Difference between revisions of "Logs:Aunty Teris"

Kitchen, High Reaches Weyr

Polished marble and granite surfaces, gleaming metalwork and pale woods characterize the vaulted fastness of the kitchen. Several large hearths gape red-mouthed against the outer wall of the cavern, their fires almost always stoked for the constant cooking the Weyr requires to feed its denizens. Sinks line the wall to one side of the hearths, providing ample space to wash large quantities of dishes, while to the other, cabinetry and a deep pantry provide storage space for items commonly needed on a day-to-day basis.

The remaining wall space is taken up by passageways and extra seating: swinging doors that lead variously to the main living cavern, the inner caverns and the storage rooms, a counter-height pass-through for food service to the Snowasis, and a series of nooks equipped with tables and benches for quick, out-of-the-way meals any time of day.

It's still within the bounds of a normal dinner hour and it's perfectly possible that Teris came to the kitchen to get in a meal. But she's either already had it or she got distracted by the notes she's now copying. She's sitting tucked away into a nook that she's, thus far, not had to challenge for privacy despite the fact that she doesn't look as though she's in an unpleasant mood. Maybe most people are just getting used to avoiding her altogether.

It's a chance glance as she passes, her dinner in hand, that has Madilla pausing just in front of Teris' nook. She hesitates, as though she's debating whether to interrupt the weyrling, and then, with a rueful little smile, she clears her throat. "Are you too busy to be interested in company, Teris? I can sit somewhere else, if so."

The familiar voice lifts Teris' head and she glances over to where Madilla waits for acknowledgement. There's a smile for the healer, even. "No, sit. I'm not busy," she offers, gestures a hand toward other seats before glancing back down at her work. It's just to come to a point where it's easier to stop and pick back up, evidently because once she does it, she's looking back up. "How are you doing, Madilla?"

A smile! The smile gets a brighter one in return, as Madilla slides her food onto the table, and then her body into the seat opposite Teris. She settles herself in as the other woman finishes up; by the time that question gets asked, Madilla has her fork in hand and is ready to eat. "Hungry," she admits, with a note of laughter. "Which is a nice change from the nausea I had earlier. But-- what about you? How's Iskiveth?"

"Nausea?" Teris asks, briefly concerned, but then she must have heard about what's going on and it clicks. "Oh. Yes. I can imagine that's nice." Her smile now is slightly more forced but she doesn't seem to be disapproving or anything. "Iskiveth is doing well. Better, I think, at controlling herself." There's some stressing of the way she says controlling, like it's particularly important. "We'll all be flying soon. She's excited about that."

Even just the forcedness of it, though, makes Madilla look a little wary; she turns her gaze away, concentrating on her food, which she digs in to with gusto. Not that it gets remarked on, because she pushes on to say, evenly; "Is she? That's good. I had heard that she was... quite forceful." There's only a little bit of longing in her tone and expression as she adds, "Flying. That's also good. I think that would be one of the better parts of weyrlinghood."

"I've never cared for it very much on other peoples' dragons. Flying. But it will be different with her." Teris knows this and thinking about her lifemate coaxes a fond sort of smile to flicker over her expression. "She enjoys all of that physical stuff a lot more than I do. Fascinated by drills and formations." The way she ends there makes it sound like she's trailing off of that subject and she ends up watching Madilla curiously instead.

The idea of /not/ caring for flying seems to surprise Madilla, who gives Teris a confused kind of look, though she nods. At least that fond sort of smile gets a smile in return, even if Madilla turns her attention back to her food after that. "She sounds interesting," begins the healer, but a glance upwards has her realising the curious look she's getting, and anything else she might have intended to say gets cut short. Frowning; "What is it?" Beat. "If you're judging me for my decisions, please don't." There's a note of bitterness for that.

"Definitely interesting. I've never known another dragon so well, though." Teris smiles, a small attempt at humor or something. She shrugs either way, then shakes her head very slightly. "I'm not judging you, Madilla." A more reassuring smile now. "Honestly, I think you handled it very well. Practically. Choosing a man that won't expect you to keep sleeping with him." You'd think she wasn't talking about her own brother.

"I suppose none of us can," concludes Madilla, of knowing dragons in general, though she's distracted in saying that, her reaction to Teris' latter remark played plain on her cheeks: uncertainty, but also relief. Her eventual laugh is wry; "Between Milani's offers for tips, for next time, and your practicality... opposite ends of the spectrum. It's funny. She talks about it as this great thing, and you..."

Teris echoes the laugh quietly, glancing down at the notes she was copying when Madilla joined her. "I think I'm comfortable with being on the opposite end of the spectrum from her." Clearly not a huge fan of the headwoman but she's never tried to pretend otherwise so that might not be surprising. "Don't get me wrong. I don't hate babies or anything. They just aren't for... me."

Madilla is not surprised by this, no, and doesn't comment on it, either. What she does say is, cheeks turning pink, "I wasn't... talking about babies, there. I /do/ understand, though. About not wanting them for yourself. I hope you'll..." This is clearly a shift topic change. "It's just that I'd like it if the baby has /family/." She looks across at Teris, hopeful.

"Oh," is all Teris says at first, bemused at herself. "Oh." That more firmly. "Of course not babies. Sorry." The weyrling actually looks a little bit awkward for just a moment. It's a moment where family resemblance probably shines all bright and clear. "Anyway... I mean, I've thought about it." She looks up, "Not a /lot/ or anything--" Right, subject change. "Me?"

Maybe it's the family resemblence that has Madilla giving Teris such a fond look - it's certainly the kind of look she's more likely to give to Teris' brother, usually. "You don't need to apologise," she says, quietly, after finishing another bite of her dinner. "We all think about things. There's no harm in that." She doesn't pause after that, only, smiling, agrees, "You. You'll be his or her aunt, after all. I hope... I hope you don't mind that idea?"

Teris studies that look and probably considers it still even after it's gone. She doesn't continue along the previous tangent. Quite happily not continuing. It's this family thing that she focuses on and it makes her smile, a real smile that's almost warm and everything. "Of course I don't mind. I'm happy for you, Madilla. Both of you. It's a little weird to think of myself as an aunt to one of B'tal's kids. But I think he'll be a good father. He's... that sort, I guess. Likes kids." She doesn't say it like it's a bad thing. And then, "Do you regret it?"

That smile makes Madilla positively glow, she looks so happy. Small things, apparently. But it's the question that she responds to first, taken seriously even that she even puts down her fork to consider Teris more completely. "Regret it? Oh-- no, no, how could I? I've always wanted this. I'm excited. And it means a lot to me, that you're happy for us."

Teris considers the healer before she nods her head to the answer that she's given, maybe not entirely convinced that Madilla won't regret it at some point. But for now she can accept it. "If you need anything that I can help with, you'll let me know, right? I can either help myself or I can make someone else help you." That thought makes her smile all over again. And it probably doesn't have anything to do with her lifemate.

/Baby/. What could there possibly be to regret? Or something. Regardless, Madilla goes back to looking all glow-y as Teris nods. "That's exactly what B'tal said," she tells the weyrling, amused. "Except for the second part. That's not like him, really. I-- appreciate it. I promise I'll ask if there is anything, though for the moment, I'm doing fine."

"He'd probably do better for himself if that was like him." Teris doesn't sound like she expects that to ever happen, though. "But there. I'm sure you have handfuls of other people looking out for you, too. Lots of people that'll be happy for you." Her smile lingers but her attention drops back toward her papers that she was working on. And was that her stomach growling? If it was, she's not going to admit it.

"We can't all be like you, Teris," says Madilla, gently, more amused than actually chiding. "I suppose I do. /Most/ people are happy." But not, by her expression, everyone. And some close enough to be hurtful. But; "I should get moving again. And-- have you eaten? You should. Weyrlinghood is hard work, from everything I've ever heard. Have a good evening, Teris."

Even if it was just chiding, Teris would probably still smile at it. Not exactly a bad thing as far as she's concerned. "Don't let anyone drag you down, Madilla. You know what you want and you know what's best for you. No one else knows that." The rest she waves off in that 'yeah-yeah' sort of fashion, "Take care of yourself. Good night, Madilla."

Madilla considers Teris for a moment more, as though she has something else she'd like to say-- but whatever it is, she doesn't say it. Instead, she gathers up her (now empty) dishes, puts them away, and then wanders off into the caverns again. She's still smiling, though.