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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.
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"She's shifted natural, at least once, since she learned to," Colla says, not making eye contact. "That was just the time I caught her. It isn't like - setting a book on fire, where it's all right if over a few tries she learns not to. There are no more tries, anymore. We can't."
"She's forty-four. She - she isn't a particularly responsible forty-four."
"The next best option is a house, but, she already knows you, and Mial, and." Shrug. Total lack of eye contact.
"Thank you. I can - wait around and explain it to her so you won't have to."
Colla sips tea. She doesn't take any biscuits.
on-my-word
Avar comes back with the kids.
He observes that Colla is still there.
He suggests to Mial that they go play a game in the other room. Mial cheerfully accepts.
He observes that Colla is still there.
He suggests to Mial that they go play a game in the other room. Mial cheerfully accepts.
Colla glances at him, then looks into her teacup again.
"Hi," says Finnah, going over to her mommy to climb onto her lap.
Colla swallows. "Finnah, darling, you're going to stay here for a while until Xaran is bigger."
Finnah blinks at her. "I'm not going to drop him out a window."
"I know."
"Am I in trouble? Aurin actually dropped Mial out a window and did not get in trouble."
Colla shakes her head. "It's just to make sure your little brother is safe."
"But I'm not going to drop him."
Colla swallows. "Finnah, darling, you're going to stay here for a while until Xaran is bigger."
Finnah blinks at her. "I'm not going to drop him out a window."
"I know."
"Am I in trouble? Aurin actually dropped Mial out a window and did not get in trouble."
Colla shakes her head. "It's just to make sure your little brother is safe."
"But I'm not going to drop him."
"I know you aren't going to drop him. But it would only take a tick to hurt him very badly. Later he'll be able to keep himself safe no matter what happens, but -"
"I know not to shift around babies!"
"I know you know. But you might not be perfect at it and it is so important to be perfect at it for twenty whole years, so, Koridaar says you can stay here, until Xaran is older."
"But..." Finnah is at something of a loss for rebuttals. "But you're my mommy."
"Of course I am. I'm Xaran's mommy too and if you stay with your friend here everybody will be totally safe, so that's how it's going to be."
"I know not to shift around babies!"
"What if you thought he was somewhere else and you were wrong, Finnah - you'd wind up spending a lot of time here anyway when Seru's side of the family came to see Xaran, it's barely any -"
"I'm not dangerous!"
"You've already done it once!" exclaims Colla in a high breathless voice, and then she looks away, shamefaced.
Finnah slides off of her lap.
"I know not to shift around babies!"
"I know you know. But you might not be perfect at it and it is so important to be perfect at it for twenty whole years, so, Koridaar says you can stay here, until Xaran is older."
"But..." Finnah is at something of a loss for rebuttals. "But you're my mommy."
"Of course I am. I'm Xaran's mommy too and if you stay with your friend here everybody will be totally safe, so that's how it's going to be."
"I know not to shift around babies!"
"What if you thought he was somewhere else and you were wrong, Finnah - you'd wind up spending a lot of time here anyway when Seru's side of the family came to see Xaran, it's barely any -"
"I'm not dangerous!"
"You've already done it once!" exclaims Colla in a high breathless voice, and then she looks away, shamefaced.
Finnah slides off of her lap.
"I -" says Colla.
"GO AWAY," says Finnah. "YOU DON'T LIVE HERE AND I LIVE HERE NOW SO I CAN TELL YOU TO GO AWAY."
Colla stands up.
"GO AWAY," says Finnah. "YOU DON'T LIVE HERE AND I LIVE HERE NOW SO I CAN TELL YOU TO GO AWAY."
Colla stands up.
"Yes, please," says Colla faintly.
Finnah charges out of the room at high speed.
Finnah charges out of the room at high speed.
greatcomposure
Koridaar teleports Colla home, and comes back, and goes looking for Finnah.
Finnah is being a bird on top of the roof.
greatcomposure
Koridaar would have some difficulty getting up there to talk to her.
Mial is not so encumbered.
Koridaar goes and has a quiet word with her son. He abandons his game and merlins and flies up to the roof.
Mial is not so encumbered.
Koridaar goes and has a quiet word with her son. He abandons his game and merlins and flies up to the roof.
Finnah doesn't object. Or address him. Or react in any way.
Mial perches next to her.
She doesn't move, speak, or turn her head.
She does close her eyes.
She does close her eyes.