The problem with barracks... (open)

[ShadowReine]

Gwen nodded. "I'll be glad when he gets past the eat, sleep, itch stage. But it won't be long now."

What would it be like to trust her life to those ivory wings? She knew she could trust Tyrth, with her life, her mind, her soul.

"Jerglith is quite a handsome blue, too. He's a nice shade." Gwen liked color, it was important to her...ironic, then, that she should have Impressed as she did. But then. White did go with everything. "When I came here, I didn't realize there was quite so much variance within the colors...quite so much difference of shade. I was worried I wouldn't be able to tell the dragons apart, and..."

[Sparrow]

Would he? Aleyi hadn’t realized how quickly the newest weyrlings were growing up. And if it wasn’t long until Tyrth and the others got past that youngest stage, there was probably little time at all before she graduated. Aleyi hadn’t thought much about that… and it was kind of a frightening idea.

I wouldn’t mind moving out. Jerglith looked up at Aleyi cheerfully. It’s getting much to crowded here.

True. Still… and wasn’t the Wing she and Jerglith would be in led by a Green?

Jerglith purred slightly as Gwen spoke and Aleyi laughed. “Yeah, he’s lovely.” She didn’t quite know what to say about Tyrth… he was white. The Bluerider laughed a little as Gwen continued. “I guess I’d seen enough fire-lizards growing up that I expected all the shades. But some of them still surprise me though, a few dragons don’t seem quite their color.”

Jerglith nodded slightly. There were a couple in his own clutch.

[ShadowReine]

Gwen nodded. "Yeah. They're certainly all different enough to tell apart, anyway."

And then there was Tyrth, who stood out a mile off. "And I can certainly distinguish Spunky from the other barred firelizards."

Said firelizard was on her shoulder making faint grumbly noises. "I think she's tired of being pregnant. She'll be glad to get those eggs laid, won't you."

Grumblegrumble.

[Sparrow]

"Yup." Aleyi scratched Jerglith's eyeridge absently and Brooke glared sulkily at the Bluerider's hand, wanting the same attention.

"Brooke's easy to tell apart too, I just need to look for the angry one. Not that there are many Golds here in the first place, of course." She smiled at Brooke, who decided she would let this one pass when Aleyi reached up and stroked the Gold too. "She's kind of nice to have around, even if she is a pain."

Aleyi frowned slightly at Spunky's grumbling. Brooke was bad enough already, she didn't need the flitter being moody when she was pregnant... shards. That was in the future... but it was something to dread. Jerglith agreed.

[ShadowReine]

Gwen laughed a bit. "Spunky has that tendency too. I've had to work hard on training her to at lest pretend to be somewhat nice. She bit me when she hatched...and several times since."

Hence why the fingers were now out of grumble-barred's reach. She loved her firelizard, but she certainly didn't trust her. She'd had herself punctuated quite a few times.

"I suppose, I should be glad I don't have to deal with this.." She eyed Spunky. "In dragon size."

[Sparrow]

Aleyi laughed. "Brooke's good at pretending, but I don't think she really cares when there aren't any Bronzes around." She half grinned at the Gold, who made her own attempt at returning the expression in a very sarcastic manner. "At least she doesn't really bite." Nibble and nip maybe, but nothing that actually hurt. Usually.

"Oh yeah. The Barred dragons I know are nice though, maybe flitters just think they have something to prove since they're so little." Aleyi had never been queen material, at least she had never even needed to think about getting something like Brooke in dragon size.

"There are rude ones though." She had sort of met one of them, and doubted that Barred would ever change since she had such a shy rider.

She's mean to Blues too. Jerglith sniffed slightly, not understanding that at all. He couldn't imagine why anyone (other than Brooke, anyways) wouldn't like Blues.

[ShadowReine]

"Or maybe it's just Spunky. Hatched out the wrong side of her egg and never recovered. I hope she doesn't pass it on, if that's the case. We don't need six or seven of them."

That was her guess for the most the barred would lay. She was, after all, the size of a blue. "I think she just has an ego, to be honest. I love her anyway, though. Or maybe I just attract egos."

I heard that.

Gwen laughed a bit, winking at her white. "You're allowed to have an ego, Tyrth!"

[Sparrow]

Aleyi laughed. "Well, Brooke'll surely pass all her genes on. No male's would be good enough." She'd probably hope to not hatch any Blues too, but both of those plans were sure to fail. Maybe if they were really lucky the majority of Brooke's young would be her complete opposite.

"Maybe." Aleyi grinned. She hadn't exactly attracted Brooke, she had bought her. At least Jerglith was a sweetie. "You could always get more flitters and test it." If she were Gwen, she wouldn't though. Aleyi had no plans to get more flitters.

We still need a Blue so I can name it Little Jergle... Jerglith looked up at her hopefully and Aleyi rolled her eyes.

"You can Impress your own flitt if you need that so much." Brooke wouldn't agree with that, she already didn't, and Aleyi wasn't sure she wanted a second flitt either.

[ShadowReine]

Gwen laughed. "CAN firelizards Impress to dragons?" She wasn't sure, and she wouldn't be surprised.

If they can, can I have one?

You have to live with Spunky and you want one?

Spunky, as if aware of Gwen's thoughts, tugged on her hair. "Ow! On second thoughts. One of her is enough!"

[Sparrow]

Aleyi shrugged, surprised that Gwen had even asked. "I dunno. Maybe, I guess. I don't know that there are many out there particularly anxious to feed and oil them though."

I'd have you do it for me. Jerglith gave her a draconic grin.

It'd be your responsibility. Aleyi sniffed, then laughed as Spunky reacted. Brooke, at least, seemed content with the thought that Jerglith was much too lazy to raise a fire-lizard. "I don't suppose it would be too bad having multiple flitters following me around if they weren't all mine," Aleyi grinned. "Unless they acted like it anyways."

[ShadowReine]

Gwen shrugged back. "Tyrth wants one. I pointed out that he has to deal with Spunky, and she's more than enough."

Would she turn down another hatchling. Probably not, but she wasn't going looking for one, either. If one happened...say from Brooke's clutch...to look her way, though.

"Not that Spunky's normally quite this bad. Quite. She'll always be a bit of a grouch, I think." Some people just were that way. At least, Gwen thought, Tyrth was usually happy. Quite cheerful, in fact.

[Sparrow]

"Jerglith wouldn't mind one either. But I would." Aleyi sighed softly and Jerglith mimicked her. He really would take care of a flitter- once it was old enough to take care of itself, anyways.

"Yeah. You know, I don't know if Brooke could get much worse," she gave the Gold a scratch to let the flitt know she was joking, Aleyi had no doubts that Brooke could be more irritating, "maybe clutching will put her over the edge when it comes to being angry and she'll start being nice."

I doubt it.

It's possible. Aleyi wasn't going to kill hope for anything, no matter how unlikely.

[ShadowReine]

Gwen nodded. "At least I only have one grouch. Tyrth isn't capable of grouch."

The white just regarded her with whirling eyes, The best dragon on Pern has no need to grouch

"Arrogance, over-enthusiasm, knocking things over with his tail...but not grouch."

[Sparrow]

"Neither's Jerglith." Aleyi smiled at him. "I guess we just get extra grumpy flitters to make up for it." It made sense.

Grouching is for females to do. Jerglith rumbled, his eyes whirling cheerfully.

Thank you. What didn't make sense was Jerglith's never regarding Aleyi as a female. To him, she was just 'His'. Brooke gurgled, at least the dragon recognized her gender.

[ShadowReine]

Gwen shrugged. "Spunky's not grumpy, just...well. The name was just far too obvious."

She was grumpy now, but that was because the eggs were heavy or somethng, Gwen was sure of it. Pregnant was a good excuse for grumpy.

"Dunno how I ever got either of them," she added, teasingly.

You were the only one

[Sparrow]

Aleyi shrugged. She didn't mind calling Brooke grumpy even if it wasn't the word to describe her.

I say both are grumpy.

"Guess you were just lucky." Aleyi laughed. Brooke nudged the girl's ear warningly and she reached up to pet the Gold. "Guess I was too." With Jerglith, at least. She still wasn't sure whether it was luck that had given her Brooke. She was a Gold, yes, but Aleyi really wasn't all that worried about the ranks, she had just wanted something cute and friendly.

[ShadowReine]

"Lucky for Tyrth. I suppose lucky for Spunky, given she was the first tame barred and all. And she is cute, and she even goes with my Gather dress."

Tyrth regarded Spunky for a moment, then just curled up, head on forepaws. "Tyrth is still cute, too. Dunno if he shouldn't change to 'handsome' at some point, though. He might be small, but he's still a dragon."

[Sparrow]

Aleyi laughed. Flitters that matched Gather dresses just made all the difference. Brooke fit with Aleyi's, or at least she figured she did, gold went well with blue. "You get a lot of firsts, huh?" The first Barred, the first White in a whole lot of Turns...

She's not the first to want a Gold and not get it. Jerglith rumbled.

Far from that. "He probably will. But I still think Jerglith's cute." Aleyi grinned and rubbed the dragon's forehead.

[ShadowReine]

"He'll outgrow it too. Adult dragons are not cute. Firelizards, yes, dragons, no."

And Gwen blushed a little. "I suppose. Tyrth just did what all dragons do...pick the best person from those available to partner with."

The fact that it happened to be her had been a total blindside, but there was...it didn't make her that special. HE was the one who was special...

[Sparrow]

"Nah." With Jerglith, Aleyi could finally understand how her mother continued calling Aleyi's brother's cute even when they got older and lost their cute little boy look.

"I'm glad Jerglith picked me." Aleyi grinned. It was nice to have a Blue, not only were they the best kind of dragon, no extra attention came with them, as they weren't a new color or queens.

You were the best one, even if you call me cute.