Thorney
Dragonrider
Let's remove the space between me and you.
Posts: 203
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Post by Thorney on Oct 5, 2010 11:30:55 GMT -5
Who: Mira, F'ren, Valee, Elric/Open
What: Babysitting Chores
When: Afternoon
Where: Creche
Warnings: Elric is NOT good with kids. XD
~~~~~
This was highly illogical.
How Elric of all people had been chosen to babysit was beyond him, but the one thing he was certain of was that it was a bad, bad, bad idea. The boy had absolutely no experience with children whatsoever, and he rather thought it was exceedingly irrational of the candidate master to charge him with such a task. However, he did see another candidate assigned to the same duty, and so hoped this ‘Valee’ would be a valuable assistant. Would there be others there aside from the girl? Perhaps other ranks of the weyr? The runner was grievously out of the ‘know’ when it came to how the weyr functioned, but he would learn quickly enough. He always did.
Still. This was quite the dilemma for such a logical individual, and Elric tried to calculate how a rational mind such as his would work around small children. Exactly what was he supposed to do to entertain the little things? Faranth, this was not his forte. Also unlike many of the candidates, the runner had no pet to keep him company, and so was left with plenty of time to ponder the consequences of the slightest miscalculation on his part. Diapers that were not properly changed left rashes, children that were not fed properly developed colic or sickness, and if one did not know the delicate science of ‘time out’ they would be hard-pressed to keep the small nuisances in line. Fall and fire, this was not going to end well, he just knew it.
After receiving directions to the crèche, the candidate strode briskly through the stone halls, hoping that he would not be the first to arrive. However, upon entering the room, Elric found that he was just that, relieving a rather frazzled-looking drudge who was holding a child under each arm while arguing with a third rather heatedly. The runner shook his head. How illogical. It did no good to argue with so young a mind. They would never comprehend the more intricate and complicated workings of what an adult considered to be right and wrong, let alone truly understand why sticking their lollipop in some girl’s hair was both unsanitary and erroneous.
This wasn’t going to be easy. Clearing his throat, Elric approached the drudge and deftly slipped one child out of her grasp, his strength obvious and slightly impressive to the girl. “I should think that this situation would be solved easily enough. Merely take the confection from the child.” Glancing up, her eyes wild and rimmed with red, the drudge let out a sigh.
“Oh thank Faranth.” She practically cried, and with that, dropped the other child and ran from the room.
Blinking, Elric stared after her, then looked down at the children who were now staring at him. Quite evilly in his opinion. Then, they promptly began screaming and accusing each other of stealing toys and candy. For a moment, the runner was silent, his logical mind rather overwhelmed by the noise, then he abruptly let out a sharp whistle. “Cease this racket immediately!” The boy demanded sternly, his cool, aloof voice making the command seem all the more harsh. He narrowed emotionless black eyes upon the children, satisfied as they stared at him in silence. Well, for a moment, anyway, that is until they all burst out into tears.
“You’re mean!” They screamed, and proceeded to bawl like uncivilized brutes.
Now what was he supposed to do?
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Post by Kristin on Oct 14, 2010 11:22:04 GMT -5
F‘ren whistled cheerfully while on his way to the creche. An afternoon with kids sounded a lot better than other chore options, like firestone bagging. F‘ren actually liked the little buggers, but his only regret was that he had had to leave Patch behind, knowing that the little blue would probably be scared out of his mind in the creche, with all the noise and curious fingers poking at him. Patch had resented being left behind at first, but after a while F‘ren managed to let him know that the creche was scary, and Patch didn‘t like scary things so he had curled up in F‘ren‘s furs. Both for warmth and to be out of Eneth‘s sight. There was no telling what the bronze would do when their bonded was not around.
Upon entering the creche, the first thing that F‘ren saw, and heard, were kids crying. Oh that wouldn‘t do, it made this chore considerably more unpleasant if the children were in a bad mood. And that candidate did not seem to be helping matters – rather it seemed like he was the cause of the crying.
F‘ren began storming towards man, intending to give him a piece of his mind, when he changed tactics. Being upset would only upset the children more, so F‘ren walked hurriedly to them with a smile on his face.
„Now, now, what is this? Was this man mean to you? Well you know, he was just pretending. He likes to do that sometimes, pretend to be a big, bad man. But he isn‘t really, I promise!“ F‘ren gave the man a glare that said that he‘d better play along or else-. „He just wanted you to be quiet because he was going to sing to you. He knows lots of fun songs that we can sing together.“ The bronze weyrling grinned at the man, he highly doubted that the candidate would be pleased.
F‘ren settled cross-legged on the floor and beckoned the crying children to him. One settled in his lap and the two others sat down beside F‘ren. More children drifted over to them to see what was going on and F‘ren gloated inwardly, this was going to be fun! „Well, why don‘t you start with telling us your name? My name is F‘ren by the way.“
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Kira
Cerulean Weyr Staff 
Evil Mod of DOOM!!!!!
Posts: 266
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Post by Kira on Oct 14, 2010 13:08:15 GMT -5
Mira had squinted at the chore board in contemplation for a while when she first glimpsed it. Babysitting the children of the creche... It could be fun or it could be torture. Children were so variable like that... There had always been plenty of children running around the caravan, but they were generally well-behaved. She'd met others in the various Holds and Halls that were the sweetest little darlings...and others that she swore were the spawn of Thread and felines instead of the get of any human.
Sighing, she rubbed her eyes sleepily and trudged her way to the creche area. Misk was still blissfully asleep, and Mira would honestly rather be curled up with her instead of entertaining a handful of 'brats. But she could put on her happy face...she was well versed in that. If she sat there and glared at them the whole time then they would probably be terrors just to spite her. Shaking her head to clear it of the sleep-fuzzies, she quickly bound her hair back into one long braid as she walked. The troublesome types of children always tended to go for that first, and one big braid was a lot more tolerable to have pulled than smaller ones or a few strands.
Turning the corner, she heard a commotion and crying already. A drudge practically high-tailed it out of there as one of the Weyrlings turned his way in. Spectacular. Peeking around the corner, she assessed the situation before stumbling into it. Handful of 'brats? More like a hall-full, by the Void. Huh, that bronzer-boy seemed to actually have a bit of a knack for this, though. And singing? She grinned. If they liked songs, she could do this. She had a feeling that the other boy - a Candidate, maybe? - was probably not at all in on this. She half felt sorry for him, and half wanted to add to the mischief.
Lightly sweeping in the door, she pasted a bright smile on her face. "Starting the fun without me?" she said, flashing F'ren a grin and Elric a wink, hopefully getting them to play along. The children would be more excited if they thought that something had already been planned for them, right? "Hi there, sweetlings~! I'm Mira!" And with that she swept around and folded herself down a few feet across from F'ren, playfully tugging a giggling little girl into her own lap.
"Why don't we start with one we all know, hmm? That way you can all sing along!" And it will ensure that both F'ren and the other guy can keep up the charade. "Then maybe I'll teach you one of my Harper songs, if you want~." She internally grinned at the brightening eyes and bouncing stances. Oh, yes, she'd forgotten just how much fun being a Harper could be, sometimes. Her outer expression, though, remained a sweet, excited smile that hopefully the older two could see through, though the children probably wouldn't. She patted a spot on the floor for Elric to plop down, the kids eagerly scooting to make space since it meant they'd get their song sooner.
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Thorney
Dragonrider
Let's remove the space between me and you.
Posts: 203
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Post by Thorney on Oct 14, 2010 13:43:52 GMT -5
Black eyes cutting over towards the sound of a new voice, the candidate quirked a brow nearly impossibly high, staring at the unfamiliar boy with a rather…perplexed expression. Elric, in his detached opinion, had not actively acted cruelly towards the children in the slightest. He had made a highly rational demand, and they had decided to act like a pack of wild creatures because of it. And, in his defense, they had already been stirred up by that drudge before he even entered the crèche. He was merely trying to restore order to the chaos caused by the offending lollipop. Well, if the boy wished to assume that it was his fault the small ones were acting this way, there was nothing the runner could do. Staring blankly at him, Elric gave away no emotions whatsoever, his face passive and aloof as he watched the scene before him unfold. Of course, underneath, there was a wriggling resentment that manifested within his apathy, and the candidate felt his sharp wit uncurling.
In return of the glare, the candidate stared back levelly, not really giving anything away. Was he angry? Upset? Sharding thrilled? Who knew? Elric gave a thin smile at the stranger, a glint appearing in his black eyes. Well, if they were going to play games, then he wasn’t about to be outdone without a fight. “Not quite.” He said in a cool, even voice. “I was merely attempting to acquire silence since I knew my comrades would soon arrive. I am quite lacking in musical talent, but I am certain it abounds greatly within someone else. Also, you may all call me Elric.” Actively worming his way out of that trap, the runner then glanced towards the entrance as yet another new voice was heard, this time distinctly feminine. Ah, it seemed as if the games were only beginning, and this girl wanted to play too. Mira, as he soon discovered, also had a charade to dance to, one that he could attempt to follow.
Her smile, certainly a put-on, was clearly instruction for he and F’ren to follow, but the runner doubted he could look quite so…cheerful. His face would likely break. Still, Elric tried to look less passive, and more…hopefully interested in this…activity. Eyeing the floor beside the girl, he quickly folded his long legs and sat, glancing over at her and his black eyes clearly saying, ‘This is NOT my forte.’ The runner waited for Mira to begin the song, since he held no musical talent that he knew of, and would likely just send the children into fits again if he attempted to lead the singing. Despite his oddly lovely voice, the boy was not blessed with that talent. “A highly logical suggestion, Mira.” Elric said levelly, even voice sliding over the lie. “I’m certain the children would…appreciate that.” Pfft, children-nothing. HE needed her to start with an easy one! Of course, the others probably assumed the worst of him, but that wasn’t the case. Despite what anyone decided to think, Elric wasn’t a mean person. He never had been, and he never would be. He just wasn’t very good with expressing emotion, and he was even worse when it came to dealing with it. The children were, quite certainly, little bags of emotion, and that was just not his strong point. Hopefully, the rest of the afternoon went more smoothly.
As he waited for Mira to begin, his black stare drifted in the opposite direction. Gazing at the other boy solidly, Elric kept his face expressionless despite the rather odd emotion that was beginning to dance through him. Was it a challenge he felt? Was this boy destined to be a rival in Cerulean? Impossible, was it not? After all, they had only just met, and yet… Something within in him wasn’t settling easy. When it got pushed, it wanted to push back. Huh. How strange. Still, Elric quickly switched his gaze back to Mira, willing to play along with this charade if it meant keeping those kids under control and more pleasant.
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Lothyna
Weyrling
Shadow Dancer
Posts: 194
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Post by Lothyna on Oct 15, 2010 20:16:58 GMT -5
Darting into the crèche, Selene was brought up short by the site in front of her. Apparently, they were having the candidates baby-sit for their chores, again. She recognized a couple by face, but not name, and was curious as to what was going on. Skipping over lightly, the blond girl spared a glance to the circle of her ‘friends’ on the floor-whom she spent little time with to being with, and less now that she had her daddy to visit, and then back to the others. The semi-tension between Elric and F’ren was not lost on her, and a mischievous side came out slightly, though the only sign was a bright sparkle in brown eyes.
An innocent voice passed her lips lightly-her daddy was a Harper after all, even as Selene flounced over and made to tumble into a spot against Elric, lips quirked and bright as her eyes at the fun to be had. “Is it story time or song time?” came the seemingly innocent question, even as she studied the two males and the girl who were assigned. Obviously, the others had chased the poor drudge who’d been present this morning away, and she could see signs of recent bawling on most of them. She sighed, internally, and mentally rolled her eyes.
At nine years old, almost ten, she considered herself too big to really stay in the crèche any more, and was both exasperated and amused by the younger children-on most days. But who had made them cry, and why? Prob’ly one of the two guys… And prob’ly by trying to get them quiet. She decided, recognizing Wherling knots on the girl, Weyrling on the one who felt cocky, and Candidate from the one she’d dropped by and somewhat on, who felt oder to her than the other two, certainly.
Why was he so.. A glance at his face supplied the word, Emotionless? Frowning slightly, she turned back to Mira. “You know, playing along is just as fun.” She offered innocently, knowing that several rattles, toy drums and a pipe were somewhere in here, usually causing unholy noise when not locked away. Of course, she could have meant playing along as in acting out… Which she thought would be rather hilarious to see. Besides, if she could get aid them in tiring out her living companions, she’d have an easier night later to study a book she’d found.
Or if she could get them to go outside. Somehow. That would be even more fun! And usually didn’t happen.. She tucked that thought aside to turn over in her mind, brown eyes bright. Candidates and Wher/Weyrlings were gullible enough sometimes… Question was, how to go about it?
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Post by Kristin on Oct 30, 2010 19:55:43 GMT -5
Oh thank Faranth that someone who actually had emotions had come as well. F‘ren wasn‘t sure he could have handled that guy alone. And wasn‘t she an entertainer or something? Dancer or singer or something else, F‘ren wasn‘t quite sure but all children loved entertainers so the chore was made easier already. „Hey Mira, and sorry that we were going to start without you. We just couldn‘t wait any longer to start singing, it‘s so much fun.“ He didn‘t even have to fake cheerfulness like Elric was attempting – and failing – to do. Sure, his singing voice would certainly never be praised, but F‘ren really did think that singing was fun.
„That‘s a splendid idea Mira! And oooh, a Harper song! We‘re so lucky that we have Mira here to teach us some new songs, aren‘t we?“ The child in F‘ren‘s lap nodded enthusiastically and squirmed impatiently, waiting for the singing to start. F‘ren used the time to stare at Elric. What was wrong with the man? He looked like someone had died or something. Well, on second thought, no. If someone died he‘d at least show some emotion. Or would he? The man was stiff as a plank and boring as nothing else. And the way he talked... Pff, F‘ren could write an essay on that alone. Already he disliked the man greatly and pitied the poor dragon that would have to end up with him.
F‘ren snickered a little at one of the children that had apparently decided to stay close to Elric, what a brilliant little brat it was. She was one of the older ones and looked like she didn‘t really want to be there with the little kids. Understandable, F‘ren thought and grinned at the girl. „Playing along?! That‘s a splendid idea don‘t you think, Mira? Elric? You wouldn‘t happen to know where instruments are, would you... I‘m sorry I don‘t know anyone‘s name here yet. What‘s yours?“
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Thorney
Dragonrider
Let's remove the space between me and you.
Posts: 203
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Post by Thorney on Nov 1, 2010 11:21:14 GMT -5
Glancing up as another child entered, Elric attempted to look at her with what he hoped was a welcoming gaze. He doubted it was such, likely more blank than anything, but hopefully she detected no antipathy. After all, the candidate was not averse to anyone in the room, perhaps aside from the bronzeweyrling, he just merely had no emotion to display when it came to them. Switching his attention to Mira, the runner suddenly quirked a brow sharply and looked down at the girl as she practically fell beside him, against him slightly. Shocked that a child would want to be so close to him, he numbly replied to her question with an even voice slightly laced with surprise. “Song time.” Elric supplied, still watching the rather cute girl. She seemed to study them all, her eyes unnervingly sharp for one so young, and the candidate made a mental note to remember that she was not as clueless as most of the children were. Although…it was a bit…nice to see one of the children wasn’t avoiding him. That was favorable.
His black eyes quickly cut over as F’ren addressed him and Mira, and the boy blinked once. The bronzeweyrling was either extremely good at faking enthusiasm, or he was genuinely happy to be surrounded by children. Either way, it mattered little to Elric, as he seemed more like the sort that would be more at home living as some carefree holder than a duty-bound dragonrider. Although, it also seemed illogical to judge the guy when they had only just met, especially purely based upon the intense dislike that already began to wriggle sharply within. So, the candidate pushed his antipathy aside, intent upon ignoring the persistent irritation.
“Splendid.” He agreed, even voice rolling over the word without so much as even the slightest tone to indicate if he was upset or not. Glancing down at the girl nearest him, Elric gave her a small smile. It was barely-there, especially compared to how enthusiastic the bronzeweyrling looked and how happy Mira had forced herself to appear, but something told him that the little girl would get it. “As I am newly-arrived to Cerulean, I am not acquainted with the locations of everything just yet. Your assistance in locating the instruments would be greatly appreciated.” Frowning slightly, realizing that he probably wasn’t speaking as he should to a young child, Elric quirked a brow and forced himself to rephrase his earlier statement. “Apologies…rather, would you mind showing me where the instruments are, and I would be happy to assist you in retrieving them.” Pausing, the candidate awaited her answer to both his query and F’ren’s. Knowing her name would be helpful.
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Lothyna
Weyrling
Shadow Dancer
Posts: 194
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Post by Lothyna on Nov 9, 2010 16:15:27 GMT -5
Watching F’ren for a moment from her perch, Selene wiggled just a bit to get more settled into the candidate’s side, utterly shameless when she wanted cuddles. He was a touch arrogant, and funny, she decided finally, and gave him a smile back, eyes flashing. “Selene. V’taph is my daddy.” She added, after a moment of debate. It wasn’t as if she was ashamed of the man at all, in any case, and was actually quite proud he called her family. Though, really, why it mattered to some outside their family she couldn’t understand. Instead, she arched an eyebrow at F’ren, and grinned again. “Of course I know where they are!”
She blinked at him. “Why wouldn’t I?” She asked, then glanced up at Elric as he spoke, gaze narrowing slightly. She still wasn’t sure why he felt as he did, but she could sense an effort on his part, and smiled sweetly, before grinning to herself. He acted like he expected all the children to run from him! Such a silly candidate, she felt. Still, his voice amused her, as did his way of speech. She could understand him, after hours spent listening to her daddy, but it was still funny. At least he tried to make it more accessible, though. Not that she’d needed it… “Sure! They’re in that chest over there. Sometimes the Harpers give us the old instruments or even occasionally a cheap one they’ve made. It makes lessons more interesting.”
Bouncing upright, Selene ran lightly over to a battered wooden chest on the wall, though it was more of a skip, really, and tossed the lid open. Given that it was half as tall as her, leaning in to get what she wanted meant she almost fell into it, at first. Surfacing a moment later with a few assorted, beaten up but useable instruments, she smirked. Prizes in hand, she trotted back to the group, before setting everything down in the center, then dropping bonelessly against Elric again. Cuddling into his side, she snagged a set of panpipes, lest another child take them. Those in her lap, she glanced back at the others, almost bouncing in her excitement.
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