Sharronn and Captain Ian head to RYSLEN weyr for their Flurry!

Name: Ian Arnold; Captain of the Starship Cherry Cream

Gender: Male, straight but extremely desirable for all

Age/DOB: Mid-late 30s

Origin/Species: An Earth, Human

Family: Is very possibly Four-Star Daydream's brother

Other: He and Sharronn have been together quite a while, where are their kids?

Height: 6'5" Build: slender and toned

Hair: Strawberry blond with copper undertones; very fluffy, much to the delight of all their flitters

Eyes: vibrant blue

Appearance: tan-bronze skinned, a Gorgeous Face with A Gorgeous Chin; he does enjoy the looks he gets. Usually folds up the cuffs of his uniform sleeves

Genetic Abilities: puts up with so much.

Enhancements or Augmentations: a Babel Fish and a normal electronic comm unit

Skills or Profession: Captain

Personality: can get rather snippy and fed up with bullshit like his crew provides, but in the end he does what is best for all of them

Name: Sharronn Arnold, First Mate

Gender: Female, probably bi but with Ian she's all his

Age/DOB: early 30s

Origin/Species: Earthish, Human

Family: Only talks about them in the past tense

Other: definitely 'a thing' with Ian

Height: 5'8" Build: very busty, quite slender, leggy

Hair: Very Blond, golden highlights; feathered

Eyes: light blue, large

Appearance: light skinned, high voice, very stylish with her slit-skirted uniform and heels

Genetic Abilities: seems pretty tuned to dragon kind, they definitely enjoy listening to her but pestering Ian

Enhancements or Augmentations: Babel Fish and a Thumb on hand, and knows how to use most other comms

Skills or Profession: Keeping Up with everything, technically the comms officer

Personality: she's not really nearly as ditzy as she seems, but is definitely as flirty

A while after everyone settled down and got their paperwork together, and started packing for their trips to the weyrs, cathairs and nooks they'd found, Sharronn nudged Ian.

"We're getting dragons," she reminded him with a broad grin."

"I remember," he sighed. "At Ryslen. I mean, it looks like a nice place, I'm still a little hesitant to start getting all excited. Dragons..." He shook his head.

"Don't start about them not being real, again," Sharronn said. "They are. Quite real. Just like every other creature we've ever encountered. Fairies, sprites, unicorns, all those things are just as real as you or me. Can you imagine what people on Earth would think about Woodstock? Or Weebie?"

Ian thought about that and had to admit, she had a point. A four-armed colorshifting woman was pretty odd. And Weebie, while she was certainly beautiful, she was furry - and that just didn't happen on Earth. So he had to slowly get used to the fact that there were dragons, and they were heading off to find one.

"Oh, we need to ask Chris about that special thing he wanted to tell us about." Sharronn bolted out of their quarters and dragged him back, after locating the quiet writer in the hallway. He'd been on his way in anyway.

"Ah, that," Chris said. He turned to a page on his clipboard which showed some rules and regs for the worlds they were headed to. "Well, when you get to Ryslen, you have to make sure to visit one of the little stall cubbies in their gather area."

"Why?" Sharronn bounced again. Chris watched her jiggle for a second, then realized that Ian was watching him do that, and stopped.

"Because you need to have some flitters." He showed them the pictures of little shoulder-type dragons, small ones which -

"Augh, no one said anything about that!" Ian cried. "I've got enough trouble with the rest of the crew in my hair!"

"Your hair would look perfect with a little flitter under it, dear," Sharronn purred, turning on her womanly charms again. It was like something she could do on command. Of course.

Chris stated, "well, just be sure to do that. Woodstock can supply everyone with the right currencies for the worlds, so don't worry about that. But just make sure you've signed up properly, and you have your right flits on. I don't know why that's such a big deal with this flurry thing, but it is." Chris shrugged, and then bowed out.

Sharronn was giddy. Now not only was she going to try for a dragon, but a flitter? Or more? That was just wonderful!

***

It took a while to get everyone loaded out to their right places. Woodstock and the twins guided Caledrus off to the locales until there was only Ian and Sharronn, and Lisa and Troy left.

"We're going to head to Abri first, but don't expect the clutch to hatch right when you get there, all right?" Woodstock warned. "I've been told their flight has left a lot of eggs on the sands, but they're very slow to grow."

Lisa nodded, and Troy seemed a bit more sedate now that he wasn't trying to show off to lots of other people than Lisa.

They dropped off the pair at Abri, and then swung the ship back into Improbability drive and through space/time until it reached Ryslen's locale. It was a Nexus site, so lots of other ships had passed through the area - whether the inhabitants of the planet below knew it or not.

"Well here it is, kids," Woodstock said, smiling widely. "Just be sure to buzz me when you're ready to come back." She flipped them a little electronic Thumb, a device which would contact all hitch-hiker friendly ships in the area. "Since Caledrus is an Improbability drive ship, we'll be able to get there right away when you call. We're always in the area..."

She drove the ship down into the atmosphere, but rested it halfway so it appeared to the ground dwellers as a bright, lit up star. The onboard teleportation device did the rest.

Ian and Sharronn gulped and grabbed their bags, they'd been warned that it was a mid-winter hatching, so they had their warm furries on, and packed for all other weather, knowing they'd be there for a while.

When they dropped into the snowy hillside, there were lots of people around already. Sales stalls and wares hawkers were all over, but more importantly there were dozens if not hundreds of colorful little flitters moving through the air.

Six of them landed on Ian, right off. He was a tall, elegant target, after all. He glared out from their multi-colored wings, and ground his jaw back and forth. Though he wanted to be seen as the typical easy-going guy... This was almost too much. His thick winter gear gave his shoulders and arms some protection from the animals' little claws, but they had also started fighting over his head, which was mussing his perfect hair.

"You said they'd look perfect," he grumbled, as Sharronn laughed silently, "You said they'd be just fine. Look at me. I'm covered in ... wings!"

"Your hair is all wing-ey already honey," Sharronn said, "just go with it. I wonder if any of them will come to me like that, or if I have to dig through your bags and find your hair gel. I think that's what they like."

"You're... kidding," Ian said, unhappily. "I'll have to get rid of that stuff then..."

The flitters on his head chirped angrily at that thought. They liked him. For more than just the way his hair smelled. Admittedly, not much more, but certainly because he was warm, and could provide a nice resting spot.

"Ocean"	"Denim"	"Flute"
"Goldie"	"Pesty"	"Creamy"

One of the flitters seemed to notice how Sharronn was pouting because all the attention was going to her partner. So the rainbow-colored flit disentangled herself from Ian's hair, and landed deftly onto Sharronn's shoulder. There, she became very defensive and wouldn't let any other flits near.

"Well, you're quite the little pest aren't you?" Sharronn said, lovingly scratching the little flit's chin.

She looked at Ian, and decided that he could remain as miserable as he wanted to be, so she wouldn't try chasing away any of the remaining five flits.

When they got to the stands, Ian muttered, "Chris said we'd need to buy one. Hah. I'm not spending money on more of these things..." As someone tried to shove an egg at them, he held both hands up and shook his head. "Nuh uh," he said, "not me."

"But they like you!" Said the flitter dealer, who had a number of them already flying about and pestering him.

"They like you better," Ian said.

"Let's head up to the weyr," Sharronn said, and Ian agreed, if it would get the flits to stop clawing at his ears and scratching his neck up...

The day could only get weirder for the pair of Cherry Cream owners. They'd barely gotten in and it looked as though they were going to have their own private den - Ian thought it was a good size for two people, but then Sharronn pointed out that it was large enough for two people - and two hatchling dragons.

Ian sighed. Then, they got a visit from one of the local dragon experts. His brisk walk past each candidate's door alerted the inhabitants, but then they were only able to pick up a strange hint that he was perhaps less happy about something or other, than he ought to have been.

He was a Search rider, but that was all they got from his mutterings. Looking down at the stone floor, Ian picked up a booklet.

"It's a dragon care manual." He said, eyebrow shooting up and one of the many flitters near him tried helping him hold the book up. He eventually gave up and dropped it to the ground.

The rainbow flitter, whom Sharronn had named Pesty, swooped from her mistress' shoulder and snatched it up, dropping it politely into Sharronn's hands and cooing.

"Thank you Pesty, such a good girl yes you are!" The first mate cooed back. She sat next to her dearest captain and started reading to him about wing sails and claw care, feeding of hatchlings, and making sure that oils were soaked into their delicate skin for the first few months.

"Months!?" Ian shouted, causing a cascade of flitters. "Months... I can't believe this..."

Tittering, Sharronn shooed the other flitters away, with some help from Pesty, and showed him why she loved him for bringing her here...

***

When the hatching was announced, it was as if the flitters all knew their humans needed to be in the hatching sands. Both Ian and Sharronn had opted to wear the open-fronted vest-style robe, both of them looked exceptionally cool in them. Ian was still trying to fuss with his hair, but it was no use. There was always a flitter roaming about on it, under it or through it.

They had better learn how to behave before getting back to Caledrus, that's all he had to say about it.

A sound like a bird or a young kitten broke the silence after the humming of dragons drew the candidates and visitors to the sands. It came from a lovely violet, pink and white dragoness who came carefully out of her shell. Instantly, Sharronn's eyes glazed over while watching the flake-flecked dragon.

"She's so cute!!" She squealed. Ian glanced at her in distress. But she was heedless, and turned to him only long enough to say, "and her name is Giyath!"

Giyath lifted her feet up off the hot red sands, and walked quickly to Sharronn. "Isn't she darling, Ian?" And his weak smile was totally lost on the ecstatic woman. She'd bonded her dragon! And it was just PERFECT!

Ian watched as they were led away, to the feeding area which she'd mentioned while reading from their booklet again and again. She was so totally entranced. Well, now that that was over... Ian couldn't just leave the sands. Could he? He didn't really think it was a good idea, after all there were dozens - literally dozens!- of people surrounding him. He'd look like a total idiot if he tried leaving now, now that Sharronn had bonded the FIRST to hatch in this flurry!

So he waited. And he waited. And waited more. Three frickin' dozen dragons later... he counted, yes... there was a pause after a pair of dragons bonded and someone else paired off with a cute silver blue. There was a tug at his neck hairs, and he spun on instinct - then remembered that there was merely yet another of those blasted five flitters dangling in the tangled mess of his formerly perfect hair.

He hadn't realized that there was a hatchling coming toward him. His head held high, the hatchling strode with bold motions toward Ian, and as Ian at last got the blue flitter out of his hair he looked down to see only the whirling rainbow eyes of this copper-winged white.

What do you think now, Ian my friend? Do you think this is a waste of time, or am I exactly what you always thought of yourself?

"Stunning, Xeyonth, Simply stunning."

We are, aren't we? The dragon thought back, as they went off to find their companions.

Giyath spread her shimmering wings, and the spring wind filled them.

I shall love to fly. Especially with you!

Sharronn giggled madly, and rubbed the short neckridge of her pink and white dragoness.

"Flying is great fun. We used to do it all the time on the Cherry Cream. Now it'll be you and me."

What about the men?

"Ahh, what about them? Sourpuss and his flitters and his egocentric copper."

I take it you and Ian had another little fight?

"It isn't a fight, it's just a disagreement about how soon we'll be heading back."

But he knows that we can go back to any time you need. I see the time right in my mind.

"Well, convince Xeyonth to tell Ian that." Sharronn pouted.

I will try.

From the ledges above the lake, Ian and Xeyonth watched their female companions as they had their flight training.

Why don't you just apologize to her?

"Because that would mean I've done something wrong. And I haven't." Ian pushed his hand through his hair to clear it of the last flitter, who grudgingly flew up into the rafters. "She wants to stay on far longer than we should.

But Giyath knows the way back, and I can sense it in your mind, just exactly where and when to go back. Clearly the dragons had no trouble with each other - their human partners were so confusing. They loved each other dearly, yet they would bicker about the littlest things.

"Well, I guess the first thing we need to do is make sure you can fly, anyway," Ian admitted. "You did well that first time up."

I know. I loved it. We look good together.

"And the wind keeps those blasted flits out of my hair," Ian snarled at one which cooed from above lovingly.

Giyath and Xeyonth flew over Ryslen for the last time, a pair that were watched on the ground by many people. The big coppery colored Xeyonth and his small shiny pink-white companion, and their attendant riders, had always attracted a certain amount of attention.

Giyath wasn't rising, but she sure shone like she was. Her hide always looked like it was glowing, glimmering in any light. Flurry dragons were like that - the only ones moreso were those beautiful gemstone or metallic looking ones.

I like it when you compliment me, Giyath bespoke her rider. Sharronn laughed - the sound whipped away by the wind.

"You should tell Ian and Xeyonth that it's time to return to our home. You'll like it. We have so many different things to do there!"

Giyath nosed up into the air, a chill wind carrying her wingsails full. Xeyonth followed her, a reflective shadow of white and copper.

I agree - it is time. Xeyonth told Ian. I have seen nothing but this Cherry Cream place, inside Caledrus, for the whole time I have been with you. Should we go now? We have said our good-byes. And we can always come back to Ryslen.

"Yes. Let's go. If you can," Ian said, "let's try ditching these blasted flitters on the way, too."

Oh, I doubt that will be happening, my friend. They love you. I do believe that Goldie intends to lay her eggs in your hair.

Ian shrieked as they headed through the Nexus, on their way home.

Dragon of Ian

Name: Xeyonth
Gender: Male
Size/Shoulder/Length: medium-large 16' s / 55' l / 90' ws
Colors: Copper-Winged White flurry
Features: Ryslen standard, high crest, big paws; headknobs, tail spade
Powers: Winged Flight, very strong
Teleportation local, long-distance, temporal, Nexus (strong)
Telepathy
Telekinesis*
Unassisted Firebreath
Parentage: below
Origin: Ryslen Flizzard Blizzard Flurry by Ty
Other Info:

Lineage

Mates and Descendants

Dragon of Sharronn

Name: Giyath
Gender: Female
Size/Shoulder/Length: medium-small 8'5" s / 25' l / 50' ws
Colors: Purple Pink White Flurry
Features: Ryslen standard - tall crest, big paws, no headknobs, tail spade
Powers: Winged Flight
Teleportation, local, long-distance, temporal (very strong), Nexus
Telepathy
Telekinesis*
Unassisted Firebreath
Parentage: Below
Origin: Ryslen Flizzard Blizzard (Flurry)
Other Info:

Lineage

Mates and Descendants