Roleplay

@Vakali

Merit plastered his cheek- and head-fins tightly against his head, and tucked the edges of his wizard hat over his tiny ears. Everything was so -loud-. Dragons roared at each other, the odd, chiming notes of Coatls mingling with the equally-strange up-and-down range of other breeds, creating an ocean of noise. Merit was not well-acquainted with the ocean, but he imagined it must be much like the waves of noise hitting his sensitive ears right now, palpable sensations that made his wee form rock and flutter its wings in an attempt to stay stable.

He had to admit, it was fascinating. Yet another phenomenon to record in his journals. Could waves of sound be like waves of water? And could magic be manipulated in waves, as well? So many fascinating thoughts...

"OI!!" a Mirror bellowed, waving a femur -- or was it a tibia? -- around in one clawed hand. "Little purple fella! Heads up!" They hurled the piece of bone at the fae dragon, little tendrils of dried brown sinew waving and flattening as the bit flew through the air.

Merit caught it with a combination of his tail and hind legs, wings fluttering like a butterfly's in a hurricane to stay aloft. "what do i do with it." He cocked his head as the Mirror did not answer. Granted, it -was- very loud. And he could not crook his tail in proper fashion to gesticulate, so of course that would also have something to do with it.

"Well? C'mon, you! What're you gonna do about it?" the Mirror bellowed. And then, they charged, snarling, jaws wide.

Merit hmm'd softly, and focused arcane energy on the bone until its various tiny fissures -- so many! Very fascinating. And yes, definitely a tibia -- glowed red, like lava underneath a field of ice. Then, he whipped the bone over and around with a swift movement of his tail. The piece of charged bone hit the Mirror square in the face and exploded in a shower of boney shrapnel that pattered against scaled hides and scored leathery wings in a wide radius beyond the pair.

The Mirror shook their head, tiny cuts spattering blood from their face and ear-flaps. Their four eyes narrowed to slits, and their lips bared from their fangs in a toothy snarl.

"That's the spirit! Nice t' meet a drake what knows how t' have a good bit o' proper fun! C'mon, you! There's a perfectly good rib cage over yonder what no one's pounded t' dust yet! Let's you an' me figure somethin' out with it, yeah?"

"oi." Merit said, head fins jerking up proudly, tail held aloft. "perhaps i will put you inside of it. and roll you down a hill."

"Capital idea!" the Mirror boomed, as they moved off together, the Mirror at a lope, the fae at a flutter.

@Vakali Well, I think this kind of got away from me... but here is my entry of the Daily Prompt for Oct. 26, and believe it or not, it is under 2,000 words--I counted.: [quote] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=4764815] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/47649/4764815_350.png[/img] [/url] [center]Party Time[/center] The sound of bones crunching and raucous singing spilled out from the cave in front of Corona as she walked closer. She twitched her tail and hunched her wings, wondering yet again what she was doing here….oh, yes, she had lost that bet with Nimby. She sighed in annoyance. It had seemed such a sure thing. Bet him on her favorite subject, and win the forfeit of her choice. How was she supposed to know that a Ridgeback from Plague knew more about the sun’s lifespan then she did? She shook herself and gritted her teeth. She had lost the bet, and that was that. Still, did he have to ask for her to attend a Midnight gathering of dragons celebrating the Riot of Rot? All she knew of Plague came from the stories her mother told, and they were not exactly nice tales...Corona shook herself again. [i]Don’t show fear,[/i] she reminded herself. [i]It’s just a party, after all. What could happen?[/i] Maybe she would even enjoy herself. “You all right?” Nimby glanced over at her. “Fine,” she answered shortly. “Why did you choose this party again?” Nimby huffed. “Come on, Cor, you know hardly anything about any of the Flights except Arcane. For a Tundra you’re awfully anti-social. You need to let down and live a little—“ he inclined his head to the Mirror standing at the door, and then stepped inside the cave. Corona blinked. A former Plague dragon telling [i]her[/i] she was being anti-social? Talk about the pot meeting the kettle…Suddenly, she realized that Nimby was waiting for her just inside the cave, and the Mirror at the door was giving her a funny look. Shivering, she hurried over to her Clanmate, edging past the Mirror. Nimby raised his eyebrow at her, clearly unimpressed. “And you really should know more about a Flight than it’s name before you start fearing them—or talking about them,” he commented dryly. Corona stiffened. Was [i]that[/i] what this was about? She had only been repeating her Mom’s favorite story… “Nim, I wasn’t trying to be offensive. Everyone tells the tale of—“ “I know, Cor, I know.” He cut her off quickly. Steering Corona around two staggering Snappers who looked like they had discovered some kind of food that impaired their sense of balance, Nimby headed towards a group of young Tundras in the back of the cave. “And it may even be true. Goodness knows my old Flight has enough stories about those who didn’t survive the Wasteland, one about an abandoned hatchling might very well be among them. But that’s not all we are, Corona.” He turned to look at her, his eyes serious. “Look around you.” Nimby gestured widely, encompassing the whole cave. “Does this look like evil or death to you?” Corona shifted uncomfortably, wincing at the smell of decay in the air. Yes, actually, it did. If death was defined by rot, bones and skeletons, and evil by poison, then Nimby was not making a very good argument. Bones seemed to be prevalent here—and not just in the furnishings, either. She saw at least 10 dragons wearing bone necklaces or headdresses…and that was just within the first 15 feet. And the floor was absolutely littered with the skeletal remains of creatures…and was that a pile of larger, dragon-sized, bones in the corner? There was also a great deal of strange-looking goo all over the floor, and a whole open section of what seemed to be water towards the right of the cave—but Corona was almost positive that water was not supposed to smoke like that, and should be clear, or at least blue, not a reddish-black. She watched as the two Snappers they had encountered earlier wandered towards the smoking mess…and neatly maneuvered around it without even pausing in their stagger. She blinked, and looked again. Yes, those two were definitely intoxicated by something…and yet they were aware enough of their surroundings to avoid whatever danger lurked in that pool. And hadn’t they side-stepped her and Nimby earlier? [i]Don’t judge by the surface, Corona,[/i] her grandmother’s voice rang in her head from when she was a hatchling, [i]You have more senses than your nose and your eyes. And you have a mind, girl. Use it.[/i] Corona looked around again, forcing herself to truly [i]see[/i] what was in front of her. Three dragons a few feet away were wrestling, while several others cheered them on. As Corona watched, the Guardian won the fight, neatly pinning both his opponents to the ground—one by the paw, and one by his steel-encased tail. A great deal of good-natured ribbing of his Mirror opponents immediately took place, while the Guardian enjoyed a drink of—something—in celebration of his victory. Despite herself, the young Tundra could not help but see her half-brother Duskfire in that fight. Though Duskfire would never have hit his opponent so hard with his tail that the Mirror still hadn’t gotten off the ground. And his drink, at least, would have been something recognizable as a beverage. She snorted, and glanced further into the cave. Elsewhere, two Ridgebacks were engaged in an eating contest, the purpose of which seemed to be who could consume the most hideous-looking concoction without bringing it back up. Corona winced and looked away quickly before the Fae—who was looking a bit green—lost. She found herself staring at the Tundras Nimby had been steering her towards in the first place. They were gathered around a pile of bones, watching it intently. No, she realized after a moment, not watching, [i]smelling[/i]. Nimby grinned at her interest. “Come on, you’ll love this. I’ll introduce you.” Before Corona could protest, the Ridgeback had dragged her the last few feet to the Tundra’s circle. She sighed, and straightened up. There was no need to be rude, after all. “Hey guys,” Nimby called cheerfully, “I’ve brought you some fresh meat! My Clanmate’s never played Bonepile before.” The large red Tundra turned his head, a look of mild interest. He sniffed. “Your scent is new,” he observed. Sniffing again, he cocked his head. “You are not Plague.” “Arcane,” she admitted. “I’m Corona, daughter of Sunfire and Moonshadow. And Clanmate of Nimby, who was born to Plague.” “Peroxide, son of Toxin.” He glanced at Nimby. “You smell like a friend.” Nimby nodded, falling easily into the Tundra mode of address. “Yeah, Nimby, son of Anthrax and Tang. I was born here, but moved away when my Clan got too crowded. Still have friends here, though, and I like to come back every once in a while, make sure I’ve still got what it takes. I brought the young one to show off the better side of life in the Wasteland.” Corona bristled. She wasn’t [i]that[/i] young! Though she supposed that compared to Nimby she might seem so. He was, after all, a whole month older. “Ah,” Peroxide nodded. “We must have met at an earlier time, when you were still in the Wasteland.” He turned to Corona. “So you have never played Bonepile? It is quite simple. Each of the bones comes from a different animal. Some were once familiars who lived out their time, some are prey, some are dragons who were once friends. Each Tundra sniffs, and attempts to guess the animal, and if a dragon, who it was. If they get it correct, they win the bone.” Corona blinked. What would she do with a bunch of bones? And owning a piece of a dragon was just…wrong. Peroxide smiled, clearly amused. “The bones are tallied at the end, when the pile is empty. The dragon with the most wins the pile—and can present it to the leader of this Clan in exchange for a choice piece of food during the Riot.” He bared his teeth in a parody of a grin. “The food is, of course, edible. We do not harm winners—or losers, much. At least, not in [i]this[/i] game.” Corona swallowed hard. “I see. It sounds…interesting, but—“ “Try it, Corona.” Peroxide looked at her, “I think you would do well. It’s more fun than you might think, and guests are exempt from all penalties. Go on, sniff.” Corona sighed, and took a sniff to be polite. She didn’t see how she could possibly recognize smell from a pile of bo— “Is that Citrine Cave Jewel?” She blurted in shock as the familiar scent rolled over her. A murmur of appreciation ran through the other Tundras present. A dark green one stepped forward. “Daelin, son of Yeckle. You’re a natural, Corona. The Cave Jewel was my companion. She encountered a poisoned plant last year, and breathed in the fumes. Treat her bone well, and remember to be careful of orange plants with speckled leaves.” He padded to the pile, and nudged out a small leg bone in Corona’s direction. Corona stared, then took a breath. Well, this wasn’t so bad, after all, and the advice was certainly useful. “I will,” she murmured, and gently gathered the bone to her with her paw. Beside her, she saw Nimby grin. “See,” Nimby said as they made their way home. “Admit it, Cor, you had fun.” Corona rolled her eyes, then reached out and snagged Ninby away from the glowing rocks they had just landed near. His flight at the moment was erratic, and his walking even more so. She [i]knew[/i] she shouldn’t have let him drink that concoction. “All right, yes, the Bonepile game was interesting—“ “Interesting? The girl wins the game over veterans who have played it for years, walks away with the choicest plant in the hoard and an open invitation to come and play again next year, and all she can say was that it was interesting?” She shrugged. “Can I help it if our Clan has a lot of experience with different smells? I didn’t get any of the dragons...and anyway, that wasn’t what I meant. Yes, the game was fascinating, once I got into it, the advice given with each bone was useful, and the food was, er, unique, and the company wasn’t bad—“ Nimby’s slightly maniac grin grew wider. Corona groaned. “All right,” she said wearily, “you win. I had fun. It was an once-in-a-lifetime experience.” She paused, looking at him. “And I do mean [i]once[/i] Nimby. It was fun, yes, but I do not want to go back next year. One night of sifting through bones and watching you try to kill yourself on that poison was more than enough, thank you very much. And you are NOT going to tell my mother what we did tonight. I would rather still be able to hear in the mor—watch out!” Nimby glanced at the tree he had just nearly walked into, looking mildly surprised. “Where did that come from?” Corona felt like bashing her head on the same tree. Apparently, Nimby had not developed that sense of awareness the Plague dragons at the party had all had. He was going to get himself killed if he kept this up, and she would get blamed. “It’s a tree, Nimby. [i]OUR[/i] tree. We’re in the Starwood Strand, a few feet away from the entrance to our cave, and you just bumped into our tree.” She glared at him. “Just what was in that drink, anyway?” “No idea,” he shrugged, “I’d never drunk it before in my life.” He grinned. “It was a dare, Cor, you don’t turn down a dare at a party. Bad form, and it shows you’re weak.” “You never—“ Corona stopped, before she said something she would regret. “I’ve changed my mind,” she gritted out between clenched teeth, “you [i]are[/i] going to tell Mom where we were…and Grandpa Moondust, too. And you are going to tell them it was all [i]your[/i] idea.” She grabbed her Clanmate’s ear in her teeth, and firmly dragged him towards the entrance of the cave. [/quote]

[u][b]TWO HOURS LEFT TO SUBMIT THE OCTOBER 26TH PROMPT[/b][/u] I am rotating the prompt to tomorrow's, as I will be out likely nearly all day. Today isn't finished until the server ticks over to the 27th, so never fear, great writers! Here is the 26th prompt/prizes for those still wanting reference: [quote][b]Riot or Rot PARTY![/b] -- To the Plague flight, the "Riot" part of their celebration is mostly an incredibly intense party. Describe a crazy party from the point-of-view of a non-Plague dragon / a young Plague dragon. --- Prizes: [img]http://puu.sh/cplYh/1330ab6cde.jpg[/img] First Place: Trickster's Motley Pack -OR- Choice of dragon [item=Trickster's Bellcap][item=Trickster's Collar] Second Place: Gold Steampunk Set -OR- Choice of dragon [item=Gold Steampunk Goggles][item=Gold Steampunk Scarf][item=Gold Steampunk Spats][item=Gold Steampunk Vest][item=Gold Steampunk Wings][item=Gold Steampunk Tail Bauble] Third Place: Poet's Style Set -OR- Choice of dragon [item=poet's tam]x1 [item=pleated ruff]x1 [item=White Satin Tunic]x1[/quote]

@vakali may I also be added to the ping list? :3

Day 2: Lost Egg ~700 words [quote] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=3715337] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/37154/3715337_350.png[/img] [/url] [i]Arright... Looks like dis will be da best spot for da next expansion, once Shade finally signs off on all da forms. Da rock is so hard out here though, I may have ta take Corwin up on his offer ta make a anotha diggin machine after all, if it won't be so hard to contol dis time.[/i] Gostir snorted at himself, then craned his neck out, looking over the crevice one more time before turning to leave. [i]Wait up, what's dis? I thought we stuck dat Slime in the new vault, watsit doin out here?[/i] He prodded his long nose into a crack where something green was wobbling around, and gingerly pulled it out to his waiting claws. [i]Yer not a Slime, ya almost look like an egg. Huh, not one I recognize. Humph. Guess I betta take ya back, see what they want ta do with ya. Maybe Shade will speed things along if I bring her a prize like dis.[/i] *** [i]ThaT EgG... WherE?[/i] Gostir winced when he realized the [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=3540603]coatl[/url] was speaking to him. He was never good at trying to talk to them, but at least this wasn't one of the hyperactive ones. She looked unusually interested in something though, most of the time she kept to herself and just tried to clean up the place. [i]Pearlie? I was... takin dis ta Shade... ta see if she wanted it. You need sumthin?[/i] Pearlie certainly seemed more active than usual, she was darting back in forth in front of him trying to look at the egg from different angles. [i]PlaguE... HatchinG SooN![/i] [i]I know it's hatchin... Soon? Aw, dat's gonna ruin my chances wit Shade, I betta hurry up![/i] Gostir nearly snarled at himself, startling the coatl, but at least she got out of his way and quit trying to chat. *** [i]Hey, [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=4127550]Shade[/url]! I got sumthin for ya![/i] Gostir burst into the cave where Shade kept all her records. He never understood why she thought that these listings of what they had in the main hoard were more important that the hoard itself, but Guardians had strange priorities sometimes. It made borrowing things easier in the short run, but he never even saw her in any of the storage caves, and it still seemed like she always knew when something went missing. She was small for a guardian, too—only half his size—but somehow was one of the clan elders, so he wasn't about to mess with her. The Ridgeback plopped the egg down where she could see it better. [i]Pearlie says itsa Plague egg. I t'ought ya might be able ta sell it still so I brought it right ova.[/i] The grey-blue Guardian looked closely at the egg, which was starting to rock violently, sniffed it a few times, then stared intently at Gostir. [i]Hey, what? I said I brought it straight to ya![/i] Small or not, intimidating or not, he did not like that stare. It usually meant she wasn't going to play nice. Just then, the egg shell started to tear on one side, but Shade had already turned away from it. [i]plague hatcchling, female, fae. ccharcoal, ccharcoal, rosse. i'll credit your account.[/i] Gostir winced. 'Dere goes dat bonus.' Talking with Shade was almost as bad as talking to coatls, and not just because she sounded like she was whispering all the time. [i]T'anks,[/i] he muttered. Hatchlings were selling for a little more, but most likely he'd have to wait for it to grow up and get exalted. The clan didn't keep faes, and not many sold to other clans, either. He scooped up the tiny thing carefully, remnants of the egg and all. [i]Come on, I'll take ya to da hatchling area. Don't want anyone steppin on ya. [/i] He glanced up at Shade, who had already turned back to her scrolls and manuscripts. [i]Found a place for dat lair expansion, I'm ready ta start diggin as soon as ya want me to.[/i] When Shade didn't respond, Gostir snorted. 'Weeks. It'll be weeks still. Mebbe Warmth still has room fer me ta join dat trip ta Plague for deir festival.' [i]Come on, little one, lets get ya outta here.[/i] [/quote] Wow I'm rusty :/ Not happy with some of the writing conventions I abused there but at least I wrote something. Pearlie and Gostir have some actual character to them now too, so that's a plus!

@SanctifiedSavage @BeingOfNature @penchan @emaster012 @StrykeSlammerII @Pennifeather @Teeka @Ethiera @Melza @Canisa @YawningDodo @Likewise @Journey @Serendipital @SilverDragoness

Hey everyone! The day 2 prompt is up currently and will be until later tonight.

i knw im already pinged, but i have a wedding to do and i may do a couple of these

@Vakali Day 2--Lost Egg, 1, 227 Words [quote][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=4783423] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/47835/4783423_350.png[/img] [/url] [center]Plague Windfall[/center] Seaspray wandered near the coast of the island, examining the magical energy within the Starfall Isle’s sea. He closed his eyes in rapture at the touch of a gentle sea breeze, brimming with untapped power. Born to Wind, but with a magical bent that sent him early in his life to Arcane, he was in his element here. Let the other dragons of the Clan play with the power that drifted over the land, or examine the night sky in the hope of finding something interesting. He preferred the untamed magic contained within the waters. There was power and sorcery here, if you only knew where to find it… A glint of something green caught his eye, and Seaspray frowned. Had some gunk from one of those wrecks washed up again? It didn’t happen often, but every once in a while something would come ashore, and he would have to investigate. Not only did some of these items make it difficult to harness the energy he was working with, his clanmates would kill him if he didn’t bring back things for them to study. He shuddered at the memory of Moonshadow’s ire when the Pearlcatcher had neglected for several days to mention that he had found a small tube-like device that made things look closer when you looked inside it. By the time he had mentioned it, and Moonshadow had pulled himself away from his stargazing long enough to ask that it be brought to the caves, it was too late. The far-seeing device had been ruined by the waves. Seaspray had never seen the usually mild-mannered Tunda explode like that….particularly when it was pointed out that the device might have been used to look at the stars, like a miniature version of the Arcanist’s favorite toy in the Observatory. Seaspray sighed. Best investigate this green goo, then. The last thing he needed was his Clanmate angry at him again. Maybe it was a meteorite! He moved across the shore, gently cradling his pearl as he walked. The energy in this area was fluctuating oddly…was it the green gunk? Seapsray arrived at the area, and saw that the object was actually perfectly spherical in shape. Not a meteorite, then. He shrugged, and turned away. Not even Moonshadow would want a perfectly round, uninteresting, ball of slime. Especially one that was interfering with Arcane energy. Actually….it was interfering a [i]lot[/i] with the energy currents around it. It was almost as if---Seaspray froze, then whirled to look back at the ball. It was rocking! [i]Oh no…[/i] He thought in dismay. [i]It’s not a ball of inert goo at all, it’s alive….it’s an egg! A [b]Plague[/b] egg. And it’s [b]hatching[/b]![/i] That’s why the currents were fluctuating, of course. They were responding to the presence of a living creature. He grimaced, staring at the rocking egg. What could he do? He wasn’t anywhere near the caves. There was no way he could get the egg there in time. And a Plague hatchling….it wasn’t that the Clan minded them, per se. In fact, quite a few of the Clan were from Plague themselves. But they had chosen to come here, each for their own reasons, and they were happy with that choice. A Plague hatchling, abandoned before birth…that was a whole different matter. What was it doing here? Where was it’s parents? Had it been abandoned for a reason? He wasn’t sure he wanted to meet a hatchling from Plague whose own Clan had decided to get rid of them before they were even born…what if it had an incurable disease? Or a strange mutation? Or worse, what if it [i]hadn’t[/i] been abandoned? If the egg had been stolen, and the parents came looking for it…or whatever had managed to take an Egg from Plague lands came back… But the egg was insistently rocking, oblivious to the fretting of the only adult dragon in the area. As Seaspray watched, feeling absolutely helpless, the egg split and opened, goo falling everywhere. A bright red and brown Tundra stared out at Seaspry, it’s red eyes gleaming. Seaspray groaned. The problem had just gotten ten times worse. The “triplets,” Moonshadow and Sunfire’s offspring, wanted a red sibling. They had been bugging their parents for some time…something about magical symmetry, as they were blue, yellow, and green. Seaspray was all for Arcane dragons showing off magical elemental colors, but to demand a sibling of the missing fourth element was taking it a bit too far in his book. Personally, he thought that there were more than enough Tundras in the Clan already. It seemed, however, that [i]something[/i] disagreed. “Oh Arcanist,” he muttered, “what do I do now?” He couldn’t abandon a new-born hatchling on the coast of the Starfall Isles. There were far too many dangers here that a hatchling not keyed to magical energies would not be able to handle. And if the triplets ever found out he had left a young Tundra alone to fend for herself—a [i]red[/i] Tundra at that… The newly born Tundra hissed angrily, and pounced on Seaspray’s tail. He quickly pulled it out of the way before it got bitten, shifting his body to protect his pearl at the same time. Tundras didn’t eat meat! Why was it going for him? And since when did they hiss? This little devil was not acting like any Tundra he knew…was this what Plague hatchlings always acted like? His Clanmates originally from that Flight had all been a few days old when they came, after all. He had never seen one right out of the egg…. The hatchling suddenly whimpered, cutting into Seaspray’s rambling thoughts. Startled, he looked back at the little—dragon. Whatever else it was, or would become, he reminded himself firmly, it was, and would always be, a dragon. And [i]this[/i] little dragon was staring at him, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly, that strange whimper coming from her throat… Seapsray blinked, looking closer. The Tundra’s eyes were gleaming all right—with hunger. She was a little wretched ball of fur, her wings still undeveloped, and she was starving. Seaspray stared at the hatchling, feeling chagrined. Not a devil, a dragon. A small, helpless dragon who had no one to help her because her egg had been alone. Abandoned on the shore of a Flight so far form her own Element-wise it wasn’t even funny. And the Clan did [i]not[/i] abandon hatchlings. Period. Sighing, he moved closer. “Come on young one,” he murmured, shifting his pearl so he could better get a grasp on the little one’s neck scruff, “I’ll find you something to eat. And then we’ll go to my Clan, and decide what we should do…” But he knew already what would happen. The triplets would take one look at the hatchling, and fall in love. And they were the darlings of the Clan at the moment, as they were the Clan mother’s first grandchildren. Seaspray gently nudged the small Tundra towards some edible leaves on the side of a bluff, and smiled resignedly. Ah, well, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. The energy here was wrapping around the little one, claiming her. Soon enough, she would be fully Arcane. And maybe when she grew older she would be a companion on his journeys to the shore. It was, after all, where her egg had hatched. [/quote]