Do you feel lucky? [Peppeth's Flight]

[Rowana]

Farryl yawned, blinking away sleep from her eyes. The sun hadn't even risen yet, though the sky was too light for many stars to be out. Normally she would be asleep for another hour, but today Peppeth had woken her extra early. Farryl stretched, grumbling in her sleepiness. "Does it have to be so early this time?" she asked hopefully. "Can't we sleep more?"

Why sleep? It is a beautiful day! Peppeth declared happily, her tail swishing in anticipation. Her hide glowed nicely, making her stripes seem all the more vivid. Farryl rolled her eyes, but couldn't help a smile. "It isn't day yet, sweety," she pointed out, gesturing at the lack of sun. Oh. Peppeth stared at the sky for a moment. It will be soon! she countered at last.

Farryl shrugged. At least Kurro, Faii and Hobbs were still sleeping, lazy creatures. She would have to see what mischief the twins had discovered when she got back. Slipping into a light blouse and skirt, she jogged off to the flight rooms. It sometimes surprised her how she'd gotten used to Flights over the turns, though she still couldn't say she looked forward to them.

Peppeth did a few more stretches. The air was a bit chill in the pre-dawn, but she was sure the sun would come out soon. Why should she wait until people were awake? She wanted to play now! Come and play with Peppeth! she called in a sing song voice. Age hadn't done much to temper her childlike enjoyment of life. Play and dance and fly!

With a high-pitched roar, she dove off her ledge shot downward. Arching before she hit the ground, she spun her body and shot back upwards. Her spiraling ascent took her high over the weyrbowl, giving her a chance to see who would come to her call. This place may not have canyons or jungles to dance through, but it was full of it's own surprises!

[Ruby]

It was Futh's enormous, jaw-cracking yawn that woke Kami, who, in turn, woke Oberon and M'kai by flying circles around the room and chattering brightly. Time to get up! The sun had nearly risen, and the dragon was awake, so everyone should be awake, no? Oberon hissed at her, curling tighter around M'kai's neck and singing, Limpfeather ruuuude rude, wakey so early, no? Kami chattered back pleasantly, but M'kai muttered something and turned over before sitting up. This was odd enough to shut Oberon up, at least for a bit - normally he would have just told his pets to shut up and gone back to sleep. It was their usual routine.

But something felt odd, and in his morning blur M'kai didn't quite know what it was. Peppeth is rising, Mine, Futh murmured to his human, blinking sleepily and stretching first one wing, then the other. M'kai couldn't help but aim a gentle smile at his mindmate. I remember a time when you would have been the absolute first one in the air, Fuffle, M'kai replied, covering a yawn of his own. It was true, too - Futh had chased Peppeth many times over the years, although he'd never won. Still, the playful green was one of his favorites, and although M'kai had never had a particularly strong connection with Farryl, there was certainly nothing wrong with her. I have no less desire for Peppeth, simply more wisdom and older bones,[/i] the blue said, tone playfully mystical. M'kai snorted, and Futh surged to his feet.

The one good thing about an early morning flight was that the thermals would grow stronger as the sun rose. In the mean time, though, the early morning air was still cool and dead, sitting in the old volcano caldera and cooling over the lake all night. For a dragon as hefty as Futh, this was a challenge. He took off carefully, getting up to speed only after clearing his ledge. I am ready to play at any time of day![/i] Futh laughed at himself, sketching a lazy barrel roll before adding, I am a poet and I didn't know it. What is the game, fair Peppeth?[/i] The rotund blue was flapping harder now, though - it wasn't all a game, and he certainly wasn't going to give up any lead he might have this early. It just took him some time to get up to speed.

M'kai, too, was a bit slow in the mornings. He yawned again, tossed his furs back, got out of bed, and contemplated the tangle of clothes on the floor. He could put on a real outfit, he figured, but on the off chance that he won, what would he do with them? They'd just get in the way. And anyway, the pull to find Farryl was quiet, so far, but getting more insistent by the moment. It had been quite some time, after all, since he'd visited Isori. His weyr was lonely these days, that was for sure. Yeah, real clothes could wait, his boxers and sleep shirt were good enough for now. Tossing his long hair (tangled from sleep) behind his shoulders, he padded out into the hallways of the Weyr, reaching the flightrooms just after Farryl. Smiling at the shy greenrider, he kept his distance but offered "That's a pretty skirt, Farryl. Nice to see you again."

[Sheari]

Kormath couldn’t remember why he and His had originally come to Inverness. Probably some business of his that he had to attend to. K’nale hadn’t been at all pleased with how he was “restricted” because he was harper. The junior journeyman would be quick to say that he was a dragonrider, but that in itself would have caused problems for him. He simply couldn’t keep himself from singing and some soul would look him up in the harper records and he’d be found out. It was easier to simply go with the motions. One thing Kormath did remember was why they had remained at Inverness for so long, and there it was.

The blue’s youth was possibly a bit against him. Most of the older dragons knew each other well, having lived together in a weyr during the war. Kormath had practically grown up in a hold. Fort had a few watchdragons, but not many, and certainly none from his clutch. After watching Peppeth ascend, Kormath leapt from the heights of the weyr. One powerful stroke of his wings was enough to lift him rather high, after the tiny green. I will play, and dance, and fly with you, sweet striped green![/I] he crowed. But I’ve a riddle for you. Am I dark blue with a light belly, or light blue with a dark crown?[/I]

The nonsense had been spur of the moment, as Kormath employed his overlarge wings in the air. He couldn’t quite snap them to his back, and their size sort of killed aerodynamics, but he would try. A twinge of intimidation hinted at how young and inexperienced he was. Or maybe that twinge was K’nale. The leaders of Inverness were probably ready to have it out with him, since he’d been here a week longer than expected already. Kormath had simply refused to leave, and the glow of Peppeth told him why. Already embarrassed for feeling like he was imposing on the weyrleaders, K’nale had spent his time avoiding anyone old enough to tell him off. That included Farryl.

Off to the Flightrooms he went though, trying to keep his wits about him as his blue enjoyed the green’s company. So far he saw only the greenrider and a bluerider who’s name escaped him. He looked familiar, and thought that maybe Kormath had spoken to his blue once. Either way, the thought went out of his mind as he let the pair talk. Unsure of what to do with himself, K’nale just sort of stood there, feeling more and more awkward by the moment.

[Rowana]

If Peppeth was disappointed that only two had chosen to chase her at this early hour, she did not show it. Indeed, having such a small crown made her even more excited. She could have such fun with her two suitors this morning! The sun was already starting to peek and she did not want to keep them waiting long. The only trouble was how to choose between two such handsome fellows. Folding her wings, she dropped down to meet them. Time for the fun to begin!

She passed Futh first, dodging under him before flipping around to tap his nose with her tail. What lovely words, dear Futh! she crooned happily. She was always glad to see him in her chases. Perhaps today would be his lucky day! Next, she soared over Kormath, flipping to fly upside down under his belly. Examination complete, she chuckled happily in his mind. Why can you not be both? she asked hopefully. Either way seems nice to me! She did not know this one as well, but Kormath's wit already had her charmed. Surly he would not disappointed her!

With a roll to right herself, Peppeth took off at speed. It was time to begin in earnest! Her path took her straight to one of the Weyr's walls. Endurance might not be her strong suite, but the little green was known for her speed and agility. Nearly scrapping the wall, she turned sharply to follow it's length. Her wings beat at an agile, neatly avoided ledges as she passed and giggling at dragons who might be sleeping on them. Could her handsome blues keep up with her?

Farryl smiled for M'kai. She was still feeling sleepy, but Peppeth's excitement was growing infectious. She curtsied and twirled, showing off the skirt M'kai had commented on. "Why thank you," she purred. "Always a pleasure." She glanced behind him, tutting a little at the other arrival's shyness. "No lurking," she chided, bouncing forward to take K'nale's hand and pull him into the room. She let him go with a smile, pulling M'kai by the hand too, just to be fair. She beamed at them. That was better. Now they were all here!

[Ruby]

Futh huffed in vague annoyance. What were the other males of the weyr thinking? Peppeth was widely known to be a sweet dragon, and a worthy mate. Well, it was early, he decided, and he didn't mind less competition, after all. Flipping a wing at Kormath, he greeted the other blue with a croon and a mental brush. Greetings, blue brother! Fair morning to you both.[/i] He didn't bother addressing Kormath only - Peppeth could hear everything he said. Why not? And then, just to express his pleasure at the early morning flight and the friendly competition, the older blue dipped his left wing, then his right, then the left again, tracing a playful wobbly path through the air.

He wasn't left to his own devices for long, though. Peppeth ducked beneath him, complimenting his words, and he crooned a happy thank you. The tap on his nose made him snort, then sneeze, though, which made the sky-blue dragon giggle. Heaving himself up and over into a slow loop, he reached the apex... only to watch Peppeth's tail disappearing towards the wall of the Weyr. Tucking his wings, Futh plummeted, flaring his wings slowly as he fell to take advantage of all of his momentum.

He was still behind (and if Kormath had followed straight, Futh was definitely in second place), but Futh had been pulling off tricks with walls since his earliest Chases. It was one of the few things the hefty dragon actually did well. Aiming for a spot just below where Peppeth had turned, Futh didn't stop - he slammed right into the wall, catching on just long enough to push off the obsidian slope and use his legs to power himself back out into the weyr bowl. He couldn't weave through the ledges like Peppeth could, no way, so instead he coasted just outside their edges in a wide circle. Not so impressive, but at least he wasn't losing ground to the speedy little green. Yet, anyway.

M'kai wasn't usually particularly susceptible to women's smiles, but he found himself grinning, and his cheeks even felt a bit pink. He was... happy, or at least he felt happy, which was rare enough these days. It was most likely Futh's growing influence, but M'kai sketched a friendly little bow in response to her curtsey. He wanted to reach out to help her twirl, like in a dance, but knew better than to touch without invitation during a flight. Instead he turned as Farryl passed him like he was magnetically attached to her, smiling even bigger as she took his hand. When she pulled him forward, though, M'kai realized too late that his feet were tangled. The tall redhead flailed comically, grasping indiscriminately at Farryl and K'nale as he fell, trying to get a hand on something to keep him up.

[Sheari]

It took Kormath a moment of thought at Peppeth’s proposal. Ah, a question with a question. So then, are you light green with dark stripes, or the reverse?[/I] The blue hadn’t a clue where these riddles were coming from. True, the charm had always been there, but he’d never really been one to want to stand out. It could be a medley of things, from Futh being the only other Chaser, to Peppeth’s bubbly personality. To the other, Kormath dipped his nose in greeting, and then he was off.

He’d tried tricks once…it hadn’t quite worked. However, Kormath did have the foresight to see the wall, slow for the wall, and use the wall as a spring board, launching off of it and executing a sharp turn that he wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise. Following straight, the blue was able to take the lead in the race. As Peppeth continued to dance and play among the mountain and weyrs, Kormath was simply happy to follow. He rocked in the air back and forth after her, moving in as intricate of weaves as he dared. Normally greens made him feel small, put the tiny size of Peppeth did not.

Kormath laughed into her mind even as she giggled at any dragons on the weyrs. Oh, but this was fun! For just a moment Kormath thought that it might be more fun if his brother Tirneth were here. He took a look at Futh quickly, to gauge the distance between himself at the other. Not too close, not too far.

K’nale smiled sheepishly at the scolding he received for his lurking. He allowed Farryl to pull him closer, chuckling a little as M’kai was tugged, too. When the other blue rider lost his balance, K’nale felt a grab at him and failed to dodge. One of the red’s hands must have found purchase, because the next thing K’nale knew was that he too was fumbling for his balance. He just hoped they all didn’t topple over…or maybe he did. Tumbling onto the floor with Farryl didn’t sound so bad.

[Rowana]

Peppeth pushed off a large ledge and out into the wide open air. Futh and Kormath were doing so well! She loved Futh's skill at pushing off the wall and his adorable flight. Kormath was faster and more skilled, and his wit was as sharp as ever. Maybe if you catch me, you can decide for yourself! she teased Kormath gently. Diving, she brushed passed Futh again for fun before bank back out into open air. Dodging rocks was nice, but she yearned for something even more fun.

Oh! Dancing! she declared joyfully. Flying higher, she twirled and spun in the air. This was one of her favorite things to do and one she thought even larger dragons would enjoy. Her path took her under and over both the males, encouraging them to join her and each other in merriment. This was why it was so nice to have only two of them. Yet she simply did not know who could possibly be better!

Farryl could only keep her feet for a brief second as she tried to keep M'kai from falling. Soon all three of them were piled on the floor. Farryl couldn't help a fit of giggles as she wormed her way out from beneath the two men. Peppeth's giddiness was infectious after all. When she was free, she fled to the bed and selected two pillows. "You should have said you wanted to play rough!" she crooned with a wolfish grin. Then she threw one pillow each to K"nale and M'kai. Who doesn't love a good pillow fight?

[Ruby]

((Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I never saw that you posted again, row!!))

Ah, open air. Much more to Futh's tastes, not that he was any more graceful out in the center of the Weyrbowl than he was towards the edges. At least his hefty, almost struggling flight had a practiced quality to it, something that only came with having been a fighting dragon for over a decade. He'd never lost his extra paunch, though, and it seemed likely that he never would. M'kai found this troublesome, but Futh had never been bothered, except for the few occasions when he'd been teased about his weight. Even Kormath's over sized wings didn't seem to be tripping the other blue up as much as Futh's extra pounds, but the paler blue wasn't worried about his competition. Not that he thought Kormath wasn't a legitimate challenge to beat - the younger blue outstripped Futh in most categories - just that he was having too much fun! This was why he liked chasing Peppeth.

Beating his wings extra hard to try and close the widening gap between them, Futh spun too, a few lengths behind Peppeth and not nearly as fast. But he was spinning, something hat had taken him much longer to master than it had taken the others in his class. When she dove towards him, Futh pulled up, bugling a slightly out-of-tune song. And what is dancing with no music, lovely Peppeth? Kormath, will you join me?[/i] To further demonstrate his point, Futh dropped one wingtip and tucked the opposite wing, looping up and over Kormath to come down on the other side. When Peppeth passed him next, he performed the opposite trick, looping below her in a sort of waltz. He'd seen humans dance like this, spinning and switching partners every step or so. As much as he was enjoying the dance, though, Futh was starting to feel the strain. Being up so early had given him an extra boost of energy, but Peppeth's tricks and unrelenting speed were starting to wear him out. The next time she flew by him, he made a little feint her direction - he was not a dragon to catch a female before she'd made a decision, but he was worried that she'd fly forever, and he'd have to drop out. And that was unacceptable.

M'kai turned as red as his hair as he toppled not only K'nale, but Farryl, too. He would have scampered backwards in embarrassment as soon as they hit the floor, but he found several of his limbs trapped. But Farryl wasn't upset, the way A'emi would have been if M'kai had toppled them in one of Kyrahth's flights - no, she was laughing! And M'kai found Farryl's laughter infectious. He tried to keep it in at first, but as one guffaw slipped out, then another, he gave up and just laughed. He was laughing so hard, in fact, that he didn't even notice Farryl had escaped before a pillow hit him in the side of the head. Grinning maniacally, M'kai boffed K'nale across the face (hopefully slowing him down) and covered the distance between himself and Farryl in a few long strides, blocking any attacks aimed at himself as he tried to land a solid hit (although he aimed for Farryl's torso, not her face. She was a lady, after all.)

[Sheari]

Altitude was something Kormath could excel at. His parachutes for wings allowed him to use fewer beats to climb, and made hovering very easy, since the surface area made air remain beneath him longer. The spins, not so much. He tucked his wings as close to himself as was physically possible for him, and matched the movements that Peppeth made as best he could. She was much more lithe than he, and more suited to the atmosphere. Nevertheless, he paid little mind to this. It had been a factor of his life since hatching, and it was something he was used to.

The blue loosed a brassy call of laughter, quite entertained. Challenge accepted.[/I] Not that he had already risen to her bait in this Flight. When Futh began to “sing” Kormath added his own croons. Perhaps their tunes weren’t quite as lovely as those of fire lizards, but then who’d ever heard a dragon sing? They had voices where those silly flits did not. When it came to dancing, however, Kormath had a bit of the equivalent of “two left wings”.

Dipping one side, he soared under Peppeth, rising as eh flew over him. He turned when Futh moved from him to the green, and allowed their lovely damsel to come between them. Using his over large wings as glider sails, he flipped over and coasted on his back for a beat before flipping back over and allowing a thermal to carry him up. Oh but this was fun! He’d have to add this one to his list of preferred females. K’nale mimicked a bark of laughter and began laughing on his own. When a pillow found his face, he grappled with it before finding the one Farryl had tossed him. When M’kai turned his back to pursue the female rider, the younger blue got a couple good bops in before finding himself on the defensive. If they weren’t careful, they three would find themselves among a mess of feathers!

[Rowana]

Peppeth crooned with delight as Kormath and Futh twisted and danced with her. They were both so handsome and clever and such wonderful musicians! She twirled around them a few more times, simply enjoying the moment. Did it really have to end? Why couldn't she choose both of them? She rose higher and glanced down at them. She was getting tired though. Long flights wasn't something she could really manage. With a sigh, Peppeth dropped down. She twisted around Futh first, offering him gentle thanks for his song and handsome dancing. Then she swung over to Kormath in a quick flip and tangled herself with him. Ah lovely Kormath, her riddling male. He was her choice this time.

Farryl was distracted looking for more pillows and didn't noticed M'kai coming until he boffed her in the middle. Smirking at him, she retaliated with swing to his head, even as K'nale came from behind. Two against one seemed so unfair though. Changing tack, Farryl dodged around M'kai to battled K'nale instead. Wasn't he the clever one? Taking advantage of his opponents distraction. Beaming at him, Farryl took K'nale's hand and pulled him close. It was time the foreplay was over.

((I'm sorry this took so long. ))