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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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"Well, remember the musicians don't work," says Mial.
"I will bear it in mind."
"Good."
Aurin is done hugging Mial now. He lets him go, although Mial is not evicted from his lap if he cares to stay.
Mial declines to move from Aurin's lap. He does fold up his wings, though.
Eventually this visit is over and Aurin and his mom go back home. They are birds and go up and away and then she's a dragon and he lands on her and they go away faster.
Mial goes back to playing board games against the nearest available parent, until he can't anymore and he curls up and cries and has a nap.
They're about due a family visit to Colla's place soon, in the informal rotation that has one or the other of Koridaar and Avar over there helping whenever they have a few angles to spare from their dramatically less troublesome child, and the whole family visiting every so often when Mial is in a good enough mood to handle the trip.
They're about due a family visit to Colla's place soon, in the informal rotation that has one or the other of Koridaar and Avar over there helping whenever they have a few angles to spare from their dramatically less troublesome child, and the whole family visiting every so often when Mial is in a good enough mood to handle the trip.
Colla is very glad to see them. She is run ragged; she hasn't even been trying to hold down a job since Finnah hatched, living off savings from previous careers, and she still doesn't get much sleep. Various objects in the house have various amounts of fire damage.
She welcomes her guests and offers them all teacakes and hands Finnah to Koridaar and disappears up the stairs to take a nap.
Finnah howls.
She welcomes her guests and offers them all teacakes and hands Finnah to Koridaar and disappears up the stairs to take a nap.
Finnah howls.
greatcomposure
Koridaar holds Finnah and eats teacakes.
Mial climbs up to snuggle. Sometimes Finnah likes that! Maybe this will be one of those times.
Mial climbs up to snuggle. Sometimes Finnah likes that! Maybe this will be one of those times.
Finnah bites his leg. But snuggles up. And she is quieter when she's biting something, though she still whines.
Mial doesn't mind her biting his leg. She could be biting way worse things, like his parents! It is good that she is not biting his parents. Finnah can have little silver snuggles.
Whine whine bite bite.
"Hi," she mumbles around his leg.
"Hi," she mumbles around his leg.
"Hi," says Mial.
She squirms and eventually settles into a slightly different snuggle position. She lets his leg go. "I want teacakes."
Finnah eats teacakes.
"I'm bored," she says. "Hurting is boring and I want to do something else instead."
"I'm bored," she says. "Hurting is boring and I want to do something else instead."
"We could play games," offers Mial. That's his go-to solution.
"Okay."
They have a few games around, mostly presents from Mial's parents. Finnah bites Mial's leg again and points her tail at one.
They have a few games around, mostly presents from Mial's parents. Finnah bites Mial's leg again and points her tail at one.
Finnah gnaws on her own tail while they play, due to the logistical problems of biting Mial and also permitting him to defeat her at board games simultaneously.
Finnah gets bored of losing much faster than Aurin does. Specifically, after it has happened once she rolls over on her back on top of her crumpled wings and screams.
Finnah gets bored of losing much faster than Aurin does. Specifically, after it has happened once she rolls over on her back on top of her crumpled wings and screams.
on-my-word
Mial curls up beside her and hides his head to try to prevent his parents noticing him crying. They certainly aren't going to hear him over Finnah.
(His deception is not successful.)
(His deception is not successful.)
Finnah is very loud.
But hurting is boring. Eventually she puts her tail in her mouth again and bites down as hard as she can (this isn't very hard, in a baby a few years old) and rolls onto her front again, sniffling.
But hurting is boring. Eventually she puts her tail in her mouth again and bites down as hard as she can (this isn't very hard, in a baby a few years old) and rolls onto her front again, sniffling.
Mial observes that the noise has stopped. He uncurls.
"Want to play again?"
"Want to play again?"
"Fine," she says, muffled.
"Okay."
Mial sets up the board, since he is not biting any of his parts and that makes it easier for him to move around than her.
This time, for a change, he doesn't win. (It's still close, though.)
Mial sets up the board, since he is not biting any of his parts and that makes it easier for him to move around than her.
This time, for a change, he doesn't win. (It's still close, though.)