[EVENT] Fluff and Stuff

[Arcane]

Look at the baby little...whatever they are. I don't think I've ever seen a creature like that before! The Southern Continent really is full of wonders, isn't it?

[Windra]

"Is it ... a ... What is it?" Naira wasn't one to presume. She just really wanted to reach out and touch it because SHARDS it was adorable and her hands were already starting to lurch forward!

Good way to lose your fingers, and that would make you less than useless. Naath was always the chipper one. Hearing her speak out loud was a rarity and only being done so under the presumption that nobody else was around. It would be best to leave it well enough alone. There is no telling what this creature's temperament may be, let alone what the parents would do if they caught your scent on it.

"Ahhh, yes. They might be sticks in the mud, just like you." Naira offered the green a side-eye and grinned at the glare being fired off down her long, forest-colored snout. "I'm sure whatever birthed it will kick my ass if its around. But can't you just admit that it's adorable?"

Somewhere above, Radar AWK-ed indignation.

"You are adorable, too!"

[Dragon]

Gi was out and about with a mug of klah, stretching her limbs before Goranask woke up, and spotted the little fluffy ... whatever they were ... shortly after the young woman did. Oh, but they were painfully cute! But what were they?

"I wonder if they'd make good pets, or if they'll grow up to be as nasty as the spotties," Giana butted in, getting close but not too close. She kind of wanted to take one home ... she was sure that Goranask would take to it very well. The question was just whether or not the little fluffballs would be domesticatable.

Turning to the woman - weyrling, by her knots - Gi smiled and lifted her mug in a companionable salute before taking another sip of klah. "I'm Giana," she supplied. "Goranask and I just got here from Crom Hold. On a pirate ship, it was so exciting! But yes, they're adorable. So what do we do with them?"

[Windra]

Oh what, a salute? Naira shifted from one foot to the other, suddenly uneasy. Did being a weyrling garner her some sort of respect she wasn't aware of? It seemed unreasonable and surprising considering how often their teacher barked at them.

I wasn't expecting that.

As a dragonrider-in-training, our duty will be to sear the skies from Thread or assist with anything that will be required of us. Despite Thread being, uh ... nonexistent in Semaca. But there were floods and spotties and that was a whole different affair. Square your shoulders and look presentable.

Naira did no such thing, rolling a side eye to the dark green. All of those words were meant for her ears and her's alone. With another in their vicinity, Naath clammed up. "Honestly, you could at least say hello," she scolded lightly, quirking a brow.

Lightning shot between their glares, but the green dipped her head. Good afternoon. Short and curt.

Naira snorted. How stuffy! "I'm Naira." She clapped her hands, focusing on Giana. "On a pirate ship? Were you a stowaway?" Of course, probably not. But shards who knew?! She gazed backwards at the fluffball, eyes narrowing. "I wanna pick it up but Naath seems keen it'll bite my hand off."

[Dragon]

The salute had been a casual gesture and not anything stiff or formal or official-like, and Gi didn't really realize it had made the young woman uncomfortable at all. If she'd realized she would have apologized profusely.

She did, however, notice the side eye at the green, and the comment that she could at least say hello. Covering her mouth to conceal a giggle, the dainty demigirl took a second before giving the green a playful bow. "A pleasure to meet you as well," she said teasingly. She had spent too much time with Goranask in her life to be intimidated by a grouchy dragon.

Laughing at the notion that the baby fluffball was going to bite their hands off. "Nonsense, it's just a baby - whatever it is." Giana had been raised around whers after all ... or at least around Goranask. Mostly just around Goranask. But he was big! With teeth bigger than this little thing!

So she picked it up.

"I wasn't a stowaway, although that would have been exciting!" Gi told Naira. "No, we paid for passage. But still! Pirates!" Although from what she had heard since coming to Semaca, some of the pirates had integrated into life at the Weyr since its inception.

[Windra]

Giana took no precautions in picking the thing up and Naira admired that. She leaned in close for a better look, wanting to touch it but not feeling like getting scolded by Naath in the process. "What's it feel like? Soft? Does it have sharp teeth?"

Her green weyrmate cocked her head. Yes, by all means, ask her to place her hand inside its mouth to find out.

Down, girl.

"You know I thought it might've been a baby spotty at first," Naira admitted casually. "I've never seen a kitten, but some animal cubs look different to camouflage them from predators. Hard to imagine a baby spot getting nicked by anything but I guess .... large birds?"

Radar squawked overhead.

"Yeah, not you," the weyrling stated while holding up her arm. A large black raven swooped in from above, thick claws that were growing with age digging hard into the leather buckler. She nudged the dark bird with a finger. "You're too much of a cuddly pushover."

Radar floofed.

[Dragon]

"It's so soft," Giana enthused, holding it out for Naira to pet if she wanted to. Maybe it had a momma around, but it seemed abandoned. Abandoned and squirmy - it probably wanted to be put down, but Gi wasn't exactly paying attention to that.

"I was thinking it might be a baby spotty too - they'd be fluffy! But I haven't actually seen one yet, so I wouldn't have any clue." She was brand new to Semaca, after all. She had gotten a rundown on the spotties when she had arrived, but she had yet to actually see one.

She smiled at the idea of the big black bird being a cuddly pushover, but it seemed offended that someone might imply that it might steal a baby spotty so maybe the raven was a big softy.

"Anyway, do you think we should try and find its momma?" she asked. "It must have one. But I can't imagine it being out here on its own ... unless it was abandoned or something!"

[Windra]

Naira cast a dubious glance at the jungle. You could see the trees just over the Weyr's outcropping rocks, but the plateau entrance was a hop, skip, and jump away. Naath visibly bristled at the notion. Radar didn't seem to care either which way.

"The alternative is keeping it here, but I guess there'll be a riot if the head honchos find out." Though personally she was more keen on that idea. Yet the jungle, with all its thriving life and boisterous noises, was so damn tantalizing.

We are by no means capable of defending ourselves just yet, Naath vetoed. Even at my full size, a spotted feline poses a danger.

"Then we'll stick close to the Weyr. Others can see us from the heights." She held her palm flat out above her eyes, glancing upwards. One could see the outlines of watchriders at their posts. Naira gave a wave. "Besides we don't want this cutesy wootsy thing to be left all alone, right?"

Hard disagree, she said aloud, adding as an aside, If we tread further than I am comfortable with, and you do not disband this foolish effort, I will contact the weyrlingmaster.

You say that and all I can hear is, "I love you too much to see you get hurt, Naira!" she thought to her green. Narrowed dark blue facets leered. "Naath will follow, and Radar - he's good at catching noises and will holler if a spotty gets close." Naira beamed. "Yeah, let's do this."

[Dragon]

There was the matter of the jungle, and even if the mother was close ... Naira was a weyrling. Hmph. The mother of this fluffy thing might be dangerous, really. And Giana might be fearless, but she was also not stupid. She wondered if Goranask might be woken up to escort them if they were going to go venturing out of the Weyr at all ...

"Let's stay around the edge of the lake to start with," she said, intent on not getting the pair of them killed by whatever had mothered this ball of fluff. They shouldn't actually get out into the jungle without Goranask, and it was still a trifle early to wake him. "If we still haven't found the momma fluff by the time your bondmate needs to head to bed, then I'll take the baby fluff in for the captain or lieutenant to figure out what to do with."

She could, after all, be mature and responsible. When she needed to be.

For now, though - "Let's start looking." She wasn't sure what the fluffball was so she didn't know how she'd recognize its mother, but hopefully its mother would recognize it and they'd be able to reunite them!

[Windra]

"Hear that, Naath? We'll be back before your bedtime," Naira leaned in towards her green, teasing hard. A sly look crossed her face in response to her weyrmate's obvious annoyance.

I am not some toddler to be tucked into sleepskin, warned Naath, but her rider scratched under her chin anyway - at a sweet spot getting a little dry - and her head cocked at the sheer pleasure of it being touched. The weyrling might be a hard-ass, but even she couldn't deny some things.

Naira took the joy her dragon's expression made her feel and ran with it. They walked along the lake uneventfully. She eventually thumbed at her lip, looking on in concern. "What should we do if the mum doesn't turn up?" she asked finally, glancing the puffball in Giana's arms. "It doesn't look wounded but I'd hate to see something nasty get its hands on it."

[Dragon]

"I'll take it in for the captain or lieutenant to figure out what to do with," Giana repeated. It would be out of her hands, although she hoped that it would be handled well. She could always offer to keep it ...

She smiled at the young woman, shifting the weight of the fluff as they started around the edge of the lake. "I'm pretty sure that it's not wounded. It doesn't even seem hungry. A little wiggly, but mostly sleepy. Its mother must have fed it recently."

Which meant that the mother was around, somewhere! Right? Right.

"I'm sure we'll encounter its mother before long. Or she'll encounter us." Hopefully she wasn't a spotty; then they'd have to do away with the mother and there was no way that they might keep the baby as a pet. "What do you think it is?"

[Windra]

Giana seemed a little antsy. It was easy to note the concern - she felt it too. Naira loomed a little closer, falling in step with the handler. She could see the critter's fur a little better now. Slowly her fingers extended to touch it -

Careful.

The sudden careful alarm from her green stirred some actual surprise. There was concern there, but true to everything about Naath it was blanketed by a thick layer of perceived indifference.

"I knew you loved me," she winked back, ignoring Naath's glower. "It's fine, love. If Giana can carry it without getting nipped ... I just want to touch it."

It was so soft. And so cute! Big beady eyes and ... really what in the Red Star was it? Radar regarded it darkly. He spread his wings, bolting for the treeline. Fear? That caused a mild trepidation. Naira squashed the feeling.

"If it is a spotty," she started in a roundabout way of answering Giana, "let's ... maybe get it closer to the jungle? It's only a babe. If it stays too close to the Weyr, somebody's gonna kill it out of caution. And there'll be a very pissed off momma to come looking later." The idea of murdering a cub didn't sit well with her.

Better to end it's life now than to lose one later, Naath muttered.

[Dragon]

Gi was concerned. She was worrying more and more that this poor little fluffball was a spotty, and if that was the case ... well, could they really let it grow up and come attack the Weyr? She honestly had no idea what it was and didn't think anyone knew what a baby spotty looked like. It was disheartening to think of something so cute growing up into something so vicious, but ... well. Weren't all baby things cute? It was some sort of defense mechanism.

She let Naira touch the fluffy baby and grinned at the expression on her face. "Soft, right? All that fluffy baby fur." Now if only they could find mama and get it back where it belonged ...

"Let's just go with assuming it's not a spotty for now," Giana said, feeling a little resigned to the idea that she might have to fight off a spotty that had gotten too close and also put down the poor creature. If it was a spotty, what the weyrling didn't realize was that Gi was going to be the one to kill it.

"So! Around the edge of the lake to see if mama stuck close by, and if not we'll talk to higher-ups about what to do with it."

[Windra]

Damn. Why did she suddenly feel uneasy watching the poor thing sit by its lonesome on the ground? Naira tried to identify telltale signs of it being a feline, but it was all just poof. Would it mewl helplessly, calling for its momma? Would it saunter off on its own, pleased as you could?

"Hmm." Humming the response to herself in her own skull, the weyrling bounced several thoughts off the inside of her skull all at once. Most were met with Naath's disapproval. "Want to scamper back and watch from a little ways away? Let's assume whatever bore this thing's had eyes on us this whole time. It might be a lot more keen to make its presence known if we aren't standing ... you know ... right next to it?"

No, you will not scoop it up once Giana has her back turned and care for it. I would hastily report you to the weyrlingmaster, as you are aware.

Yes, mum.

[Dragon]

Gi had no intention of letting go of the poof ball until it was taken care of, one way or another. Either it would be returned to its mother and the pair of them would be run off, or ... well. Maybe someone with some experience with such things would be able to keep it as a pet ...

She kind of wished that Goranask was awake. She felt like he'd have some solid advice on this ... either that or he'd suggest eating it. He would eat just about anything.

"I don't like the idea of leaving it on the ground where it might be able to wander off and get into things in the Weyr," Giana said responsibly. Because she was supposed to be the responsible one here! But she was also a little dismayed, as it was starting to look more and more like she was going to have to deal with the baby.