The problem with barracks... (open)

[ShadowReine]

Gwen considered that. "Only if the rider's male and has some interest in girls. I'm not sure I want to end up with an awkward awakening."

Of course I will catch something Tyrth insisted, even though it was very obvious he did not know what they were talking about.

"Not that Tyrth understands about catching yet. Knowing him he'll try and chase a freaking violet and pull a wing muscle." She made a wry expression at that. "He's convinced he can do anything a bronze or tan can." Maybe he'd got a bronze personality somehow, despite his choice of rider...

[Sparrow]

"Good luck with that then." Aleyi didn't really know any Greenriders... maybe she should be changing that before graduating. She imagined the majority of awakenings after a Flight would be awkward, anyways.

All the Greens I know are crazy, Jerglith whined. Aleyi gave him a cock-eyed look and the Blue only sniffed. Barreds are much prettier anyways.

Aleyi laughed. "Voluspath has been showing some interest in him, from what I've heard. Maybe he'll chase Gold." That would be a sight. "At least Jerglith seems content with dragons more his size." And he was quite assured of what his size was too. It was quite a relief to think that her Blue wasn't going to be one of those crazy ones that chased queens.

"Of course, we don't know that Tyrth can't do anything the Bronzes and Tans can," Aleyi added thoughtfully. There weren't really any other Whites alive to compare him too. "Maybe he was just born little and will put on a major growth spurt."

Brooke snorted. Yeah right.

[ShadowReine]

Gwen laughed. "For Faranth's sake, don't encourage him."

She grinned at her white. "Besides, frankly? He's the perfect size...and he's going to stay that way. Aren't you, handsome."

Tyrth just snorted a bit, shifting position to sort of curl against his rider. "And so what if he's a lot smaller than the dragon I was hoping for. Weird how I stopped caring the moment he Hatched."

The fact that he was hers and she was his was just...the way it was. Unchangeable.

[Sparrow]

"Sorry." Aleyi grinned sheepishly and Jerglith rumbled. As long as Tyrth didn't ever give him any competition, the Blue wasn't too worried about who he chased.

Aleyi glanced over the White, and decided Jerglith's was a much better size. He was a smaller dragon, but big for a Blue, and she had come to rather like that. "I'm sure he'll grow some." Every dragon had to.

"Jerglith is the size I always wanted." Aleyi grinned. She had always wanted a Blue, and here he was! Queens were much harder to get... and as far as she knew, Whites were even harder. Maybe Gwen would have wanted one if she knew one would hatch.

At least you always wanted me, Jerglith commented cheerfully. Brooke gave her head a toss. Hers had always wanted her more.

[ShadowReine]

Gwen considered that. "I very much...I won't say I didn't *want* a male dragon. I didn't think I would get one." She ran a hand along Tyrth's neck.

"But he's special and perfect *and* he goes with everything." She winked, indicating she wasn't...quite...that shallow. "When he's full grown and I get fancy straps for Gathers and the like, I can get any color I want."

I want black ones. With bright silver buckles.

Gwen laughed. "Fortunately, he's every bit as vain as I am." She stretched a bit, rolling her shoulders backwards. "In a different way, but definitely equal."

[Sparrow]

"I rather like them." Aleyi smiled and absently scratched Jerglith's eyeridges. At least she would never have to worry about proddiness from her dragon, and now Gwen wouldn't either.

"Blue goes with everything too. Well, almost." Aleyi laughed. She doubted it was worth it to worry over whether a dragon matched one's clothes, seeing as they didn't usually join their rider at events, they sat with the other dragons. She had always liked blue anyways.

Aleyi had to think about that. "Is that a good thing?" Being vain? She doubted it. At least Jerglith wasn't, he was perfect. The Blue crooned softly and gave Brooke a 'take that' sort of look, although he quickly shrunk back when the Gold glowered at him. She was more than perfect, even if Hers and her silly dragon didn't realize it.

[ShadowReine]

Gwen nodded. "True, but he can still have the fancy harness he wants. When he's stopped growing." She wasn't about to make more harnesses than she needed to, especially expensive ones.

"And no, but it's good to match one's dragon in certain ways. Tyrth just has to make up for his small size with a large ego. Some of the greens seem to be the same way."

Tyrth shoved her with his nose. "Well, you do."

[Sparrow]

Aleyi nodded. "I'm glad Jerglith's pretty-much stopped, harnesses are a pain." No more resizing them everyday, because finally the difference in his size didn't change by the hour! "I dunno about fancy harnesses though. We use them to fight Thread, anyways." It could get ruined or something.

Maybe she just means for gathers. A fancy harness would be fun. Jerglith absently imagined this; Barreds admiring his fancy harness and... well, he wasn't quite sure what one would do with something fancy beyond show it off to females. Maybe I could get a pale blue one. He liked the idea.

And make me take care of two harnesses? I dunno. Aleyi was reluctant, much as she would have liked to cater to her dragon's every whim. "Yeah, I guess."

Some of the Greens do? Just another reason to go for Barreds instead. He didn't want a mate with an ego, he could chase a queen if he wanted that.

Aleyi thought it would be better to match a dragon with admirable qualities, not vanity. But she thought better of say that. "I know some people with dragons who seem like their total opposite," she said instead. That Tanrider in her group of weyrlings, for example, who went looking for work while his dragon thought standing took too much effort.

[ShadowReine]

Gwen shook her head. "This wouldn't be for fighting Thread, but for the White Showoff here to look good in at Gathers and Turnover."

She considered that. "Well, yeah, and Tyrth's opposite to me in one matter, that's for sure. I'm all girly girl and he is very definitely a boy." Eyeridge. Eyeridges were to be rubbed.

"I guess dragons choose the riders they feel they'll be happiest with and the riders...just live with it. Accept it. And as it's impossible not to love them..."

[Sparrow]

Told you so.

"Right. Jerglith says he'd like some too." She glanced at the Blue and he chirped softly, his eyes whirling with pleased shades of green and blue.

Aleyi laughed. She wasn't quite sure if there was anything she and Jerglith were complete opposites in; the Blue was a fair bit more daring than her, and definitely more willing to stick his nose into things, but it wasn't like she would completely refuse to do either. "As long as you get along, I guess."

Aleyi nodded. "The dragon always knows, anyways." Whether the human didn't like the choice at first didn't matter, they would have to get used to it. It was hard not to love a dragon.

[ShadowReine]

Gwen nodded. "And it's not like he didn't have plenty of choice. Obviously he felt right and comfortable picking me."

Even if it was cross gender, even if she...well. It was right for Tyrth and, thus, right for her, because he was... "He's like a reflection of me, really. An echo that comes back stronger. Do you know what I mean?"

Tyrth crooned at his rider, curling around her a little. One day, even the white would be too big for hugs.

[Sparrow]

Aleyi nodded. She had watched the Hatching, and, as far as she could tell, Tyrth had been scared to death by the nearly-getting-smashed incident. It probably said something that he had run straight to Gwen.

“Yeah, I guess.” Aleyi would never had thought of it that way… but it was sort of right. Not that she was ever going to look in a mirror and see a dragon but… it worked.

I’ll hide behind you next time so you do. Jerglith rumbled and watched the White. Other than His commenting on it sometimes, he didn’t really remember ever being small.

[ShadowReine]

Gwen shrugged. "They choose, but they...I don't know. No matter what, Tyrth made the right choice...and if I ever forgot that, he'd be sure to remind me!"

Tyrth crooned, nuzzling at his rider, appreciating her physical closeness.

"And at least he's growing at a decent rate. When I saw how small he was I was worried he'd not be big enough to fly me!"

[Sparrow]

Aleyi laughed. “I don’t think anyone could forget, and Jerglith reminds me all the time anyways.”

It’s true, anyways. The Blue bumped Aleyi’s leg, his eyes whirling cheerfully.

“I can’t imagine a dragon too small to be ridden,” Aleyi replied, trying to imagine this. She didn’t imagine they could ever be much smaller than a large canine, and it was hard even to picture a dragon that small. It was too close to the fire-lizards. “You’re kinda lucky to have a small dragon though.” Not as much to wash, even if Tyrth surely had to be washed plenty.

[ShadowReine]

Gwen nodded. "He'll manage." There might end up being larger whers, but they'd manage. "He's not that much smaller, really, than Freyjath."

The green was the smallest in the clutch, but would probably mature bigger than some. "And I'm happy with what I have. Small has advantages and so does big. We need the full range, after all."

There was a reason for all of those colors...maybe not the new ones, but the new ones were all healthy and pretty.

[Sparrow]

"Freyjath?" Aleyi didn't know any of the dragons from the other clutches too well. She probably needed to get to know them... but doubted she and Jerglith would ever be too important, so it probably wasn't particularly vital.

"Mmm-hmm." Jerglith, at least, was very safely in the middle. He was a big Blue, but Blues were a smaller color. He was the perfect size really, even if smaller dragons had advantages. They couldn't have the endurance and power of something larger.

I'm sure they're all fine as long as they can flame, Jerglith told Aleyi with a draconic smile.

[ShadowReine]

Gwen nodded. "One of the greens in this clutch, first one that came to mind. I'll have to look and see if she's actually the smallest. The pale one."

Tyrth nuzzled his rider again, and got another scratch for his 'pains'. "Tyrth is perfect, though. Spunky, on the other hand, is a pain in the neck."

The barred squawked indignantly.

"Yes, you are, and now I have to deal with eggs," Gwen teased at her pregnant firelizard. "She is so pretty, though. Makes a great Gather accessory, just have to bribe her to stay still and pose."

[Sparrow]

"Oh." Aleyi didn't remember a pale Green hatching, there were plenty in the Weyr but... eh. She was sure to see the dragon around, maybe she had already. Did having a small dragon make people a lot more interested in other small ones? Maybe a Whiterider would need to be keeping a lookout for the smaller Greens... but it seemed a little early.

Aleyi laughed. "You should try living with Brooke for a day." The Gold decided that she wouldn't reply to that and just looked angrily at the ceiling. Jerglith ducked his head and rumbled softly.

"She is, and so's Brooke. But I know that she wouldn't like being referred to as an accessory." She would be the star of the Gather, not some decoration. "Good luck with doing that with Spunky anyways." The Barred didn't look eager.

[ShadowReine]

Gwen chuckled. "True, but I bet she responds to flattery. It seems that all queens do."

She regarded the gold for a moment. "I like her shade. But Spunky's better." Of course, she knew herself to be biased on the matter, her firelizard being second only to her dragon in her affections.

Maybe she could get another one once Tyrth was a little older. Right now, he took up so much of her time. Raising a dragon was... "Raising a dragon takes so much time, doesn't it." She grinned at Tyrth. "Not that you aren't worth it, handsome."

[Sparrow]

Aleyi nodded. "It's the one thing she responds nicely to." Sometimes. Brooke snorted softly at the implication that she was like all other queens- she was much better than all of them.

"Her stripes are pretty, but I think gold is better than that pale green." It at least always looked healthier. The Barreds were pretty, but sometimes their pale hide could make them seem a little sickly if they were in the wrong light or... something. Aleyi had to think about that.

I think they all look quite lovely,

I know you do. Aleyi rolled her eyes at the Blue and then nodded as Gwen spoke again. "Yeah, especially when they're young. I'm glad Jerglith's mostly past that phase." But he had been completely worth all the work, just like Gwen said Tyrth was. It was just nice to be done with the almost constant feeding and bathing.