All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are copyright © Anne McCaffrey 1967,2000, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited. For more information, visit the Worlds of Anne McCaffrey.
09-11-02: Misery loves company
A very lonely Lydiere takes solace in the presence of J'ey, who helps unpack her weyr, and W'yn and Yiasy, who keep her company in the living caverns.
J'ey ascends the staircase from the Ground Weyrs.
J'ey enters cautiously "Lyddie" he calls out hesitantly "Lyddie." EYes taking in the new weyr and trying to find Lydiere, seeing that there is a gold dragon taking up most of the room and his eyesight.
The weyr is still full of boxes and bundles, and Lydiere's in the middle of it, sorting through things from her spot on the floor in the centre of the weyr. She glances up, J'ey's call catching her ears, even if she can't quite see him around the mess, not to mention Llysereth, though she's positioned closer to the ledge than the weyr itself. "J'ey!" she greets, pitching her voice slightly higher. "Come on in."
J'ey blink blinks as he realises that he probably should have been able to spot Lydiere but well he sort of overlooked her "I came.. came to see if you needed any help cleaning up or unpacking.." He shrugs "That sort of thing." J'ey is avoiding his own weyr at the moment and well anything is a good excuse at this time.
"Oh, thank you." Somewhat muted in tone is the goldrider, though she stands, taking a few steps across the mess towards J'ey. "It's good to see you. I could use some company, if nothing else, anyway." Lydiere smiles, somewhat hesitantly, then adds, "How're you?"
J'ey tries to smile and well does not make much of one, just lips pressed thinly together "Fine, fine of course." He eyes Lydiere "Mostly fine anyway but I came here to help you not give you all the details of my life." he says hurridly to cover up and looks around "Just point me to where I can help." Work keeps his mind busy.
Lydiere indicates a box in the corner. "That's Llysah's things, mostly. Clothes go in the dresser, everything else just needs to be shoved somewhere, I guess. Thanks." It's a heartfelt thanks, though she's quick to turn back, and continue unpacking the box she's working on. "Only mostly fine? Though if you'd rather not talk, I can more than understand that."
J'ey sighs softly and walks towards the box and opens them up and tries to sort through them, putting clothes where indicated and other items where he finds a spcae. He pauses, his back stiffening and he turns "Well I suppose that is why I came to you Lyddie, always a sympathetic ear and I suppose..." he shakes his head "And I suppose cause it seems you and I have come to similar decisions." he says n o more than that and goes back to the unpacking.
Lydiere pauses in what she's doing, considering J'ey very carefully, her hand hovering above a box. "Did we? Then I'm even more glad that you've come to visit me -- seems like you can certainly do with the company as well, then." No questions asked: evidently, Lyd's had enough of that herself. Slowly, her hands begin to work again, and she adds, "I understand."
J'ey turns his head and smiles and nods, this is what he likes, just easy understanding, not having to explain his decisions. HE turns back to his work and then stands and turns, dusting off his outfit "That's done. Where do you want empty boxes? TOssed onto the ledge?" He sighs slightly "Lyddie, do you wake up in the morning and worry that you made the wrong decision?"
"That'd be good," agrees Lydiere. "I'll have to take them back down to stores or something, eventually, but I really can't think about dealing with that, yet." She stands, piling some things on the bed with almost methodical certainty. "Every morning," is her murmured response. "Every day."
J'ey tosses the box out and glances around for another he can attack and his shoulders slump with relief "I am glad.. I mean notglad that you have doubts but that ....." He pauses and bites his bottom lip "I asked M'kan to move out Lydiere, I don't know if you heard but when I see him I feel so bad, he loves me and I treated him like that but he deserves better and I needed a break, time to myself, life is just too confusing now and I felt swamped and claustrophobic but I wake up and worry perhaps I should have let things continue as they did." He shakes his head "I am sorry I did not mean to tell you all that, I meant to be here for you not burden you with my problems."
Lydiere turns, slowly sliding into a seated position upon the bed, as she nods. "I hadn't. But I know. It's the same, here. I love G'wain, and I'll probably always love him, but I can't deal with the pressures of a relationship like that, now. We hardly talked, but he didn't seem to think it was a problem. It /was/ a problem. It's better for me to have some space, and for you, too." She begins folding clothes again, keeping her fingers busy. "I don't mind. Sometimes you need to talk."
J'ey crosses the room, to seat/perch at the end of Lydiere's bed and he reaches for some clothes. FOlding clothes he knows how to do and he smiles, the worry lines on his face seemingly smoothing for having a sympathetic ear and he nods "People think I am crazy, keep coming to give me advice, telling me it will all work out. What they mean is that they think M'kan and I should be together and I am being silly and I should wake up to myself." He nods, pausing in the folding, tweaking at the seams "I like talking to you Lydiere, even when I have been a complete fool you make me feel better." He laughs softly "Thank you for letting me come invade your space."
Lydiere smoothes some wrinkles out of the shirt she's folding, and nods. "I know," she agrees. "But that doesn't mean that they're right. They don't know how you feel, and what's important for you right now. It doesn't seem fair. And then there's G'wain's face, haunting me, as he left." She shakes her head, as if to shake the memory from her mind. "You're always welcome, J'ey. That's what friends are for."
J'ey sets the outfit aside with the other folded clothes and reaches for some more clothes, shaking and folding and he smiles and nods, his whole demeanour calming in this quiet weyr, away from outside and with a sympathetic person and he nods "You're right Lyddie, as always and I should not let others tell me any different." He reaches over to squeeze Lydiere's arm, not really looking just blindly reaching "We'll be fine."
Lydiere breathes deeply, though not to say anything - she takes her breath, expels it, and then goes back to work, a little smile upon her face. "Harder than it seems, though, to ignore them," she comments, somewhat wryly, as she reaches out her other arm to squeeze at J'ey's hand. "We will. It'll just take some time. To get used to being single again. I said I wanted space, and silence, but sometimes that silent is pretty-- overwhelming."
J'ey smiles, getting warmth and reassurance from the return of the squeeze and he grins and sighs, but more a sigh of contentment and letting things go then one of sadness "Well You know where I am if you need to scream and let things out and well now I know where you are lYddie and you have Llysah, she's a noisy thing." he teases and of course "Llysereth."
"Not the same as adult company," says Lydiere, wryly, "Though you're right. Quiet isn't exactly the right word. Thank you. I'll remember that-- I'll come and visit. And you, too. Any time. I'm awake much of the day and night at the moment, anyway."
J'ey laughs and nods "No not exactly adult company but one who loves you with no restrictions, no matter what you do." He returns to the folding "Thanks LYdiere I will keep that in mind and my weyr there is no one to disturb, perched up there..." He shakes his head "Now just to live down the gossip. Typical greenrider..." he shakes his head "Just make me mad to think about it so I refuse to think about it." He shakes out an outfit and folds it firmly
Lydiere leans backwards, though she returns to folding, gathering a pile of folded clothes together. "You're right. It makes a huge difference, you know? I didn't have Llysereth to look after me last time." She's got something more of a smile on her face, as she picks up another shirt, folding it tidily. "Oh, fardles. Those stupid gossipers. Makes it ten times as bad, because people hear all of the wrong things."
J'ey smiles "It's funny Tiregeth loves me unconditionally, well not quite unconditionally seeing she is still trying to make me over every day of my life but it's nice to have that support. I thought she would be more.. I don't know, she's attached to Xaeloth, always has been but she likes being the centre of attention and having many admirers and she thought I should not restrict myself as well, giving her more opportunities." He grins and stands, taking the items he folded "Ok where do these go?" He queries, glancing around and then nods as he looks back at Lyddie "Indeed, we just have to remind ourselves of that and that some people or dragons do support us."
Lydiere's nod is slow, somewhat resigned. "I know what you mean. Maybe it's thanks to the short memory, or perhaps it's just how dragons are. Llysereth was never particularly attached, so perhaps I shouldn't be surprised there-- but still. Hey, that's right. You can play the field, now." Her voice is wry - she doesn't seem convinced that this is an exciting thing. "Hand them here, I'll put them away. Yes. We're not alone in this, and not everyone will judge us for it."
J'ey hands the outfits over and wrinkles his nose "I didn't get out of the relationship so I could play the field though I must admit sometimes I don't like to have a guilty concience just because I like to flirt or look now and then." He smiles "But of course as a greenrider I do have a reputation to keep up. I am being a bit slow, I started my debauchery by getting very drunk but I forgot about the wenching and all that other stuff." He shrugs
Lydiere piles the clothes together carefully, standing to go and put them all in the press. "I know," she says, nodding. "It's nice. G'wain was easily jealous. It's easier without that. Not that I have the time, or the opportunity, to really enjoy the freedom. I don't think I'm ready for it, either." She closes the doors of the press, turning back, and smiles quietly. "The drinking's a good start, anyway."
J'ey nods and smiles "Thanks LYddie, I should leave you... i mean unless you need help I can stay but well I don't want to invade your new time to yourself but you've made me feel better and well more able to see my own weyr and well see other people, I mean not see other people but let people see me and hang the gossip but I can still help an unpack." J'ey trips over his words.
"You're more than welcome to stay, if you'd like," says Lydiere, quickly. "I enjoy the company, though unpacking is not the most enjoyable thing to do, I'll admit - so if you'd rather go, don't feel any need to stay." She leans down, sifting through another box. "I think you've helped me, too. It's hard to put how I feel into words."
J'ey looks relieved and he smiles "I didn't want to outstay my welcome Lyddie." he says in explanation "and it is not as if I have any unpacking to do and well I am scared tobump into M'kan, in case he is still packing up." HE admits and turns to find a box to unload and he looks up crouched over a box "Well I am glad I am good for something" he jokes and then looks down at the box and smiles "Quite a collection you have here LYddie."
Lydiere picks up what appears to be an old teething ring, and grimaces. "That's one of /Keid's/. Gads, I have a lot of junk. I don't know how I picked it all up." She makes no further comment on M'kan, though there's another nod, and she adds, "I felt it was easier for me to move out, too, in our case. The weyr was too much /ours/, and it felt weird to be alone in there."
J'ey laughs "Keeping it just in case Lyddie?" he teases "Sentimental memories? Probably time for a toss out?" he queries, sorting through what else is in the box "Though it is hard to let things go." he says softly and then adds "It was my weyr first"
Lydiere gives the teething ring a sour glance and nods, tossing it onto a pile of things that, apparently, have been relegated to the same fate. "Who knows. I can't believe I've dragged that all around Pern with me. Last time it was used would probably have been Tillek, nearly a decade ago." She goes quiet again, nodding. "It's always 'just in case. I might need it again. It might be worth having.' Sometimes it's enough, though."
J'ey laughs "Probably not the most hygenic then if it is that old but well we have to sometimes let go and sometimes hold on." He glances at the pile and pulls something else out of the box "Keep or hold Lyddie?"
"Ew. I hadn't even thought of that. I mean, I suppose it's been washed or something since, but..." Lydiere gives the pile, teething ring on top, a grimace. She glances up, considers, then says, "Toss it. I really do need to get rid of some of this junk. Out with the old, on with the new."
J'ey laughs softly and tosses the stuff into a pile and then grins and holds up a figner "Wait one moent." He heads off to the ledge and return with an empty box and begins transferring pile into it "Ready for transportation to be thrown out." He smiles
Lydiere tilts her head to the side expectantly, and then beams. "Oh, good idea. Much better." She peers into the box she's got, and comes up with a handful of broken pieces of toy. "Faranth, I really don't ever throw anything out."
J'ey laughs loudly and shakes his head "Dear Faranth indeed you don't, well this is just as good a day than any. Your children are hard on their toys aren't they." He scoops up the two boxes and sets them outside and glances around "Well that made it easier, just throw things out and then you don't have to unpack them." He grins "It's getting there."
"I always had the idea that I'd fix things, or reuse them, and then they just got tossed aside, and..." Lydiere trails off, smiling ruefully. "They are. Keid had a great time with it, and Llysah's turning out to be much the same. I don't know what I was like - probably the same again." She nods, adding another few items to the box of items to throw it. "It is. Before long, it'll all be sorted, and this'll really be home."
J'ey laughs "well if you ever need me to fix stuff, don't ask." he teases "I can sew but I cannot hammer or anything like that so if it is clothing and some cloth toys I am your man." He grins and sighs "Do you think I am a bad father?"
Lydiere chuckles, eyes dancing with amusement, as she cleans up another few pieces of what is more or less rubbish. "I'll remember you if Llysah bites the ears off of her rag doll again," she says, laughing. "A bad father? No, not at all. Why would you say that?"
J'ey grins and nods "Good, good, nice to have some people think of me even when it involves a drooled ondoll." He grins and begins sorting through some other stuff, sorting between, tossing, repairable and fine and shrugs "Cause I don't like kids really and I hardly ever see my son."
"Oh, of course. Who better to ask than you?" says Lydiere, winking cheerfully. "That's understandable, really. Not everyone likes kids, and not everyone is any good with them. As long as he's being well looked after, I don't see that it's at all a problem. Plenty of weyrbred kids hardly know who their parents are."
J'ey looks relieved "It's just that you are such a loving mother but well the only kids I knew were my sisters and they drove me up the wall. I think Jelym will become interesting once he can talk and do stuff but I just feel stupid around him, not knowing what to do." HE smiles and eyes the piles "THis is a fun way of sorting."
Lydiere picks up an old handkerchief and sniffs at it, her gaze going distant as she does so. "One of Keivare's. Wow, that's going back a long way." She nods, adding, as she tosses it into the pile, "I'm one of those odd ones that just adores kids, I think. Not normal. I can understand what you mean, though, I think. Perhaps if you just try and visit every so often, bring him a toy or something. I agree," she adds, finally. "It is kinda fun."
J'ey grins "Keivare?" he queries and smiles as he sees where the handkerchief lands and smiles "So I am learning more and more about you LYddie and I thought I knew a lot, so you are a packwherry, sentimental and you are not normal causeyou adore kids." He grins teasingly and then nods "Perhaps, that would give us something to do wouldn't it?" he muses "a toy." He jumps up and tries to give Lydiere a hug "You are brilliant as usual."
"My old ex. Keid's father." Lydiere leans down to touch the handkerchief again, head shaking, though she pulls back quickly, laughing. "Some of my many faults. I try and hide them, see, but they come out anyway." She quickly pulls her arms up to welcome J'ey's hug, squeezing as she wraps them about him. "I try."
J'ey ohs and grins, hugging Lydiere tightly and letting her go "YOu do brilliantly, cheer me up, give me advice and well now I can see you have faults and are not flawless." He winks "Aren't you glad you have friends like me to give you compliments like that Lydie?" He grins and shakes his head "I should go... trespassed on your hospitatlity long enough and I have duties unfortunately."
"Flawless!" Lydiere laughs, tidying up some things with her foot. "How boring that would be. Oh, I am, J'ey. Who else can remind me of how brilliant and yet faled I am!" She hesitates, then nods. "Duties. The neverending battle. Of course. Do drop by, whenever. We should have dinner one night, perhaps."
J'ey laughs at Lydiere "Good I am glad about that." He pauses on his exit, boxes in hand to dispose of them for Lydiere "INdeed that sounds lovely, dinner, a nice quiet dinner." He nods, enjoying the sound of that more and more "Sounds good to me. Let's do that."
Lydiere smiles brightly, following J'ey towards the exit as a good hostess might. "Dinner, then. We'll make plans soon."
You descend the staircase to the ground weyrs.
You stride east to the Living Caverns.
W'yn wanders towards the hearth looking for muld wine to fortify him. His thoughts not really in this room. As he puts his glas of warm liquid to his lips he catches a motion and turns round. "Yiasy." he offers lightly with his own wave, slowly beginning to wander in that direction. Suddenly his eyes catch another motion and he blinks. "Lydiere!!" he calls to the Weyrwoman just entered.
Shaking dust from her hands, face and clothes, Lydiere crosses the Living Caverns from the bowl entrance, heading for the kitchen and the sinks therein. "W'yn!" she greets, quite cheerfully, waving her hand as she ducks into the adjoining cavern. When she returns, she's somewhat tidier, shaking the water out of her hands as she aims for the serving table, and a skin of wine there. "Afternoon!"
Yiasy nods back, moving to sit up a bit straighter in her chair and watching as Lydiere moves into the caverns as well. "Afternoon there, to both of you." She pushes away the plate that had the remains of her meal and glances around. "What brings you both here?"
W'ynpoints in the direction of Yiasy, as if to ask if Lydiere would head in that direction also. Still holding his wine and sipping at it lightly he smiles. "Afternoon to both also. Me? Taking a break from wing inspection really. Not really taking notes either, just watching and observing.." shaking his head then he adds. "getting away from thinking really is what im doing here.." he admits. Taking a seat he also pulls a second one out, another invite to the now cleaned Lydiere.
Lydiere follows W'yn, once she's filled her glass with the fragrant wine - though she doesn't seem to care what it smells or tastes like - smiling at Yiasy as she takes a seat. "Taking a break from unpacking and throwing things out. I still have teething toys from my first child, and he's all of eleven now. It's a bit of a worry. How're you going, Yiasy? Graduated life suiting you well?" W'yn earns a smile, the goldrider adding, quietly, "Not thinking is most definitely a worthwhile occupation."
W'ynsmiles back to Lydiere, though does not say anything while she is speaking. Smiling lightly then he asks. "How are you settling in?, um.. Llysereth spoke of the new ledge, its how I heard.." he offers as an explanation. He nods one sure nod to Lydiere then in agreement with the not thinking, but also asks Yiasy, at the same time. "You are still in Chimera right, have any Wingleaders asked to tag you yet?"
Yiasy glances up, shaking her head a bit. "I'm sorry. Drifted a bit there, for a moment or two." She frowns as she begins to think then. "No, can't say that anyone has made a mention yet, of what wing I'll be going into. I figured that it was probably not decided yet, between everyone."
Lydiere is ultimately very composed, dipping her head to W'yn's question, "Getting there. It's a bit of a change, the new place, but I think I like it." A superficial statement, followed by a distracting sip of her wine, attention turned towards Yiasy. "You'll find out soon enough, I'm sure," she says, "I don't know, myself, where everyone's going."
W'ynblushes a little as really he should be the one to know, but over the last few days his mind has been thinking about other things. "You will know soon enough, wings should be putting in requests soon, if not then it might come down to placements where colour, size or ability is needed, but as Lydi said, soon.." he offers with a smile before sipping his wine. That sounded very official of him didnt it. After that statement is said he seems to sink into his seat and drift for a moment. Turning to Lydiere then he smiles lightly, a warm but worried expression. "Solo space is rather strange to get used to.." he offers with a very slow nod.
Yiasy ahs softly. "Well, that's very good news, at least about the wing assignments. I think everyone is getting rather antsy to know where we're going. I mean, all the pairs at least." She nods her head. "I'd heard. I'm glad that you're settling in alright, Lydiere." She hmmms. "It is different, having the weyr I have now, I have to admit."
"Agreed," says Lydiere, quietly. "It's so quiet, and the dynamic is different. Well," she chuckles uneasily at herself, "Maybe because there is no dynamic." She nods quickly at Yiasy, smiling, "Enjoy what time you have, before you got tapped - but yeah, it'll be soon. You like your weyr? I know I couldn't believe how nice it was to have my own space again, when I first got mine."
W'yn thinks for a moment and gives a little odd shrug. "It was my own Weyr, and I have to say huge compared to anything I had been used to, but well Ly'ette was there alot of the time, or I at hers.." he admits with a raised eyebrow then before turning to Lydiere. "Will G'wain perhaps visit?" he asks tentativly, as if this might help. "You can always come round mine whenever you feel like company, or ill pop round to you.." he offers to Lydiere before turning to Yiasy and perking up a little. "Aye, she is right on that point.. fully fledged but with no worries. Perhaps take a day or so to visit Igen or something.." he offers smiling. "We can allways call you right.." that right asking for something from Lydiere to comfirm he is not just breaking the rules or anything.
Yiasy hmmms softly as she considers that. "Well, would that be alright then? If I did go someplace to visit? Although, frankly. It would probably only be back to see the folks for a bit. Haven't been back there in quite a while." She trails off then.
"For Llysah's sake," says Lydiere, uncertainly. "And hopefully for mine, too, I guess. I don't want to lose him altogether. Please do come and visit, and I'll come there. I had J'ey over, earlier, and that was nice. To have company." She nods quickly, noting to Yiasy, "Absolutely. We encourage you to go and visit your folks, and any friends you have around the place. Once you have a wing, you won't have nearly so much time to do things in."
W'ynnods quick in agreement with all Lydiera's comments before adding. "and dont forget ill kid sit!" he adds with a smile. "go for it Yiasy! you can even bring them back to show them your weyr and things.." he offers with a smile, the wine almost gone from the goblet sized glass. Looking round for someone he smiles. "Would you mind.." he asks lightly to the drudge, asking for another glass. Seems he is in for settling on not working again this day.
[DTU/Project] Zymanth projects to Llysereth . o O ( his touch is cold but soothing as his iced river trickles into thought. <
[DTU/Project] Zymanth senses that Llysereth's uncertainty waves within her voice like an unruly lighthouse beacon, casting shadows and ripples. << I think she just needs a friend. All he needs to do is be there. >>
Yiasy nods her head and grins. "Well, I probably will go then. Would be nice to see what has changed back there, since I've not been back in over two turns." She hmmms softly before getting up and putting her used plate and glass away, before she comes back and plops down. "Ah, well." She sighs. "Do you spend a lot of time, with your children Lydiere?"
[DTU/Project] Zymanth projects to Llysereth . o O ( his reply is fast from his rider and all. <
"They'll love you for it," promises Lydiere. "Seeing their daughter come home, all grown up and a rider and everything. It gets them every time. I just hope I don't turn out to be like that." She goes silent, an almost rueful smile playing upon her attention. "I try to. It's hard sometimes, with all my work, but I do my best. I think it's important, that they know and love me."
Yiasy nods her head slowly and then sighs a bit. "I've a hard time, with mine. Because of all the problems and such. And, hopefully the parents will be happy to have me back. Although, it'll be a bit easier to leave, if they don't."
Lydiere's brows lift slightly, though she nods. "I'm sure they will. I was never on particularly good terms with my parents, but at least we talk now, and they're proud of me. Sometimes it takes until you're visibly an adult for them to accept things."
Yiasy hmms and shrugs. "Well, I suppose. And that could be a big part of it, there. Since I was never doing ever quite what they expected." She glances over. "But I should perhaps, be heading out here."
Lydiere nods. "Parents often expect great things -- and even if you're doing fine to your opinion, they're not satisifed. It's been nice talking to you."
Yiasy exits the caverns, heading out into the bowl.