Zyrith's Earthtime Antics - Birthday party

This is my super late submission for FrostedScales' first homework assignment. Please accept! My farsul ate the first draft!

_____

**Memory Transcription Subject: *Zyrith, Arxur Defector***

*Date [Standardized Human Time] November 7, 2137*

It had proven a futile effort to ignore what the back of my mind kept reminding me of; the simple fact that my current predicament was entirely a result of my own poor planning.

My minimal use of my holopad had allowed me to neglect charging it, leading to a dead battery and no GPS. That, combined with my choice to walk to my destination and refusal to wear any winter gear meant I was stranded, cold, lost and unable to contact anyone. The only thing that had not been my fault was the wind that had picked up, chafing away the last bit of warmth I had hoped to enjoy before winter came in full swing. Even that could have been accounted for had I bothered to check the weather.

I considered turning back, I could easily find my way home after finding the right street, but I had come all this way, and did not want to come back empty clawed. No, I was close, it would be a waste to give up now. I was sure the store would be just around the corner, and I could also warm up in there.

“Look! A dragon!”

The call interrupted my thoughts, and I began to search my surroundings. Of course, I knew dragons were only a piece of human mythology, so I had assumed there might be a kite or something similar nearby. Distracted, I failed to notice the pack of human children until they were already upon me. “What the-?” Whatever I might have asked was interrupted by the illegible babbling of the tykes, asking far too many questions for me to ever hope to answer. One of them even began pulling on my tail!

“Violet! Everyone! Get back here!” A woman's voice called, and drew the children's attention long enough for me to gauge the situation. Seven human children, led by one wearing a purple dress and holding a stick with a star on the end. A gem covered hat sat atop her head, completing the look. She was leading the rest of her pack to a decorated jungle gym -clearly the site of a party- in the park I had been cutting through. The human woman who called them over stood at a nearby table, with a venlil child hugging her leg.

“But Mooooooom!” The lead child objected, “The dragon's here! You said there would be a dragon for my birthday! You said he'd help us play Fortress!” She whined, pointing at the playground.

“I told you the dragon had to cancel! Look honey, we can still play Fortress, we have plenty of knights and our princess already!” The woman said, and mouthed what I assumed to be an apology to me.

The children did not like that at all, however, and began a cacophony of crying, protesting, and generally shouting their dissatisfaction with the ruling. I began to take my leave and avoid making the situation any worse, but a red glimmer caught my eye, and a plan began to form in my mind.

“A castle, you said? One that is not under our control? That is unacceptable! Prepare to attack, my soldiers! We shall have our prize by nightfall!” I roared with just enough force to be heard. The children cheered at my pronouncement while the mother looked somewhere between relieved and horrified. I made my way to her, and spoke in a calmer voice. “Do not worry, I have been on earth for some time, and would gladly play a game with the children, if you would let me. My name is Zyrith.” I said, extending my claw in the traditional terran greeting.

She stood there for a moment before coming to a decision, and shaking my claw. “I-ah… hi, Zyrith. I'm Kristien. Thanks for your help, you didn't have to.” The venlil clung tighter to her leg, and I pointedly did not state at them.

“As I said, I am glad to be here. Now, we best not keep them waiting, yes?” I said.

“...Yeah. Before you go, that's Violet,” She said, pointing to the child with the purple dress.

“Yes, but what is her name?” I asked. My attempt at a straight face was immediately ruined by a small chuckle.

Kristen just rolled her eyes. “Oh Ha-*hah*. Violet’s the birthday girl, and that's David, Charlie, Mai, Laura, Samantha and Willow. And this one here is Beil. She's shy, as I'm sure you can see.” she said, gesturing to the venlil, who just managed a flick of her tail and a human nod, which I returned. Kristen gave me a quick rundown on the rules, as well as a quick questionnaire to make sure I was not about to spoil the fun.

As soon as she gave me the green light, I nodded, and turned to my prize; the dragon costume. Neither the head nor legs would fit me, but the torso was big enough for my alien physique. The fabric was rather thin, but compared to my own hide it was fuzzy and warm.

Equipped with a pair of wings and a second set of itchy scales, I joined the children on the playground and immediately regretted my decisions. I had actually just signed myself up to play with children whom I did not know. Though, it should not be too bad, I was just here to play a game after all, like the training grounds I had grown up with. I was sure I could handle this.

That confidence was shattered when, before I said anything, Violet ran to me with her arms raised, almost demanding I ‘help her up’. Unsure of what else to do, I picked her up awkwardly with both hands. After a bit of back and forth and her explaining what she actually wanted, I found myself with a human child clinging to the back of my head, yelling “giddy-up!” With her want pointed forward.

“Ok everyone! Princess Violet and FireFang are ready! Charge!” Shouted one of the children. We had only just started, and I had already been demoted from the commander I had envisioned myself as to the commander's steed. I choked back a groan and charged the ‘castle’.

It actually worked out in my favour however, as it became clear I had only been told half the rules, and the other half seemed to change on a whim. Instead of making a fool of myself I only had to follow Violet’s directions and pretend to roar at anything that got too close.

Letting myself get lost in the game, I began to enjoy myself as we took the castle, defended it from invaders and took it again, all the while with Violet shrieking in delight. I even managed to throw a couple games so the other team would not always lose without my charge noticing. *’I seem to be rather adept at subterfuge, perhaps I should have started something instead of waiting for Isif.’* I thought to myself, though I knew fooling the Dominion would have been a much greater task.

As the games continued, I started feeling a new regret forming in the out of my stomach. Humans were well known for their endurance, I personally knew of several cases where objectively stronger arxur losing to them simply because the humans could leverage attrition to such an advantage. It would seem their offspring embodies that trait to an entirely new level, as they did not slow down even as my limbs burned from the exercise.

Seeing to sense my inner turmoil, Kristen called an end to the game, and only my pride as the Royal Princess’s steed, FireFang the Inferno, kept me from collapsing then and there. Another human, a short and pudgy man this time, had appeared, him and Kristen having set up a small feast for the children while I kept them entertained. This must have been the reason they had freed me from my own foolishness.

“Ayyyyy! Thomas! You look different! Get a haircut or somthin’!?” The man greeted me with market enthusiasm, and an extended hand. At this point it was habit to reciprocate the gesture.

“I…” I quickly found myself out of breath and pulled into a half hug as the man pulled me in with a surprising amount of strength.

“So glad you could make it!” He continued with a slap on my back. “I knew you'd look good in a suit!”

“I am not… my name… is Zyrith.” I got out between breaths.

Kristen interjected before the man could respond. “He's just pulling your leg. Thomas was supposed to be the dragon, but had to cancel last minute. Thanks for stepping in there, Zyrith.” She raised a hand to her face, and took a slow breath. “Anyhow. Zyrith, this is Kodi, my brother. Kodi, meet Zyrith, he volunteered to help out.”

“Ohhhh!” Kodi enunciated, leaning back as he did. “**That's** why I recognize you! You're that Takkan with the skin condition from CrumchyCarlGames! Nice to meet you!” He said, shaking my hand again.

I quickly thought back to the last stream I had been roped into, and yes, that was the current cover story. “Oh! I did not expect to be recognized out here!” I said, catching my breath. “I was just… on a walk, and heard the kids needed a dragon, so here I am.”

“Thank you for that, by the way.” Kristen said. “I was more than a little overwhelmed, and then it only got worse when my backup bailed on me. You didn't have to do that, but you did. Even pretended you knew what you were getting into.” She added with a chuckle.

“Yes, I confess that was short-sighted of me. I suppose seeing the play area reminded me of similar outdoor games I took part in as a child, and overestimated how accustomed to humans I was.” I lied on the spot. They could never know my true intention.

“Oh? What kind of games- uh, sorry. Nevermind.” Kristen cut herself off as she likely imagined what a childhood under Betterment would look like.

The conversation slowed down quickly after that, something for which I was thankful. I was still an arxur who had grown in seclusion after all, and could not keep up with humans physically or socially. I made my excuses, and with a final goodbye to the children I made my way. *’Stars, I should have asked for a water bottle before saying goodbye. It would be too late now.’*

Fortunately there had been a forest in the park, and it was not long before I was out of sight and could take a quick rest.

Recovered as best I could, I continued my search for the store. After crossing a couple more streets, I had almost been ready to turn back, but then, almost spitefully, I spotted a mall I recognized. Seeing it here, I reorientationed myself and realized I had taken a wrong turn, but I also knew exactly where my destination was. I was still a few city blocks out, almost enough for me to decide it was not worth the effort, but I decided I had not come all this way just to fail.

After another unknown amount of time where every step pained me, I finally arrived, and entered into a building with a blessedly stable room temperature. I found a waiting area, armed with seating and a coffee machine. I had no intention of drinking the terrans toxic bean juice, but plain hot water was complimentary too.

I chugged the scalding water and sat down, finally warming up enough to enjoy the shopping experience. I only came for one item, but grabbed a couple water bottles, and after a moment of deliberation, some soda as well for the next time Carl stole the Cerebral Accorder.

“Have a nice day.” I said to the cashier, stepping out of the building. Now I had to do all of it again, but at least this time I had supplies. I made it to the end of the parking lot before needing a drink.

“...What’s in the bag?”

“Just some electrical component, I had to be the one to buy it to keep people off our trail.” I answered as I raised a water bottle to my mouth. I nearly coughed it all out as I realized who the small voice belonged to. “Beil? Why are you here?” I asked as I scanned the area for Kristen and Kodi.

“...I never got to ride the dragon… I…” the venlil child trailed off, too nervous to continue.

I however was growing concerned, as neither Kodi not Kristen were anywhere to be seen. “Are you with anyone? Where are you guardians?” I asked.

Beil seemed to come to the same realization as me, as she began scanning the area and quickly saw she was alone. Her tail began to shake, and I saw the signs of a child getting ready to cry. *’No no no!’* There had been a pair of Gojid in the parking lot! This could **not** happen! “It is alright!” I said as placatingly as I could manage. “You have a dragon with you, yes? We can go on an adventure, to find the princess Violet, with the noble FireFang at your side!” I prayed to anyone who would listen it would be enough.

Tears welled up in the venlils eyes, but instead of the crying I feared, she gave me a human nod and a barely audible “Ok.”

Relief washed through me as I began speaking. “Alright, noble hun-*err*, **knight,** our quest shall take us back to the princess. She needs us to rescue her, can you be the mighty dragon rider she needs?” Beil responded with another nod. “Great! We should get going then!” She placed her paw in my claw, and I began leading us back to the park.

It was not until she began to lag behind that I noticed I had already forgotten part of the deal. Muttering an apology, I brought the venlil up to my shoulders and got her situated much more quickly than I had with Violet. Her crooked legs meant her knees dug into my throat in a very uncomfortable manner, but I did not allow it to show.

“Giddy up!” It was the loudest noise I had heard Beil make, and she followed it up with a whistling giggle. This was twice now I had put myself in this situation. Promising myself it would not become a pattern, I set off with the venlil in tow.

…

I was certain every arxur I knew would be disgusted with my lack of spine.

Most would have already denounced me for my defection to earth, but seeing a federation child coax me into buying treats for her would have been too much for even the most empathetic.

En route to the park the party had been, I stopped at a corner to find my bearings, which immediately convinced Beil we were lost, and the only way to get her to calm down had been to enter a nearby convenience store with the promise of a snack. That she already knew what she wanted, and struggled to keep her whistling in check as I handed her the strawberry slushy, told me this had always been the plan.

“Is that not mostly ice? How are you not already cold in this weather?” I asked the devious leaf licker as she greedily drank the sugary concoction.

She pointedly relaxed her ears, as though I had not already seen through her facade. “It's not that cold. We used to live on Night Side before we came to Earth. All this wool means I'm too warm.”

“Lucky you.” I said as I continued our trek. “I am built for warmer climates, and these concrete paths the humans use suck the warmth right out of my feet.”

“You don't like the cold? Does that mean you don't like this?” I felt a ring of cold atop my head as the little demon placed her frozen drink atop my skull.

“Gah! Get it off! I do not want a brain freeze!” I objected, but Keil just giggled even more.

“Silly dragon! You get brain freeze from *eating* cold things! Look!” I could not, but it would be easy to imagine what I would see if I could. “Wait, Beil, stop at once!” Her body tensed up as she let out a hiss, and I managed to twist my head around just in time to see her bring a paw up to her skull in the same manner Sarah had when she chugged her milkshake.

How was I supposed to deal with this? My mind races through what bits of nurturing I knew, and landed on the time I saw a human rub her son's bruised elbow and ‘kiss it better.’ There was no way I was about to do that, but unfortunately, I was out of options. Rubbing would have to do.

I began to massage Keil's forehead, muttering what comfort I could. “There, there. You will be alright, it does not last.” But I quickly stopped as I heard a distressingly familiar giggle. I pulled my claw away and looked her in the eye.

“Kidding!” She said, punching her two paws into the sky. She let out another whistle as the corners of her mouth rose in an unapologetic human smile.

“You little trickster!” I chided. “This is no way to treat a dragon! Apologie right now!” My demands were met with a tongue pointed at my face. “Apologize, or I shall unleash my fiery fury upon you!”

My words were met with a gasp. “You can warm yourself up with your fire! That means it's ok for me to do this!” Beil said, and pressed the cup of her slushy into my face. Unsure of what else to do, I stuck my tongue at the child before returning her to her perch on my shoulders.

“I shall tell the princess of your insubordination.” I grumbled.

Fortunately the park had not been much further. We were walking down another road, with me doing my best not to get lost amongst the monolithic streets of a mass-produced neighborhood when my accomplice grabbed my head, and started pointing.

“It's aunty Kristen!” Beil said, perking up as I turned down another street. “HEY AUNTY!”

The sidewalk before us was empty though, but I held my tongue just long enough to not make a fool of myself; there was a car driving right towards us, and sure enough, it quickly pulled over, and Kristen came running out.

“BEIL! Beil, what happened!? Are you alright!?” The human peppered the child with questions.

“This is partially my fault.” I said as I unloaded the child from my shoulders, and transferred her to Kristen. “Beil wanted to ask something of me, but I did not notice until we had already made some distance. I apologize, I should have been more aware of my surroundings.”

“That's no excuse! Beil, you knew better than to leave the park! I- wait, where did you get a slushy?”

By the time I had explained everything that had happened, the search parties, consisting mostly of the parents of the party goers, had all been contacted and were returning to the park, leaving Beil, Kristen and I to await everyone's return.

Kodi arrived panting and sweating, having been on foot for the search, but still managed his upbeat tone. “Hoo-wee! It's always an adventure with you around huh? Glad to see the little tyke's alright, thanks for watching out for her!” He said with a pat on my shoulder.

“Again, I'm just so sorry you got tangled up in all this.” Kristen said, “And thank you for all your help, I have no idea what I would have done without you.”

“Do not forget, it was my presence that caused both of your problems as well, Kristen. I was only taking responsibility for the messes I made.” I replied, waving away her gratitude.

“Hey! None of that was your fault! Things happen!” Kodi objected.

Kristen nodded, and continued right where Kodi left off. “Really, you didn't have to. If there's any way we could pay you back, please let us know.” I wanted to dismiss their praise, but it was clear their tag teaming would soon wear me down. *’Damn these pack predators!’*

“Well, if it would be no trouble…” Another stiff breeze sent a chill through me, and I wrapped my arms around myself in an attempt to preserve warmth. “Could I get a ride home?”

_____

[forth](https://www.reddit.com/r/NatureofPredators/s/BNuuYG9ixj)