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Post by reqqy on Jul 26, 2008 15:01:33 GMT -5
F'rah wasn't here to look after Miguel, and with Shei in her arms, that made it very, very difficult to get moving anywhere quickly. Especially since the boy - who had stopped weeping at this point - still clung to her leg and silently sobbed. Although Lauranna had first found it quite amusing that Salenth had decided to chase Tanith, now she was cursing the whole stream of events. No, there was nothing wrong with a dragon chasing a dragon other than his current weyrmate. It happened all the time. But it would have been nice if that weyrmate's bonded wasn't a complete lunatic. What did she think she was doing, anyway? Surely she didn't believe she could actually stop the Flight! Besides, what were the chances that Salenth would end up flying Tanith, anyway? One in four.
Why, thank you, Reysalth. How helpful. You're welcome. Clearly, the green didn't share her rider's concern. In truth, Reysalth didn't understand Aslath's any better than Hers did, but what was the big deal? If the woman burst in on the Flight, she burst in on the Flight. It actually might be an amusing story for later on. How did I ever Impress someone so cold? Oh, stop fretting. She might get roughed around a bit, but then Salenth's will reclaim her once the flight ends, and everything will be boring again.
The greenrider paused. Well, that certainly made sense, didn't it? Undoubtedly, S'rei would be the one closest to Shmee at the end, so they wouldn't have to worry about her being mistaken for a flightmoth by one of the other riders. Still, it would be better if she just didn't pull that idiocy at all. Maybe the crying had slowed the Weyrwoman down enough that Lauranna could overtake her?
As she ascended the stairs to the third level of weyrs, the woman realized that Shmee was nowhere to be found. Sighing, she paused in the walkway and thought about taking all those steps back down - shards if she was stupid enough to go into a weyr with a bunch of horny riders! - and decided that it was time for a breather. Apparently Shei chose that moment to protest the events thus far, and let loose with a tumultuous wail. Laurie almost felt guilty for disturbing the riders up here, but...well, Aslath must have done that already, and it was the middle of the day. The greenrider clutched the babe to her, cooing and trying to get Shei to quiet, but the little girl would have none of it.
And of course now Miguel was getting upset, because Momma was paying more attention to that stupid, red wailing thing than him, and he was even less inclined to be patient after Shmee's rejection. Laurie found herself saddled with two screaming children. She made a mental note to throttle S'rei next time she saw him for creating these circumstances - even if, of the two dragonpairs that made up the strange family that more or less ruled the weyr, he probably had the least control over this of any of them.
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Post by glamourie on Aug 3, 2008 1:42:18 GMT -5
"WEYRWOMAN!"
Hadn't he seen her stalking down the corridors, in the direction of Aliscia's weyr? He must have; Ka'rys followed the sound of children crying. To say he was angry would have been an understatement, too. Anyone who knew Ka'rys (scant few) would know that the predatory stalking, arms tight at his sides, tension evident in his entire posture, shoes on, indicated definite fury on his part. Ka'rys was normally a very cool customer, hard to irritate, and even harder to anger, but Shmee, against all odds, had finally managed it. Throughout the few months that he'd been Weyrleader, she had insulted him time and again; from blatantly not letting him do anything to publicizing their discord. He'd put up with it in silence for the most part, never really putting much stock in what a child (and Shmee had the maturity level of his six-turn-old daughter) thought of him. And he'd ignored that Aslath disrespected Ciceroth by constantly hanging around with Salenth. Ka'rys didn't care. Ciceroth did not appear to mind.
At least, up until that point. There was a line drawn to what Ciceroth would and would not tolerate. Being publicly humiliated by Aslath blurting out that her former mate was hers while she ignored he existed was over that line. No, Ciceroth was not an emotional sort, despite being friendly. To say he "had feelings" for Aslath would be incorrect. He was fond of her in the sense that she was a queen, and the leader of the Weyr, and he typically had no problem conversing with her, but human-level emotions were somewhat foreign to Ciss. However, he was a bronze, and there was no such thing as a bronze that did not possess a certain level of pride. Aslath had stomped all over it quite publicly, and Ciceroth had had enough.
The bronze had taken to hiding in his weyr, curled up on his couch, brooding. It was obvious from the color of his hide - the fact that he had lost the vibrant brassy hues that made him unique - that he was upset. The red in his eyes didn't help matters. He hadn't spoken to Ka'rys. He didn't need to; the agitation was obvious enough that it had spilled over into the more practical of the duo.
Ka'rys fully intended to ... well, he didn't know what just yet, but it probably involved shaking Shmee until she vomited. He'd work that out once he found the obnoxious nuisance.
That, at least, was the plan until Ka'rys caught sight of the source of the crying children and most of his anger sizzled down. Lauranna wasn't the person he was angry with and despite all of his flaws, he wouldn't take his temper out on someone who was not responsible. He pushed aside all of the emotions he felt as though a switch was hit, turning them off entirely, and stopped midstep. Ophelie, his green firelizard, poked her head out from the top of his tunic before trilling at the two babies. She rarely made a sound. Ka'rys frowned slightly.
"You're not Shmee." Captain obvious to the rescue. The baby in her arms looked upset. So did the one clinging to her leg. " -- Do you need some help?"
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Post by reqqy on Aug 3, 2008 21:23:08 GMT -5
That was quite a bellow. Lauranna didn't even recognize the voice, and she knew all of the men - or very nearly so - that made up Selenitas's dragonriders. Benefit of spending all thirty of her turns at the weyr. Oh, and being the older sister of the Weyrwoman's weyrmate. The greenrider definitely knew a lot of people. Unfortunately, that roar did nothing whatsoever to calm the miniature cacaphony that Shei and Miguel were giving off. Laurie tried to clutch Shei closer, to comfort her with the woman's warmth. Most likely, though, the infant was just as upset by Miguel's caterwauling as by whatever it was that set her off in the first place.
Next she attempted to quiet her boy. "Miguel. Miguel, honey. Big boys don't scream like that. Come here and give Mommy a hug, how's that?" The child was having none of it. His face crinkled, and he shook his head vehemently, never once letting up on the obscenely loud wail. Her tone sharpened. "What did I tell you about when you have a problem? You don't scream. You talk about it." No luck. Laurie merely shrugged. "Suit yourself." She straightened and began ignoring Miguel. It was the only effective way - aside from turning him over a knee - to deal with the boy's screaming. He was old enough now to know better. Certainly old enough to start being taught to behave properly. As long as he continued screaming like he was being eviscerated, she was not going to pay attention to him.
Glancing up at movement, she saw a very rigid figure stalking her direction, before it seemed to go all lax. With a mental shrug, she went back to attempting to keep Shei from setting off an earthquake/avalanche due to the sheer volume of the babe's lungs. If someone was coming to get all up in her face over the noise, she'd quite politely tell them that if they thought they could handle the kids, she'd gladly let them give it a go. Probably get herself a cup of klah from the main hall while she was at it, lounge about for a bit...then come back and see if he had any better luck. Sometimes, children simply didn't behave.
His voice broke in on her. Now that was one she vaguely recognized, even if she hadn't really had much contact with the Weyrleader. Had that bellow belonged to him as well? If it had, it was no wonder she couldn't place it; Ka'rys never seemed to have a single honest emotion in his body. Yelling? Seemed like something wholly beneath him. "Faranth, I hope not," she responded, a little quirk drawing up one corner of her mouth. Her, Shmee? Besides the fact that it was just a silly idea anyway, two Shmee-like creatures would likely level Selenitas to the ground. There was only room for one. Most certainly. He'd thought she was Shmee? "Let's see. Short, older, curvy blonde - plain, tall girl child. Yup. Real easy to confuse." Her nose wrinkled.
At his question, she pulled a face. "I do. But I really don't know what form that help should take. Awfully sorry to disturb you, Weyrleader. Shei isn't mine, and Miguel is never one to be outdone." Just the fact that she had not once looked at him or spoken to him since their conversation seemed to have calmed the toddler a little, though. Now he was weeping, with soft little cries instead of one endless wail. "Ever had a child, Ka'rys?" Maybe if she passed him Shei, Miguel would calm enough to talk to. Why the boy was suddenly so possessive was beyond her.
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Post by glamourie on Aug 4, 2008 3:17:51 GMT -5
Ka'rys's gaze lingered not on Lauranna, but on the small boy who seemed so very distressed, wailing as though the sound could burn through the walls. Only when the greenrider spoke did he look up and it was a half-glance, acknowledgment, but clearly she did not have his full attention. He wasn't so much staring as looking, though; there was a pointed difference, at least in his opinion. Despite being a very practical individual, no one had ever said he had to like seeing children unhappy. Granted, he was intelligent enough to recognize that most often when children of that age cried, it was a manipulation tactic (and often a very effective one, particularly on people who were not parents themselves), but that didn't mean he liked hearing it. He forced his mind away from the sound and the familiarity of it, back to Lauranna. Better not to mentally draw comparisons. He was about the age that Kalerary was the last time he'd seen her, too -- no, no comparisons.
The wailing lessened, and his gaze moved back to Lauranna's face. His head tilted to the side. If she was making a joke, he hadn't found it funny; physically and personality-wise, as far as he knew, there was no real comparison between the two women. He'd only assumed it was Shmee because he'd heard infantile wailing and the mental association was with her. (Because she had Shei, although he was sure she was not above wailing at the top of her lungs to try and get her way, too, given the fact that the woman was an absolute terror.) He chose not to respond further than the slight head tilt, though. It was acknowledgment enough and said without words what he was thinking, if she was apt to pick up on it. If not, well, he did try not to advertise his blatant dislike of the Weyrwoman. The avoidance made it semi-obvious but at least he was professional enough not to usually... say it.
Since the greenrider (perhaps wisely) didn't ask why he was out for blood (it was likely obvious), Ka'rys didn't offer the answer. Information-giving wasn't one of his strong points. He'd have answered if she asked, but he didn't offer her the opportunity. It was... easier to avoid the topic.
The question was mildly startling, and the surprise of it, coupled with his inherent discomfort and annoyance with the Weyrwoman spurred his answer, "Just one; a six-turn-old." The second the words were out, he mentally cringed. He'd never told anyone at Selenitas about Kalerary simply because she wasn't something that came up in every day conversation. He'd answered because it was easier than focusing on the anger, as much as he hated to admit it even to himself. It was better than letting one emotion rule him. Ka'rys, being a creature who often bottled things, was much happier to discuss the daughter he hadn't seen in turns than the urge to wring the Weyrwoman's neck. Or maybe just shake her until she managed to get sense. Shaking was definitely his preferred method of dealing with Shmee. One day he was just going to lose it and act on that urge, rather than think it. "I haven't seen her since she was about Miguel's age, though - not since I transferred here from Fort..."
I still don't know why you didn't bring the Little One with. I liked her. She never threw up on you. Every time you see a human hatchling you think of her. Is there a point to this? No, I'm just unhappy and trying to spread it around. You might apologize for mistaking Reysalth's for that woman, seeing as it was an insult...
Squinting, Ka'rys bit the sides of his tongue. He didn't offer the apology Ciceroth recommended, though, as it would draw attention back to the fact that he was - originally - looking for Shmee. He didn't want to discuss it at all. The fact that Ciceroth was making jokes (albeit semi-mean ones) meant he was calming down; so too was Ka'rys, although he was fairly sure that it would be awhile before he could look the Weyrwoman in the face and not want to scratch her eyes out with his bare hands. He settled for thinking about the two children in front of him. They were easier to handle than the one that lead the Weyr. "I'm not sure what sort of help to offer you, though; I haven't really dealt with children in turns..." But staying in the hallway was probably not a good idea. "Perhaps it would be prudent to move before one of the other riders comes out, disgruntled at being woken. I'd rather not listen to them whine and complain..."
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Post by reqqy on Aug 7, 2008 14:01:05 GMT -5
Just one? Lauranna gazed at him curiously. She would have been more surprised that he had one, than by the fact that there was only one. Laurie kept up with the gossip fairly well, and she knew Ka'rys didn't exactly get around. Shame, too. He wasn't half-bad, though she must say there was little chance if he and F'rah had been in the same room, even before she'd gotten close to the Weyrlingmaster. Besides, Reysalth wasn't much of a one for bronzes.
Of course not. They're arrogant, too big, and just generally annoying. Besides, half of them seem to think that greens should preen as they pass, as if they're too good for us since they have their precious golds. By the egg, Reys, you sound almost bitter, Lauranna returned, bemused. Golds are useless creatures. The greenrider couldn't help but agree with her dragon on that count. They couldn't chew firestone, and all they managed to do was make things more complicated at the Weyr. Of course, she might be more predisposed to go easier on the color had Aslath not just been so...ridiculously possessive. Maybe. I'm keeping Styth. If he'll keep you, the woman teased lightly. Reysalth didn't deign to reply.
During the course of the conversation, she'd managed to calm Shei just a tad, the redfaced babe most likely just upset because things were happening so quickly and her mother wasn't here. Something flickered behind the woman's eyes as Ka'rys spoke, and she grew sober for just that brief moment. How terrible! Being separated from your daughter for turns like that. Laurie had fostered Miguel out originally, when she wasn't weyrmated to F'rah, but she'd still seen him almost daily. Her Miguel, the only part of her first weyrmate that remained to her. Ah, but that was not a line of thought she wished to pursue any further. F'rah was not M'el, but she loved him nearly as much as she had the first. Nearly.
Lauranna's eyes flashed dangerously at his suggestion. "If they're not up in the middle of the day, I have no sympathy for them. Nor for your ears." It wasn't so much that she was angry that Ka'rys seemed so concerned about being bothered, as the fact that he'd suggested that the children's distress might be inconveniencing someone. If it were night, she might concede, though with ill grace. But in the height of the day? Forget that. If anyone complained, she'd scare them off with her rare but very volatile temper. No, she wasn't as dangerous as S'rei, but women held grudges, and they could be far meaner in the long run.
Why don't you find someplace out of the open? I shouldn't have to. This hall is a public place. Perhaps. But so is the dining hall, and I know for a fact you don't let Miguel yell his head off in there. Shardit. Reysalth had to be logical at the worst possible times!
Lauranna sniffed meaningfully, and gestured for Ka'rys to take Shei off her hands. "Make yourself useful, bronzerider." Oh, she could have been more formal, but...well, Ka'rys wasn't exactly a mover around here, at least thus far. And Laurie was rather used to ignoring rank. She'd been doing it...well, forever. Just the thought of what she and S'rei used to do when they were younger brought a slight smile to her face, before she knelt to try to get Miguel under control, now that he was no longer wailing.
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Post by glamourie on Aug 7, 2008 21:05:29 GMT -5
Ka'rys raised an eyebrow at Lauranna's response, but did not give voice to the instant response that rose in his mind. It wasn't his ears one needed to worry for, it was the safety of anyone who dared try his patience; he was quite likely to hurl someone over the edge of one of the weyrs if they pushed him. Shmee wasn't around for him to throttle, so he would settle for being grouchy at any and every one else who happened to irritate him. Except for Lauranna. Despite her definitely testy words (at least in his eyes), Ka'rys was incapable of blowing up at a woman holding a baby. That fact had saved Shmee on more than one occasion as he would not yell at someone when a child was around, particularly one under the age of five turns. He saw it as disrespectful to the child and, likely, emotionally scarring. He was a lot of things, but a monster wasn't one of them, at least not yet. Children were... one of the few things he held sacred. Most likely that stemmed from the fact that he had one of his own... He shook his head. Thoughts for another time. Lauranna was... gesturing for him to take the baby?
Oh, Shmee would have a fit.
Then again, it served her right for running off and leaving the babe on her aunt. No matter what the situation was, the child deserved more stability than that, especially from her mother. Ka'rys raised his eyebrows, then looked at his hands to make sure they were clean, then he gingerly took the infant from the greenrider. Despite what some people might have thought of him, he was very careful and cautious as he held Shei, holding her with the same consideration he would have his own child -- never mind that her mother was someone he loathed, that only moments before he'd been considering murdering in cold blood. None of that made even the slightest difference. It might also have surprised those who knew of his northern descent to know that he did not, remotely, care that the babe was female; she received equal treatment any other would have. Which would probably have surprised anyone, considering that when Ka'rys looked down at the baby, his entire posture changed. The tension he hadn't realized was lingering completely vanished, as did the blank expression; it was replaced by almost playful interest.
"Aren't you beautiful? I've never gotten to see you up close," he whispered, almost completely ignoring Lauranna. (He didn't notice the lack of title; he wasn't used to it enough to expect it, really.) She looked like she was calming down some, but just to be sure, he carefully rocked her back and forth before leaning his head to one side, so that all of his hair was out of the baby's face. "Fortunate, too; you seem to take after your father, if that hair's any indication." He lowered his voice slightly. "Is a good thing, that."
Absolutely nothing wrong with her lungs, either. Well, no matter. Shmee should've counted herself lucky to have such a healthy child. There were plenty born sick, or small, or otherwise incorrect; Shei was none of those things. And rather than appreciate that, she ran off to cry over her Weyrmate's dragon chasing a green. Why she felt threatened by a greenrider was anybody's guess. Ka'rys thought badly of Shmee, and that she had abandoned her daughter so pointedly did not improve his opinion of her. He continued whispering to the little girl, hoping to calm her down; he was a stranger, and it was likely that it wouldn't work, but it couldn't hurt to try. "Your mama will come back soon, she will; don't worry." The second the words were out, he remembered he wasn't alone, and swept his eyes up quickly to Lauranna before clearing his throat. "Uhm - I mean -" There was no fixing it. If she told anyone about that he'd hear it from Shmee, too. By Faranth, but he was completely out of luck. He paled. "She does seem to take after S'rei more than Shmee, except for the eyes... well, and the lungs..."
This makes me wish you had another Little One. You act like a person with them. No one asked your opinion.
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Post by reqqy on Aug 7, 2008 22:33:31 GMT -5
The greenrider's ire quickly receded as she saw the change that came over Ka'rys the moment he took Shei into his arms. Would M'el have held his son so gently? She'd like to think so. No, she knew M'el would have been completely delighted with the boy, the boy who hardly took after his mother at all. That look she'd seen on her brother's face often. It was just something about new life; people were drawn to babes, to young children. Innocence had its own appeal. Almost made her want to clutch Miguel to her and protect him from anything that might steal his innocence away. Her baby. Lauranna quickly directed her gaze to her boy's blues, blinking back tears. She wasn't usually so nostalgic.
Half-listening to the man's quiet tones, Laurie pushed back a strand of Miguel's black hair, thinking that she needed to cut it again; it was getting into his eyes. His little hand came up and clutched at hers, not wanting her to let go. The greenrider pressed a gentle kiss to her son's forehead. "All these tears, Miguel. Mommy doesn't like it when you're so sad," she murmured, gathering him into an embrace now that he'd stopped that manipulative screaming. He released her hand to clutch at her shirt, burying his face into her stomach. Lauranna stroked his head lightly, ignoring the growing wetness. "Tell Mommy what's wrong, Miguel. Then she can make it all better. Mmm?"
He sniffed, but kept his face pressed into her stomach. After a moment she realized that he was trying to speak against her, but she couldn't make out any of it. The woman gently pushed him back enough that she could see his face. "What, love?"
"Auntie." He sniffed, drawing a hand across his face. A string of snot accompanied it. Laurie drew out a handkerchief and took his small hand in hers, cleaning each finger tenderly. "Don't 'member me."
Not for the first time that day, the greenrider had cause to curse her brother's weyrmate, if only mentally. "That's not true, hun. She was...scared. That's why she ran away. She didn't forget you."
"Why?"
Oh...Faranth. How to say this? Laurie searched for words. "Sometimes we get scared of being left. Us big folks, just like you, Miguel. She's afraid Daddy might leave her." Yes, it was strange that Miguel called S'rei 'Daddy', and Laurie 'Mommy', but his uncle was the only male figure in his life until recently, and the greenrider had never felt the need to correct him. "But that doesn't mean she doesn't remember you. She'll be back and you'll get to play with her again. Would you like that?"
Miguel sniffed again, not fully convinced, but he nodded gravely after a moment. "Daddy's not going to leave, is he?"
Laurie chuckled, ruffling his hair. "No, Miguel. He's not going to leave." The woman caught up her son in her arms, the boy clinging to her neck, and she stood up with her small burden cradled securely against her. Both mother and son came to regard Ka'rys with curiosity. Little Shei was mostly quiet now, too, but the Weyrleader was acting rather strangely. Seemingly aware of their regard, he looked up and began to stutter through a few awkward phrases.
Green eyes gleamed with mild humor, a soft smile touching the older woman's lips. She didn't acknowledge Ka'rys's concern. Lauranna herself had no intention of speaking to the Weyrwoman anytime soon, not after shaking up her Miguel as badly as Shmee had. "There's no doubt she's my brother's," Laurie agreed quietly, reaching out to run her fingers down Shei's cheek. "And I can't say that I don't hope she takes after him in more than just her looks. Can you imagine an adolescent mini-Shmee with Shmee as her mother?" The thought was so horrifying Lauranna just had to laugh.
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Post by glamourie on Aug 8, 2008 16:29:28 GMT -5
Ka'rys glanced over at Miguel, his expression softening slightly and he wiggled his fingers as best he could without disturbing Shei; it was meant to be a wave. The little boy seemed to be calming down some and from the explanation he and Laurie offered one another (quiet as it was, he had no problem hearing them), it seemed it wasn't just Shei that Shmee had upset with running off. At least, he assumed she'd run off. Truthfully he wasn't sure, but why else would Shei not be with her mother? The woman seemed most insistently against fostering... He glanced back down at the infant in his arms. His annoyance with Shmee doubled. It was one thing to be a self-absorbed twit in running the Weyr; he could justify it on the logic that she probably never wanted to be Senior Weyrwoman. But the children she wanted. She'd made that choice consciously, so she had no justification for mistreating her child - and her fosterling? Nephew? Whatever the term she used was. Was Shmee capable of caring about the feelings of anything or anyone other than herself? Ka'rys was beginning to believe that she absolutely was not and it made him want to throttle her all the more. There was just no reasoning with her.
"Selenitas would be leveled within a sevenday," Ka'rys agreed, his gaze back settled on the infant in his arms. She really did take startlingly after her father. It was funny. He'd wondered about Shei before, having only seen her when Shmee was carting the child around. (He was certain Shmee believed he'd mistreat the baby, because she seemed to believe the absolute worst of him.) Curiosity and all that. He'd never asked, not his place, but it was fascinating to see her up close. She was ... by far one of the more adorable children he'd laid eyes on. The cocky part of him, however, couldn't resist mentally preening at the memory of Kalerary. Known fact: parents always liked their own best. "And then we'd be picking up the pieces... She's going to break so many hearts when she's older. I hope her parents can handle the steady string of boys wanting to be her suitors," he teased, then glanced over at Miguel. He really looked nothing like Lauranna, was he really her child? Surprising.
Takes after his father, probably, Ciceroth replied, his anger beginning to fizzle down and with it went Ka'rys's.
Oh. Right. The boy's father. Not F'rah -- what was his name? Ka'rys barely remembered; he hadn't made a point to get close to any of the Selenitas riders. A few people spoke to him but not many. He wasn't exactly social. He remembered the man's death, the Threadscoring. Tragedy really. Any time a dragon died in a Fall was a tragedy by default. Actually, Ka'rys was a traditionalist: he didn't like it when dragons died at all, regardless of when it was. That likely made him more sentimental than he was willing to admit, but not many people knew how he felt, and Ka'rys didn't advertise. His name -- oh, M'el. Right. He remembered that, distantly. Brownrider M'el of Tzareth. Brownrider F'rah of Styth. Sensing a theme.
"Hello, Miguel," he said quietly, almost as an after thought. He'd caught the name from Lauranna speaking. Since the boy had looked at him, it seemed only right to acknowledge him. After all, that was how Ka'rys would have wanted to be treated. He was tempted to try to comfort, but he'd never been good at it, so he settled for an introduction, almost as though he was speaking to an adult. He found it very easy to talk down to grown-ups. Children? Not so much. He smiled, weakly, a little bit of embarrassment creeping into it; he wasn't entirely sure what to say other than who he was. "My name is Ka'rys. It's nice to meet you." He could probably have asked if Miguel was all right, but... not really his place. Pausing, Ka'rys turned to look at Lauranna, curious. "Do you let Miguel see firelizards often?" He was probably foolish to inflict a toddler on Ophelie, but she was surprisingly good at comfort. Better than him. If Lauranna was willing, anyway. He wasn't about to disrespect the greenrider by not asking.
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Post by reqqy on Aug 13, 2008 18:44:38 GMT -5
Miguel's head tilted slightly to one side, his wide, reddened eyes focused on Ka'rys and Ka'rys alone. Tentatively, he opened and closed his fist in a small wave, waiting to see what else the man would do. In general, the toddler wasn't very shy, but he'd just stopped his weeping and he wasn't going to be that quick about bouncing back just yet. No, he was very much content to be snuggled up inside the ring of his mother's arms. After a moment of consideration, he slid his thumb into his mouth and continued to watch the strange man who carried the annoying one that auntie cared for more than Mel. The boy sniffed again.
Lauranna brushed the hair out of her son's face, in the hopes that her continued touch would serve to keep him calm. It was ever so difficult to see a child in distress for any parent, particularly if that distress was justified, as it was in this case. Ka'rys's response to her comment drew forth a smile, however, the small woman's eyes coming up for the briefest of moments. "I think you're being generous on the time there, Weyrleader. You seem to have a special touch when it comes to children," Lauranna added thoughtfully. Had the ice man been concealing a soft spot all along?
Her nose wrinkled meaningfully. A heartbreaker? Shei very well might be, with parents like S'rei and Shmee, though she couldn't imagine how Ka'rys could predict such a thing when the girl was still just an infant. "I don't even want to think about what my brother would be like with a daughter who had the weyr's attentions. He's ever so protective." Understatement of the turn. She could still distinctly remember watching in amused horror as the then Weyrleader picked up one of the chairs from the Hatching sands and flung it at the Headwoman when she'd dared to say the wrong thing during Aslath's clutching. Imagining a bunch of flying chairs pursuing fleeing teenagers drew out a giggle. "The cost to repair all that broken furniture alone would be staggering."
Hearing his name, Miguel stopped sucking on his thumb for a moment, the digit sliding from his mouth. "Hi," he returned, rather subdued. It wouldn't have occured to a child so young to wonder how the stranger knew his name. After all, to Miguel, the whole world still revolved around him. Of course everyone knew his name. "Hi Rys." The boy paused for a moment, trying out how the name sounded on his tongue. "Rys. Hi." A small smile turned up a corner of his mouth. It was a fun word, this name. "Rys."
Lauranna's expression darkened at Ka'rys's question, even as Miguel cuddled closer into her, burying his face against her neck. She ran her fingers through the boy's hair in a comforting fashion. "We just recently lost one of our family," Laurie explained quietly. "A brown who doted on Miguel. I think if it was a different color..." Yes, they still had Zephyr, and though Zephyr had no patience for young children - or anyone, really - Miguel didn't seem to have any trouble with her.
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Post by glamourie on Aug 19, 2008 20:18:39 GMT -5
"Generous, yes," Ka'rys admitted as he nodded slightly. No, two people with Shmee's personality would level Selenitas very quickly, especially if Shei remained as pampered as she was as an infant. He silently hoped Shmee did not intend to raise the little girl as a spoiled princess. Just because Shmee was Senior Weyrwoman did not guarantee Shei any position of power at the Weyr; she was just another Weyrbrat, but if Shmee treated her as if she wasn't, the consequences could be highly problematic. Spoiled princesses resulted in what had happened with Sera and her daughter, and the line that held Selenitas in power for so long. He didn't know what to think on that front. He just hoped that Shmee was intelligent enough to recognize that... but counting on the Weyrwoman to be intelligent was like trying to count on Thread to fall exclusively over water. It didn't happen often enough for his liking. He squinted, but smiled down at the child anyway. At least she was cute. If she remained as sweet in childhood and adolescence as she was as an infant, she wouldn't need her mother defending her; she'd have everyone wrapped around her fingers by her own charms. Most adults couldn't resist a child being cute, particularly when they were well-behaved. He kept that thought to himself, though. No need to think so far in the future. He settled for smiling; his mind too flashed on Aslath's first clutching and flying chairs. S'rei was so unintentionally amusing sometimes. "I think if he had to replace all of the damaged furniture himself, he'd eventually stop breaking them... but people's heads might not last..."
Miguel's words made him smile. Ciceroth often called him Rys so he was used to the nickname, although the voice saying it was highly unfamiliar. He nodded slightly, as if to encourage, but his expression darkened as the little boy pulled away. And then he squinted, scrunching up his nose slightly before sighing; he hadn't known at all, so he didn't feel exactly guilty, but he did regret bringing the idea up. His gaze flicked over to Ophelie, who fluted musically to Miguel, as if to try and coax him into paying attention to her. The little firelizard wasn't easily dissuaded from things that held her curiosity, after all. She'd chosen Ka'rys of all people at the Hatching for a reason.
"I apologize," he said softly, and he meant it. "I didn't realize." His gaze flicked to the little green, who took to wing and glided smoothly over to Miguel's shoulder, where she landed with delicate grace. She did not immediately move to nudge him as she would have Ka'rys, though, as he was clearly upset. Ophelie was smart enough to give the child a chance to recognize she was there before doing anything else, and it also gave her a chance to disappear between if he got too upset. Ka'rys watched her for a moment before flicking his eyes to Lauranna. "Have you thought about taking him to a firelizard Hatching? C'lryn's gold Darling clutched recently." He was careful how he worded that; he did not suggest that she ask for an egg, though he felt certain that C'lryn would willingly hand one over to Lauranna. He didn't want to get the idea into Miguel's head and make it harder for Lauranna if she was uninterested. It was simply a suggestion, something that might ease .. whatever pain came with losing a firelizard. He'd never felt it, fortunately. Only Ophelie looked to him, of flitters, and she had never even slightly come down ill. He was of good fortune in that respect. He'd heard of firelizards looking to little children...
Using the conversation as a distraction, he chose not to comment about his obvious fondness for children. In truth, he had always liked babies and small children. He could remember even when he was little that he would be kinder to the younger ones than he would the older. He'd always seen it as more fair to them. More forgiveness for those who deserved it. That was only heightened by his daughter's birth, and ever since he'd left Fort, he'd avoided children all together. It was ... hard... to look at someone else's baby and know his was at Fort, with Leradi, and that he'd probably never see her again. He kept that to himself, though. Better not to share.
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Post by reqqy on Aug 22, 2008 22:59:52 GMT -5
Lauranna snickered a little. Sure, S’rei was rather amusing when angry – just so long as you weren’t the one on the other end of it – but the likelihood that he’d actually make a habit of flinging furniture around was rather slim. He only tended to get that crazy when you blindsided him. And surely he’d be expecting boys to be hanging around a young woman. Then again…S’rei had been pretty wild as a boy, and he was likely to remember some of his more – adventurous – escapades, which would definitely have him in full protective mode. Well, they’d see. No use speculating. Meanwhile, the mental image was more than enough to restore some of her good cheer. “Then we’ll have to worry about a healer uprising,” she quipped, wrinkling her nose. “They don’t take too kindly to people scrambling brains for no good reason.”
Watching the small green, Miguel didn’t move, his expression mildly perturbed – but not clearly indicative of what his reaction might be, one way or the other. Hard to tell if he didn’t want the flit there, of if it was merely confusion as to why this firelizard – this unknown firelizard – seemed to be showing such interest in him. Lauranna watched him closely out of the corner of her eye, not wanting anything…untoward to happen. Her boy didn’t generally react violently when upset, but he was just two turns of age, which certainly added an unpredictable element to the whole thing. Despite her concern, however, the dark-haired child responded to the flit – finally – by making a noise in his throat that was clearly supposed to mimic the green’s. The greenrider’s mouth turned up at one corner in a rather wry expression that looked a lot like her brother’s. It was one of the few things that proclaimed their shared blood; their facial expressions were markedly similar.
Nodding to Ka’rys, she didn’t even attempt to tell him that an apology was unnecessary. No, he hadn’t meant to bring up a sore topic, but that didn’t change the fact that it was one, and Lauranna generally found it more polite to accept an apology for what it was than to argue with someone about it – particularly since the vast majority of people weren’t inclined to apologize on a whim. Ka’rys had caught her in a rare moment, had the Weyrleader. The woman was worried enough – and her mothering instinct was heightened enough – that her usual bubbly, flirtatious mask had fallen, leaving behind it a creature considerably more sedate. It was this creature that weighed his suggestion, her eyes retreating, before she shook her head slightly.
“Not a bad suggestion. Under other circumstances…but I can’t request much of anything from anyone without feeling like I’m taking advantage of my relationship to my brother and his weyrmate – whether that’s the truth or not. It’s not something I’d like to do, truly.” Laurie in her own right had very little clout, but she would have to be very oblivious not to notice that people had started treating her differently. Weyrmate to F’rah. Confidante of Shmee. And of course the blood tie. Blood was something of a close bond, at least as far as the Weyrwoman was concerned, since she intended to raise Shei herself. Not that Laurie could blame her; now that she had F’rah, she didn’t intend to foster Miguel, either. Of course, the circumstances weren’t remotely similar.
She couldn’t quite hide the curious, probing look that came to her eyes. He was deliberately avoiding her comment about children. It hadn’t been a question, so she couldn’t be upset, but…Laurie was still curious. The woman let it go, though.
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Post by glamourie on Aug 24, 2008 2:09:10 GMT -5
"That's because secretly, all healers want to be left alone. I'm convinced it's the craft hall of disgruntled people," Ka'rys replied quietly, thinking of the few healers he'd met. As Fort was close to Fort Hold, where Healer Hall was located, he'd met quite a few and all seemed grumpy for one reason or another. Then again, if he had to spend that much time around numbweed, he supposed his mood would be most effectively fouled, too. He hated the smell of the stuff, even when it wasn't boiling. It soured anything that it happened to come in contact with. He assumed that was why most Healers wore a perpetual scowl on their faces. Between dealing with injured people, or the ill coughing up their lungs on them, and the smell of numbweed, Ka'rys thought they well earned their marks. Not that he was a good patient by any means. He was very much the "run away, escape into the night!" type when he got locked in the infirmary for any reason and he frequently had to be forcibly moved there to get treatment at all. But still. Disgruntled healers were a common thing as far as he was concerned. He strongly suspected many of them would quite appreciate signs to place on their weyrs or apartment doors that read "OFF DUTY, DO NOT DISTURB" across the front. If he was a healer, he would, but then, Ka'rys would make a poor healer. He'd pretty much feel everyone could be left to die if they didn't listen. Hmm...
Ka'rys's dark brown eyes ventured to the firelizard perching on Miguel and he watched her, silently. The little green cocked her head at the boy, as if curious by the noise he made, and then twittered, a low musical noise, like the first few notes of a song. Her tail wound around the little boy's neck loosely, like an ornament, and she nudged his cheek and jaw with what was undeniably meant to be affection. As a firelizard she had no way of knowing anything was wrong, but her human-thing liked babies and small children - and so too did she as a result. He was small, and her humanpet wanted him to cheer up. That was a good enough reason for Ophelie.
The bronzerider, on the other hand, gave Lauranna a light nod. He instantly thought better of her (not that he had disliked her before; he'd never cared enough to form an opinion of the greenrider, truly) for not wanting to seem as though she was taking advantage of her relation to S'rei. It would likely look that way. That was the same reason Ka'rys would never ask for an egg... even though he didn't want other pets. He hadn't even wanted Ophelie, she'd just sort of latched onto him without much care for what he wanted, and he couldn't very well send her away after that. She was a nice enough creature, prone to bouts of affection, but also quiet and undemanding. For a firelizard, he found her astoundingly well-mannered. Most were noisy, she wasn't. He shook his head slowly, that thought unwelcome, and pushed it aside. Maybe someone could buy the boy a feline cub - the domestic ones were small and fluffy, and typically independent enough not to require a lot of attention. It was a thought. He didn't suggest it, though. He didn't think she'd like to hear the idea, at least not right then.
Rather than comment to her, Ka'rys turned his dark brown eyes back to the little boy. He still rocked little Shei, but since she had quieted, he was careful not to do anything to disturb her too much. A quiet baby was not something to be trifled with. Who knew when they'd take to screaming. The toddler seemed to have quieted a lot too. Ka'rys nodded toward Ophelie before speaking directly to Miguel. "She is called Ophelie." He always tried to explain things to little children. He thought not answering was rude, and besides, how were they to learn? Besides, Ophelie seemed taken with the boy, or maybe she was just humoring him. Whatever it was, it seemed only right to explain her presence. "Sometimes she sings. Not very well, though, I have to say." He glanced back at Lauranna, then added softly, "She can't hold a tune in a bucket and believe you me, she has tried."
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Post by reqqy on Aug 26, 2008 14:22:31 GMT -5
“Well, when you think about it, you’ve only got two types of healers: the ones who do it to help people, and the ones who do it just to do it. If it’s just a job, of course they’re annoyed to have more work to do. And if it isn’t? The fact that they have more work means someone’s hurt, or ill, or unhealthy. It would be surpassingly odd if a healer was delighted to see someone come in with a broken arm or a ruptured lung, don’t you think? Unless they just take genuine pleasure in other people’s discomfort…I can only imagine that healing is a very wearying profession. It takes a thick skin, and most people display that thick skin by being ‘disgruntled,’ as you say.” There it was. The Lauranna deep thought of the day. She’d have to be excessively bubbly and vacuous for about a tenday to make up for the damage. Reysalth snickered in the back of her mind.
Well, she couldn’t just leave the comment, truly. One of Laurie’s dearest friends was the dragonhealer, and, while Kalierre could occasionally become just as difficult as most healers, in general she was pretty even-tempered and supportive. Oh, Lauranna knew there was much more to her. The weyrling massacre. Her occasional explosions of profanity and general upset. The very odd personal life she’d taken up with K’von. But the fact of the matter remained that Kalierre was extremely approachable and generally not treated with the same ‘oh shells, it’s the healer, run’ reaction so many others seemed to receive. Even Lauranna, though, knew better than to take offense at a generalization – she simply thought that the generalization itself was rather unfair out of context.
Miguel smiled at Ophelie, humming to her quietly. A hand left off its hold on Laurie's shirt and drifted upward. "Gently," the woman warned quietly. He glanced at her hesitantly, but when she nodded, the boy touched the green tentatively, gaining boldness when she didn't startle. It became clear that he was familiar with these creatures as soon as he began to scratch behind her eye ridges, humming a little again, though he'd been taught well enough that he fell into silence when Ka'rys started speaking. Lauranna was silently pleased to see her son behaving so politely, particularly since he'd displayed himself in a less than favorable fashion when the Weyrleader had first come into contact with him.
"O-flee," the boy repeated, nodding his head in that solemn way he had that made him seem a good deal older than two. His eyes never wavered from Ka'rys, other than perhaps to see what Ophelie was doing for a second or two. Miguel frowned slightly. She was nice! Of course she could sing well! Nice people and flitters did everything well. "Purty O-flee," he stated, regarding Ka'rys a little uncertainly. "Yours?" Content to merely witness the scene, Lauranna wavered between watching the way her son was with this man's firelizard and regarding the Weyrleader's face. He was supposed to be a harsh man, but...Oh well. She had no complaints if that particular rumor proved untrue, as he was handling Miguel quite well. And Shei, too. The babe had barely made a sound in over a minute.
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Post by glamourie on Sept 7, 2008 12:57:23 GMT -5
Hmm. That was an interesting way of looking at it; Ka'rys hadn't really put much thought into why healers acted like they did, he always just assumed the exposure to numbweed made them cranky. It did him. He was a lot more prone to grouchiness though than most people were. Ka'rys secretly believed he had an inherently grumpy personality. Looking thoughtful, Ka'rys cast a sideways glance at Lauranna. Honestly, that statement was more insightful than he'd ever seen her before. In fact, her entire personality was a lot more subdued than he'd ever seen her. It made him wonder -- but only briefly, as Miguel and Shei had most of his attention. Shoving a baby in Ka'rys's face was one of the most effective ways to distract him from any mood. (There was a reason Ciceroth was very insistant that Ka'rys should adopt a fosterling -- which in itself was comical since he wasn't a woman, was excessively busy, and doubted anyone would trust him with their child for an extended length of time.) Even though Shei was quiet, Ka'rys continued to rock her; if he stopped she might start crying again, and he didn't know the baby well enough to know good remedies for her fits. Every child was different in that respect.
Trilling, Ophelie leaned back and nudged Miguel's hand encouragingly. The light pressure on her eye ridges sent a whirl of happy colors rapidly swirling through her eyes and she squirmed against that light touch, clearly begging for more. As far as firelizards went, she was remarkably even-tempered most of the time... but when it came to receiving physical affection, there was no way to doubt that Ophelie loved it; she was highly enthusiastic and responsive. She was typically more quiet than most of her kind, but that one touch earned light twittering happy sounds, very quiet and short, but high-pitched and feminine at the same time; most definitely pleased.
"Ophelie," Ka'rys agreed with a light nod. The way that Miguel said her name was precious and he couldn't help but grin slightly in response. He was reminded vaguely of when his daughter was that age -- and her habit of calling his dragon 'Cissy' because she couldn't pronounce his full name. He missed her worse than he was willing to admit... although it was hard to be anything short of delighted when he had an undeniably precious child in his arms and another one talking to him. Why was he always won over so much better by children than people? He hoped, for his own sake, that Lauranna didn't decide to advertise that fact. That would be awkward to explain, although he wasn't embarrassed by it in the least. Shameless? Or maybe simply realistic? He nodded slightly in response to the little boy's question. "She looks to me, yes. I think she believes I am hers, though, not the other way around."
As if in confirmation, the little green firelizard gave an approving chirp and squirmed more against Miguel, as if to remind him that she needed attention -- all of his attention, if she had her way. Ka'rys raised an eyebrow at her, then glanced over at Lauranna, quietly adding, "If she follows you two around and becomes a nuisance, please don't hesitate to tell me. She's... very fond of affection; I'm not sure she'll want to leave Miguel alone now that she knows he's willing to pet her, silly thing."
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Post by reqqy on Sept 9, 2008 11:02:41 GMT -5
Miguel giggled, delighted at how pleased the little flit was. Zephyr never sat still long enough for him to really scratch. Lauranna was not surprised, either, when the green thing decided that it was high time she come to where all the attention was. Zephyr popped from Between with a demanding shrill – one that was summarily cut off the moment she crashed into Laurie’s shoulder, her claws scrabbling for purchase. The toddler let out a surprised little squeak as the flitter’s wings battered his arm, though luckily Ophelie was on the opposite shoulder. Zephyr glared at the tail snaked around the boy’s neck, then set to scolding Lauranna for forgetting her. Nevermind that she hadn’t been around to pay attention to; clearly Zephyr was far better than that little fluting pest over there. Offended, she puffed a little, and dug her claws a little deeper into the greenrider’s shoulder. Laurie scratched her absently to get her to shut up. Remarkably, Zephyr subsided, but she never stopped glaring at the part of Ophelie that she could still see.
The boy wriggled just a little to put some distance between Zephyr and Ophelie. Lauranna took the cue and let her son down, where he clung to her leg with one arm and continued to scratch the flit with his free hand. She reached out to take Shei, then, not wanting to put Ka’rys out any more than necessary. With an ease that spoke of familiarity, she perched the child on a hip, Shei’s little hands gripping at her shirt as she grinned broadly and then decided to take some of the material into her mouth. Normally, Laurie had little trouble with the child. She was convinced it was Miguel’s screaming that had set Shei off, and nothing else. It irked her a little, though, that Ka’rys might think that wailing was commonplace for either child. Miguel was generally well-behaved and usually rather happy. And Shei? Almost always smiling and giggling. Fussing usually meant she needed to be changed, or to feed, but she seemed all right at the moment.
“O’flee sing purty,” Miguel stated, in his even, solemn tones, eyes wide with sincerity. He smiled up at Ka’rys. Though he cocked his head to one side – carefully away from Ophelie so that he wouldn’t squish her – at the Weyrleader’s comment. His little brows furrowed for a moment, and he poked the flit lightly with a finger. “Silly O’flee. Think Rys yours? Silly O’flee. He bigger.” Laurie hid a smile. Miguel had gotten into his head that bigger meant they were the possessor. Dragons kept people, men kept women, couples kept kids, and people kept pets. It was a simple system, really, and she hadn’t bothered to explain that things generally went both ways. Miguel would learn that soon enough, she was sure, and his idea was close enough now that he wasn’t likely to confuse anyone if he spoke about it.
The greenrider shot Ka’rys a grin. “Oh, I don’t think this one will mind if she decides to hang around a bit,” Laurie replied, tousling Miguel’s hair as she spoke. Zephyr chirped disdainfully, not at all pleased that Lauranna had stopped scratching her to show affection to the boy. The greenrider rolled her eyes at her green. “Why don’t you just go back to whatever males you were flirting with, silly creature.” Which earned her a tightening of Zephyr’s grip. Sniffing, the woman brushed the flitter from her shoulder, the green unleashing a hiss before disappearing again. “An attention hog. She never bothers to come around unless she thinks her territory is being encroached on,” Laurie commented dismissively. She was fond of Zephyr, truly, but she made it a point not to indulge the self-absorbed green lest the creature become even more difficult.
“You don’t seem nearly as upset as when I first saw you storming down the hall,” Lauranna commented, clearly amused.
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