Riyontali

At a Glance

Full Name:
Nickname:
Hair:
Eyes:
Height:
Age:

Riyontali (Ontali)
Tali
Tawny-Red
Hazel
5' 6
30 Turns

Rank:
Birth Place:
Mother:
Father:
Siblings:

Rider in Galaxy Wing
Cothold near Ressac Hold
Rilisari
Ontasan
Onrilsan (-1T, M, NPC)
Isaloni (-2T, F, NPC)
Sanrilo (-4T, M, NPC)
Tasril (-7T, M, NPC)

Description

Moderately plain in adulthood, Tali doesnt much stand out from a crowd. Very much obviously a dragonrider, she is muscular and quite well-tanned, neither overweight nor terribly thin. Also average is her height — an even 5'6", not even slightly on the side of short or tall, just average. Her face is slightly heart-shaped, sporting dimples and a generally-smiling mouth already framed by laugh-lines. A moderate smatter of freckles across her cheekbones sets off bright, cheerful green-brown eyes, with mobile reddish eyebrows above. Her pixie haircut looks slightly odd with its tendency to curl up and be slightly frizzy, but it fits nicely beneath a riding helmet and doesn't get in her eyes when they're flying. Tawny-strawberry in color, the curly cut is likely a sun-paled shade of soft auburn, turned slightly gingery with prolonged exposure to the elements. When exposed, its evident that the freckles of the rider's face extend over most of her body; most prevalently, though, over her arms and shoulders.
Everyday and reliable, this well-loved outfit fits Tali like the frequent companion that it is. Khaki capri-trousers aren't exactly regulation dragonrider-wear, but they look comfortable, as does the simple sky-blue blouse that she wears; likely because it's one of her weyrmate's favorite colors. She is, at least, wearing boots befitting of her duty — tall and well-worn brown, they don't really match with her capris, but she doesn't seem to care. The knot carefully kept on a shoulder denotes her status as a bluerider of Xanadu Weyr.

History

Tali was born Riyontali to cotholders Ontasan and Rilisari, the oldest of five children the pair bore over the years. She wasn't much one for the life of a cotholder — for all that she enjoyed their position on the Sea of Azov, and for all that all of Pern has changed over the turns, females were still considered in a certain light in rural areas. With a mother who firmly believed that she ought to be sewing and cooking, and a father who didn't have much use for a daughter on his ships, she was mostly left to her own devices when she made herself more available to the Shepherd and Stablehands. At thirteen, she left home with a pair of friendly traders, bound for Xanadu Weyr. She never felt particularly bad about leaving home, content that her siblings could occupy her parents' time; and while it was a major adjustment, from Cothold to Weyr life, she managed it over the turns.

She stood twice as a barely-old-enough Candidate on the sands among making a cohesive group of friends who would be hers for a long time, little did she know, and finding love in the form of Rogawani, then-Messenger. Of course, when she found herself staring into the eyes of a very blue dragon who wasn't even slightly female, she was slightly confused, but as usual, she took it in stride. She was much less surprised by R'owan's Impression of Nyunath, though for the rest of the group of Candidates she'd befriended she was surprised by just how many had Impressed with them. Nonetheless, it was a pleasant surprise, and if her dragon hadn't been completely insane and accident-prone, or her family more pleased by her Impression, it would have been a perfectly wonderful Weyrlinghood for Tali. As it was, she was only happy to graduate, settle into life as a Weyrmated rider and a Search and Rescue rider.

Search and Rescue turned out to be perfect for her — between her knack for getting into trouble and Cidheoth's enjoyment of scaring the pants off of her, they managed to make their Wing life fascinating. Tali, for her part outside of her duties, enjoyed the task of keeping her Weyrmate on track as a Weyrleader, and then having him back to herself when Nyunath lost. Selfish? Possibly, but she also knew that her bronzerider wasn't much one for that, and enjoyed his messenger duties far more. It took ten whole turns for the usual Weyrmate condition to come to light: Ontali found herself pregnant, and it did take some getting used to. After all, she had never wanted anything to do with babies, so one of her own? R'owan's excitement won her over, in the end, and by the time their daughter was born, she was as ready as she was going to be to be a mother. Sure, other babies still made her shudder, but when they put her own in her arms? Well, R'owan was, at least, the only one to see that she may just have cried. She was determined to be a good mother, for all that it still scared the everloving Faranth out of her.

>> Click to View Full History <<

Riyontali's history is moderately uneventful. She was born in Ressac Sea Hold's territory in a small cothold located on the shore of the sea, a half-day's runner-ride from the hold itself, less on a ship. The entire cothold consisted of three families, which actually managed to span roughly fifty people — still small, but not worth much note. Cotholder Tasmic, 'tali's grandfather, had a very good relationship with Lord Holder Jossan, and was always very good with his tithes and with trading fairly. Tasmic was born into a fairly good-standing family within the Hold itself, and at the age of ten his father was granted permission to settle land to the south of the hold. Ulmic, Tasmic's father, headed south with two other young families and began work on the holding. Tasmic married young to one of the girls in a family that came with them, a girl by the name of Onosi, and the couple's first act as a couple was to build their own little house on the shore, while Tasmic was building his first ship with his father. Afterwards, they promptly settled to making Ulmic a passel of grandchildren; the first came along just as Ulmic's last child was being born! That first was Ontasan, Riyontali's father.

Tali has ten aunts and uncles and uncles, though only five still reside in the cothold. She also has an insane amount of cousins, and three younger brothers and a little sister. She grew up a normal girl in a hoarde of young ones, most under the care of her mother, Rilisari, the only daughter of the latest family to come south to Tasmic's cothold. Rilisari was never anything but a mother, so she took the place of Ontasan's wife as nanny to the cothold's children before they were old enough to go out with the fishing fleet. The fleet itself was composed of five sturdy ships, and two smaller ships for day-trips and bringing tithes to the hold quickly, all stashed inside an ingenious little cove that allowed for safe mooring through most storms. Naturally, though, though their main source of income was fishing, they maintained a small herd of runners for various tasks, and a slightly larger herd of bovine and caprine for their milk and meat. This was where Tali grew up — not out on the ships with her father, but in the stables and small cleared-out pastures with the herds. The girl generally ignored her siblings, taking instead to the small contingent of shepherds and stablehands.

While her older brother was proudly proclaiming to the other lads of their small cothold that he could help bring in the nets, Tali was bragging to her mother that she could get on any shardin' runner in the cothold. It was a skill she honed over the second half of her life, though she wasn't allowed on the less-safe runners until she was eleven turns and insisted upon it when the hold bought a new runner to replace an old one who'd died of old age. The new runner was a new colt who was a draft mix; big enough to haul in trees in a team but small enough for Tasmic to ride up to Ressac. Tasmic, too old to break new runners, let his head (and only, really) stable boy do the work for him. The boy, one day, having problems, was surprised when Tali snatched the halter from it and faced down the bright-eyed colt, proceeding to calmy follow him around their pasture until out of sheer curiosity he stopped and stared at her. The halter was quickly tied, and as if it was the most natural thing in the world, the girl leapt up. Luckily, no adult was watching — the following scene was spectacular. The runner bounced and bucked and reared and on she clung with all of the foolish bravado of a little girl, until eventually she could swing his head around to look at her. He eventually calmed down and realized that the little thing on his back wasn't going to eat him, at which point he proceeded on his business, albeit warily.

At this point, the older lad enlisted her in his care and left an irritable shepherd. She earned the name "glue-butt" the hard way over that summer, over which they had to replace several of the older runners with younger ones from the small herd, just old enough to start riding in addition to pulling in logs for home-building and building ships — a budding business for the cothold, but reason to expand the herd. By this time, she had enlisted the aid of her younger brother, Sanrilo, after he fell from one of the ships on one of his first outings and wanted nothing more to do with them. He fit right into the routine, though he wasn't as brazen as his older sister. He fell under the older boy's wing, while Tali developed into her own, eventually having no more runners to teach to accept a rider. At this point, she started learning the finer arts of training — but that didn't last long, as distraction came calling. Riding into the cothold on one dreary winter day were a pair of traders, coming in on a tip from a Ressac holder who'd come to the latest Xanadu hatching to watch. They brought a young draft mare for consideration — she would drive, but also knew the rudiments of riding. The lads stayed in Ontasan's household that night, and over dinner, talked much about the Weyr they were stalled at. The more they talked, the more Tali realized that she wanted to leave for the Weyr. There, she could receive more training, and perhaps even talk to to somebody about joining the Beastcraft. So after a long discussion with her mother and father, it was decided that it was in the best interest of their daughter to let her go. The trader lads managed to talk Tasmic into trading the little mare for one of their younger riding runner colts, and Tali a ride back to the Weyr. All that was left was to get there.

Get there she did, quickly falling into the role of Stablehand. It was comfortable for the girl, stable and…normal, while life at the Weyr was certainly not. The people were strange, and dragons were, for all that she knew they were perfectly safe, somewhat foreign and…frightening? Almost. They made her wary, at very least, even while she was demanded at least once daily to reach some scratch that was better reached with hands than claws by an imperious head cleverly thrust out in her path. Slowly, the girl got used to this intrusion, and got used to the people of the Weyr — how could she not? They were hardly monsters, they weren't all even moderately insane, and they sure didn't hate her. Mostly. And to top it all off, they were quite friendly, none of them seemed to care that she sometimes seemed like she'd just fallen off of the turnip truck. She found herself making friends among these strange new people, friends who promised to shape her in ways she wouldn't understand for a while. And just when she started to settle into the routine of her days — it was thrown for a loop. She was searched. Re're's Saenkarith searched her as she and his rider's daughter gave him a good scritch, and Tali accepted with the stunned curiosity that could be expected from one such as her. She was one of the earliest into the barracks, and managed to snag a coveted window-cot, though the rest of it sure didn't come as easily. Chores for a Candidate don't seem to have much purpose to a fourteen year old girl who'd rather be in the stables. Still, many of her friends (nay, most of them!) had been searched as well, to her glee, and that simple fact kept her from going completely batshit. The first hatching came as little surprise to Ontali, who stood quietly and wasn't surprised when she didn't exit the sands with any other mind present within her own. She simply went back to her tasks, after a very long bath as it were, and was glad for the the Candidates who had Impressed.

But the next hatching was considerably more fateful. Standing next to her closest friends, Tali quickly found her life changed forever. With her mother and youngest brother sitting in solemn attendance and a certain Dragonhealer offering a much louder acknowledgment of her Impression, Riyontali found herself Ontali and…a Weyrling. The subsequent Impressions of several of her friends only made the experience better, though the girl was just slightly busy with young Cidheoth. Within moments of Impression, she knew that she was in for quite more of an adventure than she had bargained for in her Lifemate. The blue was unapologetic in his enthusiasm, enthusiastic in his pursuit of anything exciting and new. Anything shiny and if that shiny happiness happened to come wrapped in danger? Well, what was life without a little excitement? Her first days were spent keeping the dragonet from doing things like flying or running in circles and keeping his belly full while simultaneously trying to keep him from falling on anything sharp when he passed out suddenly. She was marginally successful, but managed to spend at least a fourth of her time in the Infirmary in those first months, and quickly developed a taste for Dragonhealing. Might as well be useful while she was waiting for her fool dragonet to wake up and see if his ankle was still strained, after all. Sigam let her help with the easiest of tasks, and she gratefully soaked up the knowledge, convinced that she'd have to use it more often than she had ever intended. But as the months wore on, she spent more and more time to herself, in addition to caring for her enthusiastic dragon — emotionally a mess, she let it work itself out before re-meshing herself with her little group of friends. The brief fit of the need to be by herself wasn't exactly uncommon in Weyrlings, so tossed astray from their prior selves, but hers was only compounded by the fact that her family hadn't exactly taken it well. It took a while to straighten out in her mind, but all things heal with time, and time is all it took, before the normal Tali came back out of her shell.

After graduation, life slowly settled down for Ontali. She got used to having a Weyrmate and having her own place and having responsibilities beyond her runners or herself. Like Weyrlinghood, it was an adjustment, but one she took to with enthusiasm. She quickly threw herself with enthusiasm into Search and Rescue work, finding that Cidheoth made the whole adventure far more fun than she had even thought it would be; maybe slightly more dangerous, but after a while she got used to her dragon's personality. When R'owan became Weyrleader, she took that in stride, and made it her mission to ensure that her Weyrmate ate regularly and got as much sleep as she could force him to, though she wasn't much help with any other facet of that. Still, though Nyunath was most assuredly not entirely pleased with losing when he did, Tali joined the secretly-pleased club — certainly, she was proud of Ro. Who wouldn't be? But Tali was a little bit overprotective, and having a 'mate who was happy in his Wing-leadership was much better, as far as she was concerned. In the meantime, she had moved her younger brother to Xanadu and gotten him a job as an errands-boy; helping him adjust to Weyr life was certainly time-consuming and further alienated her from her family, but it was worth it, in the end. Tasril was happier, she was happier, and all.

Points of Interest

• Ontali likes to be called Tali. Sometimes just Li, if you're lucky. Not Riy. Not Tal. DEFINITELY not RiyRiy. That would be her mother's nickname for her, and it incites reactions like broken noses. Yes, from apparently mild-mannered Tali!
• Tali has major thrill issues. She's one stupid idea from death at just about any point in the day. She usually keeps these little adventures to herself, but isn't about to stop anybody from joining in. In fact, it makes her happy.
• Sweet little Tali has a temper. A big temper. Yes, mild mannered Tali! (Seeing a theme here?) That temper might not manifest itself as anything but the occasional screaming match or broken nose as yet, but she should probably work on it before the whole temper thing isn't cute any more.
• She was set to marry a boy a few turns older than her if she ended up back at home. Her parents still haven't forgiven her for getting out of it.
• Apparently, Ontali's fear of babies only extends to one she hasn't begat. She's taken to motherhood — well, reasonably well, at least, and her own get doesn't much scare her. Now, everybody else's? Yeah. They break.
• Rabid (or, you know, angry) runners do not scare Tali. Neither do rabid caprines, or ovines. Or just about anything else for that matter, short of dragons. She is just about fearless, in many ways. Likely stupidly, yes…
• Tali once bit a runner who bit her. It wouldn't stop, so she got sick of it and turned around and went spit bull on his nose. The runner never did that again, and Tali learned a useful training aide. Teeth! Who knew?

Family

Name	Age	Relation	Location	Position	NPC/Adoptable
R'owan	+1	Weyrmate	Xanadu Weyr	Wingrider	No/No
Riawni	-26	Daughter	Xanadu Weyr	Infant	Yes/No
Tasmic	+40	Grandfather	Cothold near Ressac	Cotholder	Yes/No
Onosi	+39	Granmother	Cothold near Ressac	Cotholder	Yes/No
Ontasan	+20	Father	Cothold near Ressac	Cotholder	Yes/No
Rilisari	+18	Mother	Cothold near Ressac	Cotholder	Yes/No
R'ils	-1	Brother	Telgar Weyr	Cotholder	Yes/Yes
Isaloni	-2	Sister	Cothold near Ressac	Cotholder	Yes/Yes
Sanrilo	-4	Brother	Cothold near Ressac	Cotholder	Yes/Yes
Tasril	-7	Brother	Xanadu Weyr	Hunter	Yes/Yes

>> Click to see NPC Family Information <<

Tasmic
Tasmic is a tough, brave man who's good to his word and as hardworking as any cotholder. He has taken their holding from the wild and will keep it that way — and ensure that when he cannot, his son does just as good as he does. Single-minded and not afraid to speak his mind, but also an excellent diplomat. He is tall and well-muscled, but lean, every bit a sailor, with salt and pepper hair and brown eyes.

Onosi
Onosi is a big, bad woman with a short temper and a tongue that could stop a feline in its' tracks. She's the one who ensures the day-to-day runnings of the hold go smoothly — and she does it as sharding well as she can, so sharding help her! She is broad and tall and has the biceps of a bronzerider, and weilds a frying pan like a bat. Grey-red hair and blue eyes.

Ontasan
Ontasan is still young, and shows it. He's kind of lanky and gawky still, though he seems to carry himself with self-awareness — got to duck those sails nimbly, you know! He married young and began spawning young, but he's not the most attentive of fathers, spending most of his time out on Azov. Still, he cares for his children — just doesn't exactly understand how to determine what is best for them, he's more suited for running the cothold. He is as tall as his father, and has auburn hair and hazel eyes.

Rilisari
Rilisari isn't quite as — terrifying — as Onosi, but she's taking tips from the woman as she matures. Still, she is very much a hold woman, and one of a relatively traditional one at that — and believes in things as such. She is short and kind of sickly looking, with long, curly straw-colored hair and green eyes. Childbearing hasn't been kind to her, and she is frequently sick in the winter.

R'ils
Onrilsan has no desire whatsoever to inherit the cothold, when Ontasan dies. He had a bad accident on one of the ships less than a turn ago, and has no desire at all to ever board a ship again. Instead, he follows in big sis's footsteps, helping the stableboy train and ride runners. He is still short, scruffy, and scrawny. He seems to take after Rilisari more than Ontasan; straw colored hair and greenish eyes, a pale complexion and lean, wiry muscles. He also has a terrible-looking scar on the left side of his chest, back, and left bicep, with what's probably rope-scars extending down his back. He was searched several turns back by a Telgari dragon, and went on to Impress blue dragon Polauth.

Isaloni
Isaloni is much more level-headed than her brothers. Still, she is the perfect example of a holder girl — prim, proper, and polite. She never speaks out of line or does anything offensive, and has little to no imagination when it comes to adventure. No, she would prefer to stay indoors, where she cannot get all that dirty, and she can help her mother like a proper daughter. She has dreams of getting married and spawning an entire army of children to help populate the hold. She is lean and tall for a young girl, with dark brown hair and green eyes. Recently, Isa married a nice hold boy and settled down, bringing her first child into the world and trying for the next.

Sanrilo
Sanrilo has dreams of grandeur. He listens to Grandpa Tasmic too much, and is convinced that one day their small Cothold will be Azov Hold, a Major Trading Hold! Reguardless of his possibly delusional dreams, Rilo seems to be the family's only hope for a son who inherits their cotholding. He doesn't mind — yet — and has taken to all of the classes he's assigned to with relish. He's not as scrawny as Onrilsan and not as tall as Isaloni, somewhere in-between and gifted with remarkably plain mousy brown hair and blue eyes that harken back to Onosi.

Tasril
Tasril is just a kid. He's got no ambitions past to one day be Dread Captain Tasril, King Of The High Seas, and maybe a pirate. He's rambunctious and loudmouthed, as irritating as most little boys. He's short and squat, still sporting some baby fat. Frizzy, curly brownish-red hair and hazel eyes make him resemble big sis Tali a lot more than the others, though. He's recently relocated himself to Xanadu, presumably to be an errand-boy at the docks.

Firelizards

Shielded by the Clouds Bronze Dolios Description: Wispy bronze mingles with ancient gold, the dull hues clashing along the sides of his body, golden-tones working upwards from his stomach, while bronze drips from his back. The darkest bronze resides in his ridges, running from between his headknobs to his tail, dark hue like a storm viewed from above. Wings spread wide, sails showing their dulled bronze sails, while the same lighter hue colors muzzle and forelimbs, toes and the tip of his tail. >> Click to View Egg Information << Speckled Khaki Egg Khaki's dark and light mingle upon this shell, some spots more green, others more tan, each swatch of color overlapping the others, creating an odd pattern. Colors speckle here and there, ever changing. Dam: Gold Hanama Sire: Bronze Sinister Credits: The Shielded by Clouds Bronze Hatchling was based in appearance on the planet Venus, with its constant cloud cover. He was desced by Niva.

Too Much Hair Brown Uncle Description: This little brown is slender, although not delicate. His deep chocolate skin seems to fade along his back, wingsails, and the top of his head to a lighter grey/brown, giving him a look that makes him seem wise beyond his years. However, there's an air of mystery about him, as though he's hiding deep, dark secrets, something that you're not privy to, even if others might be. >> Click to View Egg Information << Deep Rocky Mine egg As if carved from deep in a cavern, varying shades of grey and black ripple over the surface of the egg, giving it a stony appearance. The surface is in fact smooth, not one single inclusion, even tough one particularly dark spot on the belly of the egg looks almost like a hole. Lighter colors whirl in a spiral, faint, sketchy, just enough movement to give the impression of depth though a touch will prove otherwise. Dam: Green Karri Sire: Bronze Quill Credits: Mal: "It's of interest to me, how much you seem to know about that world." Book: "Wasn't born a Shepherd, Mal." Mal: "You'll have to tell me about that sometime." Book: "No. I don't." This clutch was inspired by Joss Whedon's Firefly, and specifically the crew of Serenity, the bunch of rogues and ne'er-do-wells that fans quickly grew to love over the all-too-short course of fourteen episodes and one movie. With this brown, we drew inspiration from Shepherd Darrial Book, the mysterious preacher who comes aboard, and becomes part of the Serenity family. A gentle man of God, who somehow can command the loyalty of Alliance officers, and can shoot out kneecaps without a second though, Book quickly becomes the spiritual center of the crew, as well as one of the two biggest enigmas aboard the ship. This brown is calm, and already seems older, wiser than he actually is. As he grows, he'll try to be a moderating influence among his fair, but won't hesitate to fight if need be. He won't be particularly interested in mating flights, taking part, but with little interest in actually catching. The Firefly inspiration for this clutch came from the fact that both Taerah and I are dyed in the wool Browncoats. She did the Egg descs, while I wrote the hatchdescs. We hope you enjoy these Firelizards as much as we enjoyed working on them. And if you're not familiar with Firefly/Serenity, please, look for the DVDs, and watch them.

Leaf on the Wind Blue Oddity Description: Intelligent, yet slightly eccentric. That's about the best way to describe this little blue. Easily distracted, yet highly competent. His hide is a bright electric blue, with his body and wingsails sprinkled with patches of irridecent shimmers, all manner of colors visible. He's slim, almost aerodynamic in build, as though born to flight even more than most fire lizards.. >> Click to View Egg Information << Lightning Nimbus egg Streaks of bright white and pale yellow fan out from the center of the egg, along a jagged line, as if light is bursting from a crack in the shell. The remainder of the egg is midnight blue, dotted with white, like a starry sky torn with a craggled flash of lightning. Dam: Green Karri Sire: Bronze Quill Credits: "This is a fertile land, and we shall thrive. We shall rule over all this land, and we shall call it….this land." This clutch was inspired by Joss Whedon's Firefly, and specifically the crew of Serenity, the bunch of rogues and ne'er-do-wells that fans quickly grew to love over the all-too-short course of fourteen episodes and one movie. The little blue that you now hold was based on Hoban 'Wash' Washburn, the incredibly gifted pilot of Serenity. An incredible flier, eccentric and witty, loyal beyond reproach… Wash was as important a part of the crew of Serenity as Mal, Zoe, or Kaylee. Whether sitting on the bridge playing with his dinosaurs, or spending time with Zoe as husband, he was an ever present part of the Serenity family, the odd but lovable brother that everyone enjoys spending time with. That his death, sudden and senseless, was greatly mourned, should be no surprise. This little blue is much like his inspiration. An incredible flier, who soars high on the thermals, dives quickly, performing tricks that few others would even dare to match. He is truly a leaf on the wind. However, he's also doggedly loyal, both to you as his lifemate, and to the one female Fire Lizard that he finds, his Zoe… The Firefly inspiration for this clutch came from the fact that both Taerah and I are dyed in the wool Browncoats. She did the Egg descs, while I wrote the hatchdescs. We hope you enjoy these Firelizards as much as we enjoyed working on them. And if you're not familiar with Firefly/Serenity, please, look for the DVDs, and watch them.

Carved from Copper Gold Eos Description: Burnished copper sweeps in large circles over the body of this gold, the metallic coloration gleaming as it flares over her muzzle, over rounded headknobs, twisting over her cheeks and tickling her chin, the very essence of her face crafted by an expert craftsman. While slightly duller goldenrod tickles her neck, it accentuates the patterning of her hide and sweeps along the serpentine length as it drops to her her shoulders. Over her back, goldenrod brightens to gamboge, the almost orange hues darkening once more to copper at the joints of spars and sails and haunches and curling tail, the rich hues dominating her extremities. Along her back, amber ridges have been set against her hide - precious gems mounted in polished metal - a study in luxary from long-nose to tail-tip. >> Click to View Egg Information << Ancient Relic Egg The dull sheen of tarnished metal is gathered upon the curved shell of this egg, coppers and silvers vying for dominance over the equitorial region, while bronze and silver claim the ends. A spiral of ebony - a sign of the passing years - dances over the egg, age etched permanently in make-believe crevices. Dam: Gold Hanama Sire: Bronze Sinister Credits: This little gold was meant to look like an old, polished metal statue that might have been found in some shrine or tomb at some point in history, that was meant as a gift from a skilled crafter to an important leader or god. She was desced by Niva.

Dragon

A Little Spark of Magic Blue Cidheoth
Molten cobalt ebbs and flows into the form of this small dragon, the liquid hue streaming seamlessly across his wirey frame. Color seeps away from his hide at the base of his throat, pulling at the hue along his narrow chest and across his underbelly until nothing but a ghostly blue remains. Faint flickers of blue-white manifest along the top of his head, trickling and jumping down the length of his sloping neck until they pool into a welling mass at his shoulders. Further vestiges of bleached beryl spread across the expanse of his back, spreading outwards into an intricate pattern of tiny speckles that makes it appear as though splashes of fairy dust have been scattered across his hide. Flames of palest slate have kindled along the base of his tail, twirling along at a slow pace until they die into faded azure at its spaded tip. A cascading shower of silvery blue sparks flares up into a fiery curtain of color across his semi-translucent wingsails, completely blocking out any trace of shade or darkness with their overwhelming warmth and light.
Cidheoth has reached a diminutive but adequate length of of 25.70 meters, and sports a wingspan of 42.83 meters.

Vignettes

Eventuality

Click for Vignette

Fresh air felt amazing — after being cooped up first in the barracks and then the infirmary with her wayward dragonet, Ontali bolted into freedom with wild abandon, not really caring how crazy she looked. Feet bare, she pelted from the Grounds and down the beach, laughing gleefully as sand sprayed all around her. It didn't take long for her lifemate to catch on to her absence from his side; with having been by his side for most of a month already without fail, Cidheoth's barking call of alarm reverberated loudly around the Weyrling grounds before he came gallumphing after her like a giant awkward puppy. With the morning sun reflecting brightly off of the water, Tali went crashing into the shallow surf, leaping into a giant bellyflop as soon as she got far enough out and cackling maniacally.

She resurfaced just in time to see Cidheoth affect a bellyflop of similar gracefulness, wings spread briefly in all their too-long glory before he went crashing with a wild splash into the shallows. Helpless to it, the Weyrling doubled over with laughter, gasping for breath after her prior fit of giggles as the new one took her breath away. « Ha! » A searing flash of light sizzled across her mind, and this time the automatic panic that had popped up all month didn't even surface as she flailed and paddled for the floundering dragonet, laughing the entire way. « I will conquer the water, and it will submit to my power! » That came in a splash of soapy glee, nearly drowning out her own amusement and, she was sure, overtaking the emotions of most of the dragons nearby. Cid was not exactly good at keeping his feelings to himself. Before she could scold him, though, he had apparently overcome his initial awkwardness with the new experience of water and was scooping one wing full of water — then sending the tidal wave right at her. The speed with which he acclimated to the new idea was alarming, but not quite as alarming as being engulfed in a rushing torrent of water.

Fortunately, growing up as a seahold brat has its' good sides; and one of those was that you couldn't drown the blueweyrling if you tied her to a rock and tried to. She rode out the splash with a splutter and flail, then retaliated with a splash of her own. It hit the blue right in the face and he sputtered with indignation, wings flaring in the water briefly before he playfully pounced, sending her forcibly onto her rump just briefly before, nimbly, he was splashing in a circle around her. The roughhousing wasn't exactly uncommon — she'd actually started it, and they wrestled often enough, to keep the young dragon's energy down and help her get stronger to catch up to the older, stronger Weyrlings in their group. "I'll getcha for that one, runt!" She hollered, laughing and slogging herself up out of the sand, ignoring the gritty sensation of it all up in her shorts.

« You'll have to catch me first! » He laughed in an overwhelming wash of incandescent sparkles, high-tailing it out of the water like a crab had his tailfork. Tali whooped and followed the blue right out, pelting up the beach after him as fast as her legs would take her. He had one advantage: for all that he was growing awkwardly and in leaps and bumps, he had four legs and two wings to his advantage, and his low center of gravity was way better than hers. so while she was fast, he was nimble, and he ducked out of her every attempt to tackle him to the sand as they capered up and down the beach wildly.

Legs burning, lungs expanding wildly in her chest, she fought for advantage over the chest-tall dragonet — and eventually saw her opening, as he stumbled over a wingtip on a tight turn. Changing course swiftly, she threw herself sideways and met the blue in the middle of his turn, wrapping her arms around his neck and tumbling into a heap of claws and wings and paws and sandy hide and human. The momentum knocked the breath out of both of them, but she was the first to catch her breath, at which point she clambered on the upside-down dragonet's chest and grinned triumphantly down at him.

His whirring blue-green eyes were fast-paced and wide with surprise, but finally he gaped his mouth in an affectation of her own grin; or maybe to pant, one. « This time. You wait until I'm bigger. I'll bury you in sand while you're sleeping. » He declared, hooking a wing over her left side and flipping her abruptly; once she was spread-eagle on the sand, he bumped his nose against her chin affectionately and stepped over her, taking off at a prancing trot for the rocky end of the beach. Watching her lifemate upside-down for a moment, Ontali smiled, shaking her head. Sometimes, when he got them in trouble or got himself hurt, she wanted to thrash him and put him in a corner or something…but sometimes, she just knew that she'd found her perfect match in the cocky little wherry. How would her life be different, right now, if he hadn't found her a month ago?

It was worth the alienation from her friends, and even Ro — she could catch up with them, later, and they had their own lifemates to worry about, but if Cidheoth got hurt because she wasn't keeping a constant eye on him? She wasn't sure that she'd survive if he left her, or got horribly mangled. That in itself was terrifying, but she took it as in stride as she could and levered herself back up as swiftly as she could, sandy and all. "Hey, you wait for me, wherryhead!" She called after the dragonet, who didn't even pause on his bouncing amble for the jumble of tumbled rocks up the shore. « Okay, Ontali, here's the plan. We're going to climb these rocks, and then we're going to fly down. Look! My wings are big enough to carry me, and it's not that far. It's not really even flying! More of a hop. » Excited sparks of bright gold bounced through and off of his usual backdrop of calming bubbles, and Tali laughed, catching up and putting a steadying hand on the dragonet's shoulder. "Oh, I don't think so, bub. You'll break something, and the Weyrlingmasters will flog me. Do you want me flogged?"

Trying to pull him away from the jagged stones was impossible, so she acquiesced to that, mincing alongside him as he made his stately way through the minefield of rock and finally scrambled up one that had an easily-navigable slope to it. It wasn't tall enough that they'd get in trouble (okay, actually, it probably was — but they wouldn't die if he took a hop off of it), if any of the Weyrlingmasters saw them, but Cidheoth didn't seem to mind, closing his eyes and feeling the bare hint of a spring breeze on his muzzle. « Feel it! From the west! » She had to duck one of his awkwardly long pinions as it spread wide and up; and though she wouldn't admit it to the young dragon, he did look rather regal for a moment.

"Yes, from the west. Now, how 'bout we go take a bath? I've got sand up my rear, Cid, and that's your fault." She whined, and Cidheoth laughed, peeking open one eye to gape a grin at her. « You ruin all my fun. » His tone held no ire, as he wrapped the upheld wing around her side and tugged his weyrling to his side fondly. Tali grinned, throwing an arm around his shoulders while they were still low enough to do so and letting her head fall sideways against his warm, if somewhat sandy, side. "Be patient, Cid. It won't be long." She sighed, huffing a soft laugh. « You say that. » His head craned around to peer primly at her. She giggled. "I mean that. Would I lie to you?" Bringing out her best wheedling tone, she tried to talk the dragon into her way of viewing things, but he snorted, angling his head skywards briefly. « You lied about the man with the needlethorns having a bucket of hearts for me. » Indignant hisses of sensation tickled her mind, and she squirmed. "Hey! Sigam got your paw to stop bleeding, didn't he? You woulda bled to death." She reminded the little blue pointedly.

He just snorted, lifting his head once more and closing his eyes to the breeze. « Are you sure we can't fly today…? »

Accepting Change

Click for Vignette

Exhausted from a long day — there had been a brush fire off of one of the small southerly cotholds, and she and Cidheoth had been assisting the wing all day to put it out — but not getting any closer to sleep nearly an hour after R'owan's breathing had settled, Ontali slowly clambered out of bed. Managing not to awaken her Weyrmate, she smiled, resisting the urge to ruffle his messy hair in his sleep before she padded barefoot from the bedroom. All but one of the electric lights were switched off; she moved by moonlight across to Riawni's nursery, quietly slipping into the infant's room. The small night light cast only minimal light, but it was enough to see by as she crossed to the sturdy wooden crib and peered down into it, looping her arms over the edge. The girl's hair was as messy as her father's, and she was smiling in her sleep, arm thown up over her head. She was also scooted up against the edge of the crib with an arm around a bar, but she'd stopped fighting that after the infant could extricate herself from danger — the girl was as stubborn as Ro.

Yeah, Ro. She was going to go with that one, rather than admit to the fact that she was terribly stubborn, herself. Plus, Riawni had Ro's cute little grin and his ears and his eyes, anyways, so why not his stubbornness? Not surprised, any more, by the surge of affection she felt for the tiny human who was sleeping like a stone, she lingered for a moment to admire the girl while she was quiet and still. Really, it was the best time to.

« Shhhhh. You are thinking too loudly. »

Lethargic bubbles drifted gently across her consciousness, a bare hiss of awareness from the depths of Cidheoth's sleepy mind. Tali grinned, backing out of the nursery slowly to pad outside and find Cidheoth. Would you like to be the pot or the kettle in our metaphor, Cid? She returned, grinning as she grabbed what was left of the tea she'd abandoned hours ago and headed into the garden, where her dragon was trying to sleep. Nyunath wasn't far off, as she sidled to Cidheoth's side and leaned against his neck companionably. « Your metaphor means nothing to me. Can I sleep now? » Like a petulant child, the dragon opened one slow-whirring eye, and affected a draconic pout. She grinned brightly — the half-open eye was whirring vividly green, obviously not too miffed — and scritched gently beneath the closest headknob. Walk with me, Cid.

With a soft brush of Nyunath's muzzle as she passed the bronze, she made her way out of the garden and down the path to the moonlit beach. With some reluctance, the blue followed her, his pale markings eerily bright in the vivid light of the full moons and wan stars. "I can't sleep for thinking." Tali informed her lifemate as they ambled down the beach, he a step behind, she with a hand automatically on his shoulder. « I know. » Warm sparks belied the coolness of the night, wrapping her with surprising gentleness in affection. « I understand, you know. » The admission came as a surprise to the rider — she stopped abruptly, blinking up into the lazy-warm eyes of her dragon. "You do?" She wondered. « I do. You wish to be with your mate and your hatchling, and you think you have something to teach impertinent hatchlings yours and ours alike. It is very simple, Ontali. »

Beneath the sleepy attempt at primness, Tali easily detected the dragon's real intent; to reassure her. It wasn't exactly the most common occurrence out there: Cidheoth was many things, brilliant, strong, witty, but empathetic? Not so much. Ignoring the hissing flash of iridescence that that sent seething in front of her vision, Ontali shook her head, smiling faintly. "Oh, and you know everything, don't you." She huffed. He started walking again, very regal with his neck arched and his eyes flashing. Sometimes, she thought that for all his silliness, he was the handsomest dragon there was. No: She knew he was.

« I do. » Simple acceptance came with gentler pops and fizzes, before they sped up again, excitement vivid in his sleepy mind. « I have much to teach future generations. I will teach them to wheel and turn, dive and spin! They will all go to our Wing and our Wing will forgive us for our abandonment, since we will pass on our incredible skill. » Confidence shone in his mind, a beacon of fizzing light vivid enough to compete with the moons for brilliance. The temptation to laugh was too strong: she let one loose, punching the blue lightly on the shoulder and shaking her head fondly. "We are pretty good, aren't we?" She agreed, smirking faintly to herself as she skipped a few steps to catch up with the dragon's long strides. He chuffed a rumbling laugh, arching his neck down to snap his teeth an inch from her face, then shake his head like an overgrown canine. « Pretty good? Mine, we are the best. »

Whacking absently at the silver-touched muzzle while it was still too close to her face, Tali laughed, then flung herself at the top of the blue's head and grabbed either headknob, drawing herself up to a perch behind them easily. Playfully, she tickled a spot just behind the apex of the headknobs, knowing just where her dragon was most ticklish. His head flailed madly from side to side, and he did a skippy little hop-dance, wings fanning as he gave a mewling roar of ticklish agony. « No, no, it tickles! Stop! » As she'd always been able to, the woman reduced her lifemate to the antics of a Weyrling in the span of a few seconds, laughing gleefully as she kept a careful grip around his neck with her legs and continued tickling. The blue's beryl-topped head swung in mad loops, flailing one way and then another as he tried to rid himself of the tickling menace that clung like a burr to the base of his skull. Steadying herself on the closest neckridge, Tali laughed, adding her bare toes to the tickle attack at the joint of his jaws; another sensitive, ticklish location. This time he bugled, tail whistling through the air as he capered in a circle and flapped his wings until they were only half on the ground, in a cloud of billowing sand and grit.

Abruptly, though, the dragon stopped: at the same time, she did, sensing his alarm as he cast a wide-eyed look back at the cottage, far up the beach now. « Oh. » A beat, and chagrined sparks hissed. « I woke the hatchling. » On all fours once more, he turned his head to stare at her, lower jaw gaping. Half amused and half chagrined, herself, Tali nodded and gestured for them to go back that way. "I shoulda known you couldn't keep quiet. Loudmouth." She hissed, and he harrumphed indignantly, shaking his head for good measure as he lumbered swiftly back to the cottage, before Riawni could wake Ro up. Ignoring the shaking as she had the rest of his antics, Tali grinned, then swung down as soon as they were close enough and trotted quickly into the darkened interior of the vine-covered home. The only signs that Riawni had awakened were a series of giggles from the nursery as she slipped in, careful to shake off any sand before she approached the crib.

In the warm light of the nightlight, their daughter was standing up in her crib, blue-grey eyes shining with mischief as she extended her arms. "Ma-ma-ma." The girl laughed, clapping her hands and glancing towards the large window at the end of the dark wooden bed; where a giant green eye was now casting a ghostly light on the room. "Ci! CiCi, up!"

Gathering the girl into her arms and heading for the window so Riawni could pat Cid and get that out of her system enough to settle down and go back to sleep, Ontali shook her head, smiling. If you'd told her that she'd want to give up what had been a career she'd enjoyed and been very good at for the likes of one small girl a few turns ago, she would have laughed — but right now, as she opened the window and let Cid snuffle happily at her daughter, she had to admit that she didn't regret a damn thing.

Worth it? She wondered of her dragon all the same, briefly locking eyes with the blue.

A lifetime's worth of adoration washed back, pinging off of her senses in vivid sparks and swelling bubbles of amused affection. « Worth it. » He affirmed, then blew a firestone-scented snort at the girl; she clapped her hands and latched onto a blue nostril, eyes bright as she babbled something at the dragon, to which he made agreeable noises.

Yeah, it was worth it.

Logs

2014

Title	OOC Date	Cast

2013

Title	OOC Date	Cast

2012

Title	OOC Date	Cast
Seryth and Romth's Clutch Hatches	April 10, 2012	Ers’lan Esiae Fl’ynn Iforian Inuelle Jeniosa Kershaw Keziah Kinzie L'yn Matrin Mishkia Ontali Qe'pol R'owan Sorayah Soriana Tarrin Thea Xe'ter Zinesha Zi'on

2011

Title	OOC Date	Cast
The Other Shoe	March 15, 2011	Eledri, Ontali, Thea

2010

Title	OOC Date	Cast
Weyrling Graduation	March 30, 2010	D'had, G'len, Jessa, Kael, Moria, Niva, Norela, N'shen, Ontali, Phylicia, R'io, R'shed, Thea

2009

Title	OOC Date	Cast
Riyontali Arrives at Xanadu	April 16, 2009	Enkavir, Jeffin, M'gan, Rhasmir, Riyontali, Taerah, Thea
Rude Awakening	April 17, 2009	A'dar, Enkavir, Jessamin, Kire, Riyontali, Thea
A Busy Morning	April 20, 2009	D'son, Enkavir, Jessamin, Kire, Liya, Nenowyn, Niva, Riyontali, T'maz, Thea
Riyontali is Searched	May 9, 2009	Riyontali, Re're, Satoris
Package Sorting and 'Girl Talk'	May 10, 2009	Cirilia, Keziah, Morlanol, Riyontali, Rogawani, Ruzel, Satoris
Moving in to the Barracks	May 11, 2009	Cenlia, Morlanol, Riyontali, Rogawani
Candidate Commiseration and Mending Mayhem	May 13, 2009	Cenlia, Rei, Rogawani, Riyontali
Kiss of Death	May 14, 2009	Jessamin, Morlanol, Riyontali, Ruzel, Thea
Cupcake Chaos	May 14, 2009	Kire, Morlanol, Rei, Riyontali, Rogawani, Sabrina, Thea
Lizards and Love Letters	May 16, 2009	Cenlia, Keziah, Morlanol, Rei, Riyontali, Rogawani, Ruzel
Secret Caves and Eggs	May 18, 2009	Karashi, Keziah, Riyontali, Ruzel
Family Matters	May 19, 2009	Riyontali, Rogawani
Avaeth's Clutch: Egg Touching #1	May 2009	Keziah, Liya, Morlanol, Niva, Riyontali, Rogawani, Vivian, Zevida
A Break from Chores	May 20, 2012	Cenlia, Keziah, Morlanol, Riyontali, Rogawani, Vora
Storm Watching	May 20, 2012	Riyontali, Rogawani
Wandering in the Fog	May 23, 2009	Cenlia, Jessamin, Morlanol, Riyontali, Rogawani, Thea
Lastfall Bonfire	May 24, 2009	B'ky, Keziah, Liya, Riyontali, R'miel, Rogawani, Thea
Gift Exchange	May 26, 2009	Morlanol, Riyontali, Rogawani
Chat in the Barracks	May 27, 2009	Cenlia, Jessamin, Morlanol, Riyontali, Rogawani
Candidates in the Hatching Caverns	May 29, 2009	Jessamin, Morlanol, Riyontali, Rogawani, Vivian
Candidate Conspiracy Theories	June 01, 2009	Jessamin, Keziah, Morlanol, Riyontali, Rogawani
Meeting on the Ridge	June 01, 2009	Rogawani, Riyontali
Candi-dancy and Cavern Diving	June 02, 2009	Cenlia, Keziah, Morlanol, Riyontali, Sigam
A Lesson in Leather	June 17, 2009	Keziah, M'nol, Ontali, R'owan, Varia, Vivian
First Glides?	June 18, 2009	Vivian, Keziah, M'nol, Ontali, and Tay
Catching up on Lost Time	June 18, 2009	Ontali, R'owan
Girly Talk and Fantasies	June 21, 2009	Vivian, Ontali, Keziah, and M'nol
Cidheoth Hunts	June 25, 2009	M'nol, Ontali, R'owan, Thea
Weyrling Lesson - Manned Flight	July 1, 2009	Ontali, R'zel, V'dim
Trust Game	July 1, 2009	Chaton, G’len, Janelle, Jessamin, Keziah, M'nol, Ontali, Thea
A Day of Hurts	July 2, 2009	Sigam, M'nol, K'avu, Thea, Phylicia, Ontali, Jessamin, Keziah
A Hands On Lesson	July 8, 2009	Aoriya, K'oss, M'nol, Ontali, Tyr, V'dim
An Invitation	July 9, 2009	Ontali, R'owan
Tears for the Lost	July 13, 2009	M'nol, Ontali
From Weyrlings to Weyrmates	July 16, 2009	Ontali, R'owan
Founder's Day Opening Ceremonies	July 17, 2009	B'ky, Cenlia, Eledri, F'yr, J'ed, Jessamin, L'ton, M'nol, Moria, Niva, O'rly, Ontali, R'iahn, Sigam, Thea, Uthine, Xhaine, T'burk
A Founder's Day Dedication	July 18, 2009	A'di, Ai'an, B'ky, Cenlia, D'son, K'avu, Kanta, Jei, Jessamin, M'nol, Niva, Ontali, Sianne, Thea, Vivian
It's the Little Things...	October 03, 2009	K'ael, M'nol, Moria, Ontali, Thea
A Xanadu Bias	October 05, 2009	Corvi, Niva, Ontali
Xanadu Weyr Hatching, June 7, 2009	June 7, 2009	Ameera, Avaeth, Cenlia, Dhonzayth, Donakan, D'son, Eledri, Enkavir, Ethne, Fortinos, Gimeki, Jessamin, Jorrel, Keziah, Lissi, Lerta, Liya, L'ton, M'ori, Moria, Morlanol, Niva, Rei, Rogawani, Ruzel, Satoris, Riyontali, Sigam, Taira, Thea, Vivian, Yontal, Zevida

Credits

• Ro for the layout frame thing, since I fail to remember any sort of HTML and I LIKE a shiny backgrounded page. Thank you, sunshine!
• http://www.ireland-information.com/celticclipart/celticclipart.htm For the bar. I recolored and stretched it. :)