|
Post by dragon on Aug 7, 2011 21:28:57 GMT -5
"Well," L'nu started, mimicing Samael's first comment. "Providing food is all great and wonderful, but that means impressing them all, too. I don't ... really want that." L'nu answered. "Same for food in the middle. Whoever feeds the little buggers impresses them. Feeding them before they find someone else is rather ... uh. I don't want to do that." He reinforced. Something about feeding being attached to impressing seemed to be getting past this fellow.
"Not quite. She's a big gold. Hang on a sec." L'nu took a moment to hope that the potters could forgive him if things went awry ... which they were liable to do. He called to Rose, and to his shock, she actually popped in at the bidding. Though probably more out of curiosity to being called than anything else. "Quick, compliments. Compliments keep her calm." L'nu stated hurriedly, catching the Gold and settling her on his arm before easing over closer to the potter so he could gauge the flitter's size.
"Sand. Flitters and dragons both like sand. Hot sand, actually." L'nu answered. Though the potting would need a special heat treatment to keep it from cracking when hot stones would be placed in the bottom to keep any sand warm. Or if it were placed in the edge of a hearth, one or the other.
Rose chirped a question, tilting her head at the dog of all things.
|
|
Aftershock
Hive Mind
Rider M'gnum Rider Lilu Handler Max Handler Cainith Rider Cairenn Weyrfolk Samael
Posts: 752
|
Post by Aftershock on Aug 7, 2011 22:32:47 GMT -5
Samael frowned a bit, then began expanding the center depression in the bowl while asking, "How much bigger? Do you have measurements? Unfortunately, I am unable to, as they say, 'eyeball it'," Samael said as he worked on the bowl. As L'nu asked for compliments from Samael, he panicked a bit, saying, "Compliments? To who? Who's there?"
Heimdall, meanwhile, cocked his ears up a bit at the sudden arrival of the bright gold firelizard, and as she chirped questioningly at him, he stood up suddenly, wagging his large tail and sniffing at the golden flit curiously.
|
|
|
Post by dragon on Aug 8, 2011 9:15:12 GMT -5
"This much bigger. Rose. She gets pissy if everyone in her vicinity doesn't automatically adore her. She's not ... the most ... uh." Shards. He could tell the truth about her while she was there, she'd eat his hands off! "Just ... say she's pretty. She doesn't know you can't see."
Rose chirped again, but then hissed when the dog stood up. Acknowledging interest did not mean she had invited the furry thing closer to her! She flared her large wings at him, making herself look even bigger than she already was, trying to intimidate the dog back into submission. Nevermind he never had been submissive.
"Rose! Be nice. He's being friendly! I ... think. He is being friendly right?" L'nu asked, admittedly not the best when it came to dogs. He tended to avoid them more than anything else. But he was pretty sure a wagging tail was a friendly gesture. Pretty sure. If not, he'd let Rose have at him before he would chance getting bit again.
|
|
Aftershock
Hive Mind
Rider M'gnum Rider Lilu Handler Max Handler Cainith Rider Cairenn Weyrfolk Samael
Posts: 752
|
Post by Aftershock on Aug 8, 2011 21:44:23 GMT -5
Samael grimaced a bit, responding, "Sir, if you didn't realize, I... er... can't see," gesturing to his clouded blue eyes. "If Rose would let me touch her, perhaps, I could feel how big she is? Plus, then I would be able to notice just how beautiful she is, since my eyes are denied her beauty," he added, hoping that would be enough to both keep the firelizard calm and get him an opportunity to find out her size directly... and touch an actual firelizard in the process.
Heimdall whined a bit when Rose hissed at him, then barked playfully at her, dropping his chest to the ground with his hindquarters in the air, a cloud of clay dust billowing up from the impact and being stirred to and fro by his long, wagging tail as he tried to prompt what he considered his new golden friend to play with him. Samael, at L'nu's comment, said, "I'm positive he's just being friendly, I don't hear any growls or feel any tension from him."
|
|
|
Post by dragon on Aug 9, 2011 0:20:04 GMT -5
"I do realize. That's why I said what I did." L'nu answered. "It is also why I brought her here. Look ... er ... whatever. Here!" He reached over and took Samael by the wrist, and guided the fellow's hand to where Rose was perched on his own forearm, still hissing at the canine below her. "Just say it. You don't have to actually see her to say it." L'nu urged. "Quickly, she's already getting grumpy ... granted so far just at your ... uh ... friend."
L'nu eyed Heimdall uncertainly for a moment, hoping that Samael was right about the whole being friendly thing. Because every time he had known a canine to bark, it was right before they bit. Of course his own tension probably was not helping Rose's any. She flapped her wings a few times, before shifting her attention from the dog to the blind person that L'nu had pretty much forced to feel her up. She bared her teeth, but otherwise didn't say anything.
Who was this that dared to touch her, especially without first having praised her stunning beauty? For all she knew, he intended to mar her lovely hide in jealousy!
|
|
Aftershock
Hive Mind
Rider M'gnum Rider Lilu Handler Max Handler Cainith Rider Cairenn Weyrfolk Samael
Posts: 752
|
Post by Aftershock on Aug 9, 2011 0:33:18 GMT -5
Samael almost jerked away at the unwarned grabbing of his wrist, but wasn't fast or strong enough to escape L'nu's grasp before his hand suddenly encountered a leathery hide. His protest dying on his lips, he gingerly felt around Rose's hide with his fingertips, his emotions warring between wonder at touching a real firelizard and fear that she would be offended at his touch and bite him... especially since his hands were still filthy with clay from working on the bowl. Samael's voice shook a bit as he said, "Ooh, wow, she-e's really smooth, and I can feel her muscles u-underneath the skin. She's the most w-wonderful firelizard I've ever touched," he added, not explaining that she was the ONLY firelizard he'd ever touched.
|
|
|
Post by dragon on Aug 9, 2011 0:52:41 GMT -5
That ... was something he was going to have to get used to eventually. The being stronger than he thought he was bit. Once already he'd hurt someone pretty bad just on accident, and here he was again. It was only when Samael jerked that L'nu realized the strength that he'd unknowingly put behind what was supposed to be a guiding motion. Might as well have ripped the man's arm off.
"Yes." L'nu agreed encouragingly. Those were good things to say, especially to Rose. Who visibly calmed down at those words. She chirped, arching her neck regally. Of course she was magnificent! She was the best Queen out there! She ruled Pern, and she would argue even Dragons to that point. She was The Queen, not just A Queen. Snaking her head over, she licked Samael's thumb once, and then started spitting and spluttering at the mouthful of clay composite that she got for her trouble.
EUCK!
It certainly distracted her from the fact that she was getting some of that same stuff all over her back. "Good, good." L'nu said, trying to convince her to maybe not grip his arm quite so tight. He understood her desire for control and balance on such a precarious and moving perch, but shardit! That was his skin under the cloth of that sleeve. It hurt! "Flitters, uh .. fly a lot. It's hard to find a fat one, especially a fat Queen. Rose spends a lot of time herding other flitters around, giving orders and rallying armies that sometimes disperse as fast as she gathers them. Thank Faranth, who knows what she'd do if she actually kept them all together for any length of time. She's something of a tyrant ... but don't let that color flitters for you. She's the exception to the rule. Most flitters are ... uh ... nice. Just not Rose." He supplied, still peeling at a talon that was only getting tighter for his efforts. "Shardit, Rose, let up a bit!"
|
|
Aftershock
Hive Mind
Rider M'gnum Rider Lilu Handler Max Handler Cainith Rider Cairenn Weyrfolk Samael
Posts: 752
|
Post by Aftershock on Aug 9, 2011 1:54:31 GMT -5
Samael would have warned the golden flitter against licking his clay-covered thumb, had he been able to see her head approaching. As it was, he jumped a bit as her tickling tongue touched his thumb, then tensed up as he heard her spit and sputter, hoping she wouldn't blame him for the taste and draw blood. Continuing to pet her as long as L'nu held his arm there, he responded to L'nu's comments with, "Yes, she seems really well-formed. I would love to see one of her 'armies', as you call them. I'll bet seeing that many firelizards all flying together is amazing, especially with such a shapely Queen at the head of them all." As L'nu complained about Rose's grip, he added, "She seems very nice to me. Aren't golds pretty rare? Seems like she would have a good reason for acting superior if there aren't many like her."
|
|
|
Post by dragon on Aug 9, 2011 10:40:21 GMT -5
Quickly, L'nu stopped prying at her talons and instead pulled a small jerky treat from his belt, giving it to Rose to distract her from the mud ... and maybe from her talons. Finally, he got her to loosen up, and he set her down on the tool table. She sat down where she was, tail shoving a few tools off onto the floor as she sat up to nibble on the treat suspiciously. Why was hers being so nice all of a sudden??
"Well, her rally calls are usually rather chaotic, I won't stick around them. It's like a great tornado of flitters, when it's got any organization at all. Sometimes it's just a roiling mass of colored wings before some of them wander off again." L'nu answered. "It's not amazing, it's terrifying. Especially when you consider who's got the reins of something like that. Rose is not the most ... socially courteous ... flitter." At a hiss from Rose, L'nu jumped and shut up. At least on that topic.
"Yes, a Gold of any given species is pretty rare. Less than one percent of any population is Gold." He answered. "It seems to appear artificially high around these parts, but that's only cause we have four different species. Gold dragons, Gold whers, Gold flitters, and Gold mandyrs too." He shrugged. "It's an illusion. That and they have a tendency of making sure they are seen, heard, and obeyed every where they go. They certainly have ... egos." He said, offering Rose another bit of jerk to try and placate that glare she was leveling in his direction.
|
|
Aftershock
Hive Mind
Rider M'gnum Rider Lilu Handler Max Handler Cainith Rider Cairenn Weyrfolk Samael
Posts: 752
|
Post by Aftershock on Aug 12, 2011 0:28:10 GMT -5
Retreating with his hand once L'nu released him to put Rose on the table, Samael subtly rubbed his wrist where L'nu's fingers had dug into him from the stress of Rose's claws in his arm while replying, "Well, sir, no offense intended, but can't firelizards understand human speech? You seem to speak quite poorly of her, perhaps if you were kinder to her she wouldn't be quite so mean-spirited towards you?" Samael kept his tone as neutral as possible, hoping he wasn't offending the bluerider with his suggestion.
|
|
|
Post by dragon on Aug 13, 2011 19:31:59 GMT -5
L'nu laughed ironically. "No offense taken. But yes. Believe you me when I tell you that I've yelled far worse at her when she goes on a tear. If anyone else were to say ... half what I said ... she would have been after them I assure you. But ... even with all that I have said? I do love her. She knows it. She's my flitter, and I'll look out for her. She's very pretty, too. Unfortunately she knows that all too well. I was just trying to warn you is all. Her understanding is also why I was trying to ... ah ... how shall I say? Put it nicely?" L'nu offered.
"Some flitters understand more than others. The general consensus is that the larger flitters understand more. I don't know if that's due to a bigger brain cavity, or a better tendency toward concentration. I'm not a ... eh. Beastmaster maybe? I dunno." He paused, and then laughed. "Actually, I was a potter."
|
|
Aftershock
Hive Mind
Rider M'gnum Rider Lilu Handler Max Handler Cainith Rider Cairenn Weyrfolk Samael
Posts: 752
|
Post by Aftershock on Aug 14, 2011 0:04:30 GMT -5
Samael nodded slightly as he responded, "I understand, sir. I was not trying to imply you did not care for her, not at all." As L'nu finished his statement about firelizard intelligence, Samael shook his head and said, "Well, sir, that could very well be the case. I wouldn't know at all, as I'm not sure of much about firelizards." Narrowing his eyes in thought, he suddenly seemed to come to a decision, and asked L'nu, "I have, sir, heard they need to be oiled, however. I was... well, I was thinking of carving a picture of Rose in the side of the bowl, but I'm still not sure exactly what she looks like. Do you... do you think she would allow me to oil her? Then I could feel all over her and know for sure what she looked like for my carving," Samael concluded, faint hope in his voice.
|
|
|
Post by dragon on Aug 14, 2011 14:45:08 GMT -5
L'nu paused for a moment, glancing at Rose for a moment as she pattered about on the potter's table, playing with the things she found there. Shells, she was like a little kid sometimes. "They do need oiled, though not as often as dragons do." he confirmed. "Though I really can't say if she'd let you or not. No one has ever tried to oil her before ... other than myself of course."
"Rose." He called, with just enough clip to his tone to more or less guarantee her attention. She paused from inspecting an item and looked over at him. "Go get your oil, Rose." L'nu prompted. "The little pot, you know which one."
Rose chirped, and then snorted. Which resulted in a sigh from L'nu. "I won't give you any more jerky until you fetch the oil." He answered. Rose hissed a return of her own, before leaping off the tool table, scattering the things in the process as she popped between.
"Shards and shells." L'nu remarked, lowering his arm from reflexively protecting his face from the small, sometimes sharp implements. "She can be graceful if she wants to be, she really can." He apologized, setting to gathering the items up off the floor and putting them back on Samael's table.
|
|
Aftershock
Hive Mind
Rider M'gnum Rider Lilu Handler Max Handler Cainith Rider Cairenn Weyrfolk Samael
Posts: 752
|
Post by Aftershock on Aug 14, 2011 14:53:00 GMT -5
Hearing the exchange, and the clatter of the tools, then the quiet scrapes as L'nu retrieved them off the floor, Samael put his hands out and said, "Thank you for the help, sir. I keep all my tools in specific spots so I know exactly where to find them without... well, being able to see them. If you could put them in my hand one at a time, or tell me what you're putting into my hand, I can place them in the spots where they belong."
After hopefully completing the process of retrieving and replacing his tools, Samael turned to stand, with Heimdall immediately standing with his master to help guide him, and said, "I'll be right back, I'm going to go rinse my hands off in case Rose decides to allow me to oil her. I would not want to oil a firelizard with clay-covered hands." He then proceeded to slowly make his way across the room to the small washing basin along the wall.
|
|
|
Post by dragon on Aug 14, 2011 20:58:56 GMT -5
L'nu nodded and placed the tools one at a time in Samael's hand, mentioning what each was as he did so. It was a good thing he had been a potter himself, or he might have wondered at some of the tools without knowing what they were for or what they were called. At least he didn't have to resort to 'funny looking half-spoon shaped scoop-thing' ... or asking if potting tools doubled as torture items.
He rested his palms on the edge of a mostly empty, sturdy table that he leaned the backs of his hips against, watching as Samael navigated the room. "I bet it really messes you up if someone takes a notion to rearrange, doesn't it?" He asked, not out of insensitivity, but genuine curiosity.
Rose reappeared, and landed on the table next to where L'nu was perched, her oilpot clutched in her front talons. Fluttering her wings and settling in a seated position, she cheeped demandingly, scooting forward on her haunches to peck at L'nu's elbow insistingly.
"Alright, alright. You'd think you'd be more than willing to fetch your own oil, you know." L'nu said, first jerking his arm away from the flitter's teeth, and then pulling out a piece of jerky to tentatively offer to her. As soon as it was in reach of her mouth, she clamped her teeth into it and practically tore it out of his grasp; how dare he withhold it from her so long?!
|
|