Welcome to Gaia! ::

Lala lounged in a chair by an open window in an empty, little used room as Perditith sniffed about curiously. The window was open and a slightly chill breeze wafted in, blowing back the young woman's long hair from her face. She had her long locks bound back in twin braids today, but allowed the shorter strands to float about her narrow freckled face rather then pushing them back with a scarf like she normally would.

'Is it time yet, mine? This room is very boring.' Perditith asked plaintively as she came over and pushed her head into her rider's lap and huffed.

The woman rolled her eyes but stroked the large, soft head fondly all the same "Almost time, you remember to be gentle, I won't have you knocking any kids over, got it?" Lala said, allowing a little sterness into her voice to remind her dragon of the lecture she had given the green earlier.

Tanda, one of the creche workers, had approached her the day before and asked her if she wouldn't mind letting the children of the creche to get a look at a hatchling dragon, before she grew so big that she'd seem more threatening to such small children. Having worked with children quite a lot herself while growing up in a trading caravan, Lala had agreed readily. She couldn't see any harm so long as her dragon could remember that children were far less sturdy on their feet than adults. So, here she was, sitting in the room Tanda had asked her to meet them in, waiting for the fast approaching time when she would see just how well her dragon could control herself.

'I wouldn't!' Perditith countered, almost sounding offended before adding '...what's a kid?'

Lala sighed "kid is just another word for child. Little people...like human hatchlings."

'Oh right! I have seen some! They seem small and squishy.'

"I...guess they are...no testin that though please. Be gentle, no jumping-"

'-no prancing, no running, hopping, bopping, fopping or otherwise. I got itmine.'

"Good. Just make sure you don't forget." Lala thought for a moment, one eyebrow arched as she asked "What's fopping?"

'...I don't know.'

Lala pulled away from the wall as a knock sounded at the door, and Perditith swung around to face the door excitedly.
"Remember to play gently." Lala reminded her lifemate one last time as the door swung open and Tanda walked in with her young charges.

"Afternoon." She said, taking a step away from the wall and smiling at all the wide eyed visitors. She nodded to Tanda and went to crouch down next to Perditith, who was shifting slightly in excitement. "This here is Perditith, and I'm Lauretia, but you can call me Lala." She said in her warm, slightly accented voice "I impressed her at the last hatching, so she's still young, but real friendly." Lala said with a fond smile for hers, who in turn turned on large blue eye towards her and popped her jaw in a draconic smile.

"I was out on the sands, thinking I was the last one out there she'd pick, but sure enough, she came runnin right up and nearly knocked me right over by duckin' between my legs." she explained with a grin at the memory "When she first spoke to me, it was like a whole 'nother world just opened up inside my head, and there she was."

'I remember that!' Perditith said to hers, happiness coloring her mental voice 'That was fun. Do you think the little ones like fun? Do they want to play a game?' she asked eagerly.

'We'll save the games for later, sweetheart. Most've these kids have probably never been this close to a dragon. Let 'em get used to you first.' she replied mentally before turning her eyes to the children.

"Would anyone like to touch her?" she asked with a smile.

Lala shared a smile with Tanda over the first volunteer's head. She took no offense to his claims, it was cute, really. Boys always did like to boast, she knew from experience.

"Go ahead." she told the boy as he laid a gentle hand on Perditith, who let out a little thrum of enjoyment from all the attention she was getting from the children. He was reluctant to give up his place to the younger child, but with Tanda's deft handling, he was talked into stepping aside to allow the others a chance.

"Don't worry, everyone will get their turn." Lala assured the children, smiling at the first boy as he did the responsible thing and took a step back.

Perditith snuffled curiously at the new little boy's hair, stirring the brown strands with her hot breath 'These little people are noisy.' Perditith remarked as she turned her head this way and that, as curious about the little boy as the boy was about her.

'Does the noise bother you?' Lala asked hers worriedly.

'No, I like it. The little people are funny. And they like me!'

Lala gave Perditith a pat and then smiled at the little boy "Here, try touching her shoulder." She said, gesturing for the boy to place his hand on the dragonet's shoulder. She would have let him scratch the dragon's eye ridge, but small children were never well known for their motor skills, and she didn't want her green to get poked in the eye. Perhaps some of the older children could though when they were more comfortable around her's.

"Don't worry, she's fine." Lala said in an amused tone as the boy looked up at her worriedly from his vigorous rubbing of her bonded's hide. The tall woman nodded encouragingly to the little girl who had come forward and Perditith turned her spotted head so that she could get a better look at her with one of her large blue-green eyes that whirled quickly with happiness and excitement.

When another question was directed at her, Lala shook her head in the negative "No, not yet, her wings-" here she laid a gentle hand on one of Perditiths wings and had her extend it to full size so that the children could see it clearly "aren't strong enough yet. the bones and muscles aren't fully formed since she is still growing. That and she doesn't have the muscles to manage it yet." she explained, gesturing to the 'arm' of the wing "See, dragon wings are just like arms, they even have fingers" Lala said, pointing out how the ribs of the wings were similar to their own fingers "The big difference is that their are webbed. Just like your arms though," she remarked, looking at the children's own small arms "her's aren't done growing yet, so they can't carry as much as an adults."

Perditith crooned at hers 'I will one day though, and then we shall go adventuring! It will be fun!'

Lala smiled, hoping that this would, indeed, be true.