Can they come out and play? [Azora/Grint]

[Rhush]

M12, T5, P10; A few days after Not So Mysterious Things

Ataria

Ataria stepped out of her father's weyr with one last parting wave to her mother, who was finishing up getting ready for work in the infirmary.

"Don't go wandering off," Alinara called with a sigh. She absently wished her daughter was more interested in following her to the infirmary by now, instead of wanting to spend so much time with weyrbrats in the creche. She was young yet, but her sister had been so eager by now, as had she, and her grandmother too... it was beginning to become a source of worry for the talented healerwoman.

"I won't - I'll go straight to the creche. Love you, Mom!" Ataria called back, pulling the door closed behind her with a gentle click before scurrying down the stony stairs descending down into the weyrbowl. The chill in the morning air nipped at her nose and ears and she pulled her jacket hood tighter about her head, some of her long, sandy brown hair loosely falling out of her jacket. Her gold gemglider, Flamefly, was clinging to her left shoulder and let out a distressed creel as the girl dashed down the stairs a few at a time, half because she wanted to get out of the cold as soon as possible, and half because she was excited to visit with her friends.

"Ah, sorry Flamefly," She said breathlessly, pausing on the last stair as the young gold clambered up her arm and into the front of her jacket. Flamefly was far more comfortable nestled against her Pet's chest than being jostled about on her shoulder - it was warmer and she could cling to the inside of the weyrbrat's jacket better than the outside. Plus! She could get into her Pet's inner pockets from here too!

"Hold on tight, okay?" The gemglider warbled warmly and settled in at Ataria's collarbone as the girl continued down the stairs and across the weyrbowl. Her father's weyr only had outside access to the weyrbowl - there were no stairs inside she could take directly down into the lower parts of the weyr - and though Ataria often enjoyed a bit of time outside, it was too cold now for her to really enjoy the walk. Within but moments the child was dashing into the entrance to the lower caverns, glad for the break in the wind it provided. Finally freed from the immediate chill, Ataria pulled off her hood with one hand and shifted Flamefly with the other (the gold had taken interest in a trinket in her top pocket) before walking more carefully down the glow-lit corridor and down another flight of stairs. Finally, she slid into the Creche, bowing to the worker on duty with a sweet smile as Flamefly ducked into her jacket, exploring a different pocket now.

"Hello Ataria," The woman said with a warm smile. The little girl was a regular visitor, and she was so well behaved that most of the staff never minded her stopping in. "What can I do for you?"

"Hello Ms. Thylia," She said politely, "Is everyone awake yet? Can they come out and play?" The woman laughed and waved her into the creche, nodding. "Of course they are, dear. Go have fun with your friends!" Ataria thanked her and hurried in, casting her gaze around for a playmate. Maybe Azora and Grint would be awake...? Azora never seemed to be awake anymore... maybe Grint would be around?

Zen Esko

[Esko]

Grint

It was business as usual in the creche, and Grint was still settled under his blankets. His bullies were slightly impressed with Tyger, but slightly. Unless his daddy was a bronzerider, he wasn't cool. And he had no dad. His dad hadn't come back yet, though Grint did dream about their return. Was his dad a bronzerider after all? R'syn didn't mention what they did for a living. Maybe his mother was a beautiful lower caverns lady, and his dad a heroic bronzerider from another Weyr. R'syn said they were dead, but R'syn was a big meanie. Why wouldn't he lie?

These thoughts kept Grint staring at the wall, while the other boys got up to go play or to visit their dragonrider parents. And then a call came. He recognized the voice as Ataria, Azora's friend. Azora herself seemed to be hiding a lot these days, and Grint was becoming rather lonely. Both Tyger and Polo cuddled with him under the blanket, and both protested when the boy shoved it off and stood up. Tyger snuggled up and let himself be carried in a pocket, while the much older blue simply retreated back into the blanket. He didn't feel like playing today.

Grint walked to Ataria, ignoring the stares from a few bullies. Her daddy was not only a bronzerider, but a wingleader. Grint didn't quite understand what it meant, but it was apparently super-duper important. Still, she was pretty cool. "Hey." He greeted, Tyger peeking out of his pocket. Then he noticed something she didn't have before; a golden gemdlider. "Oh, you got a gold gemglider?" He said, with genuine awe. Greens were by far better, but golds were rare. Rarer than his bronze.

[Rhush]

Ataria

It didn’t take terribly long for Ataria to be joined by at least one of her friends, and she waved as Grint walked over, a big smile on her face. “Hello Grint! Did you sleep well last night?” Ataria said brightly in response to his short greeting, her tone and expression all sunshine and glee. She paused though, as he suddenly broke into genuine awe – and she glanced down at the top of her jacket zipper, where Flamefly was peeking her sunshine yellow head out, a fake, silvery coin in her mouth.

“Ah, Flamefly!” The child gasped, retrieving the coin from the gemglider with some dismay. “What have I told you about taking things out of my pockets?” The gold baby merely cheeped in response, then climbed out of her Pet’s jacket and onto her shoulder to play with the girl’s hair. Ataria sighed and put the coin into her outside pocket, then returned her attention back to Grint with a wry smile. “Ah, sorry about that – but yes, Papa gave me the egg he won in Junior Weyrwoman Srunae’s lottery, and it turned out to be Flamefly here.” She poked the young gold, unsettling the youngling's footing and getting a chirp of protest in response.

Ataria then caught sight of the orangey striped gemglider peeking out of Grint’s pocket and she squeaked girlishly in her excitement. “Oh, you got a bronze one! How cute!” She peered at the little striped guy with a smile, “Hello there, little one! Oh-“ She looked back to Grint, “What did you name him?” Ataria beamed up at the slightly taller boy, and Flamefly took to staring at Grint’s gemglider as well, warbling in curiosity. He was the first creature like her she had seen so far, after all – her Pet’s family didn’t have any other gemgliders.

Esko

[Esko]

Grint

Did he sleep well? Usually, his sleep was rather fitful, to be quite honest. "I slept alright." He lied, scratching Tyger behind a headknob. He purred, but other than that he stayed rather stoic. He was glad the bronze Impressed to him and not his brother; he hated the thought of R'syn's smug face with a bronze in hand. His brother was one of those people who overlooked the importance of greens and blues, instead worshipping bronzeriders as if they were special. Tyger huffed, as the gold gemmie stole a coin from his owner.

Grint couldn't help but laugh when the gold turned out to have a thievish side. "Wow, your papa gave you a gold? He didn't want it for himself?" He wondered curiously. He was genuinely surprised; anybody that he knew would take it in a heartbeat. Tyger chittered at his clutchsister, her being the first of his kind he'd ever seen. Hi, how was she? She was very pretty. Grint smiled back at Ataria. "Yeah, I got a bronze. My brother almost took it, but I got him back. I named him Tyger."

Rhush