[PRP] Much Ado about Flitters [Shalaera/Rinis]

[demon_pachabel]

When the tithes came in, so did Shalaera - at least some months. It wasn't unusual to find the Beastcrafter dropping in to follow up on eggs that had hatched at the Weyr outside of her care and giving a general checkup on her lineage. She also, fortunately, wasn't a hard woman to miss or mistake for another with several firelizards perched on shoulders or holding onto her for dear life for the ride.

Or with an angry blue making eyes at anybody who dared approach her as she carefully made her way through the residential barracks, stopping occasionally to chat with a person here or there, and looking over their firelizards. It would be around the evening meal before she was finally seated - and alone - for more than a few minutes without somewhere to be.

Though there was still plenty to do, what with 7 firelizards crawling all over the table and all making their own sounds of interest. Oh! So much to do here! Snoop? SNOOP!

Magnadearel

Sorry it's a little bleh.

 

[magnadearel]

demon_pachabel

That's alright! Thank you for starting.

Rinis was surprised to find herself struggling to deal with only four firelizards. Somehow she'd managed to attach an angry blue, which had set off the young green, Eyes. The two were almost always bickering like some human siblings she'd seen sometimes did. Rinis found herself at near the end of her ropes with the pair. Thankfully her brown and gold, Chaek and Bourbon, were a little calmer and easier to deal with. Chaek was her oldest and well into his adulthood. Eyes and Bourbon were only a sevenday or two old, and then the blue was the baby.

The young woman had finished her shift working and gone to the lower cavern to get something to eat. Chaek and Bourbon were riding calmly on her shoulders while Eyes and Wergild circled and squabbled overhead. It was had not to notice her entrance. It was embarrassing to her who'd always kept her firelizards quiet and well trained. She headed toward the back of the room to find a quiet table to park the four before going to get her food.

Along the way she noticed a familiar face. And a lot of firelizards on the table. A Lot. Rinis was impressed as she counted seven of the critters. If anyone could help her this woman possible could. Rinis didn't know if she would, but at least she could ask. She detoured over to Shalaera's table and smiled. "Hello, anyone sitting with you?" Chaek and Bourbon warbled their greetings at the other flight of 'lizards.  

[demon_pachabel]

A flash of blue, then red, then orange danced in shapes across Shalaera's mind, and she could feel her first-born perched on her shoulder, immediately preparing to throw down as a stranger approached with hisses and bore teeth. The woman raised a hand and gently tapped it against his nose. "Mele. Enough," she bid as she turned in her seat to see who had approached.

Hm! She at least recognized the young woman - "I'm sorry you didn't get your green," Shalaera greeted as she gestured to the seat next to her. "By all means, feel free to join me!" Though the blue on her shoulder was less thrilled about company.

One of the greens on the table - a dainty thing with dark ridges and not so nearly as spotty as the one that was trying to be held - trilled back to the throng in interested greeting, while a brown scaled up Shalaera's shoulder to get a closer look at their new company, eyes whirling with interest. Oh! New friends!

Magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

demon_pachabel

The one sitting on her shoulder put up an impressive defensive display protecting his person. Rinis remained calmed, positive Bourbon, despite her youth, wouldn't let that one harm her. She smiled as the woman calmed her firelizard, then looked at her.

"As am I, but things have worked out for the better I think." She smiled to herself for a moment in thought. "Thank you," she murmured as she slid into a chair. Once she was seated, Eyes and Wergild flitted over to land on the table and bickered on who would get to meet the others first. She sighed. "Sorry. They aren't quite ready for social company yet." Rinis hoped they'd grow out of it quickly or she'd be forced to leave them in her rooms when she ventured out.

Chaek trilled sweetly to the dainty green, then chirruped a greeting to his fellow brown. "If you don't mind my asking, how do you manage so many?" Even the hissy blue seemed well behaved; if only Wergild would be like that. She figured she needed to work with them more.  

[demon_pachabel]

"Sometimes that's how it goes," Shalaera agreed. It was relatively unknown that she had once stood for a dragon and been looked over until she was too old, but she could at least sympathize with the whole thing.

She looked at the two flitters who had settled on the table, smiling. "Oh, get them around people enough and they'll get used to it. When they're young I like to hand off mine to as many people as I can so they get used to being handled," she held up Laena in her arms and the little green kreeled and continued to ragdoll, clearly content with her entire life.

The darker green on the table, Sylif, continued to cheep and chirp her greetings, immediately bustling over to bump her head against both Eyes and Werglid. To her bonded, she offered back shades of green and blue, clearly pleased.

"I don't mind at all! Truthfully - very carefully! Given they don't need me to live like a dragon does, they tend to be a little less desperate to appease...and this little guy," she nudged her finger back up against the seething blue on her shoulder's snout, "is much more wild than most are. I've had to establish a hierarchy to keep them in line. Consistency is key - if they know how the paces go, they'll behave about how you expect them to."

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

demon_pachabel

Rinis wasn't sure how many candidates actually stopped standing before they aged out. But she was ok with being different if it meant she got something else she wanted. It was a suitable trade off for her.

The young woman listened with interest. Socialization. Why hadn't she thought of that before? Well she'd certainly give it a try with her youngest crop. Chaek was well behaved, probably because he'd been her first and only firelizard when he'd hatched. She'd had more time to devote to him. "Thanks I'll give that a try!" Rinis laughed softly at the ragdoll green.

Eyes happily greeted the green and chattered back at her, whilst Wergild puffed up trying to look impressive. Rinis watched the trio happily, as they were getting along well.

For once Rinis was glad to only have four. "And they'll never grow to the size of a dragon either hm?" She joked with a cocked eyebrow. Rinis had helped her friend bathe his dragon often enough to know. The young woman idly tapped her finger on the table in thought. "Shalaera. Did you ever have to go to a..... A hall for training? Y'know, like weavers and miners. Except it'd be for firelizards?" She felt a little awkward asking. Her mind painted something like harper hall with tons and tons of firelizards flying in and out all the time.  

[demon_pachabel]

"Of course! You clearly are going to have your hands a little full, at least!" she mused, looking over each of the flitters that had joined her and her throng at the table. As long as Mele remained on her shoulder, any tussles would remain at a minimum. That simply meant she needed to keep Laena nearby as incentive - keeping those flashes of irritation at bay. "Having a wild boy as the standard made for an uphill battle, but if your oldest or most authoritative are rewarded for good behavior, the others will follow."

Which was how she'd managed to not have another flitter made of wild anger.

If Sylif was impressed, Shalaera wouldn't be able to say as she bumped her head back against Wergild's chest before throwing herself down onto one side with a delighted cheep, clearly inviting both him and Eyes to join her. Internally, Shalaera was thankful that she leaned towards her mother's mellow nature, rather than.....well. Mele had good traits too, bless his heart.

"If Mele ever got to be the size of a dragon, we'd all be in trouble. He has enough personality for it though," she crooned the end of the statement to the blue directly, and his almost permanently red eyes whirled into traces of blue and purple for only a moment. Then, his attention snapped back to all of these stangers about and the red returned. She looked away from him at Rinis inquiry.

"You're thinking of the Beastcraft Hall in Keroon Hold. I had a teacher there, yes. He took one look at Mele and felt the need to intervene, after all," she said it with a smile, as if teasing a younger version of herself.

Mangadearel

 

[magnadearel]

demon_pachabel

I'm so sorry this is like way late. XD

"I don't mind that. I enjoy their company." Now that she wasn't a candidate and always in lessons, it was much easier to care for 4 firelizards. Rinis glanced over her group, then over those belonging to Shalaera. They were pretty darling. She considered. "Well I think all of mine are wild, but Chaek is the oldest and best trained. I'm hoping it'll rub off on my queen Bourbon as she gets older. I doubt she'll let Chaek run the flight once she reaches adulthood."

Eyes eagerly scampered over to join her fellow green to flop playfully on her. Wergild pretended to look haughty for a moment before giving in to join the two greens on the table. He belly flopped onto Eyes who gave an indignant squawk for getting squished.

She laughed. If any flit got the size of a dragon they'd be in trouble. Shalaera was adorable in the way she crooned to her protective blue. "Ah. I wasn't sure if firelizards fell under their purview." She chuckled a moment. "I'd hate to leave here so soon to find a master." Rinis hadn't considered she might need to spend some time away from the weyr.