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Post by glamourie on Oct 22, 2009 23:52:58 GMT -5
At a glance, there was nothing all that fascinating about the tree stump. It was just a stump, quite possibly cut down when S’rei was on his frenzy of playing lumberjack prior to become Weyrleader, or maybe earlier – either way it had yet to have creeping moss grow up over it, and certainly did not look worn and old; the stump looked like nothing more than a testament to the death of a tree, however necessary it might have been. Cluttered around the base were brown, dead leaves, proof of the wild nature of the jungle despite the fact that it was the far outskirts. The sight was anything but interesting – in fact, as twilight drew closer, it could even have been described as boring… unless one were particularly observant, that is. To the observant, that stump was actually very, very far from boring at all… Because nestled in the leaves, half-hidden, was a form that was glowing radiant gold bright enough to light up the darkening sky. Only wings were visible, but even then it was obvious what the glow meant.
She’d been asleep for several hours, Ellie had. Sometime mid-afternoon, she’d curled up in the leaves to rest and in her sleep, she’d nestled down further into the leaves. It was a wonder that no darters decided to munch on her, all things considered: the gold firelizard was out in the open, unprotected and alone. She wasn’t small enough, though, to be taken as an easy meal and perhaps most of the inhabitants of the jungle that preyed upon firelizards knew well not to mess with one that was gold and glowing. Or maybe they didn’t know and hadn’t spied her form. Whatever it was, she’d been undisturbed in her sleep, not even by sound. One might notice that the tree line near her was suspiciously absent of green firelizards as well… and others, too; in fact, it was startlingly still and quiet, save for the steady thrumming of the vtol bugs that made their homes in the lush canopy. Day was fading away into the comforting embrace of night.
The first indication that she was waking came in the form of the visible wings twitching ever so slightly. The glimmer of gold became more prominent as the leaves slid away and Ellie’s long, glistening gold form became more visible. She stretched herself out like a rousing feline, her tail twisting behind her before she flared her wings and scattered the rest of her leafy bed. Her eyes seared a shade of purple and she fluttered up onto the top of her stump…
… and visibly deflated. The whirl of purple in her eyes was quickly overtaken by a hint of anxiety; her Hero was gone, gone forever. She wanted to fly, she wanted to reach the sky, but he wouldn’t join in her dance because he couldn’t – and she felt horrible; he was special because he was her Hero. She didn’t want anyone else; why did he have to be stolen from her? Anxiously fluttering her wings, purple touched her eyes again and she squirmed. Her instincts were combating inside; Ellie was not the kind of creature who easily forgot those that she chose as hers but everything inside of her was screaming to go, fly hard, fly fast, out-fly them all. She flared her wings and despite the urge to not fly, to curl up and mourn her lost Hero, instinct took over. She had to Fly… but she wouldn’t replace Hero. She wouldn’t let any of them replace him. No one could catch her.
She’d out fly every single male on Pern if that was what it took.
If they wanted to even be worthy of her notice, they would have to prove themselves… and Ellie wasn’t going to go easy on them this time. She didn’t want another. She’d lost the one she wanted, and she missed him – plain and simple. Throwing her head back, Ellie screeched – yes, full blown screeched – a challenge that echoed through the jungle and down through the canyon. Her head cocked to the side and she waited, bouncing in her spot anxiously. Hero, Hero, she missed her Hero…
If she was nearby, R’wign would have said something comforting. As it was, he was sitting on one of the bridges spanning the canyon, his legs hanging over the side as his hands wrapped around the ropes that kept the bridge secured. He mentally brushed Ellie – so far away, so different from his usually sweet firelizard – and let a frown play over his face. His head bowed, eye unfocused, staring straight at the water below. She was so hurt, and the pain bled over onto him; he was well-aware that the feelings weren’t His, but he wanted more than anything to just go running into the jungle until he couldn’t run anymore. There was a reason he was on the bridge: he couldn’t go running anywhere easily. He didn’t lose himself as completely as salamandyr owners did, or even as much as he did with Checkoth, but with Ellie it was always very strange – an uninvasive shift in feelings that dominated his mind slowly over time. He wanted very badly to start hysterically cry… or at least sob into his knees.
What little comfort and reassurance he could provide was simple acceptance; he didn’t even try to stop her. But feeling Ellie so upset bothered him (and most of his other mindmates; for once, R’wign was entirely alone), and it was obvious from the way that he refused to even look up. The river was peaceful to stare at… considerably better to focus on than the mingling of hurt and challenge rising up inside of him. So strange.
Will the Elliegold be okay? Checkoth asked nervously from his weyrledge; he didn’t like R’wign being on the bridges sitting that way, but he hadn’t been able to coax His away from there. He’d given up, but he was watching… just in case he fell. Bridges were scary.
Yes. She’ll be okay, soon. Soon…
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Post by dragon on Oct 23, 2009 1:27:58 GMT -5
The little glimmer of gold was a hard one to resist. One that couldn't be resisted, actually. And after flying past and randomly spotting it, Storm had flown right back and perched in a tree to sit there and watch, patiently, fixated. Like a little sentinel, a statue perched on a tree limb, Storm sat and watched and waited, tail curling back up toward himself as it dangled over the back. Wings lifted slightly, he was ready to move on a moment's notice, despite the long, agonizing wait.
She was pretty. Very pretty. More than pretty! Storm sidled up the branch a few inches in excitement when Elle started stirring in her leafy bed. Oh boy oh boy! Storm barely suppressed a chirp, settling down again on his branch. Totally oblivious to her emotional state, Storm was simply excited and wound up, ready for the chase. He would chase her, too. There was no way he wasn't going to. She was too alluring, all shiny and gold like that. The most beautiful creature Pern had ever seen.
Storm fidgeted in his place as she moved from the leafy ground to the top of the stump, eager, rising up on his feet and sitting down again, rustling his wings, oblivious to the rest of the world. He would have made a good target right then for any predator watching, as he would have never seen them coming. Other than being perched way out on a limb and doing a pretty good impression of something that had no sit still button.
When she finally screetched out her cry, Storm couldn't hold it in any more. With a pent-up, strangling cry, he answered her, leaping off his branch and into flight. Flaring his wings, he twirled down to the stump, and then around it, to land in the leaves that had not so long ago harbored Elegance herself, though he didn't actually land in her nest.
Bouncing in the leaves, Storm settled down to sit again, staring up at her with the most adoring eyes that a Bronze flitter could possess. All that glittered was truly gold, and nothing else was worthy of his attention. With a soft twerdle and chirp, he ooched closer to the stump, craning his head back to look at her.
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Kisha-Ra
Rider Mo?rya Rider Darya Rider K?fuzzi Rider J?on Handler Vivano Handler Yoalla
Happier'n a pig in mud ABOUT WHERBABIES!
Posts: 1,109
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Post by Kisha-Ra on Oct 23, 2009 3:27:42 GMT -5
In the shadows of the ground something waited for his queen, as patient and silent the grave. Curled in a pile of leaf litter, visible only by his bright eyes, Imp waited. How long he’d been following and courting the gold he couldn’t say, he was interrupted a great deal. Darya could be so mean to him, always taking him away from his bright prettylove. The salamandyr made a huffing sound and wriggled around in his leaf pile, she didn’t understand.
A twitch, a flash of gold hide, and Imp was alert, slithering out of his hiding place and flicking leaves from his brindled bronze hide, as his queen roused the salamandyr bounded lightly up a suitable tree, that is to say, one that was close, and walked out along a low branch. He was wonderful see?
Imp’s eyes faded down from violet to a mildly confused hue at the sight of Ellie looking so… Sad. Imp didn’t see why she would be sad, or how to do anything about it but he saw and noted, and, since he was a salamandyr, spoke it. Saaaaad. he drew out the one word mournfully, speaking almost to himself. His wings drooped comically in disappointment, she was supposed to be happy to see him.
Here, brightlove. Here. Imp answered the challenge promptly, more subdued than usual in a response to the gold’s sadness. His wings folded back into place, and his frill unfolded proudly. See? He was wonderful!
You knew it was coming.[/color] Azrath flipped one wing, trying to dislodge his clinging rider from his side.
you are no help! Darya replied viciously, flexing her fingers against the blue’s hide, and refusing to be pushed away. You could have told me where he was you traitor.
I could not. Imp and I have an arrangement on this issue, I might need his help if you decide to stop me chasing.[/color]
You are so, so… sooo Darya’s thought began to lose coherence, but she clung grimly to her identity and her dragon.
You are fighting the inevitable. Azrath pointed out.
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Post by kysseh on Oct 23, 2009 16:48:27 GMT -5
The surprising screech from the queen elicited a quieter, though no less enthusiastic, reply from one of her suitors, a flash of reddish bronze among the leaves betraying his appearance. The bronze flitter had been out and about in the jungle, seeking a nice pretty gold upon whom to bestow his most worthy affections when he had chanced up on the glint of a golden hide hidden on a stump below. Glowing, she was, and he had immediately swooped down to perch on what looked like a nice rock that was covered with some leaves to better show off the gleaming brilliance of his hide.
Said plan had, of course, fallen through when the "rock" turned out to be nothing more than a layer of leaves on top of an already-large pile of leaves into which the flitter's not-inconsiderable body had sunk like the proverbial stone. Undaunted, the bronze had shoved aside the leaves until he came to the pile's edge, half-covered there as he stared in the direction of she who would Rise soon. Such a fabulous queen, she was, to have chased away all of the other females in the vicinity. Truly, she knew no equal, and he would not insult her by passing her by. When she had awakened, he had been prepared to emerge from his hiding and display with his typical eagerness, showing off his great self for her perusal. But her unexpected sadness had thrown him for a loop, and his male mind required time to recover.
Of course, this had allowed two other challengers to issue their replies first, which Ego felt was most unfair. He had been hiding for so long... only to be bested by a thing and another bronze. Hmph. It was not right. Still, his own reply to her was soon punctuated by his emergence from his leaf pile in all of his stately glory. He hopped with dignity along the ground to get a better look at her loveliness, revealed now that she was on her perch, her throne. How lovely a creature. But so sad and so angry... she had obviously not known a good bronze to keep her happy. He would show her, he would, and he trilled, opening his wings and curving them in an obvious display of readiness to fly. He would follow her when she Rose, and they would fly higher than both of the other silly creatures. Such a magnificent creature would lead such a wonderful dance...
But... but they had to fly first. He arched his neck, head inclined to one side to watch her with obvious intent. Why did she not fly? She was lovely and glowing and ready, but she was still... still on her throne. Perhaps she wanted to be admired longer, and the bronze crooned in appreciation. He liked what he saw, liked her elegant beauty. Did she like what she saw? His tailtip twitched in anticipation, the firelizard's gaze locked completely on the intended object of his affections. Oh, she was such a fine queen.
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Post by glamourie on Oct 23, 2009 19:27:21 GMT -5
One. Two. Three. Salamandyr; two flits. Had her warning been heeded? Did they recognize that she would outfly each of them in kind? Others failed to come; she wasn’t insulted. Ellie wasn’t a creature who was easily offended. She took the lack of arrival to be proof that the other males knew her speed and strength exceeded theirs and that they could not hope to replace her Hero. Her wings fluttered and she looked to the three who had arrived defiantly, a light whirl in her eyes that was nothing short of challenging. Part of her felt like proving to these three bold ones that they couldn’t hope to keep up with her, either… because they couldn’t; no one could. She’d make sure that they saw that. The gold firelizard stretched her wings and then shrieked another challenge into the night before volting herself into the air, wings beating down to push herself steadily upward. She spiraled into the darkening air, a swirl of glowing gold, not acknowledging any of the males that had answered her; there was no sweet chirp of greeting, no flute of recognition – so very strange for the normally polite queen who would have happily complimented them at any other time. She didn’t much mind if they chased or didn’t – none of them could hope to catch her anyway. She wouldn’t let herself be caught. Not again. Not by another who would leave her behind. To do so would be an insult to Hero’s memory, and she was determined to make him very proud of her… like she was of him.
Beating her wings quickly, Ellie ascended at an angle, pushing herself on a burst of wind to fly forward over the canyon – away from the trees and the leaves and the foliage; away from obstacles and things that could constrain her flight. Challenge was what she sought: higher and faster than any before her. The purple-black hues of clouds, stained with hints of orange, red and yellow beckoned and that was where she was headed, rapidly going toward the horizon. If the fact that she was probably causing her salamandyr chaser difficulties occurred to her, Ellie gave no indication; she wasn’t going to make catching her easy on any male… or indeed anyone at all. Her wings twisted inward, propelling her into a tight barrel roll in a flawless mimicry of her larger cousins and the small gold volleyed over the bridge where her mindmate was sitting.
If they wanted to chase her, they would have to keep up through all of her trials, and Ellie wasn’t going to go easy on any of them. Every instinct that she had was screaming for her to fly hard, fast, and high, and she intended to do just that. If she had to Fly, she’d make sure that it was memorable… she longed to chase away the daylight into the black embrace of nightfall so that she glowed brighter than any star or the moon; she alone would be the beacon of brilliance in the darkness. Her eyes whirled, she flapped her wings and then descended rapidly toward the bridge below; if they wanted to chase her, they’d have to be willing to keep up. She wasn’t a green with their quick twists and turns, but Ellie was the type to live up to her name, and there was a reason that Hers had called her Elegance. She rolled, belly up to look back at her chasers and fluted beckoningly back at them before twisting.
The bridge made an excellent obstacle course and Ellie took to flying around it – over and under – in quick, wide loops. Like a ribbon of gold, she wove herself through the air, buzzing right past Hers with a loving flute that made him jump back and half sprawl over the wooden planks in surprise. She didn’t stop, nor slow down, weaving a path through the air that they could follow – if they were brave enough. And if they weren’t, they wouldn’t have any hope of following her further. The wind was freedom, and that alone was comforting – the only thing that kept her from wallowing completely into herself. The complete freedom that came with flight.
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Post by dragon on Oct 24, 2009 19:56:41 GMT -5
There she went! And off she flew, in the most spectacular flash of gold that Storm could remember ever seeing. With an encouraging chirp, he vaulted into the air, beating his wings as strongly as he could to free himself of the clinging leaves that he had been sitting in. Starting out low and on the ground was a disadvantage, to be sure, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. Cutting a smoother arc through the air when she turned, he tried to cut off some distance through the air that he had to fly to follow her. Unfortunately, he couldn't determine if that had earned him any inches or not. Following her was all he could think about, to see her fly some more. To watch her graceful golden form flitting through the dimming light. Up and away, she went, and up after her Storm flew. He sacrificed some valuable air to sing to her a few notes before going back to silent, intense flight.
At first, Storm thought that Elegance was going to keep going up and up and up until she would vanish into the colorful clouds above, farther and farther away from their home in the Weyr. But ultimately, that changed, despite the forest zipping past beneath. She dropped again, and toward the river. Closing his wings and twisting sideways, Storm went into a hard dive that allowed him to gain speed as he fell. In another attempt to make up lost inches, he took a rather daring move to gain speed in chasing her. Would he be able to pull out of it? He was no blue. But he had the strength to make up for it. Right? Storm didn't know. But she was worth the risk. If he could pull this off, it could place him considerably closer to her. Maybe even earn some positive attention from her?!
Oh! There it was! That desired moment of acclaim! She rolled over upside down in the air and fluted back. At him! Yes! Storm ignored the fact that the call was to all who followed, instead preferring to think that she was favoring him over all else. Which served to inflate his ego and sense of self ability. Yes, he could do this! He would impress her with his prowess in the air! He would earn her affection!
Storm completely ignored R'wign's presence on the bridge, instead focusing intently upon Elegance's form. Opening his wings partially, he gained a bit of lift, barely missing the rain of the bridge in hot pursuit of Elegance. Unfortunately, he did not anticipate her sudden change of direction that took her back under the bridge. With a startled, strangled sounding chirp, Storm flung his wings all the way open as he twisted around in the air in an attempt to not loose sight of her.
He managed to successfully stop his previous momentum, possibly too well, despite the brand new ache in his shoulders from it. For he plummeted out of the air and plunged with a startled gasp into the water below. That didn't stop him, though. Opening his wings again, he scooted through the water under the surface, chasing her under the bridge. A sparkly in the water got his attention, and remembering that a water sparkly was how he'd won Zesa, he tried to grab one. But he missed, and wasn't willing to sacrifice too much time trying to pry up a river rock. Abandoning that effort after only a partial first attempt, he broke surface in a spray of water. Beating his wings hard and fast, he sprayed water all over the place, possibly sprinkling it all over R'wign. A victorious chirp and he was in hot pursuit again, though he had effectively lost any distance gains he might have made in the hare-brained plunge he'd taken through the air.
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Kisha-Ra
Rider Mo?rya Rider Darya Rider K?fuzzi Rider J?on Handler Vivano Handler Yoalla
Happier'n a pig in mud ABOUT WHERBABIES!
Posts: 1,109
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Post by Kisha-Ra on Oct 25, 2009 4:05:10 GMT -5
Imp’s tail made a confused twirl in the air, she still looked sad, and sort of angry, it didn’t make sense, she had seen him hadn’t she? The salamandyr looked around, searching for what had upset his queen so. There weren’t many here to chase her, maybe that was it? He couldn’t make others come and find her, so he’d have to chase her enough for two males, or maybe even three to make up for the ones who couldn’t find her. That would please her, wouldn’t it?
To his disappointment the gold burst upward, out of the trees that would have made his chase so much easier and out over the canyon. Imp, however, was not going to let a little thing like that stop him, he catapulted off his branch with one mighty bounce and unfurled his wings. Compared to firelizard wings they were tiny, but they were big enough to carry a salamandyr, for a while anyway. Flapping determinedly Imp moved himself through the air currents, letting the thermals that drifted up from the canyon floor after the day’s heat catch him and loft him after his bright queen. Now what he could really do with would be a good following wind, but the weather was not cooperating with him.
Up and down Imp went in a dizzying pattern, losing altitude as he moved forward, and gaining it again when he caught a new updraft. Hard work for a creature made to run but Imp seemed to have boundless energy, at least for the moment.
The bronze sideslipped out of a thermal and folded his wings a little. No diving straight down for him this time, he did not want to go splosh again! His claws caught the edge of the bridge and allowed him to haul himself up. Over and under, around and around his love went, and so did Imp in his own way, racing over the bridge, vanishing over the edge, climbing along the underside of the planks as fast as he could, and bounding back up to do it all again. The only notice the salamandyr took of R’wign was to use him as a launching platform, running up the healer’s body and hopping of his head, for just a little more height.
Darya’s vision snapped back and forth, the image/idea of the glowing firelizard in the sky superimposing itself over the sight of an expanse of blue dragon hide. Combined with the sensation of moving up and down on the wind and the knowledge that there was a sheer drop awaiting her if she stepped over the edge of the canyon, it was making her feel slightly ill. On top of that came the knowledge that she was going to end up totally humiliated again, there was no place to lock herself away until Imp lost, and Azrath just found the whole business most amusing, so no help from that quarter.
Suddenly, as his rider finally lost her battle with the salamandyr, Azrath was motivated to wonder if it was really a good idea to let her run around the top of a canyon while she wasn’t totally in control of her senses. His yes flickered worried shades as Darya vanished into the darkness, sprinting away. Too late to do anything now except wait to be scolded.
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Post by kysseh on Oct 25, 2009 13:53:34 GMT -5
At her repeated challenge, Ego immediately threw himself into the air, his wings pumping desperately to gain altitude and the upper hand over his rivals. Their queen did not acknowledge them, did not even recognize their efforts. No, she was moving away as quickly as she could, and the bronze flit was slightly bewildered by her efforts to put such distance between them. Normally, the queens sought to be pursued, but she was different, Elegance was. A different sort of queen indeed, and he enjoyed the challenge, even as his wings strained to carry him ever upward toward his queen. The presence of the others was ignored, save for the minimal attention he gave to their proximity in an attempt to avoid collisions. He wanted nothing in his line of sight, path of flight.
Her barrel roll was graceful, and Ego gave a soft croon of approval, flaring out his own wings to soar for a moment. He intended to mimic her action with a flare of his own, but her sudden descent halted that plan. The motions he had made to prepare for a tight roll instead had him curling his wings back and around his body, rolling and diving towards the golden beacon that called to him. There she was. There she descended towards the canyon and the bridge that registered in his mind only as locations and obstacles, not as objects of significance. No, his whirling violet eyes were focused solely on that queen, for she was all that mattered. She was for a fine bronze like him, and his ego took a boost as she made that sound of welcome, of invitation. Never mind that it was for the other males too. All he heard was a sound aimed toward him.
He became aware of the other firelizard only because he had to avoid him, his massive wings snapping fully open to catch himself from his dive and prevent a nasty midair collision with the other. It took him a few flaps of his wings to regain a suitable posture for flight, but as soon as he managed it, he came to the realization that she was going around the bridge at a startling pace. Not wasting time, was she? Good. He had no intention of closing the distance now, so early, but he did increase his pace, settling for a speed that kept him within easy sight of her beautiful form whilst still maintaining a large buffer of space between them. A queen would want her own lovely sky to fly in without him (fine creature, though he was) cluttering it up.
Her grace and agility were superior to his, though, and Ego, though not slow, was forced to go in wider loops than he would have liked. His body was not bulky, but it was muscled and large. He was not made for graceful aerobatics but for raw power and for stamina. Still, he gamely worked to keep up, increasingly frustrated but nonetheless dedicated to the idea of proving himself to her. Such a challenge, she was. Such a magnificent challenge, and he would not disgrace her (or himself) by falling behind, if he could help it.
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Post by archenstone on Oct 25, 2009 16:31:57 GMT -5
Suddenly two brown flitters popped into existence over the bridge. They spread out, one with translucent gold wings and the other a rosy brown. Both of their eyes whirled purple at the sight of Ellie speeding away with the rivals behind her.
Raziel pumped his wings hard to catch up. He rose and banked into a sharp turn to align himself above a bronze rival and behind Eliie. At this time he didn't see an opportunity to close so he simply tried to keep up with the bronze, finding himself gaining on turns and loosing on straight areas.
Meanwhile Arcturius had risen upward. He knew his glowing beautiful Queen would come to him. After all she would fly high right? The sight of her flying twisting golden hide made him struggle for more altitude where he could move towards her from above, angling to close in as she turned. Ah but he was still a little far away. No matter, he tilted his wings to catch the air better. As he got a little closer he trilled in excitement and greeting. He has handsome wasn't he? Because she was certainly beautiful.
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Oct 25, 2009 21:08:56 GMT -5
He bit at the gut, ignoring the odd taste. A quick knot, the dagger drawn through the excess. Cheap? A little, but there was no point in replacing a shirt that could be just as easily mended. His work was hardly professional, but it worked, and that was all that was important to him anyway. He shook out the shirt on his lap, eyeing it for a moment critically before folding it across his lap. Just one more to go. The weyrledge was almost uncomfortably warm at this time of day, but M'ta didn't seem to notice it.
Using the needle, he set to stitching a patch of material over the whole in the knee of his oldest pair of trousers. PMS says the golden one Flies. "Mm," M'ta grunted noncommittally. He would know if the mandyr was interested in Chasing himself, and clearly he wasn't. Not that it was an issue anyway. PMS didn't have the longest of attention spans. Long enough to be interested in the rising gold and her chasers though, apparently. Two firelizards and a salamandyr. No, two more firelizards now. That makes four. "You've gotten better at that." What, counting? "Yes." You put so much stock in it, Behruth responded dismissively. "Numbers can be important." I suppose.
Blood. Hmph. Apparently he wasn't paying close enough attention. M'ta sucked at his thumb lightly. Uh oh. "Mm?" Someone's moving quickly on the cliff. The brownrider looked up, moving to the edge of the ledge to squint at the figure still sitting on the bridge. "The mandyr's owner?" Most likely. "Who?" PMS can't give me a good...oh. The old one. Azrath's. "Ah." Not a problem, then. No doubt R'wign could handle himself with an aging woman if she got...desperate. He returned to his mending.
Behruth shifted restlessly. "What is it?" Didn't he say Jingth's... A mild frown. "Yeah. But that's different." How so? A good question. M'ta sighed. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do about it," he grumbled, putting away the knife and leaving the trousers in a jumble on the ledge. "Short of diverting her attention, which...really not interested in that." You could sit on her, Behruth responded cheerfully. Unhelpfully. "Brilliant, Ruth." Your welcome.
Still didn't know why he was wandering over there, and he didn't hurry, either, making his way toward the bridge where R'wign had been for a good while now. M'ta shoved his hands in his pockets, glancing upwards to see if he could spy Darya. No sign of her just yet. Shouldn't be long, though. What was he even doing here? Psht. A familiar brushing against his mind and the tiny prick of claws heralded his mandyr's presence. "Hi PMS. What have you got Ruth all nervous about, anyway?" PMS didn't answer, nuzzling him cheerfully. Humanpet, humanpet. He eyed the gleaming earring and batted at it. M'ta pulled a face.
"I'm not a toy."
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Post by glamourie on Oct 25, 2009 21:28:59 GMT -5
She was nearly delirious in her loop-de-loops, and so it was that Ellie barely recognized being chased at all. The gold firelizard was rapidly losing track of who she was in the thrill of the flight – the urge to fly as fast and hard as she could, every instinct screaming at her from within. Most of her melancholy had begun to fade but not the challenge inside; she was determined to prove herself the best queen to ever hatch on Pern, to have the most magnificent and drawn out flight there ever was – regardless of how many had the courage to chase her glory. If only three were brave enough it only told her how unworthy the males of Selenitas were – none of them could hope to even compare to her. Though, part of her was also hurt – did none of them care that she had so few…? Her three were the best, obviously, of those that remained, but it wasn’t nice, being overlooked. Ellie chirruped in her throat to herself (more out of thought than anything else) as her wings carried her steadily toward the rocky cliff face that made up the rider weyrs. Her wings beat harder, faster, and as she approached, she turned to fly upward at a perfect vertical angle. She gave herself enough room to work because no green was she; she couldn’t turn on her tail. Still, it was definitely close and if they weren’t careful, there was a chance of a bronze smear on the cliffs. She was determined to go higher up. Higher, higher, higher.
The chasers were irritating to R’wign, who ducked as he was splashed by a less-than-graceful Storm. He lifted his head to shoot a glare after the bronze that would have withered a lesser man; he definitely had no tolerance for being splashed by that. His irritation was actually mimicked in Ellie, who whirled and deliberately dove to the side in a quick and decidedly mocking imitation of Storm’s ‘accident’. It wasn’t really insulting (Ellie couldn’t be insulting) but it wasn’t as nice as she usually was. R’wign’s agitation mirrored onto the Gold; there were times were her moods affected him strongly (like right then) and vice versa. How dare he think to splash her? Did he think it a game? There was no game going on. R’wign brushed a stray wave from his face and tilted his head up…
… just in time to have a salamandyr do a flying leap off of his head. He twitched, watching Imp go with half-amusement; did he really think he could catch Ellie? Maybe he could catch firelizards, and sometimes other salamandyrs, but Ellie? Really? She was the best gold firelizard out there (R’wign was biased) and she was definitely more challenging than a mute green flitter. He sniffed. Well, she could pick for herself. He did do a casual half-glance around him though – just to make sure that Darya wasn’t coming. He was pretty sure that if she showed up on the bridge he’d have to make a run for it though. That or punch her in the nose. She was fun to flirt with awake, but really, he had taste. He did. And she wasn’t on the list to do.
Ellie flew along the cliff face as fast as her wings would carry her. She was at a disadvantage, flying upward at such a steep angle, but her wings were big enough to carry her slender body upward; her smaller chasers might have had better luck than she. Her eyes seared hints of red as she approached the top of the cliffs and overshot with a twisting turn that carried her over the ground below. That turn gave her a view behind her and she saw not one, but two more chasers had followed her. And both were brown. She offered them what the bronzes had been denied – a pleasant, even encouraging flute. Ellie favored browns strongly, always had. Hers was a brown, after all, and that made browns the best. They were welcome to chase her. Browns didn’t leave her like Hero had. He was a bronze, even if he was a very good one. The thought upset her slightly, but not enough to make her slow down. Not by a long shot.
The other side of the jungle, weyrling barracks and hatching sands came into her sight, her wings beating to push her forward faster – faster. She wanted away from the Weyr, away from any who could recognize her, away from memories and high enough up to burn her glow into the sky itself. It didn’t occur to her to look back, or give any kind of acknowledgment to the others that were chasing her; if they were to have any hope at her attention, they’d have to be able to keep up, and Ellie wasn’t ready to slow down… and she most definitely wasn’t ready to stop. She powered forward over the ground, wings beating quickly, but it wasn’t the jungle she approached; she was flying as quickly as she could toward the tithing roads, flying away from the Weyr entirely. Every wing beat took her farther from home – farther from everything she was hoping to forget. She’d fly all the way to the other side of Pern and leave everything in her dust, yes she would.
Brushing his hair from his face, R’wign blinked as he noticed movement on the bridge that was decidedly not salamandyr. His head tilted and he sat up properly, hands wrapping around the rope straps before he inquired curiously to M’ta, “Coming down to see little ol’ me?”
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Post by dragon on Oct 25, 2009 22:07:59 GMT -5
Ack. That went badly. Worse than he would have liked, that was for sure. He was going to have to work hard to make up for that bungle. But at least now he was all clean and sparkly with bits of water? That had to count for something. If he couldn't get a shiny for her, he would be the shiny! Yes, that was it! Storm filled his wings and pumped them hard, shooting up the cliff face after Elegance. She was not going to leave him behind that easily! Though, going straight up like that was far from easy to do. A tad less daring than her, Storm didn't fly quite so close to the rock as she did, giving himself a few extra inches of wiggle room. He loved gold, he did. He was confident he could catch her, and he certainly wanted to! But he couldn't catch her and carry her to immortality if he wasn't alive to do it, now could he? So, yes, for her sake, her honor and glory, he took a few extra inches to preserve his own hide and ensure it was in its best condition for her perusal.
Catching a spare breath, Storm twirdled to her prettily, before falling silent again with the effort of keeping up. Speed, speed. More speed. Must keep up! Finally, the top of the cliff was reached, and Storm put in a few twirling stunts as he arced over the crest, still following her faithfully. And again, she headed upwards, into the sky and above, to conquer the wide open spaces! Storm hurried after her, cutting a few turns shorter to try and make up lost distance. He did not want to be too far away when she finally chose him. (And she would, of course!) He would not only be on hand, but ready. She would not fall!
The Weyr started to recede away from them as Elegance led the way, vaguely in the same direction as the tithing roads. Where was she going? The thought only crossed Storm's mind once, and then was gone. It didn't matter where she was going, anyway! He would follow her to the ends of Pern, he would be there for her when she needed him, and he would make the whole sky see just how magnificent she was! She would be the new Rukbat for all of Pern to see! Storm would make sure of it!
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Kisha-Ra
Rider Mo?rya Rider Darya Rider K?fuzzi Rider J?on Handler Vivano Handler Yoalla
Happier'n a pig in mud ABOUT WHERBABIES!
Posts: 1,109
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Post by Kisha-Ra on Oct 26, 2009 15:01:53 GMT -5
Imp kited for a moment, well pleased with his take off from R’wign’s head, oh but she was going higher. Sooooo much higher than before… He needed to be creative, yes, he’d do something to clever to get back on top and win, but what? He couldn’t fly up there like his golden love. Ah, But he could climb maybe? Yes, if he could just, just…
The salamandyr’s claws scrabbled madly at the rock for a moment as his wings struggled to hold him steady against the wall. He didn’t want to go squish either. Yes! Most clever I. the bronze’s voice seemed to possess a victorious hiss as he managed to get all four sets of claws on the cliff face and start bounding, hopping, and scrabbling his way up. It hadn’t taken him all that long to get here but his queen was getting away! Not fair, not fair, he was better, much better. They weren’t clever like him! Faster!
Ouch… Darya blinked, and looked at the ground in front of her, dazed. Why was she lying here exactly? Where was her gold? How close to the edge did she want to be?! The part of Darya that was firmly aware of both her lack of wings and her own mortality sent her scrabbling away from a long drop into the river. For a moment She sat on the ground breathing hard before Imp’s sheer determination caught her up in the chase again.
Imp hurled himself over the top of the cliff, and carried on running, looking around desperately for some way to get himself back into the air, the sky was where his gold was, so logically it was where Imp also needed to be. That would do, he decided as a reasonably sized tree came into view, just needed a little time to get up there. The salamandyr zipped around and up the trunk and flung himself from a springy branch. There, perfect! Except he was quite a way behind now…
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Post by kysseh on Oct 26, 2009 19:58:59 GMT -5
Two browns had joined the flight, and it made the odds that much worse in Ego’s favor. Only the barest flicker of a glance was given to them, and then the bronze’s attention returned to where it should be, fixed on the queen. The one he desired to be his queen, Elegance was. He followed her as best as he could through her loops and then leveled his flight, following her towards the cliff face. His wings were not even beginning to strain under the flight, his spirit reveling in the thrill of the chase of such a creature. He watched her fly straight up the cliff, and the bronze had not an ounce of hesitation in following, though he had to keep a bit of a safer distance from the rock. His muscled body needed more room than her more graceful one, after all.
When she whirled, he angled a wing to follow. His eyes spun rapidly in appreciation, his own movements following her every motion. Ego would not lose her, no. He would follow her faithfully until she chose him or another. But… of course, it would be him. He was such a fine specimen, was he not? He gave her a melodious croon, beating his massive wings harder in an attempt to follow her straight upward. It was not easy going, but he was not tired. No, not yet.
Finally, they reached the top of the cliff and shot over it. He called to her, watching her twist over and- oh, she didn’t. She… she called to the browns? Only the browns?! He chirruped in obvious confusion, his eyes whirling a shade of yellow amongst the purple. Why was she not acknowledging the rest of her faithful followers, those who had chased her from the start? He was not failing to follow her! The bronze firelizard crooned to her, beating his wings with more vigor in an effort to catch up to her. She was such a magnificent creature, and he would not lose sight of her. It was not easy to keep up, especially with this many other males crowding the sky and impeding his style. Still, he managed to compose himself and keep on a level heading, flaring his wings to soar every now and then in the hopes she would look back and see him and his magnificent self.
She was leaving the weyr quickly, wasn’t she? The bronze increased his pace, uttering a deep trill as if that alone would inspire her to turn around and let herself be caught. The queen was flying rapidly, though, and she seemed disinclined to do so. But… he could hope, couldn’t he? The bronze crooned to her, aware of the fact that they were heading far away from his familiar flying grounds. Away from the jungle, away from the weyr… to where was she headed? He knew of very little this way, but he trusted her. The firelizard would follow her anywhere, wherever she might take him. His queen, if she would let him.
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Post by archenstone on Oct 26, 2009 22:45:09 GMT -5
Arcturius began to work, pumping his wings harder as he watched his golden comet shoot up against the cliff. He angled to follow, confident that his superior flying skills would let him follow. He almost hugged the cliff side in what most would consider stupid. Tiny movements of wing tip, head and tail were used to avoid collusion with out cropping rock. Her encouraging voice was like a shot of adrenaline through his green blooded veins. He trilled back in greeting but his beautiful golden comet was already streaking away. As he topped the cliff face he banked sideways right then left before barrel rolling in a display of prowess. He continued, ignoring the nearby bronze as it was not worth his attention. He wasn't concerned with where they were going, knowing that he would gladly follow her up into the sky where they belonged together.
Raziel had grimly kept up with the bronze in an attempt to show that he was better. He flew up and up the cliff face side to side with the bronze daring it to fly closer....although not going as crazily close as Arcturius. He trilled back in greeting as the Queen paused to greet him. She greeting him! No one else had been greeted like him. It didn't occur to him that Arcturius was greeted as well. He was the best of them all. He reached the top and corkscrewed happily as he followed her. She was determined wasn't she? She was going to fast....such a speedy beautiful temptress of a Queen. He began to feel fatigue, his efforts starting to wear on him.
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