Day 277 [Open]

[daughterofursa]

Who: Zuko and anyone
Open: Open!
When: Day 277
Where: Near the river
What: BABBY DRAGON
Format: I'll match
Warnings: Honor

It's been a few days since Zuko paid a visit to the Monument for some personal purchases. Most of those were swiftly hidden away inside her house, although the faint sounds of music the past few evenings might have given one of them away.

She's much less secretive about her final purchase. She's had to be, really, because it was in fact a gigantic egg, and she hasn't let that thing out of her sight for a moment. This doesn't mean that she's given up any of her usual activities, aside from Skyway trips, but even while she's training or at the pool it's always been sitting nearby wrapped in a blanket.

But today's the day. She's just finishing up her training routine on the Bastion side of the river when she hears something stirring inside. She immediately crouches down to watch with rapt attention as something slowly emerges: a baby red dragon, serpentine and nearly the length of her arm.

This is the moment where all her doubts come back to her because she has never so much as seen a baby dragon before much less taken care of one. What do.

((Feel free to run into her pre- or post-hatching, and anywhere in the general vicinity of the lake!))

Comments

[freedom_engineer]

... That kind of revival is impressive, I will definitely admit that.

But.. yeah. I'm keeping an eye out for him. He knows what he needs to do, though. He's been living with this all his life.

We can't heal him yet, but... we can definitely take care of him if he needs us to.

[daughterofursa]

[Zuko nods her agreement. And maybe she should discourage the jogging if she sees him at it again.

Oh, look, it's the distillery. She brings the baby dragon up closer to her face to talk to her.]

Here we are. This is where we all eat.

[Or at least those of them who can't cook.]

[freedom_engineer]

[Colin grins again at Zuko's actions.]

Once she starts to recognize this as a place where she can get food, she'll start making all kinds of associations with it.

Food is a great way to teach youngsters things.

[daughterofursa]

I bet she'll make good friends with Rin.

Rin is sort of like a firebender. And you've both got tails. [Important things for baby dragons to know? Zuko doesn't notice Colin grinning at her.]

[freedom_engineer]

And most importantly, little one... she'll be the one providing food. She'll be a great person to be cute at.

[daughterofursa]

Hey. I don't want to teach her to manipulate anyone.

[Besides the cute is not something she can turn off.]

[freedom_engineer]

She's a kid, it's not something she can help. The best that you can really hope for with a child is where to aim it.

But I'll make sure not to teach her anything devious if she hangs around me.

[daughterofursa]

What makes you think I'm going to leave her alone with you?

[freedom_engineer]

... You are new to this, aren't you?

[Colin smiles at her.]

She's a child. If you take your eyes off of her for even a second, she'll wander off to see what kind of trouble she can get into.

I can almost guarantee that she'll turn up in my workshop, in Rin's kitchen, at the daycare, and on top of the monument at least a couple of times a week. If you're lucky, one of them will become a favorite place, and you'll be able to find her there easily.

[daughterofursa]

I wasn't like that...

[Don't be a troublemaker, baby dragon.]

[freedom_engineer]

I promise you that you were. All children are curious and explore on their own. You've probably just never been told about it.

[He just won't comment on the likelihood that Zuko's dad was a douchebag and how he probably had quite a staff of servants to watch over her. If he even cared that much, which he can't assume that he did...]

My dad loves to remind me how I used to slip into every nook and cranny on the Nova when I was young. Especially whenever I get myself into someplace I shouldn't NOW.

[daughterofursa]

Azula was the one who wanted to go places we weren't supposed to.

[Zuko mostly just wanted to be wherever their mother was. At least, that's what she recalls. That's where she was safe.]

[freedom_engineer]

I meant before that.

Before you can remember anything.

[He nods to the little dragon in her arms.]

Early childhood, when the world is still strange, wondrous, and danger isn't even in your vocabulary.

[daughterofursa]

Hm.

That's the kind of thing you'd want to remember.

[freedom_engineer]

It is indeed. Why do you think so many people keep keepsakes from their youths?

[daughterofursa]

I didn't know people did that.

I burned mine.

[freedom_engineer]

I still have my first toolkit and the first thing I built back on my ship. Rarely even pay attention to them, but I like knowing they're there.

Didn't care for memories of your childhood?

[daughterofursa]

Just my mother.

...and maybe, before Azula learned to talk.

[freedom_engineer]

Mmm... Can't really fault you for that, can I?

[Colin looks at the little dragon and smiles.]

You'll have to give your mama plenty of good memories of your childhood, won't you?

[daughterofursa]

[Zuko looks back at the dragon, too. It still sounds kind of weird but]

I guess I am basically your mom, huh?