Walking By {Kila, Open}

[Admin]

So why do you leave these stories unfinished,
My cheshire cat doorstop with tears in her eyes?
Why do you look when you've already found it?
What did you find that could leave you walking by?

Fajra sat on the grass, leaning against the curled form of her giant dragon, another soul enjoying the coming of spring to their rocky, remote Weyr. Except for the fact she was hardly just another soul. The copper that framed her back glistened brightly under the blinding gaze of Rukbat. She dozed gently, only fitful in her sleep. Until she rose, sometime late in the next sevenday, she would be ill-tempered. Recalling upon the scars she had left the last time she had risen and her state before, most thought it better to leave her alone. Thus, the Weyrwoman found solace to do her ever present work in peace. She flipped through papers and wrote with precise writing on supply lists and orders. Winter meant they had run through there stores, so she was trying to see what she could get from Crescent Hold. Western wasn't exactly in a state to be asked.

There turned out to be one soul who had no care for the fact his mother's dragon had been unusually grumpy as of late. He just found Kalith so funny! Of course, he was supposed to be under the watch of a woman in the lower cavern, and Afzal. He wasn't supposed to be able to be able to escape. However, there the toddler came, waddling on unsteady legs towards the bulk of the glistening copper. He fell with an 'oomph' of protest once or twice, but got up with stubborn determination and his happy smile each time, waving off Afzal, who hovered over him. The bronze flitter chattered away, eyes swirling with concern. He hurried on forward, swirling about the head of his actual bonded. She didn't look up at him; she hadn't looked up at all before. "What is it? You're supposed to be with Osro." Saying that, she looked up sharply.

Her blue eyes fell on the redheaded form of her son. Frowning, she hurriedly stood, and took one step towards him. Then she stopped. Her mind, normally quick and sharp and ready to take on any task presented before it that didn't involve fuzzy feelings, took a moment to process what was before it. Her mouth fell open slightly. Osro was walking. Her son was walking, and he'd somehow managed to escape the lower caverns. Still going right on towards her, Osro tripped again and fell, face screwing up as he finally began to sniffle in tears. Putting her joyful shock aside, she hurried towards him. She reached down to pick him up, setting him back on his feet. Tears forgotten, he wrapped his little arms around one of her legs. She looked down at him, blinked, and then smiled a little smile. "I had a problem with being contained as a child too."

Behind her, Kalith awoke, disturbed by the loss of the presence of her rider against her in her light sleep. She raised her head, blinking at the sight of her rider's offspring walking. She gave a hiss to Afzal, nuisance that he was, to make him skitter away into the sky to circle. She wanted to go back to sleep, but there was one soul who she felt she might talk to in that state that she was in at that time. Daidoroth, Yours might wish to come down to the bowl. Mine is quite excited about something silly; she told the bronze, yawning and then closing her maw with a snap. She settled back down to go back to looking menacingly sleepy, watching her rider with one lazy eye. Fajra was trying, laughing lightly in an unusual state for her, to detach Osro from her legs. He finally let go, grinning at her, and toddle a few steps about as she watched.

And what did I do that you can't seem to want me?
Why do we lie here and whisper goodbyes?
Where can I go that your pictures won't haunt me?
What makes it so easy for you to be walking by?

[Kila]

O'sho felt Daidoroth perk up immediately. When he glanced his dragon's way the Bronze had his head up and was looking down into the 'Bowl. O'sho could feel his pleasure and excitement, and had a hunch what it might be about.

Own, Kalith says you might want to come down. Fajra is excited about something, he relayed, pleased. The sound of Kalith's voice brightened his day. She was his sunshine. He had not been around her as of lately, though. Though her hide shone tantalizingly and she was more beautiful than ever, Daidoroth was not blind to the violent emotions that were rolling off of her like a storm. He had seen many a Queen behave this way when she was close to rising, so no one had to tell him to stay away. The King clearly adored her, but he was never one to suffocate his weyrmates and invade their space. He was kind and calm and patient- he could wait.

It was exciting that she was rising, even. The thought of the chase.... and the fall.... made him rumble to himself with anticipation. Kalith did not make herself easy to catch by a long shot. Though she was relatively young, she had flown with great speed, style, and the highest of stakes. The difficulty in winning her had made their companionship all the better. He adored her. That he stood a chance of not winning her next flight did not even occur to him. It would be useless to dwell on such ideas. It was essential to command oneself with confidence, but not so much that it was blinding. And that was just what Daidoroth did.

Hop on, Own, I will take you there, he stated, rising and waiting for His to mount him.

O'sho laughed but complied, humoring his bonded. Very well, my fellow. It will be nice to take a break, though I'm sure our good Weyrwoman will be as pleased to see me as ever. What on Pern could have gotten her so excited?

When Daidoroth spiraled gracefully to the ground and O'sho dismounted, he too was shocked. "He's walking?" O'sho asked in wonder, walking over to the happy mother and child. He stood slightly off Fajra's shoulder, looking down at his child, and then broke into a huge smile. "What a clever boy!" he exclaimed proudly, dropping to a knee and tickling Osro's tummy with a finger. "Look at you up and about! Weren't you supposed to be playing with one of the Lower Cavern ladies, Osro? Who could blame you busting out, though. Just as hard-headed as your parents, you are. I wouldn't want to miss the nice day either, and you simply couldn't with your beautiful mother out here as well." O'sho exuded love in every way as he talked to his little son. He adored children, and his bubbly boy was no exception. He was an outstanding father, and just watching him left no doubt about it. If you only looked past the rank and business you could see that he was one big soft spot and a gentle old heart.

Daidoroth, meanwhile, had not moved far from where he landed, keeping a respectful distance from Kalith and watching His and Hers. Would you like company, Kalith? he asked, sensing she was not yet asleep. He of course had a thousand compliments, but he could tell that now was not the time to bother her with such things. Besides, she knew them all. Daidoroth and Kalith needed never to voice their feeling to one another- they understood much about each other without words- even though Daidoroth sometimes would. If she was too grumpy for company he would leave her without complaint.

[Admin]

It's gone, gone, baby, it's all gone,
There is no one on the corner and there's no one at home,
It was cool cool, it was just all cool,
Now it's over for me and it's over for you.

Fajra blinked at the arrival of O'sho, shooting one glance towards Kalith in faint accusation. The copper felt no need to reply, but made no attempt to look innocent. She hadn't been hiding it; her rider simply hadn't been paying proper attention to her. The Weyrwoman let it go, looking between her son and his father. Grinning with utter glee at the arrival of his daddy, Osro clapped awkwardly and then feel into giggles as he was tickled. He almost fell from his young, hiccuping laughter, but his mother, who had simply been watching, had her arms around the bases of his arms instantly. He beamed up at her as she steadied him, though he struggled like a goofball, waving his arms about, against the idea of being picked up by her. Once she was sure that he was good on his feet again, she let him go, straightening up with a cool gaze.

Immediately, her attention was ripped to something of greater immediate importance. NO; Kalith roared in response to Daidoroth's question. Her entire body bristled as she surged up to her full height, wings partially flaring to add to her slender body. She had a handful of feet on him in length, which made her significantly taller than him. Her lips curled back into an open snarl, eyes fixing on him. She looked poised to kill, against her own weyrmate, a volatile mix of natural personality and raging urges. However, her rider faced her with a firmness in her posture, chin out, and asserted her dominance in their partnership. The copper wanted to rebel, but it was not her time, not her time to do as she wished. Fajra still commanded her when she wished. With a hiss, Kalith lunged into the air, retreating to the rim with a flicking tail.

Watching her go, lips pursed, Fajra didn't look displeased, perfectly capable of handling the moods of the dragon she had Impressed turns before. There was a reason her Queen had picked her to be her rider at her hatching. Osro, however, seemed quite put off by the display from the moody copper. He frowned, looking up at his mother with a seriously adorable face. The Weyrwoman turned to him and scooped him up, as if his father wasn't right there. Her nature around O'sho lacked much, generally cold, and her nature held strong to protect and comfort her son. "Shh;" she quieted him. He brightened quickly, and made grabby hands for his daddy. She sighed, feeling cross for no reason for having to hand him over, even as she extended the toddler for O'sho to take with sharp eyes. She knew he was capable with children. That didn't keep judgment from her eyes. Above, Afzal watched them all with a keen worry. His bonded's clutchling was his responsibility too!

Fajra recalled what O'sho had said. She hadn't twitched even the slightest at his compliment to her beauty, thinking it as nothing but a bit. However, she did have a few comments to voice on some of the matters. "You know, your father likes to think he's hardheaded, but he really isn't. You get all of that from my side of the family. My fostermother always told my siblings stories about the terror I was when I was their age;" she commented lightly, as if off the top of her head. She scratched under Osro's chin and gently at his cheek as she spoke, making him giggle lightly. It was impossible to tell what of what she spoke was made in joking. In fact, it was hard to tell if she might not have been serious about it all. The faint smile around her lips might have been credited to her general good mood around her son, sulking Queen dragon or not.

Well I, believe, it all, is coming to an end,
Oh well, I guess, we're gonna pretend,
Let's see how far we've come,
Let's see how far we've come.

[Kila]

O'sho cooed at Osro once Fajra let him go. He was completely unaware of her watching them as absorbed in his son as he was. When had Osro gotten so big? The little child seemed to get chubbier and cuter each time he saw him. He took after his mother, for sure. He would grow to be a handsome man. The Weyrleader stuck out his tongue and made a face, causing Osro to shriek with laughter and nearly fall over. O'sho smile and reached out to steady him, but Fajra's hands were faster. She steadied him carefully and then stood up coolly, as always.

O'sho was alarmed, however, when Kalith suddenly roared and violently rose up on her hind legs. He instinctively put a protective hand in front of Osro and looked questioningly at Daidoroth. The initial scare over, he was merely curious as to the disturbance and cause for such a display. He frowned, feeling Kalith's anger and seeing her murderous poise, but he knew that Fajra would not let things get out of hand. The Copper Queen was the biggest, most powerful, and frankly most terrifying thing around, but O'sho had every silent bit of faith in his grudging Weyrmate.

She did not disappoint. O'sho could not help a small wash of relief as Kalith flew away hissing venom. Daido? She did not want company, he said rather glumly, hauling himself into the air and bobbing off in the other direction. The great bronze felt guilty for disturbing his Queen so deeply, and O'sho thought he might even be a tad belittled by her display. He felt badly for his old friend and decided that make his visit here short so he could go cheer him up.

He turned back to his small family scene in time to see a bewildered face and a pair of hands deftly scoop it up away from him. O'sho leaned on one knee and stood up as Fajra shushed Osro and bounced his fears away. The tyke bounced back quickly,and O'sho was delighted to see him reach out in his direction. Though her face showed no emotion, he got a sense that Fajra was handing him over grudgingly. Annoyed that her son liked Daddy too? O'sho chuckled and gathered Osro to him, burying his face in his belly and making him again scream with laughter.

O'sho hoisted Osro up on his shoulder and faced both them towards Fajra. O'sho smiled when she spoke, not doubting a word of it, and as she tickled Osro's chin. Surely this boy was the most beloved of all Weyrleader's children. In ordinary circumstances and with ordinary parents he would be in the hands of a drudge. The true shine on the rare family moment was Fajra's own smile added to the mix. They all three looked happy and to be enjoying one another's company, if even for an instant.

"What do you say I take this little guy off your hands for a while?" O'sho suggested, jiggling Osro a little on his shoulder. "I think that Daido might enjoy his company, for that is where I'm headed." Daidoroth would not admit to anything, but at the back of his mind O'sho could feel a downcast shadow. He looked up at Osro. "What do you think? Up for a little guy time?" He looked back to Fajra with an amused grin as Osro burbled his approval and clapped his hands again.

[Admin]

Over the sea and far away,
She's waiting like an iceberg,
Waiting to change,
But she's cold inside.

The Weyrwoman continued to watch without letting onto anything. She was entirely herself, though perhaps that was hard to tell. A doting mother? It hardly fit her image, but it was her, though some might not know it. She didn't like to fit the mold, though that might seem oddly the opposite of her. No matter, she stood there, weight resting on one foot, with her faint but pretty enough smile gracing her face. The sight of her son laughing his head off as his father tickled him made her happy, a moment of bliss. It was so odd. They were a happy family there, a good pair of parents for a pair of dragonriders. Better parents than hers, though her fostermother had been wonderful. However, they weren't happy. They weren't weyrmates. He was the Weyrleader. She was the Weyrwoman. She put up with him. She still didn't like him. She didn't think of love.

Thus, her smile faded into pursed lips as she considered his suggestion. She was a mother, and, lying somewhere within her, she was fierce. A passion flickered in her bright blue eyes, in their color and depth and the slight movements of her face, the only traces that occurred upon it. Osro was offering his own reply already, but it wasn't very intelligible. Though now a fierce little walker, he wasn't a talker. He produced more laughter and a great deal of burbling, the nonsense of a baby halfway to becoming a toddler. He lacked none of the intelligence of his parents; neither of them were the stupid sort. For a child of his age, he was entirely bright, entirely brilliant, along with entirely cheerful. All he cared about, though, was being held by his daddy. He beamed, showing off his partially finished set of teeth. He seemed quite fond of them.

Taking her time about thinking on her response, as if she might refuse, which was perfectly possible, Fajra first addressed a different part of what he had said than the question. She turned, looking up towards where her dragon prowled the rim, in a flashy state of aggression. Daidoroth was sweet. Even she would admit that. Far too sweet, in her own opinion, but she could find some fondness for the great bronze. Some small fondness having nothing to do with his rider and everything to do with the adoration Kalith normally held for the dragon. He genuinely seemed upset. What to do! What was she to do? You might want to apologize to him; she suggested. She mentally heard a hiss and a flutter of wings, a strong decline to the idea. Shaking her head slightly, focusing her eyes, she turned back to face O'sho and little Osro.

"You may take him;" she consented, though it was entirely ridiculous. O'sho was the little boy's father, her lover, even if not entirely willingly or entirely assuredly. He would never let her keep the tiny redhead from him. She knew that. She knew that, though she had described him as fierce, he would fight her for Osro if she made that choice. It wasn't rational or sensible, so she hadn't. She'd never really considered it. She simply refused to really let go of what she had easily, each and every time. With her permission given, she moved away, going back to her pages. No dragon left to support her, she settled down by the stacks without a care. Afzal came down from above, coming to keep his bonded company, keep her from being a lonely sentinel bent gracefully over papers. He trusted O'sho to watch Osro. He would watch Fajra for a while.

All the muscles tighten in her face,
Buries her soul in one embrace,
They're one and the same,
Just like water.

[Kila]

”Thank you,” O’sho said, amusement almost touching his voice that she had had to pause to consider his taking Osro with him for so long. He never got anything from her easily, though, so he wasn’t surprised. In his experience, Fajra did not like to give anything away easily. It was in her nature- he did not begrudge her for it. Indeed, it was such quirks and steadfast characteristics that made her so admirable.

”Ready, son?” he asked, looking up to the growing boy on his shoulder. Osro beamed down at him in reply, showing his little teeth again as he babbled happy nonsense. He was clearly willing to go along with whatever his Daddy suggested. O’sho nodded approvingly and pushed Osro’s nose, bringing on a fresh onslaught of giggles, before turning back to Fajra. ”Don’t work too hard, now,” he said kindly. He knew she would. Before she could come back with a cold reply or he could say something else to irritate her he trotted off, holding firmly onto Osro’s ankles so he bounced safely along.

[Admin]

She said it's not about you,
It's not about you, it's me,
She said it's not about you,
It's not about you, it's me.

The Weyrleader's parting words made her pause, but she was too slow in looking up. He'd left. She could make no response. Fajra watched his distantly disappearing figure. Her eyes caught the flash of the red hair of her son, their son. She smiled a little smile. She could have gone with them. O'sho would have let her. She could have claimed she wanted to keep an eye on Osro now that he was walking. She could have defied a grumpy Kalith and gone to give Daidoroth a greeting. But she hadn't, and all of that was stupid and ridiculous. She had work to get done, important things to do.

So, little smile disappearing, him gone, she returned to her work. Afzal rubbed his face against her cheek. She ignored him. He didn't mind. He was used to it. She went back to her writing, her double checking, and her searching. She went back to working herself too long, and she found herself gritting her teeth in a random show of stubbornness to no one. If she wanted to work as hard as she did, she could. She needed to work as hard as she did to keep the Weyr running, to make sure she could slipping in a few extra minutes later to take care of Osro, so he could have all of his time.

And sometimes it's good,
Sometimes it's bad,
But living with you, well, it's driving me mad,
And sometimes its good.