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 Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 11:28 pm
-{ Meet and Greetrimedragona Aoaka held a sleeping Debi in his arms gingerly, his whole air one of tired nervousness. He'd been suddenly "blessed" with her presence about a week or two ago, and was still adjusting to the situation... and there was a lot to adjust to. One of his first thoughts had been that Pol always seemed to be good with kids, maybe she could help. But between two busy schedules, he hadn't been able to find her and ask what he should do... and now he was worried Pol would be upset with him for waiting so long. But what else could he have done? Finally, he'd managed to get a message out to her, asking her to meet him at the edge of the forest by the Healing House. He'd explained that he was taking care of a little girl now, and could use some advice... or even just a friendly voice to keep him from imploding under the second-guessing he was putting himself through. Which left him sitting on the sand with a thankfully sleeping baby resting comfortably in his arms, for now, and waiting for the Pae he loved to meet him. He hoped this went well.... Please be a good baby, Debi... no screaming or hair pulling... I hope it's not my fault. I hope Pol is okay with this... He gently pushed the little curl of hair from Debi's forehead as he thought his, and slumped forward a little in a sigh.
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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 8:11 pm
-{ Mr. Mom Needs Some Helprimedragona It seemed to be a peaceful scene. The sun was just past midday, and the lake waters lapped gently against this portion of the shore. A few birds flew by, and landed in a tropical tree... only to burst into sudden flight again when an ear-splitting squall shattered the air.
Aoaka stared down at the crying baby in his arms, at a loss for what to do. She'd been fine, with several fingers stuffed into her mouth, half drowsing as she lay in the crib he'd done his best to fashion. He'd only had her for a couple of days, and already he was at his wit's end. He hadn't thought it was so hard to take care of a baby!
He quickly ticked off a list of things in his head that could be wrong. Hurt... well, probably not, since she hadn't moved before she started crying. Hungry... he'd fed her an hour ago. Diaper? ...Probably.
His cave was not the most spacious place, and had only a few areas that were flat and dry. So the easiest thing to do was take her out onto the beach outside and lay down a blanket on the sand. All the while he gathered the blanket and the clean cloth diaper, little Debi was screaming loudly in his ear, her frustration clearly heard by anyone who might be in earshot.
Aoaka hurried out of the cave, having changed to his land form before doing so. "It's okay, Debi, I'll take care of it. Please don't cry!" he said, sounding a bit desperate. midnight_specks Sitting upon the beach Evahnaih was warming herself by the beaming sun. The sand felt warm to her hands and back, but all the more comforting.
A screech hit her ears dreadfully and sudden.
"What in carnation?" Evahnaih spoke quietly, bringing herself up against her hands. The cry she could tell was an infant, but she could find in which direction it could have been comming from. Looking back and forth she spotted two others nearbye.
Evah stood up and wandered towards them.
"Do you need assistance?" She laughed lightly under her breath.
rimedragona Aoaka looked up at the sudden question, and an embarrassed blush colored his face. "Uh... well..." he started, when a slightly more shrill cry from Debi made him wince and break off.
"I think she needs changing..." he said, looking harried, and tried to spread the blanket out with one hand while he held Debi in the other arm. midnight_specks Evahnaih smiled, feeling a little-bit useless, "Hehe. Let me help you a bit."
Grabbing the other ends of the blanket she spread most of it out for him. Evah then looked upon the child, "Adorably angry." She mentioned quiety sitting upon her knees against the warm sand.
rimedragona Aoaka smiled gratefully, and laid Debi down. As he changed her diaper, he said, "She is adorable... But I think I must be doing something wrong. She cries a lot."Now changed and dry, Debi's cries subsided into a hiccuping little sniffle. She looked around, and blinked when she saw the new form nearby. The view suddenly changed as Aoaka picked her back up, turning her so she could see the other."She looks pretty interested in you, though. Oh, my manners! I'm so sorry! My name is Aoaka, and this is Debi. It's nice to meet you, miss...?" he trailed off, waiting for her name. midnight_specks "Oh, I'm Evahnaih." Evahnaih replied sweely as she veiwed the two. She shifted her legs into a cross legged position on the warm sand.
"She's so cute." Evah said focussed on the young one, "Don't laugh, but I've never seen a child pae before." She smiled a bit embarrassed, quickly shelding herself from the beaming sun, "May I hold her?" Evah asked with an innocent quiet tone. rimedragona Aoaka smiled. "It's alright. I... don't have much experience, either," he said.
"Sure, you can hold her," Aoaka said, and carefully handed Debi over. Debi, surprised to find herself being held by someone other than Aoaka, screwed her face up as though she were about to start screaming again. midnight_specks Taking hold of Debi she cradled her in her arms right before the young one began to show signs of anger.
"Oh, oh, it's ok! It's ok!" Evahnaih wispered to Debi, rocking her gently back and forth, "I'm so sorry!" She directed towards Aoaka.
Calmly she tried to hush the child down, right before it happened. She began to hiccup terribly.
"Oh...-hiccup- My... -hiccp-" She looked at Debi terrified that the sudden jumps might only upset her more. "It seems... -hiccup- I must have... -hiccup- caught your... -hiccup- hiccups."
Nearly praying that Debi wouldn't mind, she continued to cradle her gently in her red arms.
"Uhg..." She sighed over her shoulder. rimedragona Aoaka's worried look turned into one near panic as Debi whimpered and fisted her tiny hands. "It's not your fault, Miss Evahnaih," he said, watching her to see what she did to calm Debi down again. The baby was almost impossible to calm down once she got into her full voice.Debi, still sniffling, looked up at the red face above her. The face was strange, not the dusky gray one she was used to! But then the face did a strange thing. It jerked, and made an odd noise. The gray face had never made a noise like that. What was that noise? It did it again!
Surprised out of crying, Debi reached a hand up and grabbed a hold of the red face's chin, trying to find out why it made such a strange noise. A demanding sort of gurgle came from the baby, and her tear-rimmed eyes widened as another hiccup happened just then.Aoaka watched carefully, almost awed. Debi had calmed down almost immediately! He wondered what magic women had that made it happen. Every girl he knew had taken care of children at one point, whether they be her own or someone else's. He was now more certain than ever he was doing something wrong, and his face changed from one of bemused interest to something more dejected. midnight_specks Realizing that Debbie didn't mind the hiccuping to the extend she had expected, a feeling of relief calmed her. She hiccuped again. As Debi took hold of her chin she couldn't help but feel happy towards Debbi, but the hiccups continued no matter what the feeling. Debi gurgled, Evah's smile widened, but was soon interupted by another little surprise beating in her chest.
"You like that? -hiccip- Uhg... I don't think... -hiccup- they wanna go... -hiccup- anywhere... -hiccup- So you're in luck." She was very glad that Debi was interested in her hiccuping surprises, but she wasn't sure if she herself really was. She hated the hiccups, but whenever it seemed she got them, they were there to stay for good; that is until the next day.
She looked towards Aoaka, "Well it seems... -hiccup- we've found something she enjoys." Evah smiled through her layer of attacking misery.
Beaming back down at Debi she veiwed the details in her little face. For some reason there was a feeling emmitting off her of curiousity and innocence.
"Maybe she's always crying... -hiccup- because she feels the need... -hiccup- to explore." Evah stated a guess towards Aoaka, continuing to smile down at Debi. rimedragona Aoaka listened, and nodded thoughtfully. He was rather protective... but he lived next to the water, and she wasn't a naiad baby!
"Maybe you're right..." he said, and sighed. "She does seem happiest when she can touch things," he added, not saying that the thing she liked to touch the most was his hair. If she got a hold of his hair, that was it; he could count on a sore spot for the next day or so.
"Maybe... I should find some things that she likes, and let her play with them while I watch. Right now... well, I haven't been able to go anywhere the last few days. Do you think she'd like shells?" he asked.Debi, meanwhile, continued to be facsinated by the hiccups. She patted the chin again, hoping to make another of the strange noises come out. It worked! A smile crossed her face, her own hiccups and tears completely gone. midnight_specks "Shells, yes. -hiccup- I was actually thinking of the exact... -hiccup- same thing." Evah beamed. "I remember my guardian, Midnight, -hiccup- used to say I always was so curious... -hiccup- when I was little, and I was, -hiccup- literally," she chucked to herself, "a demon when I was held back from it."
Rocking Debi back and forth very gently she scanned the beach for shells.
"I... I think there's a conch over there." She replied before her surprised jerks could interupt her. Nodding towards the very shores of the ocean, she directed her veiw towards a glimmering maroonish colored shell, surrounded by other glimmering 'Toys'. It was in a swirling horn shape and was in fact a conch shell.
"She should like.. -hiccup- a shell like that." Evah forced out, begining to laugh a bit. "My goodness these things are just attracted to me!" rimedragona "Well, if it worked for you, then I hope it will work for my little demon, too," Aoaka said, much happier now that there was hope of a plan that would work.
He looked around for what Evah had seen, and the shell caught his own eye. "Just a second, I'll go and fetch it," he said, and proceeded to do so. He let the lapping waves rinse it of sand, and brought it back, still dripping slightly.
He waggled the shell a little to catch Debi's attention, and when she looked his way, he smiled at her. "Debi, look, it's a pretty shell. Do you want to see it?" he asked.Debi stared at the shell, her mouth in a round "O" of curiousity. With one hand still placed gently on Evah's chin, she reached her other one out towards it unsteadily. The hiccups were nearly forgotten with this new surprise right in front of her.
When the shell was held closer, she touched the smooth red inside, and made a pleasant cooing sound. That felt nice!Aoaka was pleased, too, and a wave of relief spread over him. If he found something she liked, something he could distract her with, maybe her temper wouldn't flare so much! He smiled happily at Evah and Debi. midnight_specks <---+--- ---+---> <-+-+-- " Oh, I'm so sorry if you got wet! -hiccup- Perhaps we should have gotten a dryer shell so... -hiccup- you didn't have to go to the trouble." She laughed a bit, "Hmm... But it does seem she likes it. -hiccup- I'm glad she now has something -hiccup- to play with." Evahnaih returned his smile.
"Where do you live?" Evah asked, now that Debi seemed rather foccused on the shell.
"I don't see very many Pae'il... -hiccup- of sorts around here very often, or so it seems. -hiccup- But I did just arrive recently, so... Oh..." Her face bore an expression of stupidity as she quickly looked downward, "Forgive me for my manners... I'm so blunt sometimes, without even trying... -hiccup-" Her head faced up again smiling through the beams of light, covering her furious blush of embarrasment.
"Do you like the co... -hiccup- ...nch Debi? It's so shiny, isn't it! -hiccup- He he. You're so precious." --+-+-> rimedragona Aoaka shook his head. "No, it's fine. I don't mind getting wet. I'm a Naiad, you see," he said, and smiled.
"We live in that cave over there. You see the firepit? Just beyond that," he turned slightly, and pointed where he meant. If Evah looked, she would see a firepit some distance off, ringed in black stones, and what looked like a rockpile with a stack of driftwood next to it a little further off.
"I don't mind, Miss Evah. I didn't find you blunt at all. And neither did Debi, did you, little one?" he added, reaching out gently, and poking Debi's nose with the tip of the conch.Debi's large eyes crossed as she tried to see the conch, and she wrinkled her nose. Her little hands came up to grab hold of it, pulling it towards her mouth.
Aoaka gently resisted, and Debi's expression of interest changed slightly into a pout of mild frustration. Evah distracted her again, cooing and complimenting her, though it was broken by a hiccup. Debi gurgled, pleased to hear the noise again, and kept one grip on the conch shell.Aoaka tilted his head at Evah with mild concern. "Would you like some water? I have a cask of fresh water back home..." he said. midnight_specks <-+-+ "Well, oh yes, I think I see it." Evahnaih replied turning towards the pointed out cave, "It looks rather nice. -hiccup-" She said beaming. "It must be so very nice -hiccup- living near the ocean like this."
Evahnaih laughed a bit watching each and every expression from Debi.
"Actually I would lo...-hiccup-...ve to have some water." Evah said politely. She hadn't really had much to drink all day, and so a bit of water sounded like just what she needed, as well as thinking towards her hiccups.
"Maybe some will help calm down these hiccups, -hiccup- although I'm not sure if Debbi will be all that... -hiccup- happy with me, if they stop." She laughed a bit quietly to herself, and took a deep breath.
+-+-> rimedragona Aoaka laughed ruefully at that, and rubbed the back of his head. "Well... life is full of little hardships, right? I think she's happy enough with the shell, though."
He was glad that Evah had come up with that idea, because it hadn't crossed his mind until she'd suggested some toys. He'd never had toys as a young Aion... he'd played with what he found. But a baby Pae wasn't anything like a baby Aion.
He stood up, and put out his hands, offering silently to take Debi back... or take her hand to help her up. He didn't want to offend her by making her thing he thought she couldn't do it herself.Debi looked up at her parent, fingers falling away from the shell as he stood. She pouted, her mouth turning into a frown. Why did he take it away now? Where was he going? He was going to leave and not take her with! She reached for him and whimpered.Aoaka misunderstood, and said, "It's okay, Debi, you can have it back in a second, once we stand up! It's okay! Please don't cry!"His upset attitude confused the little baby even more, and she reached harder, wiggling in Evah's arms. midnight_specks Evahnaih handed over Debi to Aoaka, hoping that she would then be happier. She then pulled herself off the ground with more ease than before, and smiled at the two.
"He he.." Funny how things work out, huh?"
She looked at Debi then smiling even brighter, "Are you happy now Debi? Don't worry! Aoaka isn't going anywhere with you!" She laughed now a bit.
Maybe over time we could collect some shells for her. I'm sure she'd love many little toys. So, where is your home again? Oh yes!" She looked at the far off cave sparking with the reflection of the ocean nearbye, "That pretty cave. He he! So, will we be off then?" rimedragona Aoaka accepted the wriggling baby into his arms, and Debi tucked herself up close to him, fisting a handful of his hair in her tiny hand. This caused a sigh from Aoaka, as he now knew he wouldn't be putting her down anytime soon, unless he wanted to risk forcible removal of his hair from his scalp.From Debi's point of view, though, she had won a victory in getting back to Aoaka, and she wasn't going to get put in someone else's arms again! At least for a while, since she'd likely be ready to play again later, due to the short memory all babies seemed to have. In fact, now that she was where she wanted to be, she was already looking for the conch again.Aoaka smiled as he followed Evah's gaze to the cave. "Pretty? I guess I hadn't ever thought of it that way... but girls would know better than I would. If you would come with me, Miss Evah, I'll take you there," he said, gesturing with the arm that wasn't holding Debi, the one holding the conch.
What he got for his efforts was a painful tug on his hair as Debi reached for the conch in his hand. "Ouch... You want this, Debi?" he asked, wincing slightly as he brought his hand back and let her grasp the shell. midnight_specks "Hehe." Evah chuckled to herself, feeling bad for Aoaka and his restrained hair.
She then looked up at the sky, subconciously. It was noticed just then that a few dark clouds were comming in from far north-west, and they looked like rainclouds. As well as that, Evah happened to notice that the waves were getting slightly harder upon the sand it brushed upon.
"Looks like a storms comming in." She said with a lifeless deep tone.
Her face suddenly had a lightly gloomy, or worried, look to it, and it also looked as if she was thinking about something deep.
"It'll probably be here by nightfall..."
She seemed to have a total change in mood, and her hands began to shuffle with one another.
"Do you like storms?" Evah asked Aoaka, now with a camouflauging smile on her face. rimedragona Aoaka heard her voice change at the mention of a storm, and he slowed to look over at her with a concerned expression on his face. Then he looked over at his cave and make a small grimace. Debi found his facial expression funny, and giggled up at him before returning her attention to the ever-interesting shell. She was still firmly latched onto his hair.Aoaka said, "I don't really care for them, but they don't usually cause me any trouble... or at least they didn't in the past. I would just go to the depths of the lake and wait it out. But... I can't do that with Debi," he said, and hugged the little one gently.
"Don't worry, there are dry areas in my cave, if you want to wait it out here. There are only two places that get a little drippy when it rains, and they're not in the way. I'll bring some firewood in, and we can start a fire... Storms are better to wait out with someone to spend time with, don't you think?" he asked, trying to reassure Evah. He could tell something was bothering her, but all he could do was what he was doing.Debi had now grown momentarily bored of the conch, and curled up against Aoaka again as they neared the cave, sucking on her thumb rather contentedly. TO BE CONTINUED...
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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 8:12 pm
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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 8:14 pm
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