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Aurin holds his mother's hand as she leads him from the street to his aunt and uncle's house. He's been here only a couple of times, and can't remember most of them distinctly; they're sort of awkwardly related, his dead father's half-brother and the wife thereof. But now they have a baby parunia, and that means there is a dragon related to Aurin who is not too far from his age, only thirty-one years younger. This is apparently the sort of relation that it will be particularly enriching for Aurin to meet. They can do this now instead of waiting a month, because parunias don't die when they're babies; this one is safe, unlike the miscellaneous cousins on his mother's side he's never met because they are all in too much danger to get attached to (and have all succumbed to that danger). So here they are. Even though it was a very long flight and he couldn't ride his mother for takeoff and landing when she had to be a heron, only for the middle part.
Alys knocks on the door.
greatcomposure
Koridaar opens it, little silver baby snuggled in her arms.
"Hello, Alys. Hello, Aurin. Come on in."
"Hello, Alys. Hello, Aurin. Come on in."
"Hi, Aunt Koridaar. He's so little," says Aurin.
"Hello, Koridaar," says Alys. "How are you and Avar doing?"
"Hello, Koridaar," says Alys. "How are you and Avar doing?"
greatcomposure
The baby looks at Aurin and meeps. Koridaar scritches him.
"We're doing pretty well. I'm glad he took the time off; looking after this baby seems to be a one-and-a-half-person job minimum. I'm falling a little behind on my research, but I can't regret it."
"We're doing pretty well. I'm glad he took the time off; looking after this baby seems to be a one-and-a-half-person job minimum. I'm falling a little behind on my research, but I can't regret it."
Aurin reaches curiously towards the baby. He is not tall enough to reach without help or the baby ceasing to be located in Koridaar's arms.
"Children are a handful," agrees Alys. "Well, there's only one of him, you'll get accustomed."
"Children are a handful," agrees Alys. "Well, there's only one of him, you'll get accustomed."
greatcomposure
Koridaar crouches down to hold the baby at a more Aurin-appropriate level.
"Careful with him, he's little," she advises, and then looks up at Alys with a smile. "The way he acts, I sometimes think he thinks there should have been two of him and he's trying to make up for it."
"Careful with him, he's little," she advises, and then looks up at Alys with a smile. "The way he acts, I sometimes think he thinks there should have been two of him and he's trying to make up for it."
Aurin carefully pets his cousin. "Hiiii," he whispers, as though excess noise is the danger from which the baby parunia must be protected.
"Really? What does he get up to?" wonders Alys, smiling down at the children.
"Really? What does he get up to?" wonders Alys, smiling down at the children.
greatcomposure
"Meeeep," says the baby parunia. He bumps his tiny silver nose against Aurin's hand.
"He likes books," says Koridaar. "He likes to nest in them, specifically. And he considers the surprise dive onto your head the highest form of affection."
"He likes books," says Koridaar. "He likes to nest in them, specifically. And he considers the surprise dive onto your head the highest form of affection."
Aurin giggles. "Meep!" he replies.
"Aurin used to land on my shoulders, which is substantially more comfortable than a landing on the head. He still does it, occasionally," says Alys fondly. "I took to wearing discouraging hats to keep him out of my hair."
"Aurin used to land on my shoulders, which is substantially more comfortable than a landing on the head. He still does it, occasionally," says Alys fondly. "I took to wearing discouraging hats to keep him out of my hair."
greatcomposure
"I don't have any hats I'd describe as especially discouraging," says Koridaar. "I might ask you to recommend one, except I'm afraid he'd just take it as a challenge. One which the hat would go on to lose."
"Moop," the baby says authoritatively. He stands up on his mother's hands and launches himself into the air, to flap around Aurin in circles.
"Watch out," Koridaar advises, smiling. "He might decide to land on you."
"Moop," the baby says authoritatively. He stands up on his mother's hands and launches himself into the air, to flap around Aurin in circles.
"Watch out," Koridaar advises, smiling. "He might decide to land on you."
"I should have brought a discouraging hat to try," murmurs Alys.
Aurin giggles and shifts and takes off, inviting chase.
Aurin giggles and shifts and takes off, inviting chase.
greatcomposure
The baby chases! The baby is good at chasing. He successfully lands on top of Aurin in midair, and lets out a little baby giggle. Koridaar regards this spectacle with extreme fondness.
Aurin is not big enough to hold himself and a baby up in the air. Flomp. "Ow." He shifts human again and sits up.
greatcomposure
The baby climbs into Aurin's lap and snuggles him vigorously. Koridaar smiles.
Pet pet pet.
"Now, if they'd sit still for it, this would be a lovely portrait," remarks Alys.
"Now, if they'd sit still for it, this would be a lovely portrait," remarks Alys.
greatcomposure
"Wouldn't it just," Koridaar agrees. "But sitting still might be a little beyond them."
The baby investigates the prospects of climbing onto Aurin's head.
The baby investigates the prospects of climbing onto Aurin's head.
Aurin has a head. He will let the baby climb there as long as there isn't too much claw involved.
greatcomposure
There is a minimal amount of claw! He sort of stands on Aurin's shoulder and flops over. One wing ends up in front of Aurin's face. Koridaar continues to be charmed.
Aurin sneezes.
greatcomposure
The baby squeaks, flaps a few times, and launches himself from Aurin's shoulder. Perches are not supposed to sneeze on one's wings! That is inappropriate perch behaviour.
"Oh, he's got his affronted look going," laughs Koridaar.
"Oh, he's got his affronted look going," laughs Koridaar.
"Sorry," calls Aurin.
"It's a very affronted look," agrees Alys, amused.
"It's a very affronted look," agrees Alys, amused.
greatcomposure
Koridaar giggles.
And—
the baby falls out of the air, flomp. Directly onto Aurin's head, as it happens.
Koridaar is still smiling, but it's taken on an edge of puzzled concern. "That didn't look like one of his usual love-dives," she comments.
And—
the baby falls out of the air, flomp. Directly onto Aurin's head, as it happens.
Koridaar is still smiling, but it's taken on an edge of puzzled concern. "That didn't look like one of his usual love-dives," she comments.
"No?" says Alys. "Is he tired?"
Aurin pulls the baby off of his head and hugs him. "Tired baby."
Aurin pulls the baby off of his head and hugs him. "Tired baby."
greatcomposure
"Maybe..."
The baby is content to snuggle Aurin for a few ticks before climbing up and trying the shoulder-launch again.
Flomp.
"...maybe not," says Koridaar.
The baby is content to snuggle Aurin for a few ticks before climbing up and trying the shoulder-launch again.
Flomp.
"...maybe not," says Koridaar.
Alys starts swearing loudly in Draconic. She picks up her son and squishes him hard enough that he squeaks. She says to him a few things in Draconic that are not swear words and then resumes loudly ranting and then finally switches back to Leraal. "Where's Avar? If he flies in - if he doesn't know and he flies in -"
greatcomposure
Koridaar indulges in some swearing of her own. The baby meeps affrontedly.
"Afternoon nap," she says, "he's here, he won't - but - what happened, that's what I want to know. What happened, and how can I stop it from happening to anyone else. And someone's going to have to tell Piro. And I should—I need to be in at least three places at once—" She scoops up her affrontedly meeping baby and heads to the bedroom to wake up her husband.
"Afternoon nap," she says, "he's here, he won't - but - what happened, that's what I want to know. What happened, and how can I stop it from happening to anyone else. And someone's going to have to tell Piro. And I should—I need to be in at least three places at once—" She scoops up her affrontedly meeping baby and heads to the bedroom to wake up her husband.