Here Lizard, Lizard, Lizard! (Tags Cloar)

[Rei]

Danar clutched the silver ring tightly in his hand. This would be the perfect bait for their quarry. What mander could resist a shiny silver and shell fragment ring? It had been his mothers but he fully intended to get it back after they had caught the mander. Good thing they had Cloar’s new pet to put the image of the ring in the little demon’s head. The little bronze in question was so magnificent and Danar was more than a little jealous but whatever, he would soon have a bronze dragon, and that beat the hell out of a bronze flitter any day!

Speaking of Cloar he turned to his partner in crime giving the other burly lad a mock punch to the shoulder. “You ready for his!” The candidate’s voice held an excited energy and his smile was contagious. Danar strode over to an empty bunk and proceeded to open the small trunk at its base. It was empty perfect! He then held the ring up for the other boy to examine it. “Think that’s tempting enough?” He queried twirling it around so his friend could examine it at all angles. This was going to be great!

[dragon]

Cloar grunted at the impact of the punch, grinning slightly. This was SUCH a dumb idea. They were going to so get creamed, soon as Stupid ratted out that the pair had caught him. But ... ah well. Maybe they could turn him into jerky first? And feed him to Storm. Then no one would ever find him! He reached over, and took the ring from Danar, and inspected it. It was certainly shiny enough, and sparkly. "Well ... could be bigger..." he teased, before letting Danar snatch it back, laughing.

Storm walked across Cloar's broad shoulders, and peeked down at the ring, too. Sparkly! The young flitter peeped curiously, tilting his head one way and then the other. Sparkly?

"What are we gonna do with the stupid Stupid, once we've got him? And how are we going to get away with it? That stupid creature can broadcast a long ways." Cloar pointed out. It was the part of the plan that he really didn't understand... it hadn't really been covered, yet. He glanced at the trunk. Well ... it was certainly big enough and sturdy enough to trap Stupid.

Maybe they'd throw it in the river, after chaining it shut?

[Rei]

Danar listened to his buddy’s questions and dismissed them with a wave of his hand. “Minor details my friend we have to catch the little snot first then we will decide what to do with him.” To tell the truth the lad hadn’t thought that far ahead but oh well if they caught him they would worry about it then. The candidate held the ring up to the little bronze. “What do you say Storm think you can get an image of this into that brown mander’s head? You know the one who hurt your buddy Cloar? I’m sure you’ve seen the memory.” He stated in a matter of fact tone.

After the bronze had gotten a good look at the ring Danar placed it into the open trunk situating it so it was near the back. There that should give them enough time to close the lid on the blasted creature. The candidate turned and smiled at his friend. “Alright now we wait for the Stupid to make his entrance.” The lad took a position on the lower bunk where he could peek just over the trunk lid. “Cloar get on the top bunk and get Storm to relay the image. When he’s in the trunk I slam the lid and presto lizard in a box.” The excitement in Danar’s voice was hard to miss. This was going to be interesting.

[dragon]

Cloar was more than happy to be away from the trunk. He knew firsthand how mean Stupid could be. And he didn't want to be the one getting bitten again! He hefted himself up onto the top bunk, and scrunched down impossibly low on the bunk, so that he couldn't be seen from the trunk. He couldn't see the trunk, either, but that was okay. Storm could.

Sitting blithely on the edge of the bunk, Storm peeped, rocking from side to side. Send a picture to Stupid? He could do that. That was easy. Why they wanted to let Stupid know where something as pretty as that was, he had no idea. Storm wanted that ring for himself! It was pweety. Sparklie!

But Storm hadn't figured out how to fly just yet, do he didn't try to jump off the bunk and into the trunk. He was too young to try flying just yet. Otherwise he'd be the one down there. But doing as he was told, he sent a detailed image of the pretty ring in the trunk in the barracks to Stupid. Maybe the 'mandyr would bring it to him? If not, Storm intended to gnaw the stupid brown 'mandyr's head off. His shiny!

[Avu]

Despite any and all opinions to the opposite, Stupid was not stupid. If he was, he'd have been long dead, what with his curiosity about everything and anything that moved, didn't move, was near and far from him, and basically - anything. At all. He'd nearly been swallowed, drowned, cooked, fried, squashed, smothered, and otherwise accidentally killed - and that was all in one week. His first week of life, incidentally, which had left T'rid flailing, Corinth bewildered, and Stupid himself enthusiastically risking his life even more. And why not? He was practically invincible when it cames to matters of blatant curiosity. Fortunately, T'rid showed no impulse to keep Stupid around his person at all times, and thus, the brown 'mandyr had been left, dozing, on the Weyrleader's bed while he himself was off somewhere with Corinth. Probably wing drills or something of the like.

Correction; he had been dozing. Until an image of a ring flashed through his mind. A particularly nice one it was, too, lovely and shiny. Any other Salamandyr might have dived for the chance. Not Stupid. He really didn't have much of an attraction to shiny objects - just the opportunities that they presented. And there were so many other shinies lying around; why should he stir himself from this very lovely sunny spot to go investigate just one? Especially when it was nearly halfway across the Weyr? He was all set to curl up tighter and go back to sleep, and would have, had the question not popped into his mind. Just who had sent him the image? Why? And thus, stretching lazily and yawning, the 'mandyr had slid out of his mindpet's weyr and headed for the Candidate Barracks after frilling at Mir cheerfully and sending the blue fire lizard hissing to the other side of the weyr to eye his departure warily.

Haha. Stupid fire lizard.

It was a simple thing to get a ride from someone headed towards the Candidate Barracks after changing the glows in the weyrs. In fact, they weren't even aware they'd lent Stupid a ride until the brown 'mandyr jumped onto shore, offered a polite chirrup, and then skittered off again, leaving said Candidate gaping after him. Had he just thought stupid fire lizard? Stupid Candidate, more like...with a smug coo, Stupid pulled himself up the steps and finally peeked into the Candidate Barracks, the ones in which the male Candidates all lived in until Impression or being tossed out. Whichever, though the latter seemed much more dramatic and fun to Stupid. And - there it was. The ring. Just sitting there. No, not just sitting there; sitting in a trunk.

Trunks scared Stupid. And, in all fairness, he had a reason, too. Being locked in a trunk multiple times had left its mark, and His had been a lot blunter about it than Stupid would have wished. No tempting morsels offered, no coaxing, just picking him up and dropping him in and locking the trunk after him, leaving him in total darkness. Scary, that. Not even for a ring would Stupid go anywhere near a trunk if he had any choice in the matter. He reared onto his hind legs in the doorway, bright, beady eyes skimming over the room. He hadn't come for the ring anyway; he'd only come to see who had planted the image in his mind, and - shiny. Bronze. A fire lizard? A fire lizard! Hissing softly at him, Stupid flared what served as wings, his tailtip twitching lightly and then curling around his haunches as he considered it.

Young. Younger than the ones that had so recently Hatched in the Infirmary. What was it doing on that bunk? Silly fire lizard. It wasn't even warm and sunny there. Clicking his disapproval, Stupid slipped across the room, pausing at the mouth of the trunk briefly, and then slithered past it. His claws hooked onto the fabric that dropped from one of the bunks and in a second, the brown 'mandyr was perched there, at the foot of the bunk on which Danar sat, reared on his hind legs, forepaws tucked against his belly and beady eyes examining the lad impersonally for a moment, his frill rising and then flattening. He didn't know the boy. At all. He'd never seen him before. He meant nothing to Stupid. Now, what has his target been? Oh, yes. That fire lizard. Leaving a note to remember him by, Stupid commented sweetly to Danar, Big ass stupid, before he ascended to the top bunk from behind.

Oh. He recognized this one! Stupid was torn between brightening and just outright attacking Cloar. This was the mean one. He hissed softly to get his attention, frilling. You! Mean ass! Get shiny.

[Rei]

Danar watched as the mander skittered across the floor and….totally bypassed the trunk. What in Faranth’s name. He had thought his plan foolproof. Obviously it could have used some adjustment. Darn where’d the little demon get to? The lad flinched as he heard a voice sound in his head. Big ass stupid.

What big ass? The candidate turned just in time to see the mander’s small tail disappear over the edge of the top bunk. Crap. “Cloar heads up the intended target has infiltrated your immediate area!” The burly lad scrambled off the bed and took a few steps back so he could see the top bunk. “Hey Stupid the ring is down here.” Maybe the little thing couldn’t see it?

You! Mean ass! Get Shiny. Ok so the brown mander did see the ring he just wanted Cloar/mean ass to retrieve it. “Hey mean ass. Try not to get bit again.” Danar called at the other boy unable to stifle a laugh. Maybe this mander wasn’t so bad after all. Then again it had called him Big ass. Stupid Sharding Mander.

[dragon]

Cloar gave Stupid a wary look. Shards. How/why had Stupid come after him? "Get away from me." Cloar told him, rather unhappily. But he was totally prepared to pop the 'mandyr's head off if the monster attacked him again.

Storm watched with interest as Stupid not only arrived, but came to see him. He peeped, curiously, as he had never seen a Salamandyr before that moment. Interesting! But then he picked up on the alarm coming from his, and blatantly placed himself between Cloar and Stupid. Hissing in warning, Storm popped his wings open, to look bigger, never mind he was already many times larger than Stupid was, despite being a baby bronze. And even though he was a baby, he was determined to protect his pet from the perceived menace.

"Go get it yourself, if you want it." Cloar replied. "I am not inclined to do anything for a mean runt like you." He slid backward off the bunk, snatching up Storm as he went, keeping the flitter safe from the vicious salamandyr. Clutching the bronze to his chest as he landed lightly on his feet, Cloar dodged away from the occupied bunk.

"Catch him!" Cloar said, stuffing his hissing flitter into his bag. Storm wailed indignantly at the treatment, wanting to be the one protecting, not the one being protected. Getting the idea that Stupid didn't like the trunk, that was exactly where Cloar went, slipping behind it. Once Danar slapped the mandyr into the trunk, Cloar was prepared to slam it shut on the little monster. "Don't let him bite you, he doesn't let go for anything." He hissed, in warning.

[Avu]

Get away? Why? And what was with the other boy's words? He knew the ring was down there. Of course he did. Stupid wasn't that dumb, thank you very much! A slightly indignant huff, aimed at both boys, and Stupid frilled with a slightly sibilant hiss at Cloar. Get away? Rude! Hadn't he already left a mark to remember him by? And he was still being so rude. And - and - hey. What was this? The bronze fire lizard distracted Stupid and he uttered a curious trill, sitting down on the bed and rubbing his head thoughtfully against the bedpost to ease an itch. Hiss, hiss, flare of wings. Well, Stupid could do that, too, and he was distinctly more menacing than the baby bronze, in his not-so-humble opinion. But hissing? How boring. He uttered a warning shriek, his frill and what passed for his wings rising as the shriek died into a low, rasping growl. This thing wasn't so terribly amazing, really. After all, it was just like the little blue one and the big bronze one mixed together to make a little bronze one, and neither of them scared Stupid. Why should this thing scare him?

The boy's slithering disappearance made Stupid's growling stop, the brown 'mandyr skittering curiously to the edge of the bed to peer at the two boys. Mean ass get mine! he demanded imperiously, tacking on a growl to get the boy's attention. Was he getting it? Nope. He went behind the trunk. Stupid wasn't going there, even to bite him like he deserved. Trunks were a huge stay-away for the brown 'mandyr, and he would gladly bite, writhe, and claw anyone who tried to get him anywhere near one - even His, though T'rid was quick enough to avoid it. He frilled uncertainly, head cocked as the boy told the other one to "Catch him." He knew those words, too, and they meant nothing nice for him. "Don't let him bite you, he doesn't let go for anything." He didn't quite follow that one, but he recognized certain words, bite being the first.

He bared his teeth, uttering a warning growl as he sought his mindmate's precense. Found it, ah...now, what was he doing...? Catch Stupid, stupidmine! Come catchget! This was followed by a much more eloquent image of the Candidate Barracks, the image efficiently distracting T'rid from changing from his wherhide gear to lighter wear. Stupid glared maliciously at his would-be captors, trilling his amusement. Mine get stupid asses! Ha! Get shiny, get shiny mine, ha! he declared, bouncing slightly. His and that big bronze would come now, and they could squash the little trouble-making asses, and see where that got them! Maybe extra chores? Ooh, yes, that would be lovely. He could even oversee the chores and bite them if they didn't work. How was that?

In case he hadn't gotten the message across, Stupid dropped from the bunk to the lower one, brightly regarding Danar and Cloar before he dropped to the ground, slithering across the ground to the nearest window, and stared out of it. Just as he let out a triumphant shriek, bronze wings that had previously not been there blotted out the sun, a jewel-faceted eye glittering as Corinth backwinged to land. Stupid cast a sly backwards glance, and, weighing the odds, took the opportunity to dive for the shiny, trusting both boys to be too distracted to notice - and even if he did get caught, His would free him shortly. Either way, he'd get the shiny! As his jaws closed around the little ornament, Stupid veered, changing direction and heading back out of the trunk. In theory. Whether or not he actually did rather depended on Cloar.

[Rei]

Danar watched as Stupid bared his teeth. “I am not touching that little demon you grab him.” He watched as the mander frilled again and exclaimed. Mine get stupid asses! Ha! Get shiny, get shiny mine, ha! “Ok what the hell is the little snot talking about?” Danar was at a loss, the creature seemed to love spouting off nonsense. He was worse than a babbling weyrbrat and doubly as annoying. “Ok you tiny poor excuse for a flitter. What the hell are you…”

The lad trailed off as the room darkened. Danar turned to the window. Was it a cloud? Clouds were a rarity as of late. Perhaps they were finally going to get some rain. The lads eyes widened. Shells that was no cloud those were dragon wings! Bronze dragon wings. Shells the little lizard must have called his bonded.

The candidate turned to regard the mander with a glare and quickly realized he was not in front of them anymore. He scanned the room and spotted Stupid just as he slithered into the trunk. “Cloar shut the trunk! The sharding creature is in it!” Never mind T’rid for now. They could always lie and say Stupid had stolen the ring in the first place and they were just trying to get it back. Needless to say Danar had not thought out how they would or could prove such a thing.

[dragon]

Cloar watched Stupid quite closely and warily, still holding Storm near his chest, and out of harms way. He knew that experience could make up for a lot of size ... not to mention attitude. And he didn't want Storm's wings getting torn off by the nasty little brown 'mandyr.

And then the room got darker. What in the world? A quick glance at the window, and a flash of bronze had Cloar's gut sinking to the very floor. Great. T'rid. Just what they needed. On top of Stupid being fit to eat them.

And then ... ?! Stupid dived into the trunk?! How could they be so lucky?! Cloar jumped up, and slammed the lid down with a heavy, final-sounding bang. "Got him!" He said, triumphantly, letting Storm go finally.

The bronze flitter fluttered across the trunk to the latch, and bent low to peer in through the lock hole. Peep? Was the funny looking shriveled flitter in there now? Interesting! Storm turned around, and pranced back across the trunk, to his pet.

Cloar grabbed up the bronze flitter, and then dived behind a bunk, out of sight.

Let Danar deal with T'rid. Danar was the one who thought up this whole hairbrained idea and didn't think of a way back out of it!! Cloar wasn't interested in another run in with Stupid or T'rid ... especially not now that T'rid was also Weyrleader this time. Trapping T'rid's impossible pet was one thing. But trapping the Weyrleader's pet?

Oh, by Faranth, Cloar hoped to not get involved in this.

[Avu]

Okay. So he'd gotten locked in the trunk. Stupid clutched at the ring possessively, beady eyes straining to penetrate the darkness. But underlaying the smugness - he'd gotten his ring, and soon His could free him - was something that was definitely fear. So dark - well, not complete darkness, because of the lock hole, but - hey! He shrieked in fury as a certain fire lizard's head momentarily obstructed that light source. Where did he get off, doing that? Biting down on the silver ring, he trembled slightly, a mixture of excited anticipation at the tongue-lashing the two errant Candidates would surely soon recieve, and - though he'd never admit it - a touch of anxiety. His frill rose and flattened spasmodically as he all but wriggled in his eagerness to leave the trunk, and - oh, footsteps! That was His, wasn't it?

And it was. The bronzerider was worried about Stupid. Hey, he wanted to kill the thing, too, sometimes, and it was his mindmate; there was no telling what a couple of goofy, numb-witted Candidates might do. The door was opened rather more forcefully than good etiquette called for, banging off the wall as he all but growled at Danar - where had the other idiot gone? Stupid had been most insistent when he projected the image of two Candidates. "Let him out. Now," he snapped, pointing at the trunk, from which an ear-piercing shriek emerged. "And if you've harmed so much as a single claw of him, you and your friend had better take a good look at this place, because it'll be your last." (Could he kick out Candidates? Oho. What fun, if he could.) "And drag your friend out, too; if he doesn't come out in five minutes' time, I'll get Stupid to find him and bite him."

He. Was. Furious.

Playing a harmless prank was one thing. Potentially hurting someone's mindmate was another. In all fairness, he didn't have proof that they'd been trying to hurt Stupid, but why would they want to trap him in a trunk if they were doing something good? Outside, Corinth echoed his distress in a bugle, the bronze dragon flaring his wings as he twisted to peer with one great jewel-faceted eye into the window, rumbling in light amusement. Mine, I have found the other. Momentarily distracted, T'rid glanced over at Corinth, whose eye was whirling brilliant shades of orange. The other? Where? He's hiding behind a bunk. You probably can't see him from there, but apparently he didn't think about me looking in the window. It doesn't really matter. I'm sure he'll come out under threat of Stupid anyway.

Threat of Stupid. Dangerous indeed.

((Sorry for crap post. x.X;)

[Rei]

((My Muse ran away on this one ))

Danar jumped as the door slammed but refused to allow himself to be intimidated by T‘rid‘s tone. Sure he was the Weyrleader but he was also a worthless one. As if the Weyrwoman would allow him to kick out candidates. She would probably laugh and maybe assign them more chores. It wouldn’t really bother the lad if she did. He was used to them.

Still the lad turned to the trunk and flipped the lid open. “We wouldn’t hurt him.” The boy said in a flat voice. It was the truth Danar could not justify killing a pet. Even one as annoying as Stupid was. “Cloar You might as well come out of hiding it..” The rest of his statement was cut off by Corinth’s loud bugle. “Shards what has his tail in a knot?” He boy growled rather irritated as he rubbed his ringing ears. Danar turned to the Weyrleader and awaited Cloar’s appearance. Shards maybe this wasn’t one of his brightest ideas.

[dragon]

Cloar yelled, and clapped both hands over his ears, as his head exploded in pain at the sound funneled almost directly down on him. Storm set up to keening, too, unable to cover his delicate ears. Flapping madly, the hatchling almost made flight as he scrambled around on his pet.

The ringing in Cloar's ears totally rendered him deaf to anything else that was said or done ... and he just sat there for a time, twisting his fingers in his ears. Though now he was sat up and more or less visible to the others, they were not at all in his attention. His head hurt, his ears hurt, he felt like his nose should be bleeding and dripping brain matter ... and he couldn't hear anything. Nothing at all. All he could 'hear' was the distressed emotions coming from Storm, who decided that it was time to hide in Cloar's shirt.

Cloar let him, groaning as he held his head and bent over, waiting for the throbbing booming in his head to go away.

[Avu]

Corinth's bugle hardly registered on the Weyrleader himself; he was used to it, and he was seething anyway. Nevertheless, he smirked at Danar's expression, sardonically clicking his tongue disparagingly as Stupid shot out of the trunk, adding a shrill ululation of his own to the chaos as he clutched the ring between his foreclaws - he'd gotten it, and he was not giving it back for anything - as he took a flying leap to His's pants - which were of the usual tight kind that the bronzerider preferred - and elicited a quiet hiss of warning from T'rid as his claws pricked through the fabric and lightly tickled his legs. Got shine, mine! Stupid shine! the brown 'mandyr exclaimed eagerly, ascending to the bronzerider's chest pocket and diving headlong in, popping back out, head, forepaws, and ring, silver and gleaming, visible over the dark green fabric. Are you hurt? T'rid demanded silently of Stupid, anxiety crossing his face as he dropped his gaze to the triumphant creature. Hurt none. Got shine, hurt none. Maul stupids? he added sweetly, glancing at Danar.

And, ah, yes. That reminded him. He swiftly crossed the room to the Candidate who had apparently suffered greatly under Corinth's bugle - ha, served him right, crouching like a beaten pup behind a bed while leaving his fellow to do the evading - and quirked one brow at him, hand resting on the cloth-wrapped hilt of his dirk as he curled his lip, clearly disgusted. "You. Up. Cowards have no place in the Weyr, especially during a war. By your friend - or wouldn't you consider him that? Seeing how loyal you were..." Stupid added his own shrieking hisses to the sharp venom in his Bonded's voice, the brown 'mandyr frilling triumphantly as he clutched the ring in his foreclaws. The idiot had lost, because he had the ring, he had his Bonded, he had the winged bronze one, and should it come down to a fight now, with the threat of loosing his Candidacy, would the idiot really do anything? T'rid was deadly serious about it, after all; Stupid could tell by his tone. Who said he'd talk to Shmee about it, anyway? He'd just strap them to his dragon, demand which Hold they'd come from, and take them to it and drop them there. If they didn't tell, he'd take them to the middle of a desert and drop them off there.

Stepping back to the boy and the trunk, he reached into his chest pocket. "Give me the ring, Stupid." The brown 'mandyr meekly released the little bauble, and T'rid casually twirled it loosely around his finger. "Which of yours is this? It's of some value?" Pretty it must be considered, he supposed candidly, polished silver with a shell shard. What chores should he set them to, now? The ring gleamed as it whirled and T'rid raised his eyebrows at the Candidates. Cleaning chamberpots, for one of them. Yes, definitely. The other? Hmm. Probably cleaning the herdbeast pens of their excrements. Yes. That would keep them suitably far from each other, and besides, both jobs were the ones that were most often foisted off on others, but he'd have Mir oversee one activity and Stupid the other, and if they did, they'd be punished accordingly. And if a dragon swooped down and mistook one of the Candidates for a herdbeast and ate him? All the better. Stupid would be delighted.

Corinth rumbled again, the sound nearer to a growl as the whirling eye was brought close to the window, the bronze dragon's teeth flashing momentarily. Nice show, T'rid commented, glancing over at the dragon. You owe me. I'll let hunt you out later. There's a good spot in the jungle... Fine. I'll take you hunting there. Wherries? And felines. I'll have to bring my dirk... You'd bring it even without felines. Pay attention, Mine. Just remember. Stupid, luckily, had been...ah. Distracting the Candidates during the short flicker of mental exchange between bronze and rider, commenting loudly and enthusiastically, Mine /maul/ mean ass big ass, ass die! Diediedie! Mine /kill maul/! Ha! Mine shine now! Mine now! Mine now, ha! Is mine. He skittered out of T'rid's pocket, and down the length of the bronzerider's forearm, nimbly balancing until he curled up around the man's forefinger, nibbling lightly on the silver ring. Asses! he proclaimed triumphantly.

Loooooosers!

[Rei]

Danar watched Stupid as he sprinted out of his prison and clambered up his bonded shouting the whole way. Shards, the mander’s whiny little voice was annoying. He doubted anyone but T’rid could even have a liking for the horrible creature. Maul stupids? Yeah right he could crush the thing with one stomp of his boot. He would like to see it try to maul him. He would crush the little worm's bones and…. Oh he better stop thinking such violent things or he was likely to go off.

The boy bristled at T’rids flagrant verbal assault on Cloar. Where did the bastard get off treating anyone like that? Who cares if he is the Weyrleader? He was a utterly worthless one. Perhaps Corinth deserved the position but T’rid was the farthest thing from a leader. The only thing that stopped him from opening his mouth was the threat of his being thrown from candidacy. He swore right there that if he ever impressed a bronze he would show T’rid exactly how a proper Bronzerider was supposed to act.

At the mans question about the ring Danar raised his hand. “It is mine sir. It was my mothers. I would appreciate it back. It is one of the only items I have to remember her by.” He tried to keep the anger and worry out of his voice. If T’rid kept it he would go the Weyrwoman herself and beg her to get it back if that is what it took. He flicked his gaze to Stupid as the mander began gnawing on the ring and insulted them to boot. The candidate glared at the lizard putting as much venom as he could into the gaze. No wonder Cloar hated it so much.