Artful Thinking (Lawrence)

[Wolfy]

Sigh.... Alex was alone in the common room, sitting by herself, stroking the little green Venus in her arms. Goof was dozing outside somewhere; she wasn't exactly sure where. She watched all the others in the big room silently, the little gears in her mind spinning.

She had only arrived yesterday, and that was late into the night. Hardly anyeone was there to greet her.

She needed to get busy.

She flipped her golden hair back, gazing openly at the men in the room, especially the younger ones.

[PhazonDragon]

Since recent adventures, Lawrence had wanted a few moments to himself. His stomach still throbbed with sudden movements, and he winced when he touched the black and blue bruised spot. Stupid greenriders, Lawrence thought bitterly, recalling the situation out at the feeding grounds. If only, if only... He complained, sinking back into the large armchair with a scowl on his face. He brought his knees up to his chest, sketchbook resting on his thighs, and feet being held up by the edge of the armchair.

You were asking for it, and you know it, came the low, 'I-told-you-so' voice of the bronze that Lawrence bonded to.

The weyrling ignored the dragon, not caring at this point. He had gotten Lawrence into so much trouble, it was hardly something to scoff at. All Lawrence needed now was a time for himself to be alone, and the warm common room was perfect. With other riders and weyrlings taking up their own time talking, Lawrence found refuge in one of the chairs near the fireplace. Boomerang came with him, a rare sight indeed. Lawrence was taking this time to sketch the odd creature, as he lounged in front of the warm fire.

A perpetual frown on his face usually kept curious visitors away. And that suited Lawrence just fine. He didn't want to be bothered, so if his annoyed look kept away the weyrlings, he wasn't about to change it or complain. Boomerang shifted in his sleep, twitching and rolling over to his side. Lawrence raised an eyebrow and moved his hand, starting another sketch from his angle. Already the page had three sketches: one of the bronze flitter flying, one of him sitting and inspecting Lawrence's face, and the latest one of him sleeping. Not wanting to be bothered, Lawrence set to work, making it look like he was busy.

[Wolfy]

Alex stretched languidly and stood, rather unceremonially disrupting Venus's rest. The green hissed, her eyes whirling red, and disappeared between. ALex could only smile slightly before turning her eyes back to the boy that was sitting alone. He had come to attention rather easily.

All of the others in the room had someone else with them talking, laughing, watching television, so it would be harder for her to ''infiltrate" them.

The boy was probably several years older than her, with a bad taste in clothes and and an expresssion that could scare off a bear, or, more appropriately, a dragon. He was crouched over a drawing pad, with a bronze firelizard beside him.

It was obvious the boy wanted to be alone.

It was obvious Alex Taylor, the most beautiful girl in this entire Weyr, would listen to no objoections to her company.

She walked purposefully toward him, stopping only to check herself in he mirror. She was wearing a black mini skirth, thigh high stiletto boots, kimono style red shirt. Her diamond earings were on, as well as a necklace which pendant drew attention to a certain spot . She wasn't wearing that much make-up, just a bit of mascara and eyeshadow; she didn't really need much. Once she was sure that she would draw his attention, she continued on, her stiletto boots clicking stolidly on the floor.

"You mind if I sit here?" she asked, smiling and motioning toward the seat that was right beside him.

[PhazonDragon]

He was fine by himself. Lawrence's hand jerked from side to side as his light touch on the paper left sketchy lines across the canvas. He heard the shifting of someone in the background, someone with heels that clicked as they walked. A woman. Lawrence didn't twitch as he made the connection. He wasn't interested at the time, so he didn't care. All that mattered was that he sketched this pesky fire lizard before he decided his nap was over, and flew away. And with Boomerang, who always managed to come back, that probably won't be long.

The steps behind him grew louder. Then paused. Lawrence looked up over the top of the sketchbook to see no one coming toward him. He turned his eyes back to the bronze flitter. Boomerang opened one eye, and looked at Lawrence. Lawrence silently hoped for the annoying thing not to move. As if listening to his prayers, the bronze fire lizard closed his eye and flopped back over. "Fire lizards..." Lawrence muttered, his eyes going back to the sketchbook.

The clicking started up again, and the weyrling ignored it. However, a shadow was cast over his side. Lawrence glanced up to see a young woman standing near him. The weyrling didn't remember seeing her anywhere around the weyr. She definitely was new. She was dressed so... interestingly? Lawrence looked her up and down, and before he could say anything, she opened her mouth and spoke.

"You mind if I sit here?"

Shrugging, the weyrling said simply, "No," and watched the younger girl for a second before returning to his drawing. Whatever worked for her. If she wanted to sit next to him, fine. He wasn't going to give up his sketchbook though. Lawrence angled himself slightly so that the sketchbook turned away from the newcomer. Boomerang's bronze head shot up as Lawrence moved, but feel back down when the weyrling showed no signs of getting up.

[Wolfy]

Alex watched the boy, seeing him glance up and down her body before answering her question with a blunt, "No." Was that intrigue and interest she saw in his eyes? Probably. She knew the effect she had on most men.

She sat down with a graceful flourish in a relaxed manner. She turned her eyes to her silent companion, and watched him ignore her, as he had when she had been walking toward him. He sat hunched up, carefully moving his hand across the paper as he drew whatever it was he was drawing. Seeing his eyes flick continually to the bronze flitter beside him, she assumed it was that he was drawing as it slept.

The litle thing was indeed a broze, with darker stripes along its body. She cocked her head, slightly happy that Leaf was not here; the stupid lizard would have pounced on him, flirted outragiously with him. Even Alex knew the wisdom of not doing that.

Quietly, so as not to disturb either the artist or flit, she introduced herself. "My name's Alex, Alex Taylor. I got here last night."

[PhazonDragon]

The woman sat down. Lawrence paid her no mind, just continuing to sketch. He could feel her eyes on him, and Lawrence did his best o resist the urge to glare right back at her. Boomerang wasn't so fortunate to have such willpower. He lifted his head to stare back at the woman, let out a short chirp, and got up, taking to the air for a circle around Lawrence's head. "Boomerang..." the weyrling muttered, watching the flitter, before the bronze thing landed on Lawrence's head, and promptly fell back asleep. Well, Lawrence couldn't sketch him now, could he?

"My name's Alex, Alex Taylor. I got here last night."

Ah. So she was new. "I'm Lawrence Huntington. My dragon's bronze Elonverrilth," he said. "That's Boomerang." Pleasantries... Definitely not Lawrence's favorite thing. Judging by Alex's story of arriving last night, Lawrence assumed she was a candidate... Or the child of some military big wig. "You're a candidate?" he asked, wanting to confirm his suspicions.

[ooc: Fail post is fail. Bleh. Short on time.]

[Wolfy]

She couldn't but smie more widely this time, both at the Firelizard's reaction to her and to the boy's reation to the formerly stated reaction. When the little thing landed on his head, she quickly looked back down int his face. He was scowling angrily.

he seemed to try, at least, to be socialable, even if it was obvious he wanted to do no such thing. "I'm Lawrence Huntington. My dragon's bronze Elonverrilth. That's Boomerang." So. His name was Lawrence, and he had already Impressed a dragon. Even better, a bronze. She had figured out the differnt dragon ranks fairly quickly, seeing as it was important to know. Frim least to gretest, she believed it Gold, Bronze, Brown, Green, Blue, White.

"You're a Candidate?"

She replyed witha curt "Yes." She glanced around, before adding, "You're lucky; I didn't get a bronze, or even a brown or gold, firelizard - hmmm, flit."

[PhazonDragon]

Lawrence wouldn't have minded the bronze flitter if they were in any other place, say... his weyr. Somewhere out of the way and private, where the bronze fire lizard was free to do whatever his heart desired, and Lawrence didn't feel the need to correct him. However, Boomerang wasn't just being an nuisance and hindering Lawrence's sketching, but he was also making the weyrling look silly by perching on his head. While Alex took in Lawrence's words, the weyrling reached up to grab the fire lizard around the middle, and bring his down to arm level.

"Boomerang..." Lawrence said sternly, only receiving an agitated squeak from the flitter. The weyrling set the bronze fire lizard down on the arm of the chair, on the side furthest from Alex, rolling his eyes as Boomerang curled back up. Lawrence glanced back over at Alex as she began to speak.

"Yes. You're lucky; I didn't get a bronze, or even a brown or gold, firelizard - hmmm, flit."

The bronze weyrling raised an eyebrow. "Sometimes I think the fire lizards are more trouble than they're worth," he commented, resisting the chance to send a nasty look towards Boomerang, though he knew the flitter wouldn't be paying attention. "Sounds like you want a high-ranking dragon then, doesn't it?" Lawrence concluded, already starting to dislike the girl's view. "The Pernese hold Impression in high regard... It's an honor to Impress a gold or a bronze..."

[Wolfy]

"Sometimes I think the fire lizards are more trouble than they're worth. Sounds like you want a high-ranking dragon then, doesn't it? The Pernese hold Impression in high regard... It's an honor to Impress a gold or a bronze..."

His disapproval of what she had said was infinitly obvious, something she didn't think he knew. She tilted her head to one side and leaned back, her eyes cool as she looked into Lawrence's face. "Then you're lucky. You only have one flit. You had the honor of Impressin a Bronze dragon."

She flipped her hair away fom her face. "A high ranking dragon wouldn't be too bad to Impress, now would it? Especially if it's such an honor."

[PhazonDragon]

The urge to roll his eyes slowly surfaced. Lawrence held back, conditioning telling him that if he did, he'd probably get a fist in the stomach, or one to the face, again. He wasn't going to do that. Still, he wasn't too sure if he liked this woman yet. She seemed to be confident in herself, and possibly confident that since he was paying attention to her, he cared for her. At this point, not so much.

"Then you're lucky. You only have one flit. You had the honor of Impressing a Bronze dragon. A high ranking dragon wouldn't be too bad to Impress, now would it? Especially if it's such an honor."

"Yeah. Honor. But I'm not Pernese," Lawrence responded. "Sure, it's great to be presented with such a high honor, but I doubt that's going to be helpful on Earth, where the only use for ranks is to keep order. And I'm only here to get out of school, and away from my parents," Lawrence frowned, remembering his past in where Bronzerider F'lar visited his house. Back when Boomerang was a young fire lizard, and still a hassle. Yeah, getting away from school and his parents, going to Pern. Too bad he was sent back to Earth because of his crippled bronze.

Lawrence... Impression is instinctive. I did not choose you to send you back to Earth. I chose you because you were the right choice, Elonverrilth cut in, at the mention of him. Impressing a bronze should be a high honor, no matter where you are, the bronze also added. Lawrence didn't say anything in return.

[Wolfy]

"Yeah. Honor. But I'm not Pernese. Sure, it's great to be presented with such a high honor, but I doubt that's going to be helpful on Earth, where the only use for ranks is to keep order. And I'm only here to get out of school, and away from my parents."

He was starting to get on her nerves. Lawrence seemed like the perfect 'prey' for her, but on closer inspection, he wasn't. Too sacastic and ironic. And obviously a loner. Ugh. She would have responded, but something unexpected happened.

Venus chose that exact moment to come out of between, scolding Goof furiously. The little blue was ignoring her mostly, and it was obvious Venus knew it. She shreeched once and bit her clutchmate on the wing. Hard. He responded by shrieking with pain and flying at Alex, hiding in her hair. Her eyes flashing, Alex grabbed the green tightly around her middle.

Venus knew when the fight was over. She crooned apologetically and curled up in Alex's lap, though a restraining hand was kept on her. Goof peeked out of Alex's hair moments later, chirping at both Lawrence and Boomerang.

[PhazonDragon]

After Lawrence's little spiel about the Pernese and their silly ranks and honor, Lawrence expected a retort back from what he thought was a conceited girl. He expected a comment about how he should be thankful that he Impressed a bronze; something he wasn't about to take sitting down again from not only the woman to his side, but also his own freaking dragon.

Hmm. You should be more respectable, Lawrence... Elonverrilth cut in again. He mentally grumbled in annoyance at his own rider, but didn't say anything else, on account of Lawrence pointedly ignoring him.

What ended up happening was Alex's two fire lizards decided that opportune moment to pop in from between and disrupt the tense conversation. Thankfully too, since Lawrence wasn't sure how much more he could take of the candidate. As the smaller green scolded the blue flitter, getting into a little catfight between the two, Lawrence rolled his eyes. Flitters. Such a big problem. His own was a pest, but not this much. Boomerang was a respectable bronze... Yet the weyrling only had one fire lizard to take care of, not two.

"Kinda annoying, aren't they?" Lawrence commented as the green quickly won the squabble and Alex calmed the green flitter with a hand on the tiny beast. The blue fire lizard had hidden in the girl's hair, and Lawrence raised an eyebrow at the pest when he peeked out to chirp a greeting to Lawrence and Boomerang. Boomerang, in return, crooned back, but he didn't move while the other two fire lizards went at it. Praising the bronze for his good behavior, the weyrling reached up to scratch at the creature's eye ridge.

[Wolfy]

"Kinda annoying, aren't they?" Oh, the boy was this close to getting her nails across his face. Lucky thing as he was, she wasn't about to do anything while an oler Rider or weyrling was around: it might stem her flow of chances here at Rocky Weyr.

When the bronze crooned back at Goof, the young lizard perked up, crawling completely out of Alex's hair and onto her shoulder. He chirped again, then comically gazed at Venus and crooned a sarcastic reproval. When she openned her jaws in a angry hiss, he squeaks and promptly fell of HisAlex's shoulder, doing a somersault in the air as he fell. He landed with a muffled thump behind Alex, then pretended to stealthily sneak up on Lawrence, staying low, silent, and naturally comic.

Scowling at the bad tempered Venus, Alex wasn't paying much attention to her other winged lizard.

"Annoying is when you get a F on a test you studied for. Annoying is when your parents don't let you go out on a Friday night. This isn't annoying, this is damn unbearable!"

At the brittle anger in Her's voice, Venus hid herself beneath her wings, crooning apologetically and sweetly.

To herself, she added, Oh I know exactly what you're doing you little pest!

[PhazonDragon]

"Annoying is when you get a F on a test you studied for. Annoying is when your parents don't let you go out on a Friday night. This isn't annoying, this is damn unbearable!"

Shocked, Lawrence jerked back in his seat. "Hey!" he said, straightening up, and turning to face Alex full-on. "Calm down! All I said was the fire lizards are annoying! I'm not trying to pick a fight here!" Lawrence exclaimed, his brow furrowing. On the arm rest, Boomerang picked up on his owner's emotions, shying away from Lawrence's hand to prowl around on the chair. Even Boomerang had better manners than this girl! "Boomerang," the weyrling muttered, sending the flitter soothing thoughts. He glanced down at the little creature as he dug his talons into the arm of the chair, and settled back down.

"There's no reason to freak out. I was only agreeing with you on the fact that they can be irritating. Apparently you have a lower tolerance level than me," Surprisingly enough, he added to himself. "Or you just got the short end of the stick when it came to fire lizards. How do you manage to keep a hold of them if you can't even control the poor things?" Lawrence frowned, setting the sketchbook down on his lap. "Really now..." the corner of his eye picked up the creeping form of the blue Alex owned, who had flown off only moments earlier.

"They feed off of your emotions. If you freak out and yell at them, they'll take it as anger or excitement, and only get worse. Even Boomerang, who normally is a pest, is more behaved than your two." Turning away from the candidate, Lawrence offered his hand to the blue attempting to sneak up behind him. "Come here," he said, trying to coax the flitter onto his hand.