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 Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 11:28 am
Rochelle squeezed Berath again, sagging against her a bit at the weight of Kibeth and all the emotion. Stupid emotion. "Ignore her, Berath. Whatever horrible things she's saying. Ignore them."
Mal. Mother. said Kibeth abruptly, all three eyelids closed. She rumbled. let's go back to shore. She'll be easily forgotten. Tunnelsnake.
And she was tired. Very tired. Rochelle leaned back from Berath to get them both to more shallow water.
You okay?
Of course I am. Just. Water is irritating.
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Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 12:15 pm
Calm. Ber was telling her to be calm, and Rochelle was too. They were right. the green replied tightly, still on general broadcast. Hyweth was their natural mother after all. Of course she had wanted to be their only mother, but she wasn't and.... Berath's voice lost some of its steadiness on that last word. She hadn't meant for things to be like this. She liked to get on with people. Friends though... with a crimson it was a stretch. exactly does mating have to do with respect? The bronzes that chase me don't always say sweet things you know. Flights have nothing to do with respect... often enough they are the opposite. I am not an object for them to take pleasure in any more than I am disposable Threadfodder. If you feel so badly about some bronzes refusing to chase you, I think you set too much store by lust.... And if you're not calling me a thief and telling me it's wrong for dragons to call me mother in order to hurt me I don't know why you are!> This was not going to be resolved. Hyweth would never stop hating her, or accusing her of theft. Perhaps she had been wrong to reach out to them so much... perhaps she should have waited until they knew the crimson before she interacted so much. Giving Rochelle a gentle nudge as she pulled away Berath turned to Kibeth. She could see that the young crimson was tired; the last thing she wanted for for her to over stress her body. At more or less this point Bereck reached standing depth, and stood up. He did not feel good. Not in the least. He had made it though. Setting his jaw the healer wade-limped towards his dragon, curling an arm around his right side, over the double set of raised, thick, angry red claw scars. He probably made for either a rather impressive sight or a rather horrific one depending on your point of view, not that he was especially aware of it at that point. In addition to the scars on his side (one set from top rib to bottom, and one from collar bone to bottom rib on the back) the same thick red lines ran from his sternum down towards his left hip (the bottom of the scars was covered by the long bathing shorts he wore) and from the back of his left shoulder to the small of his back. A rather less drastic set (not that this was saying a lot) adorned the back and the front of his right shoulder. Even more than skinny, scarred and exhausted however Bereck looked angry. He was often annoyed, some might say perpetually so, but the fury that set his face hard and made his bright blue eyes burn was as rarely seen as a white dragon. "You." He jabbed towards Hyweth with his right forefinger; it shook a little with exhaustion. "Stop. My Berath has done nothing wrong. I will not allow you to make her feel like some kind of deviant." Malcarreth's now fully orange eyes narrowed. Kibeth was tired. the blue agreed easily, turning to wade to shore. C'tis meanwhile hovered, eyeing Bereck thoughtfully. Didn't look like he was about to keel over or anything (shaffing shards those scars were impressive) but he felt he probably ought to wait here anyway. Aleck wouldn't be pleased if he let his father pass out in waist deep water.
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Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:29 pm
They haven't. They won't. They do not wish to. And this too, will be forgotten. Regardless of whether right or wrong, Berath, you are their mother now. They do not want me here. Yours does not want me here. Theirs do not want me here. I will not stay. If she could do nothing for her hatchlings, because they were no longer hers--she could at least respect their wishes. The crimson's tone was sad; no longer did it hold any trace of anger. If you must, think of me as only a hot pot to keep them warm before they hatched. Tossed away. Unneeded. They had a mother now. Was this how a gold felt after every hatching?
They are yours. ...Take care of them for me. And with that, Hyweth turned her attention to the Weyrlings. Hoping they would understand--that they would forgive her. That they might see fit to love her.
Hyweth did not react well to Malcarreth's words. The bit of green that had whirled in her otherwise gray eyes faded entirely. She had been wrong to hope the little blue would see her as anything more than petty. She gave a keen of despair and turned from him. This...this was wrong. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. Why were they treating her like the villain in some harper tale? Couldn't they relate to her upset? Couldn't they understand her reasoning? Was it wrong for her to be upset? Was it?
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Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:45 pm
Kibeth squeaked at Berath in a most hardcore way, stretching her small(ish) body out against Rochelle. I hope you were talking to Rochelle. She's MyDear. I'm Hatchling. Too tired to hold off against her rider further, Kibeth found hold in the wet sand and paded towards land after her blue clutchsibling. Bereck showed up to raise Hell she assumed, tail flicking a little higher in the air.
Food and sleep. They can oil us while we sleep. She snorted water from her nose and streteched once she reached the shore, Hyweth ignored. I'm glad I'm not going to be a clutcher. I want to breathe fire like you will.
Rochelle eyed up her dragonet, arms already sore. Kibeth had a hold on things so she turned to look at... ho'snap. Pissy Bereck with huge scars. "Good grief," she hissed in C'tis' general direction. She looked back over her shoulder to the babies and shifted back. "'M gonna go make sure they're okay. also, I may stare at your butt. Flex wisely."
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Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 2:12 pm
Berath said hesitantly as the crimson turned away. How would she feel to have Hatchlings taken from her? Awful, of course, but she hadn't taken them away and she hadn't meant for anything like this to happen. she said privately to Hyweth, will care for them. I have been caring for them. That isn't going to change... but perhaps they will change their minds about you when you next meet them.> Should she try to offer more than that? Should she stop Hyweth and... and what? Why was she sorry? Why did she feel guilty? It wasn't as if she had started this... or had she, just by reaching out to them and encouraging them to think of her as their mother? She'd already said that but she said it again, still in private to the crimson. Then, to Kibeth. Malcarreth agreed, flopping down in the sand and turning to regard the pair of adults. he observed to anyone who cared to listen. C'tis gave Rochelle a sidelong look and shook his head with a snort. "Well if you do stare just try not to swoon," he muttered, "I'm going to see if he needs any help." 'He' of course was Bereck. C'tis waded over to the older man and nodded to him; they didn't exactly see eye to eye but thus far they hadn't ripped one another's heads off. "Need a hand?" "Do I look like I need a hand boy?" "...Yes." C'tis pursed his lips at the snappish tone. "You do." Stupid stubborn old man. Stupid interfering little boy. Bereck glowered. "Appearances can be deceptive," he said firmly, starting to make his way towards the beach. "If I require your assistance, I shall ask." C'tis stood still where he was, scowled, and pulled a face at the back of the healer's head. "Right. Sure."
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Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 2:43 pm
They do not know me. I assume this means you told them nothing of me, whether good or bad. I...did not mean to attack you when you first came. I wanted you to tell the truth. That they were mine. I was...excited. To meet them, to spend time with them. I was proud of them. I called them mine. They said they were yours. I was upset. Angry. I felt you had stolen my chance to know them. ...Maybe you would understand better, if yours suddenly said he belonged to another? Would you feel upset? Wouldn't you want yours back? Wouldn't you try to fight for him? Hypothetically speaking of course. The crimson looked over her shoulder, studying the green carefully for a moment. What Kibeth said hurt me. I reacted. I did not mean to hurt you, not at first. I wanted her corrected. To know I had clutched her. That I loved her. And I do love her, though she will not acknowledge it. She will be strong, whatever her choice.
The crimson hesitated. I am sorry. For hurting you, Berath. Mine has told me how you helped me. I do not think crimsons have it better. You--you can keep your hatchlings. I will always lose mine. They must Impress. They leave. They find new mothers. You--yours have Impressed. They love you. They will stay with you and defend you. I--will never have something like that. You are lucky, Berath. Greens are lucky. They get both. To fight, and to love.
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Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 3:08 pm
Satisfied with Berath's agreement, Kibeth splayed herself on the sand in a graceless heap. She shoved her nose under Malcarreth's back and shifted to coil up next to him. he made a good shield from the sunlight. Mmph. Rochelle is supposed to be the one to act before she thinks about consequences. I probably should have only snarked at her like you. She had the dragon mental version of a shrug and burrowed her muzzle closer, churring from between the seams of her teeth. On the bright side, our riders didn't go losing their tempers.
Always a triumph in her world. Kibeth dozed, easily lulled, but kept her mind open for Berath, Rochelle, and Mal. Or Bel, but he had other things to do, like deal with stomach aches.
Rochelle batted her lashes before she started trudging back to the shore. She settled down near the dragons, rubbing at the top of her arms where she'd been putting her strength for Kibeth. "Afternoon, Bereck!" She called out tiredly, twisting her hair to squish the water out. Uuuugh. Wet shorts and top. At least she'd left her shirt on shore. "You calmed everything down?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 2:03 pm
Oh. She had a point. Now she felt even worse. She hadn't meant for this to happen, but had she set it up? She had just been so desperate for Belcarrath to be hers, and the other two had come with him and she adored them as much as the loud little blue and... and she hadn't kept reminding them who their real mother was. the green repeated, shrinking in on herself. Perhaps she had assumed Hyweth would approach them right away herself, but obviously the crimson hadn't and... and had she stole them? Was she in the wrong?
The rest of what Hyweth had said however snapped her out of her horrible spiral of sinking feelings, mainly because she was confused. She would contest the point about greens being lucky again, but her ire and fears had cooled and she didn't see the point. Hyweth was convinced that the little chromatics had it good.... Which presumably was why so many green dragons had joined the revolution. Because they were lucky.
"I saw that boy!" Bereck snapped, gesturing sharply upwards with his right hand at the circling firelizards. "Eyes in the back of my head is quite literal, and anywhere else I choose to put them too!" Speaking of, the water was getting shallow now and it was getting hard to walk. A flick of his mind made most of the faire vanish, and a moment later they came back with his cane. He realised as he took hold of it that it was probably going to sink in the sand. It did, but not as much as he had feared; he was still able to use it. More or less.
"Rochelle. Mmh. I don't think I had much to do with the outcome." The healer limped awkwardly over to Rochelle and the hatchling heap, too keen to sit down to wait for Berath....
And how was he going to manage sitting down?
...Shards.
C'tis' glared at the back of Bereck's head as he was lectured, but refrained from further faces or rude gestures. He also restrained himself from thumping the stupid old man for calling him boy. On the whole he felt he was being extremely civilized.
C'tis, now scowling, waded out of the water after Bereck. When the healer came to a halt and looked at the ground with with arm still curled around his mutilated side and a rather despairing expression, C'tis just folded his arms across his chest; he knew better than to offer help of all things!
Malcarreth looked up at his rider and at Bereck thoughtfully for some moments before deciding that there wasn't much he could do about that situation and turning back to Kibeth. The blue yawned and shrugged his wings before adding;
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 1:40 pm
Perhaps I should have made first contact, Hyweth, as upset as she was, not going to put all the blame on Berath. Mine was not feeling well enough to attend the feast. I should have. I would have met them. The crimson hesitated, looking over to the weyrlings. Was it possible for them to have two mothers? Was it possible for all of them to be happy? Berath, I believe I have a solution--one that will make all of us happy. Yours, theirs, mine. Us.
She all but ignored the green's confusion, instead moving on to her next thought. Mine has not forgotten the help you provided me. Perhaps they have always had two mothers. If they got to know me, too... I think I would like this. I would like this very much. Do you agree to this, Berath? Do they agree to this?
She was afraid she'd made a rather bad impression on them. And perhaps yours can come see mine? He is a healer, yes?
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 6:05 am
"We can tell Aleck you fought her down," the glass crafter yawned from the ground. She squinted up at him in the light of the day, limping and shards, look at those scars. The squint turned to a blink and Rochelle stood up to offer both a crooked grin and an arm for her friend. Father figure? The Bereck. "Want a hand? I'm much more comfortable than anything else."
She debated on using 'need' and 'want' for about five seconds but it had been an ongoing train of thought for her for some time, ever since it crossed her mind she may one day need to help him do things. How to ask? What to say? Anything? Everything? It was a fact he needed assistance just as it was a fact he didn't want assistance. The question of which would be better never solved itself so she used what she felt the least insulting to be.
Kibeth snorted, kept her head tucked under her sibling just as it had been. That's what you think. He's hiding the bodies in the back of his mind. It's what they do, humans. Her tail flicked, lazy, and flopped back to the sands. All I can attribute Rochelle to is not letting me take a chunk from the crimson over there.
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 10:42 am
Berath shifted uncomfortably; this was a thought she had had earlier but now.... She couldn't imagine them reacting well at this point, not well at all. she added, hoping to soften the blow. While the dragons conversed, Rochelle was being studied intently and her offer spun over and over in said healer's mind. She hadn't said need thus implying that she thought he couldn't cope, she'd just made an offer to make life more convenient and comfortable. He was pretty sure that she wasn't fooled and knew perfectly well that he did need help but she had worded the offer in a way that saved his pride, and he was silently grateful for that. Bereck nodded his thanks. "Mmh, that would be appreciated.... No need to mention this bit to Aleck though." The healer gave each weyrling a very pointed look, arm still curled around himself, before adding; "He'd just worry." C'tis meanwhile rolled his eyes; of course it was fine if Rochelle offered. Had he done something to personally offend the healer, or did the old man just have him pegged as the sort that would mock? ...Well he was the sort that would usually mock somebody he disliked but this was Aleck's much loved father so it was different. He'd actually wanted to help, actually been trying to make a kind gesture but nooooo; he wasn't good enough for the master! You probably had to be Journyman rank or higher just to breathe his oxygen, let alone touch him. Malcarreth looked up at his sour faced rider and snorted. Swishing his tail slowly through the sand the blue looked over at Hyweth. he observed privately to Kibeth,
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Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:15 pm
Agreed, was Hyweth's response. We will tell them after this. I will remind you. Or you will remind me. ...Or perhaps we should tell our riders. They will not forget. After I was so angry...It is not a good time to tell them." She didn't want to be rejected a second time. She pressed her snout to Berath in thanks. Thank you, Berath. And thank yours for me, too. I have worried over mine. I think it is time she sees a healer. The crimson turned her gaze to the weyrlings. She rumbled an apology.
I am sorry, little ones. It seems I have made a mistake. Would they accept her now? As a friend, until they would explain to them their idea? Perhaps it was a better idea to bond with them first. She laid herself down onto the lake shore. Tired? Or will you swim again later? Are lessons going well? She wanted to know everything. It didn't matter if she forgot it eventually--she would be able to ask again! Now, though--knowing her hatchlings now was what mattered.
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Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 1:03 pm
"You see him more than I do, Bereck," Rochelle said in way of reassurance, her arm going around Bereck to help level him down. "But no worries, no mentioning it." That was about the time Hyweth decided to get closer. Rochelle tensed slightly, her fingers curling closer with a sigh. "Please let this end well."
Kibeth grumbled and buried her face back into Mal's skin, between wing and body, her tail curled around herself. I'm glad. If she makes Mother upset, I will find her when I'm grown and force myself to remember, and I will eat her. She snorted against him, nuzzling closer.
Her tiny red body froze like Rochelle's when Hyweth got even closer then before. She yawned, the movement tiring her even further. Kibeth hissed against Mal's skin, soft and weak, but her mental voice was vicious (if tired). It seems you are made of mistakes. Go away. We're tired, and you're a jerk, and I'm so glad I won't be giving you grandbabies. And, with that, she started to doze off, the bit of emotion helping to send her off into more quiet.
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Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 1:51 pm
Bereck's jaw clenched and his breath hitch involuntarily as Rochelle helped him to the ground. "Well. Yes," he said tightly, "that's probably so." Shaff! He shouldn't have done that. Eyes closed and face tightly set it took Bereck a moment to notice the crimson approaching. When he did he forced himself to uncurl and sit upright with his eyes fixed sharply on her; Berath might have calmed but he was still angry and didn't trust her in the least.
Berath stopped there, sensing that she wasn't going to persuade her stubborn, protective bondmate. she concluded softly.
Bereck replied.
Berath stared at her rider for a few moments before heaving a sigh and moving to lie down behind him so that he could lean back against her. she repeated in private to Hyweth, just now,> she added as the healer lent back against her, taking very carefully controlled breaths.
Oh. And.... Well she was glad Kibeth had dropped asleep rather than going on any further. She felt awful now, she was sure Hyweth would be more upset and it was her fault. If she had reminded them of who their mother really was Kibeth wouldn't be acting like that, Hyweth wouldn't have been angry and now wouldn't be hurt. Maybe she had been wrong to want to be close to them. Maybe greens just couldn't understand these things properly. She hadn't had any right. She hadn't deserved them. Didn't. They were Hyweth's, not hers.
Bereck would have had strong words on that score if he hadn't been too busy closing his pain off from Berath to feel the green's own.
Malcarreth gave a chirpy baby rumble and cuddled back, yawing in sympathy with Kibeth. he affirmed, The little blue yawned again and blinked sleepily.
C'tis, still standing for the time being, studied the approaching crimson carefully. He tried to think of something intelligent to add to proceedings but failed completely. In lieu of witty repartee he folded his arms across his chest again.
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Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 2:18 pm
The crimson was hurt by Kibeth's words--but could not help admiring the weyrling's ferocity. I will leave after Berath and I finish discussing matters, she promised. The choice is yours, and not mine to make. I think you will be a wonderful fighter. Oh, the little crimson had fallen asleep. Maybe Kibeth would feel more charitable towards her when she woke--but Hyweth doubted it.
Yes, not now, Hyweth agreed, glancing to Berath's rider. Yours seems to be in need of a healer, as well, she had long forgotten the green's having informed him that the man had been ill. I hope he is well soon, Berath. The crimson paused, pulling away from the green for a brief moment. Thank you for taking care of our hatchlings, she said, her eyes slowly whirling back to green.
Malcarreth, then, Hyweth corrected herself, gaze landing on the little blue. I am sure you do well in everything you attempt.
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