lithle's 100 theme challenge

[lithle]

I, know, I know, I'm not even technically a player here. But I just got the splint off my broken arm and I need to practice typing before I get back to work on my serious stuff. So I might do a few twiddles like the rest of you. Probably not all 100 but we'll see.

Characters (mostly so I don't forget):
Leshta of Semith FFDD11
Annette of Annesk 996644 and Ask 4900A7
Spenser
Jaden of Passith FFDDBB
Myr and Roni
Young Adetsu

L'vey will not be included because he's become an NPC.

1. Eating Glows
2. Bubbly pie goes splat (in someone's face)
3. Trundle with the Trundle Bugs
4. Bloodletting for Wherlets
5. Gather Fun!
6. Hatching Time!
7. First Flight
8. A candidate midnight rendevouz
9. Flaming Thread
10. Flying high
11. Chore Duty
12. Swimming with Shipfish
13. Bountiful Egss
14. Corraling the herdbeast
15. Forever Mine
16. Runner Races!
17. Harper's Dance
18. Frolicking with friends
19. Fly With Me
20. We go together, Mine
21. Too Much Klah
22. We the Hold Folk
23. A Lord's gotta do what a Lord's gotta do
24. My Craft
25. Those of the Dark
26. Beneath the Dawn Sisters
27. Run Run Run! Thread has Come!
28. Tunnelsnake Trouble
29. Oh Shards
30. Colors
31. Protect Me
32. Candidates Can Party Too!
33. Female and Proud of It
34. Weyrlings are Rampant
35. Getting into Trouble
36. A Healer's Duty
37. Fight and Defend
38. Exploring
39. I'm Yours; You're Mine
40. Black, Blacker, Blackest
41. I Outrank You!
42. I Wanna be a Harper
43. Flames
44. Disaster Strikes
45. It's...Complicated
46. My Craft is Better
47. Seriously?
48. Sibling Rivalry
49. Egg Touching
50. Sharding Hot Sands!
51. There's No Stronger Bond
52. Peace at Last
53. Things that Glow in the Night
54. I Love You
55. No Other Choice
56. Wherry Hunt
57. The Child in Me
58. Firelizard(s)
59. Swim with Me
60. A Good Oiling
61. No Such Thing (As too Much Wine)
62. Dancing
63. Sing Me a Song
64. Sleep Little Hatchlings
65. Looking My Best
66. A Little Wild
67. Starstones
68. Wings in the Sky
69. Drifting
70. Crunchy Firestone
71. Tunnelsnake Toss
72. Voices in My Head
73. You Can't Fly! (wher)
74. Dragonless
75. Wherless
76. We Bleed Green
77. The Bond
78. It's Called Tag
79. An Heir's Duty
80. Broken Shells and Broken Hearts (those left standing after a Hatching)
81. A Right of Passage (weyrbrats sneaking onto the sands to see the eggs)
82. A Gather
83. Welcome to the Family
84. With Sweat and Blood and Tears, I Made This
85. Those Troublesome Twos
86. Silence is Golden
87. A Lady's Jewels
88. Simple Pleasures
89. A New Home (A new Candidate's first time at the Weyr)
90. Saving Grace (AKA Saving a Goldrider)
91. A precious gift (A new baby)
92. Joys of Search
93. Expression of the Heart
94. Aerobatics
95. Joining the Ranks
96. Infirmary
97. Stuck!
98. Stuffy Records
99. Bathing Time
100. One of the Same

[lithle]

Warnings: Brainwashed child and general creepiness.

Love was such a better leash than mere chains and isolation. Now, in this disgusting, wretched jungle, Myr was learning that lesson.

Back in her home, she'd have kept Roni to herself, locked her away in a quiet room, where she could visit when she wished, play with the child, take delight in her fragility, her delicate laughter, the softness of her hair. She would have allowed herself the joy of briefly turning the young girl's constant sorrow toward some lighter emotion.

She would not have kept the girl by her side, though. She'd not have let others see her, speak to her, ruin her. Now, here, she had no choice. And Roni, her little pet, was constantly among others, others who might taint her or lure her away.

But no, Roni, sweet Roni, would not leave her. Myr knew that now. She pulled the child into her lap and the two of them sat together, watching as the setting sun filtered through the leaves, gilding patches of the forest floor. She murmured softly in the child's ear, small, sweet promises. Little things. Words to tie the bonds of affection ever tighter. The future held promise, even in this despicable hole.

Her newest batch of alcohol was doing well, her experiments with spices helping nicely. She was fairly certain it wasn't even all that toxic. She had plans to trade a good amount with one of the green wherhandlers next time his wher clutched. Dragons, feh. A wher was just as like to stay at one's side. Not pretty, no, but appealing for brutality. And it would protect her and her pets. Roni, yes. But also the young man she'd noticed of late, the one with the wicked smile and the soft hands. It would not be so hard to make him love her, as Roni did.

And then, eventually, out of this hole. She'd risen before. She'd do so again. Her and her precious, darling things.

Roni yawned and snuggled closer to her. She stroked the little girl's hair. Hers, as the boy would be. As the wher would be. As the ones she'd lost would be again. Hers, forever.

[lithle]

Warning: Jaden/Spins fill. Physical and emotional abuse mentioned. This would trigger me if I wasn't writing it. So, umm, yeah.

If there were words for the thoughts, for the hateguiltpanicfearfearfear, Jaden did not know them. He knew what he was doing was wrong. He knew he was badbadbadtraitoridiotfooluselessfilth. He knew he wasn't supposed to mention Spins, think of Spins, wasn't supposed to run to Spins.

Krair would be so angry when he found out.

He would found out.

He always found out. Krair was clever and Jaden was so dumb, so worthless, so transparent. He'd know. He'd come for him.

And then, oh, and then. Fingers trembled and did not touch his cheek. It still hurt too much to touch.

And still, Jaden ran. He pushed all the money he had at the first dragonman he found, and that was enough to get him to the Smith Crafthall and Spins. Spins, who would always be the fragile, sickly boy in his head, but was also wild and fierce and the only friend Jaden knew he could turn to even now. Because not even Krair with his words, with 'not good enough', 'not smart enough', 'foolish', 'boring', 'why do I put up with you', not even Krair could make him believe that Spins wouldn't be there.

He knocked, desperate and hesitant, a quiet, constant taptaptap.

And Spins was there though for a moment, his eyes were so angry that Jaden thought he was Krair. And then he was falling and Spins, smaller, lighter, always weaker, was catching him and all Jaden could hear was his own voice saying, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please, Spins. Don't tell him. He'll be so mad."

[lithle]

After the healer left, still grumbling and scolding, Leshta was left alone, in the room that would now be occupied by herself and Semith.

Semith. The dragonhealer, after much poking and prodding, had announced that despite the gold's malformed wing and small size, she was healthy. Well, no. What he had said was 'she'll live'.

Live. Not fly. Not ever be a match for her siblings. Meant to die. That's what they were saying. Leshta was no fool. She'd heard the muttering.

A golden snout pushed roughly against her knee, interrupting her pacing and nearly sending her sprawling.

Silly. said the voice she had already learned to love.

"I'm not silly," Leshta stopped pacing and knelt beside her. "I'm planning. I just want you to be happy."

Silly.A mental giggle, the dragon's eyes whirling cheerful green. You can't plan happy. You just be happy. Be happy.

And, in that moment, as Semith rested against her and slipped into sleep, she was.