We're not freaks! (Tag; Senar)

[S'yal]

It was after the egg theft that F'ox had decide what he wanted to do. He'd looked at the sadly depleted clutch, at the depression of the queen who had birthed Snowth. He'd listened to the soft keening of his green during the break out.

He wanted to be a guard. Not because he wanted to hurt people, or keep them in. He wanted to make sure things like that never happened again. He wanted to make sure Semith would never lose another baby, that Snowth would never lose another dragon friend. So, he'd begun to tag along after other guards to learn the ropes. The sight of Snowth hanging around also tended to provide a bit of caution to the way the prisoners acted- Snowth couldn't hurt them, but she could snatch them up, and she was much bigger then them. Accidents happened. Of course, Snowth would be heartbroken if she hurt anyone... but still.

So the albino was in the recreation area, off to the side of the other guards and underneath the shade offered by Snowth's broad wing. She was getting big, and F'ox was saddened by that. He remembered when she was small enough to embrace, to gather in his arms and protect from those that would hurt her. Now she was big. He didn't know what to think of that. But he loved her, and she knew it.

It was cloudy that day, having rained earlier. It was enough that the albino could be outside without being horribly sunburned, though Snowth's shelter obviously helped. F'ox had already been approached by a prisoner who'd needed help over something small- he was apparently much more approachable then the serious faced guards. That was good, right?

Maybe he needed to rethink this whole guard thing... it was so scary... ut he wanted to help!

[firebird]

After the breakout, Senar had stayed cooped up in the barracks until Desert shooed him out. He hadn't been interested in doing anything other than eating, sleeping, and trying to forget everything that had happened. The little brown firelizard, on the other hand, decided that enough was enough and that moping the day away was bad for him. Therefore, Senar found himself being herded outside despite his protests.

At least it wasn't sunny. Senar knew well his problems with bright light of any sort. Sunlight in particular was troublesome. Maybe some fresh air would be good for him. His original intentions to sit down somewhere and weave grass together were thrown out the window when he saw the dragon lying in the recreation area. He actually squealed when he saw it. A dragon! Not flying far overhead looking for escapees!

He did not run over, figuring it would be rude. He did walk in the green's general direction in the hopes of getting a better look at her. He certainly didn't try to call out or introduce himself. No, looking would have to be good enough. It was when he got closer that he noticed the man next to the dragon. Then he did say something.

"I'm not a freak!" he said without thinking, a bit too loudly. It was the happiest he'd been in months, and it showed in both his tone and the cheerful little hop that was added to his steps.

[S'yal]

Crypt was the first to notice someone approaching. The bronze reared up on F'ox's shoulder, chirping in a friendly manner to the approaching prisoner. Hello, little pale human! The guard-in-training's attention was grabbed by the chirping and crooning of his bronze, pink eyes tracking to where Senar was standing. He'd just located him when the words came out, and F'ox was caught staring at someone who looked just as strange as he did.

His eyes widened, mouth hanging agape for a moment. F'ox hadn't known there was people like him- it wasn't like anyone had ever seen the need to tell him. He'd only been at Warden's a short time before Impressing Snowth, as well. No chance to ever meet Senar, and learn that he wasn't a freak. Snowth shifted, stirred out of her half dozing state by F'ox's sudden attention.

Is something wrong, Mine? Her voice carried the albino, who shook his head fiercly. Ah. Snowth looked towards Senar, cocking her head to at him with curiosity. Is he alright, mine? She asked, her eyes whirling with anxiety. She didn't want anyone to be hurt or not feeling well. She wanted them all to be as happy and healthy as they could within a prison.

"Um... no... we're not... I think..." F'ox hesitated, despite the smile breaking out over his face. He wasn't a freak! He was normal! Or, close to normal. He wasn't weird, he wasn't strange! At least, not appearance wise. Crypt gnawed on F'ox's hair and chirped. There, there. Crypt doesn't think you're strange at all, F'ox.

[maggie]

((If this is inappropriate, plz ignore and delete))

Takei was miserable. He hated being awake during the day. He hated the sun, he hated that the whers were sleeping, he hated helping dragonriders and he hated the sharding prisoners. Despite the heat, he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt of a light material and gloves that were most definitely not made out of wher hide. Wher leather freaked him out. He couldn't keep Task or Mask out of his mind, when he saw it.

He had heard, chatting with the guards, that there were other pale-things, as Task called him, like him rattling about the Weyr. Living at night as he did, he had never met him, but he had always been curious. He was scurrying across the yard, cursing under his breath as he pulled his hat further down, when he spotted the dragon. And the pale-thing. And then the other pale-thing. He paused, his eyes going wide as he saw them. It was one thing to hear about them, another altogether to see two boys like him sitting outside in the sun. His task was now forgotten. Whatever it was, it wasn't important. Not as important as actually meeting people who looked like him. People who looked like him and deliberately chose to live in the overly bright world that hated him...

He approached a little more quickly than was deemed necessary, goggling at the green dragon in surprise. "What the shards possessed you to want to Impress a dragon?" he asked, not quite aware how rude that sounded. "I mean no offense, my lady," he nodded to the green, used to simply chattering with the whers, "but why do you want to live like this all the time?" He motioned up at the sky miserably.

[firebird]

If Senar was nervous about speaking with one other person, especially after that embarrassing outburst, then the addition of a second didn't help matters at all. Fortunately, Desert was willing to greet the others for him. The brown firelizard cheerfully chirped at F'ox and Takei, zipping between them after each set of chirps. It was good for his human to get to know people!

Not that Senar didn't have opinions of his own. His jumpsuit did an admirable job in protecting his skin from the sun, but his face... That got burned a lot. It was a good thing it was cloudy. But still, he felt the need to defend the other man. "Um... there can be ways of protecting your...self." That sentence wasn't quite right, Senar. Try again.

"I mean... isn't there tinted glass? Or dark fabric?" Those shouldn't be questions, boy. Try again. "And being a prisoner dragonrider is better than just being a prisoner." Bad eyesight or no, he had noticed the greenrider's yellow jumpsuit. Still, that was only a B effort. Next time don't start your sentences with 'and.'

[S'yal]

F'ox jolted as he heard a voice, and instantly he decided he didn't like it. "Because Snowth is perfect." He grumbled out, his teeth grit into a mockery of a snarl. "She was waiting for me." Besides, didn't this person see the yellow? He was a prisoner. Snowth had been his only choice, even if he hadn't wanted her. Which he did! He'd wanted her from the second she hatched, frightened and alone. It's just that he didn't realize it until her terrified voice called out to him. "The sky isn't so bad... Snowth keeps me covered with her wing..." The sun stung, badly, but F'ox was usually working inside or hidden underneath a broad green wing.

"Dark fabric gets hot... Usually I wear light materials and broad hats..." F'ox piped up meekly, poking his fingers together. "B-but... usually i'm not out in the sun." He was just as nocturnal as the wher candidate. Today was just a lesson. He bit down on his lip, fiddling with his nails. "I'm not supposed to be talking."

Snowth meanwhile viewed the two strangers with amusement. Oh, humans. They were so silly and squishy. She just wanted to cuddle them!

[maggie]

Takei snorted. "You can talk to me, I can help you guard," he said proudly. "When I become a real handler, I'll be a guard too. But at night, when the sun's not out." He glared towards the sky. "It is evil. Burns everything." He looked at Snowth. "Guess they wouldn't let prisoners stand for whers. Too dangerous." It wasn't a judgment, just a fact. He looked between them.

"Snowth, her name is? Perfect fit for you!" He laughed, amused at that. "If she was white, it's be even more funny, but then she wouldn't be dark enough to have shady wings, right? She fly with you at night? That could be good for you." He paused. "Maybe you should get in on the wher patrols, instead of being with the riders. Much more interesting, and they work at night. You'd have to ask Zalmask's permission, though, but I could put in a good word. She's pretty agreeable, if you tell her she's pretty and shiny. Unless your lady can't stay awake during the night, like whers are with day. Don't know much about dragons, never cared to learn. But can't separate you from her, she's too perfect." His tone wasn't mocking so much as it was simply giddy at finding two other people like him, even if one was a rider. "Sure is prettier than any wher," he laughed.

He grinned at Senar. "Warden's the hottest faranth-forsaken place and look where the three of us end up," he laughed. "What you in for? They transferred us here when my mother got into a scuffle with a Weyrleader. Didn't treat whers proper, as if handlers were less than dragons, or something."