the clock is ticking down...[sylph&skink's run]

[Ember]

Charming chittered pleasantly as the one green sibling hissed and spit at him. Full of energy she was. Perhaps he ought to chase her sibling only, since she obviously couldn't see how wonderful he was. Yet the invitation as she launched off the tree made him dive off the branch and follow her at first. Not that it made much difference in the end...they both ended up going the same way.

Charming pushed his speed as fast as possible. He hadn't quite anticipated their speed during a run. The underbrush was also a bit of trouble for him. He ended up losing ground going around objects. Chaos makers indeed. He trilled at the both of them and watched curiously as one seemed to be...chasing the other? Odd green. At least that meant he could hold off a decision for a while longer.

Oh! Maybe not. Skink suddenly disappeared from view after bouncing off a tree. Her voice floated up to him and he crooned. That way! He fly off towards where he thought Skink was. Bye bye other sibling~

((Sorry, really bad post I know...))

[glamourie]

Da-dum, da-dum, da-dum went Merce’s little feet as he scrambled along the ground, much less neat and organized than some of his fellow chasers. He flung himself over rocks and roots, perhaps using too much energy, perhaps not; he definitely wasn’t making any effort to not show off, even if his movements were anything but graceful. Of course, it hadn’t dawned on Merce that Sylph and Skink might not be watching – might not be interested in his throwing himself around, from place to place, like a rag doll of a salamandyr through the foliage. They were smart, were the devious greens, so they would surely notice his worth and how fabulous he was. Flip, flip, flip. Oof, that hurt. The ground really wasn’t smooth to land on; something needed to be done about that (he made a mental note to insist upon it to His later on). Someone could get hurt running through that forest. Needed smoothing out, it did, yes yes. Much needing. He also needed to go faster, somehow, but Merce wasn’t really built for speed – not like the pretties were. He was built more for loops, turns, flips and roundabout bouncing, not for running through the undergrowth and it showed; he wasn’t quite that good at keeping up, even if he was definitely looking comical in his jumps.

Her path was followed (albeit awkwardly), but to Merce it was new; he’d come through the branches on their way, after all. The sudden sight of a log made the blue salamandyr flare his frill and he threw himself forward onto the side, little claws scraping into the rough bark. He ran after Sylph, not on the top of the trunk by the side, using his claws to keep himself level; it was one of the few things that he was built for, climbing, and this was a kind of climb, even if it was at an angle. His frill flattened entirely so that the weight would not act against him. He needed as much balance as he could if he was going to hope to keep up with the speedy bolt of green, so likely to vanish amongst the leaves and vines of the jungle. Must keep balanced, must keep up. He did notice that Skink was missing – sad, too, because two pretties really were better than one – but he kept on his path after Sylph: she talked like him, which made her the best.

Wait, was she really asking him which of them was the best? Asking them? Silly Sylph. Very silly. Scraping his claws along the bark, Merce launched himself onto the top of the tree trunk, forcibly pushing himself along faster – faster –

Pretty pick best. Say cannot, pretty only, Merce replied, leaving his response, at least, up to her. Of course he thought he was the best (just look at his jumps! Even though his legs were starting to tire from having done so many of them…) but it wasn’t up to him to decide what Sylph thought. Only she could pick whether or not one of them was good enough for her. But he’d been chasing her all along – yes, her sister was lovely but he’d made his choice, hadn’t he? So shouldn’t she have noticed he was by far the best blue ever? She’d surely realize because Sylph was smart. Plus what other blues followed her on the side of the log? (Never mind that he wasn’t paying attention to Sylph’s other chasers and thus had no way of knowing the answer to that question – surely, surely, it was only him.) Mystery Sylph pretty pick only. Mystery, mystery…

[Kisha-Ra]

Troublemaker faithfully followed the softly glowing shapes, or almost followed anyway, he wasn’t as small or as graceful as the greens, so sometimes he skirted around or went over where they went over. Wait, where did they go now? Up there! Trouble paused, unsure of whether to climb or wait.

Yes, they were the best chaos makers, and apparently Trouble had made the right choice, because they both came back down again. Troublemaker am I! Best stealer! Best biter! Chase most fastest, faster. The brown veered off after Skink, but that didn’t stop him announcing himself and his amazing skills in answer to Sylph’s questions. He was chasing Skink now, but they might find Sylph later, so she needed to know these things, absolutely. He was the best; he could have both of his chaos twins he was sure.

Ooooh Careful, not hurt. Trouble bounced anxiously and flared his frill a few times in response to Skink’s falling. She seemed to be fine though, and just carried on running, so Troublemaker folded his frill tight against his body and darted after her, stretching out his long body into a clumsy looking but quick gait.

[Requiem]

You know what? Clearly, he had been mistaken. Probably just his great desire to find a new GreenQueen. Lust hadn't fully realized it until the two green salamandyrs peeled off in opposite directions. There ensued, of course, an evaluation on which to follow while he paused at the base of the tree. Sylph was...Running. Skink was...Running. Yet, for the life of him, when he tried to come up with any more traits to work in the favor of either salamandyr, he was at a loss. One was stupid and the other thought too highly of herself. Neither was suitable to rule. What a shame.

His tail flicked in mild agitation. He was, after all, an essentially competitive creature, and yielding the run to any of these inferiors did not sit well with him. Then again, even if he managed to herd the sisters back together and win them both, they still wouldn't be, together, as worthy a queen as Vanity had been. The green queen who worshipped him first, intelligent and beautiful and capable of ruling the other mandyrs as was her place. No, they would not do. A brief flicker of doubt. Would any be able to fill that role? He'd rather be alone than take an inferior mate, though, so he slipped around the tree and continued on a path different from both sisters.

Kalierre lifted her mindmate on one hand. "It's okay. You'll find another, some day," she murmured to him. He curled in her hand, a sober melancholy washing their bond. She hadn't realized...just how much he missed Vanity, until that moment. He wasn't much of a one for emotion or making huge sentimental fusses over anything, but right now there was hardly any denying it. Her salamandyr was still in mourning. "Come. I'll oil you. How's that sound?" He crooned halfheartedly, nuzzling the base of her thumb.

[Avu]

Running then. But…but where was her sister going? Sylph scurried the length of the log to watch her sister streak off in an entirely new direction with some small bemusement in her rapidly-whirling gaze, but as soon as the other green disappeared from sight, Sylph lost interest. Her mind was firmly in the present. She would have to choose, she would…and Skink’s departure, really, had made it much easier. Lust’s vanishing in an entirely random (to her) direction was only vaguely noted with the thought that perhaps the bronze was going to intercept her sister in some new, crazy way, but otherwise there was no disappointment that over half of the Chasers had vanished with her sister. It didn’t matter; she’d always liked blues better anyway – the only emotion for those who had pursued Skink was a flash of pity, not for the chasers but for her sister; that silly little firelizard had gone after her and thought himself worthy of her. Hmm, how upsetting; she’d been hoping their wild course through the jungles would have lost him…apparently not, though.

The two responses (and the third from Troublemaker, which went ignored) from the two blues made her head tilt before she actively bounced on the log to land on a short twig protruding, winding her body around it and clasping it; it was short enough that her tail actually dragged on the log, but it did give her some height advantage. Something about Passion’s response irked her to no end, though – what was it? Chaos pretty best too, he’d said. Too. Not the best. Also the best. Tied for the best? It was how Sylph interpreted it, and in the end, the green was an arrogant creature. Her eyes narrowed sharply and a low, sibilant hiss left her throat towards Passion before she jumped down from her twig, but it was the blue’s bad fortune that her desired path took her towards him – and he was too close to her.

For a moment yellow touched her eyes, and then Sylph shrieked before she lashed out. There was no brush against his mind, only a lightning-quick slash with her left claws, sickle-shaped, needle-sharp claws raking at Passion before she flipped her tail dismissively at him and leapt over him, racing down the log towards the only male who was acceptable. The others had left, after all; she was no thief, would not infringe upon her sister’s Run, for now they were separate. She had chosen a partner, and her sister’s would go on for all she knew. But – poor sisterHers – she hadn’t the only good male from the start…the blue who’d been there from the start. The only one here who was worth her attention. Her pace carried her rapidly towards Merce; the look was likely alarming, her eyes still tinged with yellow, but as she approached Sylph gave a rough croon before she breezed by the blue, spinning around so she could rub her entire body against his, twisting her tail around his.

MysteryMine. Best you is mine. Her tail tightened, her head brushed against his shoulder, and the green’s tongue flicked out to lick Merce. Run sky end with?

Nobody, nobody – could catch them. Never ever, though perhaps Sylph would wait for Skink to catch up – because they were the fastest. Would be the fastest, the best.

“Who – ” The wave of lust that hit him was more in line with what he’d been expecting, truth be told; up until that point, till that moment when the green’s tail had wrapped around the blue’s, he’d only felt the need, the irresistible want, to run. R’ahre bowed his head, squeezing his eyes shut and sucking in a gasp of air before he resorted to actively clinging to Ahth’s mind in an attempt to keep himself there, keep himself from leaving the room and finding – finding – whoever. He didn’t know who Mierce looked to, and for the moment, he didn’t really want to find out. “Ahth, who – Merce; whose…?” Both arms wrapped tightly around his legs, forehead pressing against his knees. The sight of the forest, of the trees, spun in front of his eyes sickeningly for a moment before he blinked rapidly to clear the image from his mind; it was disorienting to feel like everything was moving when it – it wasn’t.

How should I know? Ahth replied, an edge entering his voice that was almost impatience; fortunately R’ahre was distracted enough not to notice it. And does it really matter? You’re not about to go diving out the window – curse him for suggesting it; it was suddenly quite tempting – And the blue’s is not about to come slamming into the door. So why is it important? I am sure you will know later. /If/ you don’t mind… One wing draped pointedly over his head, a look that was decidedly patronizing being his last, before Ahth shifted in M’kai’s bed (earning a loud groaning creak) and closed his eyes. Sleep now, fuss later. Hmph. So much fuss, too. So silly. So very silly…

[archenstone]

Hissing. Passion couldn't understand. What did he do? What did he say? He fluttered his thrill nervously. His pretty chaos green mad? When she rushed by and scratched him he tried to move from her way. His ego was totally deflated as her claws raked him. He turned and looked her, eyes whirl in pain and sadness where lust once was. What did he do? Pretty mad Passion. Passion sorry He knew the words would likely be unheeded. He knew she had her champion and made his way further into the woods to sulk and think over what he did wrong.

X'vier looked around confused. He hadn't realized the silly Mandyr could draw his mind that. Just where was he? He looked down. Had he forgot to put his clothes on? He sighed and started to trudge back through trail, scratching a couple of itches that had formed while he was running. Whats so funny you big brown lizard? Mirazeth's laughter rolled in his mind. You got lost in a run Even I don't drive you crazy enough to run naked through the Weyr..

There's a difference. I'm in the woods, not the Weyr He grumbled back as he went to the river where his clothes lay.

[dragon]

There was so much commotion going on back there. Skink was tempted to stop and look back. But stopping was a bad thing ... she had to run fast. Faster. Fastest! Yes, run run run. There was no good in stopping. See who was fastest! Yes, run. But where was Sylph? She had to find Sylph again. She thought about looking back, and not stopping the speed ... but she was smart enough to realize that in a forest that was a pretty bad idea. Might turn herself into a gooey green spot on the bottom of some random trunk!

She continued to run, speeding through the leaves as fast as she could go, until she felt like all four of her legs were going to start to fall off. Inevitably, the speed started to slack off, allowing her pursuers to catch up somewhat. Which frustrated her greatly ... she was supposed to be faster than them! With a last burst, she shot out ahead of all the males trailing behind, and twirled up a tree's trunk again, scampering out across a branch that crossed where she would have been running.

There, she came to a sudden stop, sides fluttering in and out as she panted for air, swirling little eyes watching as the males caught up to her tree. Rather unfairly, she was charmed right away by the most attractive one, to her. She had a special spot in her mind for males like that. She loved browns. Especially brown flitters! Brown flitters took care of her. Never mind the only brown flitter she'd ever dealt with had been Rascal, but, meh. Whatever. She chirped and bounced in place, hollering at Charming as he covered ground, flying above the rest and bypassing a lot of things that were obstacles for the chasing mandyrs.

Yes! Her brown flitter should come get her, and let her ride on his back around and around the forest! Yes! Skink loved to fly, and could remember doing it a lot. Which is why she was always so surprised her wings failed her, cause she completely forgot that it had been Voyager carrying her around, not her own wings. All she remembered was the sensation of speed and being airborne. Fly! Fly! Fastest faster!

When Charming came close enough to the tree, Skink launched out of the tree again, spreading her own wings with a string of chirps that sounded like a fading, high-pitch siren of sorts. Her wings did no good other than to act as rudders in the air, though, guiding her through the air as she fell below. But as fast as she was, she had an excellent sense of timing, and she landed right where she wanted to be: squarely between Charming's outspread wings. With a rapid series of trills, she twirled all over him, running as fast as she could go, before settling down some and simply wrapping around him as well as she could manage. Her new brown flitter! She was starting a collection, see?! Now she had two!

Just wait until she got to show Charming off to Rascal! That Sylph didn't like flitters at all never crossed the little green's mind. If it had, she might have done differently, always loyal to her sister. But Rascalhers was a brown flitter, and he took care of her! Charming was a brown flitter, just like Rascalhers, and therefore by default, he would take care of her, too! Seesee?!