Welcome to the Family

Writers: Leigh M-F., Miriah
Date Posted: 4th April 2016

Characters: Ninaine, A'kua
Description: The bonds of family, chosen and blood.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 3, day 14 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: N'call, Ilyssia.

Ninaine

He was nervous and excited all at once. Today, Ninaine felt well enough to take visitors, so A'kua was going to meet his adoptive niece for the first time. He had never been all that close to a newborn before; not at the hold, and not even as a Candidate helping out with the weyrbrats. He had explained his utter lack of experience with them to the creche workers, and thus had been regulated to the older kids.

But he was prepared for this experience. He hoped he was, anyway. A'kua was prepared for other things, anyway, with three jelly tarts, a meatroll, and some fruit juice, all swiped from the kitchen. He could have asked and gotten the items on account of his knots, which was exactly why he hadn't. Besides, no one had been watching the cooled batch precisely because it was cooled, and the chance to lift them had been too easy. So with a tart for the weyrling on elevator duty, Zeiranth hovering expectantly in the back of his mind, and the meatroll for Luneth, A'kua asked for permission to come up.

He was granted permission rather swiftly, with the reminder sent to Zeiranth that Luneth enjoyed meatrolls very much. As had become her habit with A'kua, more out of enjoyment rather than protective instinct, the green plopped down in front of the entry door and waited for A'kua to appear. She smacked her lips expectantly and settled down.

}:Way ahead of you,:{ Zeiranth said a little smugly with his pride in his partner's preparedness.

The redhead alighted on the ledge, exchanged a quick wrist-clasp with the other weyrling, and deposited the meatroll in Luneth's mouth. "It's good to see you again," he said kindly. "Is Ninaine ready?" He wasn't expecting the green to speak to him another time, but a non-verbal answer could always be used.

}: Yours does tend to come well prepared. :{ Luneth chewed on the meatroll with relish and tilted her head as she eyed Aluka. She bobbed her head and stepped away from the entrance, moving back to the ledge that she and Haloth now shared.

A soft voice sounded. "You can come in, A'kua."

"Thank you," A'kua said to Luneth, and walked in, finding his friend and approaching. He held up his treats with a smile. "Fruit juice and jelly tarts to celebrate your new arrival," he said. "The lemon's mine, you can have the berry."

Ninaine looked up with a tired smile. The young infant was in her arms, held against her shoulder as she patted lightly. "Oh, thank you." She waved him in. "I'm glad to see you, A'kua. Thanks for visiting. Have a seat, if you like. She just ate."

"I'm glad to visit," A'kua said, dutifully pulling up a chair and setting the pilfered goodies on it. "Does N'call have any goblets up here?"

}:Don't go looking for them yet, I want to see the baby,:{ Zeiranth insisted, and A'kua turned his eyes back to the newborn, sharing what he saw. }:It's so tiny. Do all humans start so tiny?:{ the bronze asked in astonishment.

**I think some start even smaller,** A'kua thought. "Zeiranth's surprised she's so tiny," he said. "What's her name?"

Ninaine couldn't help but smile at Zeiranth's surprise, even though she couldn't see it. "Well, she's not exactly a dragon. Her name is Callaine." She blinked as the delicate little infant let out a deep burp. "Goodness. Uhm.." She glanced about and pointed to a cabinet. "They're in there."

}: She may be small,:{ Luneth interjected to Zeiranth }: But she lets out horrendous stinks. :{

}:Oh, so she's like a trundlebug?:{ Zeiranth asked Luneth without thinking.

"Callaine. I like it," A'kua said. "Welcome to the world, li'l girl." He went for the cabinet, found two goblets and two little plates, and brought them over, pouring out the juice and serving the jelly tarts before sitting down. "To be honest, I'm a little surprised she's so small too. This's the first time I've seen a newborn in reachin' distance."

}: Worse, I think, as least as far as the stink. It burns the nose. :{ Luneth snorted pointedly.

"Thank you." Ninaine patted the child on her shoulder. "She seemed big enough during the birthing, let me assure you. Would you like to hold her?"

The question took him off guard. "I- uh-" A'kua bit his lip. "I would," he ventured, "but I've never held a baby before. I don't know how. What if I hurt her?"

Hearing an adult green make such remarks was entertaining; Zeiranth was practically giggling. Maybe female dragons weren't so scary after all. }:Is she nice when she's not stinky?:{

Ninaine rose, carrying the baby girl carefully. "Here, I'll show you. You're not going to hurt her, I promise. Besides, you'll probably have your own batch of babies some day. " She showed him how to hold his arms and then carefully laid Callaine in them. "See? It's not so difficult."

}: She mostly just sleeps and makes lots of noise. But she's nice. Mine lets her stay in the creche alot. :{

A'kua rolled his eyes. "C'mon, sis, we both know I'll never have kids-" He was cut off by the sudden warmth and weight of the baby, and adjusted his arms as shown, staring down at the tiny life now depending on him to not drop her. He gulped, but when nothing bad happened immediately, some of the nervousness ebbed. "Um, hi," he whispered to Callaine. "You're my li'l niece, then? Nice to meet you."

"Don't say never." Ninaine's voice was almost sad, but amused as well. "Anything could happen." She looked at the pair of them and her eyes watched intently, but she appeared relaxed. "You're doing fine, A'kua. See? You're a natural."

"Ninaine, enough," A'kua said firmly, looking up at the greenrider. "Lys and I are in agreement: We're never goin' to have children, and we're goin' to insure it won't happen because neither of us are inclined to it. I mean, I don't mind older kids if they're mannerly, but that's as far as any interest goes." He returned his attention to Callaine, letting her catch one of his fingers in a little hand. "Though I'll make an exception for your li'l girl."

Zei watched through his partner's eyes, then commented to Luneth, }:I like the trundlebug. She's cute. Can we come visit a lot?:{ He conveniently ignored the fact he couldn't fly yet and visit personally.

She wanted to interject that his bronze would win other flights...and there would be flight moths. Faranth knew that N'call used them; he'd never come to her after a flight. Privately, she wondered what it would be like if he had. But, it was not the time to think about that sort of thing. Instead, she nodded and sat while A'kua held her daughter. Ninaine's brow furrowed. "She'll be going to the creche soon."

}: I do not mind. :{ Luneth gave a mental shrug. }: Mine gets lonely sometimes. :{

Zeiranth cheered happily. }:Then we'll visit lots!:{

The bronze weyrling looked up at the young mother. "Will I be able to visit Callaine in the creche if I'm not really her uncle?" he asked anxiously.

She nodded. "Of course you will. I'll tell them. " She looked down at her daughter and for a moment, her face was distraught before it was covered up. "She'll be better there anyway. I'm afraid I'm not a very good mother."

"You're doin' what you think is best for her," A'kua reiterated. "That makes you a great ma. Don't be so hard on yourse-" Callaine made a fussing noise, and he turned his attention back to her. "Hey, don't get cranky now, li'l lady," he murmured, moving his still captive finger to stroke her downy-soft cheek. "Do you just not like it when I scold your ma, is that it? Then how about I do somethin' else?"

He started humming a lullaby, and Zeiranth gleefully exclaimed to Luneth }:He sings that to me sometimes!:{

}: Mine does not. She can't sing. I'm glad Yours is much better than Mine. :{

Ninaine quieted as he hummed and slowly relaxed in her seat. She was doing what was best for Callaine...she hoped.

Last updated on the April 15th 2016

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