Ista Weyr - Zipalla's Room
Standing near the tree-like perch toward the back of the room, Zipalla has a kitten in her hands, a kitten pouncing her foot, one little green chirring at her from atop the perch, and the littlest green sorta tangled in her hair at her shoulder. "Ow ow ow, Promise!" she chirps at the babiest of her babies. "Guys come on.." she murmurs, holding Scratch to her chest with one hand while the other snakes up to try to pull her hair from the flits' claws.
There's a knock at the door, and after a moment, L'ton is the one opening it, leaning around it to peek into the room. A note is crumpled in his hand, and his hair is a bit ruffled, but he's here. "Zip?" He asks with a bit of concern in his voice, pushing the door shut behind him, crossing the room though ever on the lookout for little critters.
She turns, "Da!" she says with a smile, then a frustrated roll of her eyes. "You'd think I haven't seen them since..what.." and she stares over at Luna on her perch, "Last night when we all went to sleep?" The green mrrrs and her eyes whirl in a sort of amusement, for a flit anyway, then Zip just shakes her head. Snow is given a gentle fling of foot, scratch is peeled off and sat on a lower limb of the perch and while she walks toward her father she is separating Promise from her shoulder to bend and send her scurrying back toward the other critters.
L'ton relaxes a bit as she smiles - clearly whatever he'd come up with in his mind was far worse than it seems to be in reality. As the various critters are detached and sent back to the perch, the paper is shoved in his pocket, and he's holding his arms out to give his eldest a hug. "They just love ya, Ah mean, they've got the right of it, lil'one."
Zip smiles up at him and then curls into his arms and holds him for a moment. An extra long moment. She contemplates. "Can ya blame 'em?" she asks as she draws back to look up at him. "Got my note I guess.." she says with a glance to the pocket then back up to him, and she pulls back, taking his hand to lead him to the daybed to sit. "I hope you didn't worry too much.. I know it was vague but.. I didn't really know what else to do.." A pause. "Have you seen Niah lately..like..in the past few days?"
L'ton gently rubs Zip's back, giving her a long hug, before she's pulling away and he's following her to the daybed, slowly settling down, keeping a hold of her. "Ah saw her… last night. Ah got yer note when Ah was stuck at Eastern - she was there, ta, ain't sure why. She was acting all funny, but.. Ah guess Ah know why now." He shakes his head a bit, with a soft sigh. Reaching to squeeze Zip's shoulder, he gives her a bit of a smile. "Ah.. Ah heard ya'll had a fight.."
Her hazel eyes narrow a little, "A fight? No.. not a fight.. what did she tell you?" Zip asks, lacing her fingers with his to hold his hand a bit. "We've…talked.. no fighting.. but I need to know what she told you."
"She said ya were angry at her, cause she wouldn't tell me that she thought she was pregnant. But, that she was rude, ta, so she prolly deserved it." L'ton folds his fingers through Zip's, looping his other arm possessively over her shoulders. "Ah.. Ah guess Ah should have noticed, but.. Ah've just been so busy, and she's been acting all weird, so Ah dunno what Ah was thinking." He shakes his head again, before lifting his eyes to meet his daughter's. "Ah.." And he shakes his head, not sure what to say.
Zipalla sighs and nods her head, "So she told you.. good.. she was all.." and the young woman leans into her father, "…talking about leaving and taking the boys and leaving Zae here…" She hrms, "All in the name of doing it /for/ you.." Zip takes a breath and shakes her head, "I just didn't want her running off with the boys.. she said she didn't want Mai to know.. and that you didn't want Mai to know.. she made me promise not to tell you when she first let the cat out of the bag.. and then when I saw her parading around in the baths, it's not like people wouldn't notice.." she scowls a bit. "And really.. expecting you to just figure it out is pretty unfair..so don't feel bad.. I think she's nuts."
"Ah.. Ah think she's just.. afraid. Ah.. Ah really dun understand her, though. But, Ah know her ma ain't want nothin' ta do with her, and her friends are weird ta. Ah, really ain't understand why she's the way she is, but Ah ain't sure Ah ever sure." L'ton shakes his head, tightening his arm, leaning over to give the top of her head a quick kiss. "Ah.. Ah think we worked it out, Ah think she thought Ah'd be mad, though Ah.. Ah can't be mad 'bout something like that. And, Ah mean, Ah've been out of it, so.." He shakes his head again, with a bit of a smile, reaching to smooth out her scowl. "Well, Ah think if Ah'd seen her in the baths, it might have occurred ta me, but."
Zip just rolls her eyes a little and shakes her head, "I'll have to disagree but so long as you know and I don't have to be her secret keeper anymore that's fine by me.." She nuzzles up against him a bit, "I don't trust her.. and you shouldn't either.. course now you have three babies with her.. but.." The girl looks away a little then up at L'ton, "I'll reserve my opionion.. cause you're gonna do what you're gonna do but this is why having babies with every pretty girl on Pern isn't a really great idea.." Ok so she didn't reserve her whole opionion but by the looks of those hazel eyes, a myriad of thoughts still brew.
"Ah do have ta talk ta her, though cause.. It ain't fair fer her ta expect ya ta keep that secret, ya know?" L'ton says softly, shaking his head before he's grinning at her, squeezing her shoulders again. "Well, it happens. And, Ah'm pretty sure that t'was from after a flight, cause.. she was real bad about avoiding me fer a while…" He shakes his head, before reaching to tweak Zip's nose. "Ya can talk to them girls, Ah can't help it if'n Dhon's a good catcher, and they ain't doing anything ta keep from having a baby." And then he's pausing, turning to look at Zip, tilting her head. "Ah.. Ah dun wanna think if'n yer doing anything, but… ya know if'n ya decide ta, ya should talk ta a healer? So, that ya ain't have a baby, ta. Ah ain't ready ta be a granddad."
"Don't talk to her on my account.. I think it's kinda silly that she'd tell me.. and sillier that she'd expect me to know and not tell you.. honestly I think she was counting on me telling you.. which is why I gave her time to do it herself, she's full grown and if she was REALLY concerned about what's best, she coulda gone between and not had to worry over it or seen a healer herself." Zip smirks at L'ton and nods her head, "I understand flights da, but people have choices.. before and after.." Her eyes upturn L'ton lifts her chin and she smiles at him, "I'm not, da.." and then she gets a sad look about her. "I dunno where Riley went.. haven't seen him in.. four months.. he missed my turnday.. no word, no nothin…" and her eyes shift down as her shoulders sag a little.
L'ton gently rubs Zipalla's bakc, leaning to give her a squeeze. "Maybe t'was something important.." He says softly, giving his daughter a comforting hug. "When ya get ta the point, Ah'll let ya experience the flight fer yerself." He smiles with a wink, keeping his ponderings over Niah to himself, fingers absently brushing over the cloth of Zipalla's tunic as he's staring at some invisible spot on the floor, deep in thought.
Zipalla shrugs a little absently, "I hope he's ok.." she says though her voice tremors a little at the thought of what it could be. She's had 4 months, her mind has visited every awful possibility and she's cried herself to sleep more times than she cares to remember so tears don't come so quickly this morning, a little glossing of the eyes is all. "I don't even know.." she starts then she looks up at him with wide eyes, "Can't I just get someone to stand in for me.. I mean.. it's about the dragon anyway, not me.. the other rider won't care who.. can't I just drink a LOT and be locked in my room?" she asks. "I thought the first time would mean something not just be some flight-blinded blur of nothing..I don't want that."
L'ton gives her a long hug. "Maybe something came up with his family. Or.." He shakes his shrugging a bit, brushing her hair back out of her face. "Ah'll see what Ah can find out, 'kay? Ah mean, Ah'll ask around, and see.. Ah think we'd have heard, if'n something bad had happened." He leans to kiss his daughter's eyelids, tilting her face up. "Ah promise, it'll be okay." At the question of the flight, he shakes his head. "Ah.. Ah guess ya can, but.. when it happens, ya won't be thinking about that. Its.. its one thing if'n ya lose, but.. when ya win.. Ya are them." He shakes his head, squeezing her shoulders.
"Maybe.." she says softly then nods her head, "Thanks..I'd appreciate it.." she says with a gentle little smile for him. She leans to the sweet little eyelid kisses and then frowns, "But if I ask someone ahead of time.. and.." and her voice trails off with a sort of defeated sigh. "I have all kinds of time to worry over that.." she finally says, denial is good. "I'm sorry if I made things with Niah worse.. I never know quite what to do with her, I always feel like she's playin' me a little cause I'm your daughter.." then she hmphs and snuggles up to L'ton's side. "I'm sorry.. it's really not my business but.. like I told Mike, a turn has taught me a little about life..yes just a little, I know I'm only fifteen but… I'm not a baby anymore."
"It'll happen when it happens, sweets." He chuckles softly, pulling her into his lap like she's one of the little ones, and not his daughter of 15. "Ah dun think anything could make stuff with Niah better or worse, sweets. Ah.. Things are just how they are." He says with a shake of his head, squeezing her with a grin. "Ya don't have ta tiptoe around her, either, though. Ah mean, she's Niah, but.." He shakes his head. "Don't let her worry ya."
Zipalla curls up into L'ton's lap, just like a little one, she'll always be daddy's girl. "I guess.." she says then leans her head down to rest at his shoulder. "Yeah well I don't want my not-tiptoeing to be her reason for doing what she does.. we didn't really fight.. I just had enough when she dropped down into the water and sank, and waited til she /had/ to come up for air.." and she frowns a little. "And.." then she looks up at him, smiling, "You doin ok? You uhm.. seem a little.. I dunno.. stressed or.. just.. worn out.."
L'ton holds her close, rocking her slightly. "Just been worn out, trying ta.. ta handle everything." He shakes his head, sighing softly and resting his chin on top of her head. "Ah just.. we can't do anything other than let Niah be Niah.. And.. Ah mean, Ah dun think we'll ever get what she does." He shakes his head, giving her a tired smile. "Just trying to figure out… what Ah need ta be ta everyone. Ah.. Ah mean like, if'n people still need me, and fer what." And its a sad smile on his face then.
Zip sorta basks in the fatherly attention, content to be rocked and held and loved on by her father. She listens and her brows knit at the sound of L'ton's voice, the weariness in it and then she looks up and gazes at him. "Da.. I love you.. and I need you, I always need you. You are a mate to Mai.. a father.. a leader here.. even if not /the/ leader, a leader no less.." She puts a hand on his cheek and rubs it a little, "Is that.." and she tilts her head, ponderous for a moment then she hrms. "You're needed."
L'ton tilts his head to look at her, smiling just a little bit more. "Ah love ya ta, Zip.. Yer always gonna be my lil girl, and Ah know ya need me, and Mai needs me, but.." He shakes his head, giving her a hug. "Its just hard, sometimes, ta see everyone else going somewhere, and.. Ah'm where Ah was turns and turns ago." He's been Weyrsecond for what.. 10 turns now? And then he's resting his face against her hand with a grin. "Yes, Ah'm a bit jealous of K'ael. Ah know Ah ain't old, but Ah ain't as young as him."
Zip frowns a little, "Where do you want to be, da?" she asks him. "If you could be doing anything you want to do right now, what would you do and where would it be?" A pause and she smiles softly at him, "Da.. " and she sighs, what a subject, Mike. "Don't be jealous. What does it come down to.. Az won and Dhon didn't?" She grins, "Though I'll hand it to him.. at least he got someone older this time, Aryll is all of sixteen.." Zipalla leans against L'ton, "I saw him the other day and we talked a little, he's not really anything like the Mike I knew.. I dunno what happened to him.. he's different.. if that's what being the leader gets you, let him have it.." A smile though, "He did say we might have a party.. a ball.. he's supposed to be talking to folks.. you in fact, to try to get it set up, I told him we oughta have a couple of the crafts come and set up booths, kinda like.. recruiting folks.. we have so many brats and younglings… then we could have a big party, a ball.."
"Ah dunno. Its not that Ah really /want/ ta be Weyrleader but.. Ah dun wanna have ta deal with the fact that any kid whose dragon happens ta get lucky can tell me what ta do, when Ah've been doing it fer years." L'ton shrugs a bit, giving her a little bit of a smile. "Ah.. Maybe he's grown up?" But then, at the mention of Aryll, he's tilting his head. "Ah guess then, that's who S'ya was talking about.." He ponders this for a moment, shaking his head, shrugging it off. "Ah.. Ah'm just glad yer my lil girl, Zip, even if'n Ah do try and protect ya ta much." Giving her a hug, he grins. "It's probably sitting on my desk… In fact.. Ah should probably check my desk, fer the first time in days." He grimaces at what's awaiting him there, giving his daughter another hug. "Ah'll come by a little later, mmkay sweets? Ah should at least get a few things taken care of."
Zip smiles at him, "Yeah and I don't wanna land in the arms of some flight-buzzed rider but it is what it is.. sometimes we don't get a choice.." and she nods her head. "I don't think he's so much grown up as.." but she lets that go and just nods. "Yup, he's dating her." She snuggles up to him and protests, though it's playful, "Nooooo you can't gooooo.." she teases and kisses his cheek. "Promise?" she asks, and the little green perks then pouts, hmph, realizing Zip wasn't calling her. "I'll help you if you need help.. I'm good with paperwork and running errands.. and I got no strings like all the other women in your life so.. let me know if you need something.." she says as she crawls reluctantly out of his lap.
"Ah will, my Zip, Ah will." Leaning to give his daughter a kiss on the forehead and a long hug, he's ruffling her hair before heading out. "Careful what ya offer, Ah may take you up on that." Blowing her a kiss, he's out the door, more relaxed than when he knocked on it earlier.