Nothing But The Rain Rillaeth
| Nothing But The Rain Rillaeth | |
|---|---|
| Impressee | L'sha |
| Hatching Date: | 1 November, 2013 |
| Size: | 24.5 feet |
| Dam: | As True as the Tide Gold Iesaryth |
| Sire: | Molten Glass Bronze Vhaeryth |
| Lineage: | Here |
| Clutch: | Clutch:35 |
| Egg Credit: | Alida |
| Dragon Credit: | Aishani, Leova and K'del |
| Puppeteer: | Aishani |
Contents
Mechanical Egg
This rather small, squat egg is closer to being round than ovoid, but what it might lack in stature, it makes up for in coloration. Near the broader apex of the shell, matte black dominates in a rather nubbly pattern, shifting in sudden transition to intermingled rich gold and brilliant silver that hold a near-metallic sheen. Shadows and highlights across the shell give the illusion of tubular depressions and even concentric circles in places, one single streak of silver against black hinting at a piece that might be convinced to move.
The streak of silver on the Mechanical Egg has looked as if it's been ready to rupture for most of the time the egg's been on the sands, and since it started rocking and shaking, even more so. It shouldn't be a surprise when that silver seam gives way, but it might even so-- if only due to the sheer swift violence with which the shell shifts and cracks, a wet pine-dark wing breaking through to herald its shattering.
Nothing But The Rain Green
Even her muzzle is long and lean, clad in the dark, unreflective green of a winter's forest; she's a lithe dragonet with a single lustrous racing stripe down each side, a paler, glossy hue that underscores her sudden, strong movements and the racer's slant of her thin-boned physique. Further ripples, as glossy but less pale, flow down her wingsails, closer and closer together as they reach their trailing edges. Sharply defined neckridges are wholly dark again, the same onyx as her perennially-chipped claws, spaced in a way that seems less irregular than a pattern as yet undiscerned. Within all that darkness, her eyes glow that much more, holding nothing of artifice and everything of fearless, no-holds-barred conviction.
Temperament
From the moment Rillaeth found you on the sands, her loyalty was complete and without question. While some pairs may struggle with trust and you may hear tales of other riders and dragons that are at odds with one another more often than not, it would be difficult to distrust or argue (too much) with your Rillaeth.
She is, like her dam, almost incapable of artifice, wearing her heart on her sleeve and speaking her mind, both to you and anyone else she thinks needs to hear the 'truth' - even if that means all of High Reaches. Despite her outspokenness, she is deeply patriotic, committed to and proud of her home, and her place in the Weyr. She will near-always stand and fight for the things she truly believes in - and for you, L'sha, always. If there's something that you believe is wrong, she'll encourage you to fight for it, the sort to say: « If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything. »
Rillaeth is not like many of the greens you may have known in her life: she's her own creature, through and through. She doesn't have much time for what anyone might expect her to be - or indeed, expect you to be. Despite being an emotional creature herself, she doesn't have much time for those who let that emotion take over everything. She expects you to dedicate yourself to the Weyr as much as she does; she expects you to work as hard; she expects you to be yourself, not any stereotype. « I'm strong, » she'll tell you. « And that has nothing to do with what color my hide is. And who you are has nothing to do with that, either. »
Weyrlinghood is where you'll first come across Rillaeth's weakness for her vices - from her dam, sloth; from her sire, vanity; and gluttony all on her own. She'll be more difficult to rouse in the mornings than you are, and will likely scarf down any meat in the vicinity if left to her own devices with the bucket. She doesn't need to look perfect all the time, but prefers to be neatly kept at the very least, and certainly likes to be fully cleaned and oiled to perfection. It certainly won't make the early months easy, but if you work at it, you'll get better at handling Rillaeth's more unfortunate aspects. The Weyrlingmasters aren't likely to let her convince you to sleep in more than once.
It will be good to learn that control early, however, as Rillaeth is likely to become increasingly difficult as you move into drills and flying. She wants to do what she wants when she wants, and doesn't really like someone telling her that she can't. Teisyth's obedience and goodwill will be fairly mystifying. Rillaeth 's respect for the Weyr and its traditions is enough to keep her from being insubordinate or offensive, and keep her (mostly) in line, but it will also fall to you to manage her obstinancy and help get her to see and understand the reasons why she's being told to do what her leaders want her to do. Getting into the air will help, but there will always be that tendency in her.
And when she does get into the air, Rillaeth is a natural. All dragons are born to fly, but not all take to it like she does. Flight is where much of her tendency for hell-raising is channeled once she finally gets there - she loves to fly and loves to take risks, to go faster, farther, higher, closer. Once you're out of weyrlinghood, there's no end to the aerial tricks she won't try (if you're up for it), or try to borrow from Teisyth or other athletic dragons. She wants to push (and for you to push yourself, though if you don't, she'll do it for you), to see how much better she can be, how much better you both can be. If that takes a little living on the edge, so be it.
She'll largely thrive, once she's in the wings. As much as she loves choosing her own flight, she will eventually find joy, too, in more structured flight. The precision required in the more acrobatic wings will bring her great pleasure: it's a challenge, and there's nothing she loves more than a good challenge. It will help if she respects her Wingleader, though; she will always rail again those whose leadership she doubts (even if it's just to you, in private). « He's an insufferable waste of space, L'sha, » she might rail. « I could do better with my eyes closed! »
Rillaeth also has a thing for color, whether as part of your attire (plain weyrling clothing, how blah!) or your blankets or, later on if you can afford it, her straps. She's not the kind who cares much about possessions, but in the space that is yours and hers - the weyr where you can both retreat from the world - she wants to be able to express herself. Do you paint? You'll find she wants you to, and it doesn't much matter whether you're good or not; she needs a pair of hands to express herself, and yours are just right for the job. Similarly, she doesn't require the finest of materials (she can appreciate the scratchy as well as the soft) but they should be bright, and you may find her encouraging you to work extra hard to earn marks for bright hangings... or to gamble, at least until you lose.
When it comes to flights, Rillaeth does not enjoy her proddiness, but she accepts flights for what they are, and enjoys them as sport. She doesn't worry too much about them (much as she's unconcerned about your amours) , and if you do, she's sort of spectacularly unhelpful for once, not really understanding what the fuss is about. She's a true love 'em and leave 'em type, not all that devoted to male dragons before or after flights - unless, of course, they're friends. But that's different.
Her clutchmates will be her friends, for the most part. So, too, will her wingmates be. She's a naturally social dragon, not a social butterfly the way some dragons are, but still inclined to sit in the middle of any group. She loves being in the thick of things; she loves having comrades to trust, to spend time with, to cause mayhem with. She can be blunt and rude and even sometimes outright offensive, but it doesn't limit her affection for them. Tough love is still love.
As an adult, Rillaeth will still love her vices and will encourage yours, though she has her limits - she has no interest in anything that will interfere with duty or your life together. Those are her primary concerns: everything else can go by the wayside. In that sense, she's a little hard, less concerned with other dragons and riders than you might be, more devoted to the Weyr as a concept than each specific person - though those that she does come to care for, and those that are important to you may earn a similar sort of loyalty as what you have from her. Despite her hard edges, she has a love of beauty and art, and a wry sense of humor that attempts for lightness in even the darkest of moments.
Rillaeth will always be proud of High Reaches and her place in it. She believes there are no 'lesser' dragons, colors or wings - each pair has their place, each wing has their purpose. But there is nothing in the Weyr she is prouder of then you, no place or purpose truly more important than that of the two of you. Together, you can reach past the stars.
Public Impression Message
Nothing But The Rain Green Hatchling has been going about things with a near-military precision and finally, finally it pays off. Her search is over, her goal is met. From amongst the white-robed candidates, she picks out a dark-haired blue-eyed young man with delicate features, and stares determinedly, even defiantly at him. She is now his, and more as, he hers.
Private Impression Message
Black, black, black: endless black. It envelops you, distancing you from the hubbub of the sands and sending a shiver of cold straight down your spine. For a moment, it's as though all the air has left the room-- and then, just like that, it's back, and you can breathe, and now? You're breathing with Rillaeth. Those so-bright eyes stare up at you, and her joy - your joy - runs through you, sharp enough to cut to the bone. « Don't freak out, L'sha. It's me. It's really me. We're together, now. » And what won't the two of you do?
Mindvoice
Some dragons have the stars, others the starry skies, but Rillaeth communicates in all the vastness and blackness of space and everything it contains. Sometimes her thoughts can approach warmth, if only by comparison; in contrast, though not quite as crushing and featureless as between, they can be just as airless in her fury or some other overwhelming emotion. When she speaks, it's in cool contralto tones, a touch raspy at times, often sardonic. Her sentences tend to be short, and she's rarely impressed by the flowery language of others... at least, unless they're inspiring her to feats of valor. Rillaeth's also not afraid to raise her voice - internal or external - in excitement or anger, never shrill, but as a harsh, deep bellow.
Itchyspots
There's not much rhyme or reason to it, but Rillaeth's left foreleg and left wingsails will always itch a little quicker and a little worse than everywhere else. It will be unbearable in early weyrlinghood, to the point that you may catch yourself scratching your own arm raw if you aren't careful, but ease over time. However, it will never entirely go away. She'll have to be encouraged not to rub at her foreleg absentmindedly even into adulthood.
Inspiration
Rillaeth was inspired by the character of Starbuck from the reboot of Battlestar Galactica. Never afraid to fight for what she believed in, or to say what she thought, Starbuck was a gladiator to the bone; she even resurrected to help her family survive and to guide them home. Rillaeth's hatchling name comes from a quote of Starbuck's, and her draconic name was derived from the French word 'escadrille,' which is a military term used to describe a squadron, usually of planes.
Egg Inspiration: Babylon 5 PPG Plasma Sidearm: here.
