What of this place? (open)

[shadowreine]

Tiff had...never envisioned the reality. The center of the compound was a large, open area, buildings tucked up against the mountains that surrounded it.

At first, she had thought the blue dragon she saw curled up not far away was awfully small, then the rich colored creature stretched a little.

A baby. She was suddenly sure that it was a very young dragon. Then the full sized brown flew overhead.

"Daaaaaaang" came out of her. "Hey! Where are new people supposed to go?"

There had to be some kind of orientation beyond being dropped at the gate and told to look for a woman with a white dragon.

They were huge. And one day she might even have one of her own...that beat starring in any movie her mother could have found for her. And if her mother came here...the woman would faint dead away at the size of these beasts. And their teeth.

[FaizahPandora]

Faizah had just sat down with a cup of juice, having felt really dizzy moments before, when Surth told her someone new was there. She sighed, rubbed her head where a headache was forming, chugged her apple juice and left the main hall. Surth was waiting for her, so she leapt up and they took off.

Faizah saw the girl, pointing her out to Surth. One of the blue weyrlings was nearby, and the young blue could only be Jadavaths or Cruciths. Surth circled for a few moments, then landed gingerly and a small distance away. She paused a moment before getting down from her perch.

[PhazonDragon]

His own arrival days ago was remarkably dull. He’d flown in from home--nearly half-way across the world now--landed at the airport, and met up with a U.S. Official who drove him all the way to the Rocky Mountains. Making himself at home, Evander had a personal 'weyr', as they were called, picked out for himself. The room was modern, despite what he originally thought and heard of about the planet of Pern. It was on this fine, May day that Evander found himself leaving his room and heading outside, a cup of tea cradled in his hands. He brought the teacup to his lips and sipped at the burning liquid, like a good little British man.

A half-smile spread on his face as Evander walked into the weyr bowl. There was a light breeze, tugging at his brown hair and his leather jacket. If there was a moment that he was at peace, it was then, for a millisecond. A brown dragon flying overhead brought along a blistering tailwind, and Evander braced himself against it, shielding his tea from debris. He snorted when the wind subsided, raising an eyebrow at the offending dragon.

"Hey! Where are new people supposed to go?"

The voice came from someone off to the side, and Evander whipped around to see who it was. A young woman, younger than him anyway, stood, looking confused, but bold enough to challenge whoever would listen. Completing the triangle, the great white Surth and Faizah were paces away. Teacup still in hand, Evander moved forward, his friendly disposition getting the best of him. Holding his tea in one hand, Evander raised his arm in greeting to both the newcomer and the Weyrwoman.

"Hou ar ye?" he asked, offering a warm smile to the other two, despite the Scottish accent that crept into his voice.

[shadowreine]

"I'm fine." She glanced between the woman and the boy, her hands tucked into the pockets of her jeans.

Mostly, though, her attention was on Faizah. And the dragon she was sitting on as easily as a trained rider on a horse. She wondered how hard it was to learn that poise. That confidence...she did note that the woman had a harness to secure her to her mount.

Good. Falling off a horse would hurt. Falling off a flying dragon would be, likely, fatal. Heck, you could get hurt falling off if it *wasn't* flying...she glanced at the small, sleeping blue again, and realized it was likely very young.

"I'm Tiffanie Marlowe," she added, offering a hand to Evandar. She'd rather have shaken hands with Faizah first, but the boy was closer and the woman was in the process of dismounting.

[FaizahPandora]

Faizahs feet hit the ground. She patted the white foreleg and thanked Surth for the ride. Then she turned and approached the two candidates. Evander was a smiler, while the new girl, Tiffany, was bold. Both of them people Faizah could respect.

She waited her turn to shake the girls hand, noticing her glance towards the blue. From here Faizah knew what blue it was, recognizing him from Jadavaths clutch. She smiled to the girl before speaking.

"Not all dragons get the size of my white. He's a behemoth compared to the normal for his color." She nodded back to Surth, watching intently.

To Evander. "I'm well today. Yourself?"

[PhazonDragon]

Nodding to the young lady, Evander noticed she had her attention on the Weyrwoman. Fair enough, seeing as she was the leader of this peculiar place. The newcomer had a particular accent that Evander couldn’t quite place, but it was a tad different from what he was used to hearing on the East Coast of the states. That was to be expected though, wasn’t it, since he was now so far away from home...

And she introduced herself, holding out a hand to the Scot. Tiffanie Marlowe. “Nice tae meit ye. A’m Evander Lloyd--Uh-van-der,” he repeated, to putting emphasis on the first syllable. Americans. They liked to pronounce things the way they look. All the same, if he sounded snobbish and uptight, he didn’t mean to be. As the words left his mouth, the candidate’s eyes widened briefly, and he quickly stammered, “But, Ay wont hurt ye if it’s nae right...”

He grasped Tiffanie’s hand firmly, shaking it simply before breaking contact as Faizah approached. “A’m gud, a’m gud,” Evander said, nodding his head with each beat. “Gehing sehled in, but gud.”

[shadowreine]

Tiffanie repeated the name, pretty much perfectly, then she turned to Faizah. "I can see that. How old is the young one?"

Woruth...for that was the blue concerned, although Loren was not in immediate evidence...lifted his head at that, producing a baby-sized rumble, then resting it back down on his paws.

She wondered what it would be like to be partnered with such a creature, but then, that was why she had come. She had come to be...something her mother could not imagine. To break free of her at last. "He's handsome, though. How do you keep him *clean*?"

The idea of having to scrub all of that white was suddenly rather frightening.

[FaizahPandora]

Faizah nodded at Evander, turning to Tiffanie as she began to speak. How old was the blue? Faizah didnt know exactly. "How old? About a few months... Cant remember exactly off the top of my head."

Faizah looked over at Surth when Tiffanie asked about keeping him clean. She smiled as Surth rumbled in amusement. "Its interesting, and usually a group project. Kain, the weyrleader, helps me along with our flitters, and my sister Mentari. We all help bathe each others dragons." Faizah paused, chuckling to herself. "Of course, his near daily swims help."

[PhazonDragon]

She recited his name near perfectly, at which Evander was impressed, though, he mused, it wasn’t exactly a hard name to pronounce. Of course, the conversation turned to Faizah, who was the real reason for the question, and Tiffanie’s original shout out. Evander just thought it to be polite to greet the newcomer. The young dragonet blue in question lifted his head, as if acknowledging the fact that people were talking about him.

The Scot listened in to Faizah’s answer, for the question on how she managed to bathe such an enormous creature was something that Evander had wondered about as well. “Kindeh... Herd for someone tae... ehcomplesh on thehr own, yeh?" he commented, somewhat swallowing his accent. He looked past Faizah to Surth, where he was lounging, taking note of how big the white was.

Definitely not an easy task, no matter what size your dragon. Though white was one of the rarer ones, Evander came to learn. And not normally of that giant size. He cleared his throat and nodded in agreement with his last statement, however.

[shadowreine]

Tiff nodded. "And he's unusually big." She wondered if she might end up with a white dragon. Or maybe one of the green ones. They were female, right?

Greens and golds, female. Bronzes, browns, and blues, male. Easy enough to remember, given the starting letters. Whites didn't fit, but she could handle that. "He's gorgeous, though. Can I touch him?" She had to ask...she was not brought here by dragon, as a Pernese Candidate would have been...she had never been this close to one of them before.

Maybe he would let her pet him?

[FaizahPandora]

I would be much obliged if you would scratch the ridge above my eye. It seems a fly has found it a perfect resting place. Surth spoke to the three of them calmly, lowering hid head so they could reach his eyeridge.

Faizah laughed, turning to lead the two candidates over to Surth. "Yes, it is quite an undertaking for a single person. I think the normal sized whites can be bathed by a single person, but otherwise help is welcome."

[PhazonDragon]

Evander bobbed his head in agreement with Tiffanie, who voiced his thoughts as if she was inside his mind and reading them out of a book. He stopped his nodding as the other candidate asked about touching the white. A bold move... He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to glance sideways at Tiffanie, then over at Faizah. Would she let her touch her dragon? Faizah seemed calm, and nice enough to do so, but did she have a hidden pet peeve?

... Evidently not, judging by the way the white jumped into Evander's mind. The Scot slightly jumped, jerking back at the sudden invasion of his mind, but as soon as the initial shock wore off, Evander went crazy. The dragon was in his mind--how surreal! Something out of science fiction novel! He started forward, eagerly following Faizah over to where Surth waited. What she said after that flew over his head, and Evander stood in awe next to the giant head of the white.

"He's ah giant, white, beauty..." Evander lifted his arm, raising his hand to the white's eyeridge. Surth left the invitation open, right...? He hesitated shortly, then brought his fingers down to scratch at the rough ridge, wondering if he was doing it right.

[shadowreine]

Tiffanie laughed. "I guess he likes to be petted." Evander had gotten to the itchy spot first, though. The dragon's voice was incredible.

Absolutely incredible. To hear a voice like that in her head every day and know she was loved by it? That beat anything and everything her mother had ever wanted and dreamed of for her.

There was no way she was leaving now she was here. No way she was going anywhere without one of these dragons to call her own. How could a creature so large...manage a certain amount of cuteness? Had to be his personality.

[FaizahPandora]

Faizah wanted to laugh at Evander's expression as he began to scratch Surth's eyeridge. Tiffanie was hanging back a little, allowing the Scottish candidate the physical contact wit the massive white. The look on the girl's face was one Faizah had seen many times around a weyr. Including Rocky, since the last clutch was laid.

"Go ahead, Tiffanie. He also likes to be scratched on his nose." Faizah moved over to show the girl where to scratch.

Surth practically purred. Yes, right there. And thank you, Evander, for the compliment.

[PhazonDragon]

"That he dis," Evander responded to Tiffanie's statement, glancing back over his shoulder at the young female. “Dae all dragons like tae hae thair eye rigg scrieved like that?” he asked, pausing and turning to face Faizah, his hand hovering over Surth’s eye. She was preoccupied with Tiffanie though, showing her another spot for her to interact with the dragon.

Again, Surth entered his mind. The Scot didn't quite jump like last time, but the feeling was still interesting. He could only imagine what it would be like to actually be connected mentally to the dragon, and hearing its voice daily. “Ye’re welcome,” Evander responded, resuming his rubbing of the eye ridge. The candidate stepped somewhat out of the way of Tiffanie, allowing her to get closer to the white dragon.

He scoot away, his hand falling back to his side. “Nou, can... anyone Impress ah drahgon?” Evander had to wonder, looking back at the whiterider. He had slipped into a terrible attempt at an American accent, also wondering if it was easy for the two Americans to understand him with his thick Scottish accent. “D’ye hae to be ‘special’ tae be ah rider? Is thare some deep unnerstaunding that the drahgons hae?”

[shadowreine]

Tiffanie giggled a bit, reaching up to scratch the big white dragon's nose. "Hedonist...are all dragons like that?" If they were, then it was worth remembering.

She had to do whatever it was that...earned a partnership with one of these creatures. She was, of course, not entirely clear on the process, although she had been briefed that it was a lifelong bonding, broken only by death...and that the surviving partner often did not want to live without the other. Well, that was just an incentive to take *special* care of a dragon...they were not replaceable, it seemed, like dogs were.

Besides, they, well, talked.

[FaizahPandora]

Faizah turned to Evander. "If a hatchling chooses a person, then yes. And pretty much anyone of sound mind and body can stand at a hatching. How the dragon chooses their rider... I don't know exactly. A lot of factors play in, and some people can guess pretty accurately what color a Candidate will Impress, but in the end it's up to the dragon." She attempted to explain.

"Hedonist?" Faizah asked as she heard Tiffanie beside her. "What the heck is "hedonist"?"

In her mind Faizah heard Surth chortling at her confusion. Be nice to me you pest. Faizah said in good humor.

((Sorry for the crap post.))

[PhazonDragon]

Tilting his head to the side as Faizah worked on explaining Standing and Impression to him, Evander only seemed to be more confused. His technologically-wired brain tried to make sense of what the Weyrwoman was saying. “Sohnd mind an body? Is thare sometheng that wad keep ane from Empressing? A mental.. Ah.. Desabelety?" That would be an added problem, wouldn’t it? Evander had to assume on Pern it would be.

Riders being an essential part of Pernese life and protection, based on what Evander heard from his online lurking. “But ef drahgons peck thair riders, can we ask a drahgon?” The Scot pursed his lips, looking past Faizah at the white dragon. “A mean, wad thay be able tae explain? Thay must hae a sense of whit thay are doing.”

He scratched at his chin, his face twisted into a quizzical expression. Tiffanie’s comment on a hedonist confused Faizah, and Evander took it upon himself to at least try to help out the Weyrwoman. “A hedonest es someane who seeks happeness for themsel... Semply put. Are ye suggesteng tha drahgons are hedonestec?” the candidate wondered, looking over at Tiffanie.

[shadowreine]

Tiffanie grins. "Only in the way cats are...I'm just talking about the way he seems to want to be petted."

Pet, pet, pet. "I'm guessing if a dragon could give her a straight answer, this one would." Such a huge creature, but she wondered...maybe it was random. Maybe it was some instinct. Maybe...how *did* a dragon pick his or her rider?

If she understood that, maybe she could make sure she got picked, likely by one of the greens. A female. A pretty girl...although she saw none of the green or gold females right now...she thought she saw a brown one on the cliff side, on some kind of ledge, but no greens.

Huh.

[FaizahPandora]

A dragon knows who his rider is. There is only one person we choose. If Ours is not there then we go between. He told the two candidates calmly.

Faizah nodded as she heard what he said. "He told me the same thing. I can't get any other details out of him than that." She shrugged.

((Sorry for the fail. X( ))

[PhazonDragon]

“Like ah caht,” he repeated, nodding in understanding of Tiffanie’s reasoning. “Ah thenk drahgons like tae be... Scrahtched... Our, perhaps, thay cannae reach et themselves?” Evander chuckled, face lighting up in a smile as he looked toward the white dragon that was so clearly taking pleasure from the attention.

Surth’s response left the Scot with a more confused look. His smile faded and he glanced from the dragon to the rider. “Tha’s all ye get out of hem? He cannae tell ye anytheng else?” The candidate huffed. “Ye can be sure that ah’ll ahsk ma drahgon aboot et. And ah’m gaeing tae pester hem aboot et untel ah get a straght ahnswer...” Evander declared, despite Faziah’s comment.

[shadowreine]

Tiffanie shook her head. "Maybe they like to keep *some* secrets."

The dragon was clearly not simply a somewhat intelligent animal like a horse, but something of human or near human intellect. She wondered at that...the brain did not...but then, weren't they from another planet? And maybe they had more than one to make up the required brain to body ratio. Besides, they could fly...and they shouldn't be able to do *that* either.

There was obviously an explanation, but she wasn't smart enough about biology to work it out, and some things...like the great white beast...perhaps deserved to be taken on faith. "I would love to have a dragon like you, Surth," she told him.

[FaizahPandora]

Faizah shrugged. "He often gets confused with my questions when I try to get more than that out of him. So I stopped asking."

Faizah smiled at Tiffanie's statement about wanting a dragon like Surth. She knew there wasn't another dragon like Surth; each dragon was different. That's why they never had the same name. But she couldn't put a damper on the Candidate's enthusiasm. Faizah knew that whatever dragon the girl Impressed to, she would be happy.

Any dragonet that Impresses to you, dearTiffanie, will be a very lucky dragonet. Surth told her.

((Again, sorry for the fail. My muse is out cold.))

[PhazonDragon]

“Some sehcrets? Ef that’s the case, then ah’m gunna keep trying tae git a straight ahnswer oot o hem.” Evander put on a face, looking determined as his eyes trailed up and down the dragon’s body. Tiffanie’s comment made him laugh though. “I wad nae want a drahgon like hem. Nae ef he’s nae gunna tell me, or Faizah, the reasons for Empression.

He jabbed his finger in Surth’s direction. “Sehcretive drahgons! Ah refuse tae be left en the dark! Ah well fegure this oot!” He pursed his lips, staring intently at the white dragon. “Thare must be some reason! Some... mental or psychologecal rehson? Sometheng en thair brain? Some lobe en thair brain? A lobe...” he trailed off, his accent fizzing between American and Scottish as his mind wandered, and he tried to impress the two woman with him.

The idea was very entertaining to the Scot. He wanted to figure out the secret, if there was one. He wanted to know the reasoning behind Impression. Everything had a reason, and Evander wanted to be right about it. “Et’s aw very enteresteng. And ah’ll haeve tae dae more en-depth looks at et with ma own drahgon. Es the lenk made at hatching, or before the drahgon hatches?”

[shadowreine]

Tiffanie grinned at Surth. "Not exactly like you, though. I think I'd rather have a girl dragon."

She'd been told she would not have the choice, but that did not mean she could hope. She ignored, for now, the other Candidate babbling on about lobes of the brain.

Biology, again, was not her thing. "I wonder how such a big creature gets off the ground. They must be lighter than they look."

That had to be it. Had to be. But man...to fly with such a thing had to beat being in an airplane hands down!