two month old that I see, right? And that's pretty well every one at Ista at least." Josian cranes his head to look around. "A greenhouse. You can escape there in the winter to pretend that you're not about to freeze to death!" He jokes brightly. Laughing, Madilla admits, "I don't doubt it. I know I've promised any number of new mothers that it will get better, too, for that matter. I know it will... I'm just busy fantasizing about what more than a couple of hours sleep in a row would actually feel like." /Wonderful/, her expression suggests. /Blissful/. One hand slides towards Lilabet, stroking the shock of dark hair, as she adds, "You're quite right - that's /exactly/ why we have a greenhouse. So we can 'work' in the warmth." Josian smirks over to Madilla. "I've got you figured out. It's not about needing herbs. It's all about the warmth. I know." His joking tone is light before he looks odwn towards the napping baby. "Someday you'll find out. Probably one of the harder parts about doing this without a partner. No one beside you in the night to take the baby so you can sleep a little more. I can't offer that, but if you ever need a babysitter so you can get a nap in, let me know, and I'll come brave the cold. I just /might/ like little ones." Madilla can't quite keep a straight face, so her mock-innocence is less effective than it might otherwise be, but still: she tries. More serious, though, is her considered response to the rest of what he has to say. "Yes," she admits, after a few moments. "It's harder than I thought it would be, without someone else. Not that B'tal isn't helpful," she's quick to add, "But it's not quite the same, is it?" Her silence lasts a few seconds more before she adds, much more cheerfully, "I'd watch out, saying things like that. Uncle Josian might become a familiar face if you're not careful. I /do/ appreciate the offer, though." "I wouldn't mind getting roped into becoming a familiar face. It's always nice to see little ones /outside/ the infirmary." Josian notes before he adds. "It's not. My parents were together when I was her age, but not much longer. I know. But I'm sure that I was the /easiest/ child ever for my mom to raise." There's a mock innocent look there. "Don't know that I'll ever end up with any little ones of my own though. Gives me time to spoil other people's kids A sweet smile followed by a slow little nod mark Madilla's reactions to the first couple of things Josian says; she lets out a light chuckle, though, teasing in response, "You? A difficult child? I can't /imagine/ such a thing." Her hands fold into her lap, now, quilting forgotten, her attention sliding inexorably back towards her sleeping child. "I can't imagine that you'll never get the chance to be a father. I think it's sad, if true. You'd make a wonderful father. Or are you just enjoying being a bachelor too much?" Josian gives Madilla his best sweet and innocent look. It's probably something he's practiced in front of mirrors. "I know! I'm sure I listened /so/ well." And then he'll pause for a moment to look down to the baby. "Not so much the bachelor part. More the slowly sliding into a relationship with a wonderful woman. Who I don't think is going to want, or really have time for, kids." "The Lord of listening," agrees Madilla, amused and somehow fond. If anything, she looks even /more/ fond at the admission that follows, though she sucks the breath into her cheeks and pauses for a moment before she responds. "Congratulations," she tells him, genuinely. "You deserve every happiness. I'm sorry that-- well. At least you spend so much of your time with children, right?" Because this seems to make her sad, this idea that he won't get children of his own. "I do have an in with all the kids in the weyr. Plenty of kids for me, most of the time. And then I can go play Uncle Josian." The healer states with a grin. Josian leans back onto his elbows, chilling out on the blanket. "And you never know what the future will bring. Maybe things will end up not working out with Nenny. Or I'll end up with a kid or two when I'm old and decrepit. Which will be like a turn. Anyway. Who knows?" Madilla considers all of these points with due thoughtfulness, and finally, nods. "I suppose you're right. Well, I hope--" She breaks off, grins, then finishes, "I hope things work out. Whether with-- Nenny. Or not. Whatever makes you happiest." That's said with a forward tip of the head. "I was going to ask how things had been, but I suppose that's probably the biggest news you'd have to report. Unless there's something more?" Josian shakes his head. "Nope! That's the biggest. She's great. And I really like that we can relax with each other, since both of our jobs can be stressful at times, especially maybe hers. Anyway, things are pretty well good. Have you ever met Merkel? Journeyman, about ten years older than me? I so want to strangle him sometimes." There's a pause at that change in topic to look down at the baby. Everything going well for you? Besides the lack of a good night's, or even good few consecutive hours' sleep?" Madilla is terribly polite about not asking more about this mysterious Nenny and her particularly stressful job; but then, it would be unusual for her to do anything different. All she says, in the end, is, "Good. I'm glad," all very genuinely. Her nose wrinkles at mention of Merkel, though again, she's too polite to say too much. "Everything is good," she agrees, firmly. Lilabet takes that moment to stir, eyes fluttering open, tiny fist unclenching; Madilla's breath catches, but there are no (immediate) screams. Josian doesn't seem ready to say much more there. Or to call her anything but his nickname for her. Instead he'll take that nose wrinkle as a sign. "Ah. You have met him, I'll take it. Most recently, he has it into his head that I'm a bad influence on the apprentices." And then Lilabet is waking up, and Josian moves closer, pausing before he picks her up to look up to Madilla, "Mind if I hold her?" Madilla lets out her held breath as Lilabet continues to not cry, bobbing her head forward as, in a low voice, "Go ahead." It doesn't mean she won't watch like a hawk, of course, but she doesn't seem concerned. Of Merkel; "We've-- met. He seems--" Diplomacy doesn't seem to have an appropriate word to fill in there, and so she leaves it, only wrinkling her nose again sympathetically. Finally; "He's very traditional. I suppose you're not... but I think he's quite wrong. I'm sorry; it must be awkward." Josian does know how to hold a baby. It's part of his job, after all. So Josian will scoop up the little one, cradling her close to make a few silly faces down to the baby before he grins over. "No. I suppose I'm not the most traditional of healers. And I suppose in the end, it doesn't really matter what he sends back to Healer Hall about me. None of it would be a surprise." Lilabet seems - at least at the moment - like a happy enough baby, smiling gummily up at Josian as he makes his silly faces at her. Madilla smiles, too; pleased, relaxing contentedly. "That's right. And the Hall know who and what you are. They wouldn't have let you walk the tables if they weren't confident in you. And they certainly wouldn't have posted you. So I don't think it matters /what/ he thinks, whatsoever." Josian gives the baby a smile in return, making one last silly face before he grins over to Madilla. "True! Five turns ago now, even. Getting old, I am." That's said with a rather decrepit voice before adds, "They know that I know what I'm doing as a healer, even if some boring sticks in the mud don't like my style. I hope it's all going more smoothly for you here. I'm sure you're in love with a new greenhouse." "/Five/. Goodness me. We'll need to get you a walking stick your next turnday, I should think," teases Madilla, twisting a strand of hair behind one ear. "It is," she confirms, glancing around the room again. "I'm very happy. Having the greenhouse... I hadn't realised how much I missed having the ability to get my hands in the dirt, until I had it again. I'm hold bred: I may have been here for turns, now, but I'm not really used to living surrounded by stone alone." Josian rubs a hand down lightly over Lilabet's hair as he laughs. "I know! It'll help me hobble around in my advanced age. I'm glad you're having the chance to grow stuff in real, honest dirt, year round, then." He pauses for a moment before he nods. "I'd say I know what you mean, but I don't think my stint of time being hold bred was /anything/ like yours." Madilla holds back outright laughter, nodding. "I rather imagine not," she agrees. "Sometimes I wonder if it wasn't entirely intentional, them making sure I'd end up in a weyr just to experience something completely different." She breaks off from that thought, though, turning her attention back towards Lilabet, though she makes no move to take her daughter back. "I'm glad she'll get to grow up knowing something about things that grow, too. It's strange, thinking that my daughter is effectively weyrbred." "Maybe it was. Maybe they wanted you to try a different lifestyle, or they thought something about you would fit here. Who knows? Maybe they moved me to a weyr so I'd offend less people." That's added by Jos with a joking tone. "You never know for sure where she'll end up spending all her life. You could be reposted at some point. But no matter what, she'll always have a connection here with her dad." Josian adds in a more serious tone looking down at the little one as he cuddles her close to his side. Madilla looks /distinctly/ amused at Josian's suggestions, nodding along cheerfully. More seriously, though, she admits, "That's true. I've been here so long I forget, sometimes, that I might not be here forever. And then I feel bad: what if I end up dragging Lily away from the only home she's ever known, at some point? Even if B'tal is here, and she can always come back. I don't know. Does it seem cruel?" She sucks her cheeks in thoughtfully, then adds, "But you're right. At least she'll have her father." "Did I turn out so horribly? Because that kind of sounds like my life story there." Josian says with a gentle shrug. "You might be. Maybe you'll be here until she's grown. If not, well, she'll adjust. I was born at Igen Weyr. Spent my first five turns there. Then my mother was reassigned to Boll. I was there until I left for the Hall. I still visited my dad. In some ways, both places were home." Madilla tips her head to the side, laughing. "Were you old enough to care, when you moved? Or was it exciting?" She twists her lips together, ruefully, then admits, "I suppose there's nothing stopping Lily from staying here, if she's old enough. Or-- I really shouldn't worry about this now, should I? When it may never happen. I can't seem to help it this days, worrying over what /could/ happen." "I really don't remember much about moving. I'm sure I was some of both. And that my mom probably made it into a big, story-filled adventure. But then, she's a harper." There's a grin before Josian gives the baby a last quick hug and offers her out towards her mother. "I should be getting back before my ride leaves me here. But I'm glad I got to visit. And meet Lily. She's utterly adorable. And I suppose both of us should enjoy life and not worry about what might or might not happen in the future." "/Harpers/," laughs Madilla, genuinely. "That sounds about right. I suppose that's what I'd do, too, though. I think." She accepts Lily back into her arms, rocking her gently as - oh, predictable misfortune! - the little girl begins to whimper. "She likes you better than me, clearly," teases the younger healer, as she tips her head forward. "It was lovely to see you, though, Josian. And I /will/ take you up on that offer at some point." "They all do. I have a way with babies." Josian jokes. "And I really do mean it about the babysitting. Even if it's just so you can get some sleep." The man stands. "Have a great night. Hopefully you'll even manage more than an hour of consecutive sleep!" And with a wave, he's heading out of there. |
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