Nuffin' to Do, Bored Toddler Warning

[B'kay]

[Quickie OOC note: this thread's liable to bounce around to various topic areas as it progresses, so put on your travelin' shoes. <G> And apologies that I may cross-play my accounts a bit.]

Gaylen groaned and bit back the urge to scold as she gently, once again, untangled the sticky fingers from her hair. That hair had, at one point, been neatly braided ... but she was now seriously considering simply having the tangled mess, filled with bubbly pie filling and crust crumbs, shorn to her skull. And she thought Thread was the worst danger there was to long hair....

"Ranny, sweetheart," she said, awkwardly pulling the child off her back and setting him on the floor in front of her, "Gammy-Gaylen has to do these records. I promised Pappa-C'lyn I'd take care of them for him. Why don't you go build me another block castle...."

"I ti-dered of blocks, I wanna go for a walk onna beach," the three-turner said stubbornly, pressing his sticky lips together in a pout.

"I know you're ti-dered ... tired ... of blocks, sweetie. But this is going to take a while," Oh, how she wished the nursery caretaker hadn't come down with that intestinal virus! This was the third day of no day care, and Ranny had pretty much ransacked the Infirmary.

Just then, Memory sqwawked a warning from the rafters above (where she had taken to hiding well beyond the toddler's reach), and Gaylen spun to see a bright green blur dive into the open basket of bandage rolls.

"Not you, too...." she groaned, and rushed to untangle Wizzerd before she made a total mess of everything. The little green flitter came out flapping and chortling happily, having wrapped a tangle of gauze around wings, neck and tail.

The aging healer had just finished the rush job of untying the flitter from her "toys", when she spotted the little hand grabbing for a bowl of sweets kept on the counter to reward youngsters for their bravery. The candies sat a good four feet above the ground, which meant--

Gaylen dove as Ranny fell from the pile of boxes he'd stacked in order to reach the sweets. She caught him, saving him from a nasty head-bump, and yelped in pain as her own derriere hit the floor with a bang.

Memory screeched a scolding at the little green, whom she blamed for the entire ruckus.

Gaylen sat, breathless, the giggling child in her lap, and fought the urge to moan out loud.

Ranny tipped his little face upward and gave Gaylen a kiss on the cheek. "I torry, Gammy. I make you feel better. You want a candy?"

"No thanks, darling," she said, her voice weak with utter defeat. "I think I'd prefer a baby sitter ... and a new tailbone."

Wizzerd made a swoop to the candy bowl, dropping several into Ranny's lap and keeping one for herself, before she lighted gracefully on Gaylen's head.

[M'kel]

The sky was clear and crisp, a lovely day at Araelen Weyr, and R'tivor breathed in deeply of the pleasantly humid island air. Although he had his Weyrling duties yet to complete, the evening promised to be an enjoyable one indeed if the weather continued as it was. Perhaps he and Aramunith would go for a swim in the Lake or even venture down to the beach. They were still island-bound, Aramunith not yet a strong enough flyer for more freedom than that, but the island offered plenty of opportunities for exploration and fun.

First, however, he had been assigned to the Healing Caverns for the afternoon. Although Weyrling lessons had wrapped up around lunch time, the new riders were still expected to contribute to the Weyr in other ways, and his contribution would be to the Infirmary today. Thus, R'tivor strode slowly across the Bowl, admiring the pale blue arc of sky above, with Aramunith trailing calmly behind. The lad had been rather surprised by today's assignment, since he had no Healing experience to speak of. An Apprentice Herder couldn't be much help to sick and injured humans and dragons, but R'tivor supposed that the Weyr expected all of its riders to have basic knowledge of first aid.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather have a nap while I take care of this?" R'tivor called gently over his shoulder, smiling at the minty green head bobbing along behind him. "I'll spend time with you this evening, heart; you don't need to be bored watching me do chores."

No, I'd like to watch. Maybe there will be another dragon there to visit with! Aramunith replied cheerily, giving her rider a playful nudge in the back. R'tivor was surprised to find himself stumble a little. She was getting so big!

A moment later he reached the Healing Caverns and stepped lightly inside, Aramunith's bulk filling the dragon's entrance. There didn’t appear to be anyone in the main area, so he moved to the back of the room and peeked into the Weyrhealer's Office. The sight that met his curious blue eyes was not one he had expected. There sat the Weyrhealer's weyrmate, on the floor with a toddler in her lap and a flitt on her head. Too surprised to be polite, R'tivor stared with open mouth and wide eyes.

"Um…hello?" he spoke quietly, afraid he might be intruding. Aramunith poked her snout around R'tivor, curious to see what had surprised her rider so. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I was asked to help you out this afternoon?" Little did poor R'tivor know that his words might be horribly misconstrued, given the present state of affairs. This afternoon might not turn out to be so boring and mundane after all...

[B'kay]

Gaylen was just a trifle stunned when the young man poked his head into the office.

Sent to help her?

"Gammy," Ranny said softly, as he wiggled fingers at the newcomer. Wizzerd cheeped a greeting from the top of Gaylen's head. "Dat Re'vor. I seen him in Auntie Aury's room. He gots a geen 'wizzerd name Prite." He then spotted Aramunith peeking around her rider. "Ooooh!" he squealed, "Pretty!!"

Sent to help her? C'lyn! Bless his heart, it must have been C'lyn!

Scooping up the toddler, Gaylen struggled to her feet, her face breaking out in a grin. "Thank the First Egg!" she said, smile widening as she approached the young man. "Re-Vor?" She frowned slightly, and then chuckled, "I'm sure that's Ranny's version of your name, but no matter. Thank you so much, and the stars that sent you! You have NO idea--" Then, recognition dawned, the mental memory of a sling and splint on the boy's arm, "... Oh, were you injured during the last Hatching? Well, it seems you're doing quite well now!"

Wizzerd chirped happily and shifted from Gaylen's head to Rannell's.

"I'll finally be able to get these records done!" she said, and she bundled Ranny into the young man's arms. "He said he wanted a stroll along the beach, and that's fine, but he can't swim very well, so don't let him con you into letting him go into the water. He loves the tidepools, though, and has a collection of rocks and shells that you just wouldn't believe ... but that's okay, the more's the merrier, right? No more fingerlings, though -- every time he tries to bring a bowl of them home, Wizzerd winds up eating them, and I just can't stand the tears. Watch him near those rocks south of the Weyr entrance, the high ones? He's quick, and will scoot up those rocks like a flitter-flash if you're not a jump ahead of him and.... "

She stopped, out of breath, green eyes shining with relief that her wishes had been granted, "... and thank you so much for entertaining him for a little while for me! I'd never have gotten these records filled out without you!"

As excited as his Grammy, Ranny spit the sweet he'd been sucking on out of his mouth and held it out to R'tivor. "Wanna candy?"

[M'kel]

The toddler had just seemed like any other at first: limbs and cheeks chubby with baby fat, face streaked with mysterious stickiness, and wide inquisitive eyes eager to take in the sight of a dragon. Until the toddler spoke. Then, recognition dawned on R'tivor's face. It was Auria's nephew, the one he'd first met in the Candidates' Barracks under rather…chaotic circumstances. The meeting had been especially stressful for his fire lizard, if he recalled correctly. But luckily Sprite was…

…rocketing into the room at just that moment. It was as if she'd heard her name called, the way she came swooping in on cue. Although she was chittering initially to scold hers for leaving her (even though it was she who'd gone for a dip in the lake when she grew bored of Weyrling lessons), her chittering quickly turned into disgruntled squawking when she, too, recognized the little toddler. As fast as she'd zipped into the room, Sprite zoomed right back out, hiding herself on Aramunith's back.

Hoping the situation wouldn't escalate like last time, R'tivor quickly sought to regain the toddler's attention. "That's right, Re-vor. You remembered. What a good job...Rannell!" It took him a moment more to remember the little boy's name.

He thinks I'm pretty. I like him, Aramunith informed him abruptly. Honestly, how could hers find anything to dislike about such a sweet little creature?

Luckily, Gaylen seemed just as intent as R'tivor was on not letting Rannell loose just yet, as she climbed to her feet while still holding onto him. "It's R'tivor, ma'am," he supplied quietly, when she questioned Rannell's pronunciation of his name. "Yes, my arm is much better now," he replied to that query, extending the arm in question to demonstrate its limberness. It had been a great relief to be free of that sling, especially since he needed both hands in Weyrling lessons!

Gaylen was positively beaming, and R'tivor was beginning to feel better about helping out in the Healing Caverns. Obviously she could really use the assistance, as she thanked him profusely, again and again. The lad smiled in response, glancing around to see where he should get started, when all of a sudden the toddler's sticky face was shoved in front of his and the arm he'd just demonstrated the usefulness of was put into use, wrapped instinctively around the toddler. The world was suddenly moving far too fast, as Gaylen began rambling about tidepools and fingerlings and tears, while Rannell gazed up at him with excited and expectant eyes.

"Entertaining...him...?" was all R'tivor managed to get out before a candy as sticky as Rannell's face was thrust into view, causing the amber-haired lad to go momentarily cross-eyed. "Uh, no, no thank you," he replied, raising his free arm to push Rannell's hand gently back towards his own mouth. "You keep that one..."

He turned quickly back to Gaylen, a look in his eyes rather like that of a wherry in a dragon's path. "For the...whole afternoon?" When the Weyrlingmaster had assigned him to the Healing Caverns, he had expected difficult work, of course. But babysitting? He really didn't think that was what the Weyrlingmaster had intended. Then again, helping out was helping out, no matter the means...

I think this will be much more fun than watching you work! Aramunith interrupted cheerily. I like him! And with that, the young dragon pushed her snout up against R'tivor's head, turning her whirling eyes consideringly on the little toddler.

As Aramunith blew warm air into his amber locks and Rannell smiled up at him, R'tivor sighed in defeat. "Rannell, this is Aramunith..." he said slowly. At least she wasn't afraid of him like Sprite!

[B'kay]

Ranny, enchanted by the young green dragon, only giggled loudly for a moment and squirmed and bounced ten or fifteen times, squeaking, "Prite, look, Gammy, it's Prite!" when the green flitter buzzed the room and darted back out. He then returned his gaze to Aramunith.

Wizzerd, on the other hand, hoping for a playmate that wasn't quite as grumpy and unsocial as gold Memory, peered hopefully, chattering a loud soprano hello, around the corner in the other green's wake from the top of her young human's head.

Ranny paused to listen carefully, sticky candy still in hand, as R'tivor told him the dragon's name. The effort to wrap the name around a three-turn-old tongue was obvious in his sparking eyes as he then leaned outward toward the dragon, holding out the gooey treat (which was quickly collecting the lint that was already stuck to his palm). "Hello, Moonis, do YOU wan' some candy? You berry byooteeful!"

Gaylen, meanwhile, was watching the conflicting shadows on the young man's face, and an awkward truth began to dawn in her belly. "R'tivor? C'lyn did send you to watch Ranny for a while for me ... didn't he?"

A sleepy, slightly grouchy, deep blue voice sounded in the rider's mind as Alabanth woke to her conflicting thoughts. Perhaps you should have asked before you stuffed the child into the poor fellow's arms, Mine.

[M'kel]

Perhaps this afternoon wouldn't be so bad, after all… He didn't know anything about Healing, and taking care of a toddler should be far easier than that. Shouldn't it? Besides, Rannell seemed quite well-behaved today, compared to the first time they'd met. Those bright, shining eyes were rather adorable, and the boy was so very excited…

And then, Rannell held out the sticky candy to Aramunith, pronounced her name in the cutest way, and R'tivor was won over. Perhaps it was partly the waves of affection the flattered green was projecting, but he suddenly felt a lot better about the whole prospect of an afternoon with the tot. Even Sprite was relaxing. Having noticed that the green sitting on the toddler's head was his, the flitt had realized that she wouldn't be the sole object of his attention. Thus, she crooned a cautious hello to Wizzerd, clambering up to perch on Aramunith's head. Two sets of whirling eyes, one mini and one huge, now gazed in at the toddler held in theirs's arms.

I've never seen such a little two-legs before! Aramunith remarked, clearly fascinated. Is he a pet like the little cousin? Sprite snorted indignantly at that, swishing her tail to smack Aramunith lightly in annoyance.

"No, he's not a pet," R'tivor replied, amused. Just then, realization appeared to dawn on Gaylen's face, as she asked him if C'lyn had sent him. Surprised, the Weyrling shook his head. So that was where the mix-up must have come from!

"No, ma'am, Weyrlingmaster B'kay sent me to help out in the Healing Caverns today. But if this would help you out, then I'd be glad to do it! I don't think I'd be much of a Healer, anyways." He smiled to assure her that he really wasn't bothered.

[B'kay]

Gaylen couldn't help a slight smile as she heard the young rider explain to his dragon that Rannell was not a pet. Then, relief washed over her as he said he'd be willing toddler-sit.

"I'm so glad," she said with a sigh. "Though I am sorry for the confusion. The day care has been closed for several days, and I'm so behind on filling in these records. He can be a bit of a handful." She stepped forward and touseled the child's unruly hair. "Can't you, lovey?"

He held out his hands, sticky with candy and bubbly-pie filling, "My han'fulls is dirty. I gotsa wash dem so I don' get sand all 'tucked on dem," He wiggled in R'tivor's grip, pointing to the wash basin, "P'eese?" he remembered, giving his new best friend a sweet smile.

Gaylen chuckled, and moved to the toy box in the corner. "He'll want these, too, if you do intend to go to the beach. He can dig for hours." She returned with a small tin shovel and pail.

Wizzerd chattered happily, launched from the child's head, and did a happy dance flitter flight around the room. She loved to dig in the sand, too.

[M'kel]

Transfer to the Valley board! Some carry-over from Healing Caverns in next post.