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[G] [O] 742.02.14 | Aim for the Stars - Printable Version

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742.02.14 | Aim for the Stars - Alekse - 13.Feb.21

Alekse stood and cheered for all he was worth, seizing Zarel and spinning them both around in the aisle. His girls, his amazingly spirited sister and his sparkling mate, had both Impressed! Above them, the three brown firelizards whistled and chittered, swooping and diving.

Holding tightly to Zarel, carrying her easily, he bounded down the steps, taking them three at a time, until his feet hit the hot sands. Releasing the newly appointed gold-rider’s daughter, the two sprinted forward, slowing only when a crowd of bowl-bearing weyrfolk blocked their way. Ryn was shoving gobs of meat into her lanky green’s mouth, and Zahrah was beginning to escort her new, lovely little gold…A bowl of meat each was shoved into first his and then Zarel’s hands, and, mercifully, the two new bonded pairs seemed to be drifting toward each other.

With a silly, wide grin, he found himself at Ryn’s side first, where her little green was still trying desperately to keep her wingtips out of the sand. A hand was shoved into the bowl, its contents slopped into an open mouth, and before he could register what was happening, he found himself wrapped in his sister’s joyous arms. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, and he ached, it all felt so good!

He returned the embrace as best as he could, what with a bowl still in one hand, albeit empty, now. Absently, he fumbled it toward someone on the other side of his sister, glad when it was taken, no doubt to be refilled. He mumbled into his little sister’s hair, barely audible. “I am so proud of you.” He pulled himself away, deep blue eyes glittering, and glanced to where Zahrah was arriving with Sedath. “And, you…”


RE: 742.02.14 | Aim for the Stars - Zahrah - 13.Feb.21

Feed me slowly or I shall have to bite someone.

Zahrah grinned at Alekse and slowly started placing appropriately sized morsels in her very hungry but dainty dragonet's mouth. The gold chewed, her eyes whirling happily but with a bit of a grumbling growl just for play.

"You'll not bite anyone unless they deserve it."

I am very fast, the little gold said. craning her neck for more tasty meat. I could bite if I choose.

"You choose to bite and no one will ever admire your pretty hide quite the same way again. What if biting makes you less attractive?"

Fine. Maybe I won't bite. For the moment. Tell them they may sing my praises, now.

"Hello loves," she said softly. "Her name is Sedath and she's perfect."


RE: 742.02.14 | Aim for the Stars - A'ryn - 13.Feb.21

Jenath nosed at the bowl, stepping toward it and subsequently dipping a wingtip into the sand, bending it awkwardly. Ouch! A whimper escaped the green, causing Aederyn to hand her bowl off and right the offending appendage, feeling it over for any obvious damage. “Now, you’re just fine. It’ll just take a little time to get used to yourself. You’ll get used to those wings in no time.”

If a dragonet could be described as pouting, the green was doing just that. She nudged her lifemate piteously, eyes whirling with hunger and desire for reassurance. She itched. And her wingtips were sore from catching them. And she was pretty sure she scuffed her soft hide when she fell, earlier. And oh, she was so hungry! Aederyn offered more gobs of deliciousness, and, momentarily distracted by the mouthful, she wasn’t able to protest when her girl reached for the man who appeared at her back. Well, her girl seemed happy, and as long as she was still getting fed, she wasn’t objecting.

“Alekse!” She captured him in a fierce hug, laughing and crying and just so unbelievably happy! The happy tears came even harder when he said he was proud. That was all she’d really wanted, after all…

What about me? You want me, right? the question was so querulous that the redhead immediately let go of her brother, dropping to the green’s side, caressing the little creature’s nose and eye ridges. “Of course, luv. You are all I wanted and so much more!” She stood, finding another morsel of meat from a bowl held by a handy weyr helper. She stood again then, smiling as she introduced her green. “Alekse, this is Jen—”

Her mouth dropped open. Zahrah? With the gold! And Alekse, and the little girl? And… Wait, what? She could hardly believe she’d actually been right in her initial, fleeting thought when she’d met this candidate—rider. “You…?”

You’re smart. Of course you guessed right. Jenath chirped, bumping at her rider’s knees. My hide itches.


RE: 742.02.14 | Aim for the Stars - Zahrah - 13.Feb.21

"Aederyn! Your green is absolutely lovely." Oh! Alekse...his sister, of course! She started to laugh as the both of them took each other in. She offered the woman a hug, bowl of meat in hand.

"Alekse mentioned he had a sister at the Hatching. Looks like we found each other already! I am so, so pleased for you."

Be more pleased to put meat in my mouth. Hug later, she will still be here when the rest of us have to sleep because we are growing.

"Sedath, manners are the first thing we're working on. Now, you and I both know we're getting you fed and then cleaned up. Everything you wish, my darling one, you will get."

Fine. Happy Hatching, hug your loved ones, she grumbled and then nudged her lifemate's hand for more meat. Oh, she did petulant well.


RE: 742.02.14 | Aim for the Stars - A'ryn - 13.Feb.21

“Lovely to officially meet the woman who managed to steal my brother’s heart. But…I thought…a husband? Your daughter…?” Aederyn shook her head, still somewhat baffled. She’d never taken Alekse to be a family man…All the same, she was glad of his choice. This woman was quite lovely, clearly, as even the gold hatchling found her worthy of Impression. Her confused expression gave to a wide, if a bit bemused, grin.

Another nudge at her side, paired with an insistent warble, brought the redhead’s mind back to the moment. Jenath! There was simply so much going on! She managed a haphazard curtsey to the new queen, and stepped aside to show off her own lovely new lifemate. “The pleasure is mine, I’m sure. Sedath is quite the queen. This is Jenath.”

Yes, I know who my sister is, thank you very much. The greet twitched her tail in annoyance, casting a glowering look at an issue that was beginning to become more and more irritating. Now can you please tend to my wingtips? The sand has made them dry. They’re sore.

“Oh!” Reaching for the indicated wing, Aederyn examined it, and found very little beyond a light dusting of sand. She brushed it off, and Jenath sighed dramatically, making her rider glare and stifle a smirk. With a shrug and a nervous, giddy giggle, Aederyn spun around to find someone with a jar of the softening, moisturizing oil to slather on her green’s wings. Zahrah and Sedath would probably need some, too.


RE: 742.02.14 | Aim for the Stars - Alekse - 13.Feb.21

A bark of laughter escaped him, and he threw his head back with it, thoroughly enjoying the absolute serendipity of it all. “I’m not sure what to be more surprised over: the fact that you seem to know each other already, or that it took until now to realize that I’ve been just terrible to have never formally introduced you to each other!”

The back-and-forth between the dragons and their new riders really was something else. He couldn’t say before that he’d ever hear more than a few words of dragon speech, and it was such an incredibly strange sensation each time. To have these two, plus the other newly hatched, all talking, some quite loudly, was really an overwhelming yet amazing experience. Absently, he wondered if either of these two would continue to talk to him directly once they’d grown…

Aederyn spun to get a couple of jars of oil, and he absently passed one of them to Zahrah. Was she actually scolding the new queen? His eyebrows raised as he watched for a moment before turning his attention back to the dramatic little green his sister had Impressed. Watching both pairs, he could see the appeal. Sighing contentedly, he scanned the area for Zarel. The child had run off, congratulating a new blue rider. Hm…after the feast, and after everyone had some sleep, he and Zahrah would need to discuss an arrangement for her. Dragons, he could see, were a lot of work. And so were children. He could spare a day or two, Venan was a forgiving sort. He’d talk with Zahrah later, after a day or two of rest. For now, it was best to just bask in it all.


RE: 742.02.14 | Aim for the Stars - Zahrah - 13.Feb.21

"I swear I was about to mention your name, too, but it just never came up. It's ridiculous."

I hunger no more. Please wash me and you will put the oil on so I do not itch?

"Of course I will. That was phrased much better, Sedath, thank you." The gold tipped her head up, squinting but there was something joyful about it.

Thank you. I will still get my way but everyone will be nice when I say things like thank-you and please? Why do pretty words make it better?

"Pretty words mean you show respect for those around you and don't think of them as lesser or not as important as you."

I am the best, all should know it. Sedath sat primly, her eyes whirling sedately as she let out a yawn. All know it already. I am golden. And pretty. And a little tired.

While all of this was going on, Zahrah was gently cleaning her lifemate and oiling her. She smiled at both Aederyn and Alekse, already exhausted through the bond with her lifemate.

"Soon, you will be sleeping in your wallow, love, and I will be taking a nap with you," her voice was a soft sing-song, almost a croon. "I know a thing or two about fussy babies and you, darling one, need your sleep so you can grow. Right?"

...I suppose you could be right, the little gold said skeptically. Besides, Jenath needs to grow, too, she shall be the best flier of any green because I say so. We will all sleep and grow. Is it very far? You may need to carry me.


RE: 742.02.14 | Aim for the Stars - A'ryn - 14.Feb.21

Jenath coo’d under Sedath’s praise, enjoying the attention she was getting. If a gold was telling her she would be the best, surely it must be true. The little gold let out a dainty yawn, making her want to yawn in turn. Her girl was tending to her wings, and she’d eaten. It was time to sleep. Why don’t we find a warm spot to sleep, too? She nudged at her new partner, wishing to move but unsure of the direction.

“Now, stop that. Wrong way. The barracks are over here…” with a gentle prod, and careful to remind her of her overlarge wings, she corralled her green toward the entrance and general direction of their new home, until they would be assigned a weyr. For now, a cozy, warm wallow with a cot would do just fine. The new bond reflected the green’s deep exhaustion, and Aederyn stretched and yawned, too. With a start, she realized it was nearly dawn…Did that mean she’d get to sleep for longer before the feast?

Do whatever you please. So long as you please attend me when I am hungry again. And I will be hungry again. Another yawn stretched open her maw, and a most fascinating sound came out.

“I told you if you ate too fast you’d get hiccups.” The redhead held a hand over her mouth, trying desperately not to laugh at her precious lifemate. Thankfully, the noise seemed to be a one-off, and Jenath chirped, trying to figure out exactly how that odd sound had been made as the little group shuffled toward the entrance.

Above, a fair of brown firelizards greeted them, and Rudi, oh, sweet Rudi, swooped and landed in front of the green, eyes whirling with curiosity, chittering in excitement. What is it?

“It, is a firelizard. It is a ‘he’. His name is Rudi. He’s mine. Ours. You’ll like him, I think.” She gave her dragonet a reassuring pat before the brown took to the sky, whirling and dancing and finally disappearing to galavant with his brother.

Having discovered the odd ‘hiccup’ sound, Jenath wondered if she could make a Rudi sound, too. It would require further thought. And she was far too tired for that right then. I think I will. Let’s go. You need rest, and I need to grow if I am to be the best flier like Sedath says. Come, take me to our home.

“Of course, dear one. Of course.”