Weyrbowl Leisure [Dragon]

[EW-NA]

Daedra and Drask had been keeping their head low after their unexpected run-in in the lower caverns. Or, moreso Daedra was doing her best to. The old Brown was indifferent, having never cared what other humans thought of him or his ways. However, the whole thing provided ample opportunity for him to catch up on all the naps he wished. Afterall, why go out and potentially get scolded for something?

It was better to stay in their weyr~ Under about three or so blankets. Very good, very wonderful.

Unlike Drask, his handler was less inclined to spend precious free time just loafing about. Normally she would have prompted him to join her, to keep exercised and get some fresh air, but she thought to take some time to think. And what better place to do that than the Weyrbowl, especially now that winter was long behind and spring had arrived~


What could be better than enjoying the late afternoon sun, on the soft grass and admiring what new flowers were starting to bloom? It would be just the thing, so the small redhead wasted no time in making her way there, to one of her favorite spots on a little hill.

Daedra's mood immediately improved the moment she felt the warm sun on her shoulders, and the fresh breeze tickling at her nose. As she made her way along through the thickening grass, she thought she recognized someone familiar.

[Dragon]

Melosa had put the encounter she and Mulee had recently had with the two wherhandlers in the lower caverns out of her head. She had liked Daedra and Drask. The other woman ... not so much. But it was a big Weyr and whers and their handlers were mostly nocturnal, so Melosa didn't really think she was likely to run into either of them again any time soon.

Out in the weyrbowl in the late afternoon, Melosa was picking early spring wildflowers with her youngest child, three-turn-old Merrin. The little boy was lighter complected than his mother, but there were obvious similarities in their features. Of all of her children, none looked more like her than Merrin.

She smiled lovingly down at the boy, watching as his little fingers plucked the brightly colored wildflowers - weeds, some might call them - from the grass. Then she looked up to see a now-familiar redhead.

Waving, Melosa smiled at Daedra. "Hello! Nice to see you again," she called out warmly. She wondered where Drask was, but maybe he wasn't up yet since the sun was still in the sky.

[EW-NA]

Once she recognized the other person across the grass, Daedra's expression immediately brightened to match the son. Throwing her arm up, the petite wherhandler waved in excitement, unable to help it as she bounced up on her toes a bit. It was always such a treat to run into someone she knew as friendly. Not wasting a single moment more, Daedra quickly made her way through the 'Bowl, being mindful to not trip or have to clothing catch on anything.

“Melosa!! Melosa, hello,” Daedra greeted excitedly, making her way over, slightly out of breath. “I'm really happy to see you again! I was worried you might have gotten in trouble from the other day. I hope you didn't--- I'd feel so guilty if Drask and I cause you any trouble,” the handler went on to explain.

As she shifting her stance, it was then Daedra noticed Melosa wasn't alone that afternoon. Another small child was with her, though one she didn't recognize either. It was certainly not Mulee, though strangely, she thought this little one seemed familiar in a way.


“Oh, hello there,” Daedra greeted in a warm tone. “Are you another escapee?” she asked with a giggle.

[Dragon]

The enthusiastic wave from the other woman made a smile bloom on Melosa's face. She was glad that Daedra was happy to see her; their parting had not exactly been the best one even if that hadn't been either of their fault.

Daedra really was cute, and the way she crossed the weyrbowl and joined Melosa emphasized that fact. Her greeting was exuberant and slightly breathless, and Melosa was quick to assure the younger woman that everything was fine. "No, no trouble at all! Everything is fine." This was a Weyr, after all; children here were bound to be exposed to dragonkin of all kinds and were unlikely to be afraid of them.

Then Daedra noticed Merrin, and Melosa was very much touched by the way that the redhead interacted with him. It was just right.

"I'm Merrin," the little one answered, chewing on a knuckle. Melosa beamed down at him and ruffled his hair affectionately.

"This is my youngest - for now, anyway. He's picking flowers for his mama." She was quite pleased to be able to spend some one-on-one time with her son, but she wasn't at all upset by the other woman joining them.

Merrin nodded and showed Daedra the flowers he'd picked so far. "You want flowers?" He could pick flowers for both of them!

[EW-NA]

“That's such a relief,” Daedra let out a pleased sigh. Well that bit of news took a great weight off her mind. So now, the redhead felt she could really let herself enjoy the nice weather of the day without worry!

Turning her attention back, Daedra smiled again as she crouched to squat a bit on her knees, lowering down so that she wasn't towering over the toddler. Not that her height was really intimidating to start.

“It's nice to meet you, Merrin? Are you having a fun time in the Weyrbowl?” the handler asked, before Melosa's interjected statement made her pause and turn to the other woman. “Oh! Merrin is one of yours?” she couldn't help but ask, and when she turned for another look at the little boy, it occurred to her why he looked familiar.


“No wonder~ He looks very much like you,” Daedra exclaimed, chuckling slightly.

Something small and colorful caught her eye, and when she turned her attention, Merrin was holding out his gatherings so far. Little blossoms clutched in tiny hands. A warm smile took over the handler's face. “Oh how pretty~ I love flowers! You'd really pick some for me?”

[Dragon]

"Mulee has been dragging around a ratty stuffed wher since we met," Melosa shared. She thought it might be the only stuffed wher in the creche; dragons were more common figures for toys for all that whers were more durable. "I think Drask made an impression."

Then Daedra crouched to get on Merrin's level and Melosa beamed at the pair. She frequently took the same posture with little ones in her charge.

"It's fun," Merrin confirmed, twisting a little like a leaf caught in the wind as he spoke. "Today is pretty." And with that he popped a knuckle in his mouth, grinning around it at the two women.

"He is, yes," Melosa confirmed when Daedra asked if he was hers. He really did look a lot like her. "He's a very smart boy and is learning his numbers and letters."

"I can count to ten!" Merrin exclaimed, showing Daedra all his fingers and accidentally dropping his flowers. Whoops. He bent to pick them up quickly. "I pick flowers for you!"

[EW-NA]

Daedra's eyes immediately lit up with excitement to hear the news. “She has?! How cute,” the redhead couldn't help but beam even more. Being a handler, she was always more partial to whers, but it always hit a special place in her heart when someone also seemed endeared to most beloved Brown.


“It's a real shame we weren't able to stay longer,” Daedra added, with slight disappointment in her voice. “Mulee could have gotten to say 'hello' to him proper. I do promise he's very good with children! He can be grumpy looking, but Drask is very good at minding things smaller and younger than himself. He's gotten lots of practice~”

Afterall, if what she said was true, then Daedra certainly fit very nicely into the 'smaller and younger and needed to be minded' category for the Brown. Once again, Daedra felt a bit disappointed she hadn't coaxed him to come along. Melosa and Merrin could have gotten to meet him proper, and not forced to merely sit at attention in a walkway. Still, he deserved his time to~ Oh well.

Speaking of, Daedra also found it hard to pry to attention away from little Merrin for very long. When she could offer her time in the creche, it was always spreading her attention to a large collection of children at once. Out of fairness, and of course she didn't mind at all! Still, it was nice to have some one on one interactions, getting to see a young child go about their own little way.

“All the way to 10? That's a very impressive thing to do,” Daedra happily congratulated, turning her gaze down as Merrin's bundle of flowers dropped. “Ooops! Oh, I'd love some flowers; I trust the task to you!”

Merrin was just too precious. Such a sweet little thing, it was hard for Daedra to draw her attention away, but she did. Not wanting to distract the toddler from his very important gathering task, the redhead craned her head up to speak with his mother for a time.

“So, do you live with your children, Melosa?” Daedra asked, curiosity getting the better of her. She hoped it wasn't too out of step to ask such a thing. She knew children and family matters varied greatly in a Weyr; very different from how it was living on the outside of it. “All in your weyr, or do they stay in the creche with the others?”

[Dragon]

Melosa had thought that Daedra would like that bit of news. Melosa was sure that Mulee was a future wherhandler! It was only fourteen years until she was eligible to go after an egg, and Melosa considered it her duty to see to it that the girl was properly prepared. To see that all the children were properly prepared for their roles in the Weyr.

"It really is a shame," Melosa agreed. Mulee had been really warming up to Drask before the grumpy garnethandler had come and started throwing a fit. "And I'm sure that he is great with children! He seems very patient."

It was clear that Daedra was very taken with Melosa's son, and the creche worker smiled at the other woman as she was interacting with the toddler. It was adorable, and it was a pity that Daedra didn't have children of her own to shower that love on. Maybe one day.

"Uh-huh! One, two, free, four, five, sis, seben, eight, nine, ten!" Merrin couldn't help showing off a little as he rearranged his partial bouquet of flowers. And he had two to make now! Which meant he had to get busy. "I pick flowers now." Toddling a short distance away from his mother and the wherhandler, Merrin began picking more of the puffy yellow flowers that were rampant in the field.

With one eye on her son, Melosa listened as Daedra asked about her children. "They live with me, but they spend their days in the creche. I wouldn't want them to be under-socialized because they weren't in the creche enough." So they spent their days with the other children, and their nights with their momma and whatever other parental figures were in their lives at the moment. Melosa was a constant, though.

[EW-NA]

Lowering herself down to set her knees in the grass more comfortably, Daedra happily listened as Merrin expertly and flawlessly counted aloud. When finished, Daedra smiled and gently clapped her fingers at the child's impressive feat.

“That was so good, Merrin! I bet that took a lot of practice to do!” Seemingly satisfied, Merrin soon went off to his next task: picking more flowers, which gave Daedra ample opportunity to converse.

“That must be really nice to have your family with you. I always heard it was standard practice in a Weyr that the children had to go to the creche. I understand why but.... well, I'd just find it so terribly sad.”

Daedra didn't hold that fact against anyone though. She might have felt more strongly when she'd first arrived some 5ish turns ago, but having been at High Reaches long enough now... she understood somewhat. Threadfighting and other responsibilities had to take priority. Better for children to be in a cared for environment and not simply ignored or overlooked and left to themselves.


“I bet it must be quite exciting with so many in your weyr every night! All I can ever get Drask to do back in ours is sleep! Though... he'll sleep anywhere and anytime, if I'd let him!” Daedra said laughingly. It was why she'd prefer to be out somewhere else if she had free time. Sure, snuggling in their cozy little weyr space was nice from time to time, but Daedra liked being out or being useful.

[Dragon]

That was good. Merrin was a smart boy, and he was learning the basics fast. He was proud of himself and he deserved to be. And he was adorably picking flowers right now, carefully choosing the best blossoms.

"It is nice," Melosa confirmed, "but I can understand why it's standard to have children live in the creche." Especially for dragonriders and wherhandlers! They were so busy, no matter how loving they were. "Even with just being weyrfolk I could never manage without having them in the creche during the day. I'm too busy to devote all my time to them, but at least we can be together in the evenings."

They also did mornings together, which was nice, and they walked down to the creche together. Plus her lovers were usually willing to help out when they had time. Some of them were busier than others, and some of them liked children more than others did.

"It is exciting, too! We like to play games in the evenings before bed, that sort of thing." It was cozy with five of them in the weyr, but Melosa never minded things being a little snug. Plus Berry liked to be Very Useful when she wasn't filled with the spirit of mischief.

[EW-NA]

“Well, I must admit, I find it a reassuring to meet someone who does choose to have their children stay with them,” Daedra sighed. “It always seemed like such a hard-pressed rule. I'd like to think maybe it is similar for some dragonriders and wherhandlers, then.”

That fact she didn't know for sure, but to her, if there was one in the Weyr, surely there had to be more. Everyone's circumstances were different, but there always seemed to be someone in High Reaches that seemed to match in one aspect or another.

“That sounds like such a wonderful way to unwind at the end of the day,” Daedra mused. “Getting to talk and bond and have fun for awhile, even if everyone has to go their separate ways. Seems like something to look forward to.” Of course, the handler imagined almost everyone had such things in their lives to distract them from monotony of the routine. Though if she were honest, that type like Melosa described seemed just what she would have wanted for herself.

Of course, Daedra was very happy currently with her time with Drask. He had always been a main center she circled about in her life, since she was young, but … his presence just seemed like a given. Drask had almost always been there for and with her, and seemed like he always would be. Yet there seemed like there was so much room for more.

“I always wanted to have children,” Daedra confessed, though it was hardly a real revelation. The statement just blurted out from her lips, as her eyes focused on Merrin, as he continued to pick his flowers. “Though, when I was younger, I always assumed it would be hard to find someone.” Having been Holdless, one never knew what the next day would bring them. Where'd they'd end up or who'd they meet. Though, Daedra was still hesitant to present that bit of information of herself unless asked.


“Now, it's moreso because it feels like a poor choice. A selfish choice...” The redhead cut herself off a moment, jerking a bit as if a bit surprised she let herself speak such a thing. She quickly turned her eyes back to Melosa, perhaps hoping she'd miss that detail. “I hope you don't mind me asking, Melosa, but did you always want lots of children? Did you ever want to do something else perhaps, like be a candidate or something else? You don't have to answer if you don't want to though!”

[Dragon]

"I think that among riders and handlers it's universal to give children over to the creche," Melosa said gently. She didn't know that for sure, and maybe it was less 'universal' for those who had a partner without a mindmate, but dragonriders and wherhandlers were so busy with such important work! Still, she was also sure it wasn't forbidden to keep your children by your side should you find a way to make that work!

For Melosa, being with her own children after a day filled with children was a pleasant way to unwind; for others, it would have been hard to go home to more of the same. Everything depended so much on the person and every person was different. She thought that Daedra would have liked it, but it wasn't for everyone. "If you love children as much as you seem to, then I'm sure you'd love unwinding with your own at day's end ... which you can do even if they primarily live in the creche," Melosa observed brightly.

The crecheworker was unsurprised by the 'revelation' that Daedra had always wanted children. She didn't know why the other woman would be worried about being able to find someone, but people sometimes had weird worries about things like that.

"You're young and absolutely adorable, I'm sure you'll be able to find someone," Melosa assured. She did understand the notion of feeling like wanting something for yourself was selfish, though; she'd grown up in the Weyr and spent time with plenty of riders and handlers over her years. They were all so driven by their duties ... she was sure it was the same for Daedra. "And it's okay to want something for yourself! I'm sure when the time comes you'll make an excellent mother, and Drask will be a protective uncle."

Her eyes on her young son, Melosa pondered the question of whether she'd always wanted children. "I did always want children, although not always with the immediacy that came as I got to be in my twenties. When I was younger I just wanted children in that great amorphous someday." She chuckled. "I did Stand for six turns, mostly out of a sense of duty to the Weyr. It wasn't really for me, especially not in the political climate when I was a candidate! I'm glad that I didn't Impress." She smiled wryly, wondering how many people could honestly say that.

[EW-NA]

A small hum escaped her throat as Melosa all but mostly confirmed that riders and handlers went the way of full creche raising. The redhead wasn't surprised, but she'd be lying if she hadn't been hoping to hear otherwise. That there were enough exceptions that it would be acceptable on her part to not go the standardized path.

Well, there was no reason to be so downtrodden about it, Daedra reminded herself internally. It wasn't like she had any children nor were they something in her future yet. It wouldn't really do to allow herself to get that dreary on it....yet.

“It would be nice to have a nice full weyr to return to after duties,” Daedra admitted, her lips turning back up to a smile at the thought of it. “It's always been a nice feeling when Drask stays behind and I get to greet him when I return. I think his favorite thing is a nice quiet weyr, but I bet he'd grow to like it, too! Despite how he acts, he isn't strictly a loner wher.”

While Daedra's mood had steadily been returning to her more commonly perky one, the petite woman's eyes went wide upon hearing Melosa's comments. Unable to help herself, her cheeks immediately flared to a bright pink, almost matching her hair as she turned her eyes down sheepishly. Even as the turns went on, it always caught her a bit off guard to hear such things said about herself.


“O-oh---th-thank you!” the smaller woman managed, the mildest twitter in her voice. “Th-That's so very nice to say... Though, I suppose my real concern is...well...” Daedra pursed her lips slightly as she searched for the right words. “I suppose I'd feel guilty—if things have to go in a tradition sense, you could say. I would like children of my own, but... I'd hate for them to feel resentment or that I abandoned them, if they had to be in the creche most of the time. Even if that's the norm, well... it almost feels wrong if I intentionally chose to bring them into that...”

The small handler awkwardly pulled and shifted her fingers together as she spoke. An obvious sigh of her ever turbulent worries and ponderings on the manner. Quickly enough, Daedra realized what she was doing, and how this was going, and turned her face up again.

“Oh!-- I'm sorry-,” the redhead apologized when she looked up to Melosa. “Please don't mind much of that,” she assured with a wave of her hand. “I didn't mean to blurt out such things and ruin the atmosphere. Not when you came out to enjoy the day with your little one!”

Regardless, Daedra turned up a warm smiling face to Melosa, an honest one. Not a forced expression. She had no intention to drag down the creche worker's enjoyable time, especially as she was providing wonderful council to Daedra.

“But truly? You stood to be a dragonrider for a time?” Daedra's eyes were wide at the idea. Perhaps it seemed a common thing for some, but the idea was still impressive to her. To someone who lived outside of the Weyr's norms and customs for a majority of her life. “I'm glad that you're happy how things worked out for yourself, though! That's the important part! I bet your children would say the same, too, since you can devote so much time to them because of it. If I'm honest, I'm glad I never had the option to be a candidate or the like,” Daedra happily admitted.


“Dragons are wonderful, too, as I have met a collection of them. However, my life had to be specifically as it was for me to have met Drask, and I wouldn't change that for anything~” Daedra said, her smile ever bright and happy again.

[Dragon]

Melosa could see that Daedra was attracted to the idea of being a more hands-on parent than most dragonriders or wherhandlers were. Well, she'd have to be blind not to see it. The smaller woman was pretty obvious about it ... and obviously hadn't been raised in the Weyr. She was clearly someone who had other ideas about how children should be raised and didn't seem to be entirely comfortable with the creche system.

"I know I only met him briefly, but Drask struck me as a wher who will just tune out anything that annoys him." He'd done very well at ignoring the garnethandler that had been impugning his ability to control himself, proving her wrong. "You said he's good with children, and I'm sure that he'd be good with any you have."

When Daedra responded to Melosa's comments about how cute she was, the creche worker felt a tiny bit bad about saying so. It had flustered the younger woman and that wasn't her intention at all! She had meant it to reassure the other woman.

Then Daedra mentioned that she'd feel guilty about bringing children into the creche system, afraid that they'd think of her as abandoning them. And Melosa supposed that some parents in the Weyr did abandon their children to the creche. The dark-complected woman wasn't entirely sure why parents who had no intention of spending any time with their children bothered to have any, but she also didn't exist to police other people's choices.

"Just because a child lives in the creche does not mean that their parents have to be out of their life," Melosa pointed out. "There are plenty of parents who come to see and spend time with their children regularly. There are those who seem content to let the creche raise their little ones without any interaction from them, which I must admit that I don't understand, but plenty of parents are there several times a week, and some even come daily!"

Melosa was sure that Daedra would be in the creche all the time if she had a child. She might not have known the redheaded wherhandler long, but she was certain that Daedra would not be able to resist being involved in her hypothetical child's life.

"Don't apologize for wanting what's best for your future children," Melosa soothed when Daedra apologized for admitting that she wanted her children with her. Melosa didn't know if a wherhandler keeping their children out of the creche was practical, but she was not the one to make that decision. "And Merrin is having fun picking flowers; there is plenty of time for the two of us to talk like this."

Then she blushed a trifle at Daedra's reaction to discovering that Melosa had Stood as a dragon candidate. It was no big deal; a lot of weyrbrats wound up as candidates. Melosa herself was one of many who hadn't ultimately Impressed, but well, that was for the best. "Fate assures that we find our way where we're supposed to be. For me, I was meant to serve the Weyr in ways other than as a dragonrider. For you - Drask was your destiny." Melosa smiled warmly at the redhead. "I'm glad that we both found lives we're happy with." And she privately wished Daedra luck in her decisions about having children.

[EW-NA]

“Drask puts up with -a lot- for my sake,” Daedra said with a small laugh. For all his grumbling and huffing and side glancing, she knew she could always count on the Brown if it was something important. He'd never let her down before, and knew if it was something important in her eyes, he'd acknowledge that. So while some might have had reservations, Daedra knew Drask would be a good guardian and friend if any hypothetical children came into the picture.

The wher would rumble and scoff, but the redhead knew deep down he did like having others adore him so. Though, anything he chose to do was rarely done for praise alone. Snacks?- Certainly, but never really praise.

Still, as hesitant as she still was on the matter, Daedra couldn't help but acknowledge that Melosa made rather good points. As expected of her, being directly involved with the creche and all the children within in. Pursing her lips again, a small noise came from the small wherhandler, as if she were carefully combing over all these intricate details. Gathering all the information to lay out the pieces of a puzzle to work out.


“I suppose,” Daedra eventually spoke up again, her voice still holding that uncertainty despite the words she let out. “-and it's not like I think the creche is bad. Most of the children seem happy and having fun there. It's just... well, I suppose I know myself,” turning her face up again, a strangely almost bemused smile rested there. “-I think I'd be the one that would be most upset over things. Worrying all the time, and not wanting to miss anything important. Missing them.”

Namedays, first steps, first words.... so many, many things that should be considered important. To her anyway.

All things she'd thought of from time to time, in varying degrees. However, this was the first time Daedra realized how much there was, now that it was all forming together into a bigger picture.