Not Much For Babies

Writers: Devin, Chelle
Date Posted: 5th February 2016

Characters: Cosani, N'vanik, Nisheyl
Description: Cosani finally meets her baby sister.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 4, day 7 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: D'hol, Jeyme, Briata

Cosani

N'vanik

Cosani didn't know how to feel about this. She looked down into the
little crib at the baby. Her sister. Half sister. Did this little girl
really mean something to her just because they had the same father?
Cosani still didn't really know how to feel about N'vanik, although
she'd gotten more used to him.

Waking up from her nap, Nisheyl opened her eyes and didn't recognize
where she was at that moment. Scooting up onto her bottom, her lower
lip threatened. She hadn't yet seen the face looking down at her.

"Say hi," N'vanik told her. "She knows what that means."

"Hi." Oh, no. Was she going to cry?

Hearing N'vanik's voice quieted her down for a bit, but then she scooted
over and used the bars to pull herself up. In just a moment, she was looking
up at Cosani, her hazel eyes meeting those blue ones. She didn't know who
she was but it didn't matter. "Uhhh pppp?" Raising her hands, she tried to get
it across what she wanted.

Cosani shot a look at N'vanik and he laughed. "Go ahead. She won't
bite... Probably."

That wasn't quite reassuring, but Cosani awkwardly lifted the baby out
of the crib.

As most children would do, Nisheyl latched onto Cosani, fitting her smaller
body against the larger one for comfort. And then she glanced back and forth
from her to N'vanik, wondering if she'd be given something soon. Hoping it
would speed up the process, she looked back to Cosani and smiled big. "Hi."

"Hi," Cosani repeated. People, especially back at the Hold, acted like
women automatically knew what do to around babies. And they were
supposed to like them, too. Cosani had avoided that as much as she could.

"Just support her a little better. There, like that," N'vanik said as
Cosani adjusted her arms.

"So what do I do now?"

"Hold her. Talk to her."

Cosani was at a loss, so she said the first thing to come to mind.
"Um, I'm Cosani. I'm your half-sister I guess. Maybe."

Nisheyl knew the word brother from Brigel and the word sister from
Briata calling
her that. She didn't really know the rest though. "Hi Sani! Hi!" And
like the young
girl she was, she did something that N'vanik was a little used to.
Without warning,
she pushed her face into Cosani's and planted a big wet kiss on her
cheek. Thinking
N'vanik would laugh like he usually did, she looked over at him,
flashing a mostly
toothless grin.

He did laugh, and laughed even harder when he saw the look on Cosani's face.

"Eww." Cosani turned to rub her cheek on her shoulder, trying to get
the baby spit off. To her credit, she didn't give up and put Nisheyl
down, though.

Seeing the look on the older female's face, she attempted to copy it, screwing
her face up into a mock scowl. It didn't last long though when N'vanik laughed
and she began to giggle, copying him.

Even Cosani had to crack a smile at that.

N'vanik laughed even harder. "Not much for babies, are you?"

"No. And if you ask about grandchildren, I will kill you."

Putting her head down to rest on Cosani's shoulder, Nisheyl twisted her body to
get comfortable. Briata had taught her that it was nice to be held and
she wasn't
afraid of the greenrider as long as N'vanik's familiar face was
nearby. "Foooooo,"
she said hopefully before slipping a thumb into her mouth to suck on.

Cosani's face twitched. "I guess she's kinda cute. For a baby, or whatever."

"Are you hungry?" N'vanik asked Nisha. He'd gotten some snack foods
from the kitchens earlier.

That brought a facial twitch and movement. One hand came out and she
opened and closed it over and over again, signaling she wanted something
to fill it. Nisheyl was a long way from learning the word for please
for the time
being. "Mmmmmm..." That was followed by a raspberry noise she thought was
funny, which caused a giggle.

He got up to grab a handful of cereal from the table near the far
wall, where he'd set the snacks earlier. He gave Nisha one piece at a
time.

"So she might not even really be yours," Cosani said, watching them interact.

N'vanik shrugged. "That's weyrlife. Doesn't matter. I decided she's
mine, so she is."

"And D'hol's baby might be yours too." That was even stranger to wrap
her head around. That her Wingleader's son might be her brother.

"Do you want to meet him?" He didn't think Jeyme would mind.

They were both young enough to be _her_ kids. It was all so weird.
"Maybe. I guess."

Taking the cereal and putting in her mouth, she chewed a bit haphazardly.
Listening to the conversation even though she didn't understand it, she was
still watching the two of them and marking their movements. Her other hand
moved slowly over Cosani's tunic, feeling the material. Nisheyl could hear her
heartbeat where her head rested and it soothed her.

"She's spilling all over me."

"I can take her." He was surprised Cosani had held her this long. He
took Nisha from her and settled the baby against his chest. "You can
go if you want. I just wanted you to meet her."

Cosani stood, brushing wet crumbs off her. She hesitated a moment.
"Yeah, well. I guess I can see her next time she visits." Maybe this
would get easier with time.

Last updated on the February 9th 2016

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Not Much For Babies