“We only see her as young because we raised her, Ari. But she is still a project, and she is one of us.”
| Name Aki | |
| Age Really Young (15-16 in appearance) | |
| Appearance Aki is tall and gangly, a teenage girl with no real hint of what she may look like as a young woman. She is pale, with skin that easily burns in the sun, and covered in more than a little smattering of freckles. Aki has long curling hair down to high back, usually worth in a tight braid that shortens it extensively so that it is a little under her shoulders. A dark brown with streaks of red and copper in the sunlight, her eyes are also a dark brown with streaks of copper in the sunlight- or is it streaks of molten gold? She is almost always dressed in clothing that would not look out of place in a more medieval setting. Long sleeved sweater tunics and skirts or loose fitting trousers, Aki is easily lost in the crowds, and hard to distinguish from the group. She is a happy go lucky child, and it shows in her bearing and how she holds herself. Bright, inquisitive, with an expressive face and countenance, she has a tendency of gesturing with her hands to punctuate her words and meaning. | |
| Personality Aki is a bright, sunny child with a pleasant disposition and an inquisitive mind. She likes to ask questions, and she likes to understand situations and predicaments: she is not the type to easily follow direction if she does not understand the purpose behind it. Aki is “young”, one of the few projects born in a juvenile stage, with the opportunity to grow into their personality and powers. She is loyal to the labs and to Shy, but has difficulty connecting with her peers because they feel and act much more older than she is: in some cases Aki feels like the lone child amongst adults. This has had the effect of making her more driven to enjoy her youth: to enjoy puberty and all the difficulties and challenges it brings with it. Aki is ambitious. She sees the Oracle and the Eyes, and wants to become someone bigger, better. Aki looks to prove herself not only as Shy’s experiment, but was a highly talented individual whose name will be breathed with respect: one day. | |
| Ability Aki is a linguist. She has a passive ability that allows her to soak up languages and dialects when they are spoken: eventually, with time, understand it and speak it with a native’s fluency. Shy believes her ability needs time to mature in multiple environments around the Nexus: hence he has created her as a young juvenile instead of a fully fledged adult. Aki’s skill is new, rough around the ages. She is learning and growing into her own ability, and so it takes her some time to acclimatize herself to languages. It takes her two months to fully grasp a language, if based on the same world as one she already understands: with new planets, it takes up to a year. Aki does have some physical limitations: although it has not impacted her ability to understand and read, she is only capable of speaking languages that can be understood with a humanoid form. |
“Uncle Sh’an!”
Aki jumped off the back of a descending purple dragon, her movements fluid and impossible- she rolled in a half tuck before pushing up on her knees and running across the field towards her favorite uncle.
“Aki.”
She jumped, launching herself into the air and wrapping her arms around his neck, peppering both cheeks with kisses as she beamed up at him- and behind him.
“Hello there Pederth!”
The blue hatchling looked up from where he had been chasing a plump little frog with feathered wings. His eyes swirled with amusement and the blue hatchling let out a chuff in greeting before crouching low on the ground, intent on catching his prey.
“You need to be careful, Aki.”
“This is just a dream, uncle. I cannot hurt myself, not while Sidhu is around.”
The great purple dragon landed behind them as the ornately dressed rider laughed. “This may be a dream, Aki, but I would not want you to forget yourself in the real world and attempt some of the movements that you do here.”
Aki smiled, her grin impish, unrepented as she walked over to the blue hatchling. The dragon ambled over, pushing his muzzle against her hand.
“When will you be back, uncle?” she asked. “I would like to meet Pederth in person.”
Sh’an laughed, sitting on the grass with his legs stretched out in front of him. Sidhu settled by his side, her feet tucked underneath her, her hands refolding the pleats on her dress. Around them, a blanket materialized, small platters of fruits and sandwiches, a carafe of iced tea.
“Two years, maybe three, Aki.” The newly impressed rider reached for the carafe and poured out three tall glasses of beverage, the carafe suspiciously never emptying of its rich contents. “It is a good life here, I am learning of this Pern- and they have a pretty skilled Search team for me to learn from.”
Aki’s hands stroked down the soft hide as she sat on the grass. “But I miss you, and Pederth.”
“Pederth misses you too.” Sh’an answered. “He asks when he can meet the girl who appears in our dreams.” He glanced at Sidhu. “I told him, maybe soon? Depending on her lessons?”
Sidhu smiled. “Aki, tell him.”
Aki threw a small pebble from the ground, looking down at her hands. “Okay.”
“Just ‘Okay’?”
She threw another pebble. “Shy says eventually, I will be able to pick up language in a matter of hours. But.” She sighed. It was the long, drawn out, emotional sigh of a girl in her teens quite put out. “Now I feel human.”
“You pick up languages much faster than we do, without our telepathy, Aki.” Sidhu said.
“A smart human.” She threw herself on the grass, and Sh’an suppressed a laugh at her dramatic movements. “It is hard, uncle. He makes me listen to tapes and wartch videos all day, every day. HOURS of it.” She stilled, raising, her eyes bright. “It might help you know, if I was on the planet. Assimilating by being in the environment?”
“What does he have her learning?” Sh’ans murmur were for Sidhu, who rolled her eyes.
“Pernese, what else? He is obsessed with that old world. Atlas is at Darkling Dawn, standing as a candidate. You are here at Isla. He will have you bring Namiya to Istabitha’s through a time jump, once Pederth is older- and now he wants her to learn Pernese, like a natural inhabitant.”
“It cannot be too hard?”
“Her telepathy doesn’t work the way ours does, for languages. He wants her to use her gifts: she is young yet, a faster learner than humans will ever be. But it will take time.”
“Months?”
“Years.”
“Unclllleee”
During the conversation Aki had moved back Sh’ans side, and was leaning against him, reaching for a sandwich as she did so. “Talk to them for me. I want to have fun, like you and Atlas and Sidhu. I want to go explore.”
Sh’ans eyes were thoughtful as he stroke her hair. “I will think on how to approach this subject.” He said. “But Pern. Maybe, there is a place for one more adventure.”
—
Ari looked down at the traditional missive that had crossed Shy’s desk. She did not recognize the markings, nor the words ‘Dawn Watch’. “A new Weyr?”
Atlas looked up from his seat, grimaced. “Pern is a complicated beast. Maybe new. Or new to us, at least.”
“Dawn Watch has firelizard eggs available, and are giving them out. The name sounds… familiar.”
“One of the Pigeons delivered an invitation, maybe they have responded?” Sidhu’s words were sweet, light as she deftly snatched the missive from Ari’s grasp. “Firelizard eggs? We have enough of our own already, why add to the tiny lizards?”
Ari snatched the invitation back, cross checking the name with a log in her records. “To foster diplomatic relations and goodwill, Sidhu.” She answered absentmindedly, and nodded her head. “We have a candidate slated for arrival soon. A geneticist, so Shy wants her quarters close to the labs.” Muttering about nondisclosure agreements and confidentiality, she looked up at the silence. “So?”
“So what?” Atlas scowled as he looked down at his charts. “Juggling Shy’s need to track each world that the candidates are arriving from, some completely new to us, my candidate classes, and” he gestured. “All of this. So what?”
“Who are we going to send as a diplomatic representative?” her words were patient as if she was speaking to children.
“Maybe Shy can create some new projects?”
“Diplomats?” Ari snorted. “He said, and I quote: each one of my perfect projects is worthwhile of being an emissary. Why create more? Atlas, you are obsessed enough with Pern lore, maybe we can figure out a time jump.”
Atlas’s scowl darkened. “Don’t. Hurt my brain.” He muttered.
“Do we have anyone else who is excited about Pern lore?” Ari placed both tablet and invitation on her desk, closing her eyes and raising her fingers to her temples. “This damn clutch. Setting up an embassy. The Istabitha project. Vella Crean. I have enough on my plate withot juggling- this.”
“What about Aki?”
Ari’s hands stilled. “Aki?” she opened her eyes, frowned. “The baby is so young.”
“Sixteen now, Ari. Not so young any more. She’s been diligent with her lessons, has been asking to visit Sh’an at Isla. Maybe this would be a good environment for her.”
“I don’t know.” The Aide’s tone was skeptical. “How much longer will it take for her to be native in Pernese?”
“A year, maybe? Two, if she was here. But a year at the most if we could send her to Pern.”
Ari’s eyes were thoughtful, and for a second the smoky gray eyes hatched with gold. “Young enough to stand as a candidate on Pern, if I’m correct.” She looked over at Atlas who nodded his head. “We can send her in advance, a candidate in exchange for a candidate- get her to learn the language, foster good will.” She hesitated. “She is not too young?”
“We only see her as young because we raised her, Ari. But she is still a project, and she is one of us.” Sidhu’s words were gentle. “I will take her myself. I will always have an eye on her, don’t worry so much Ari. She is still one of us.”
—
“Aki, if you continue craning your neck like that it will be sure to snap off.”
“But Sidhu look, LOOK!”
Aki’s voice was delighted as she continued to turn her head left and right, twisting on the back of the dragon as she tried to take in as much as she could. It was a real, Pernese Weyr! Look at the dragons, in all the colors! The way the Weyrbowl as built, so cavernous, and the firelizards! How odd some of them looked! Were those feathers?
Purple Vaekhelik landed in the Weyrbowl, waiting patiently as Sidhu and Aki dismounted.
‘Pretty enough place.’ The dragon spoke to her rider. ‘Chelth informed me her rider will be out to meet with us. Tell me again why I am not supposed to speak out loud?’
‘We are trying to blend in’
The Alskyrian dragon with her spiraling holds of gold chuffed in laughter. ‘Because a horned, purple dragon, blends in very well on Pern’ she sent her rider, laughter sparkling in her words.
‘Oh, hush now’.
Sidhu dipped into a curtsy at the arrival of the Junior Weyrwoman. “Thank you for meeting us in person.” She raised both her arms to clasp the hands of the rider in front of her, smiling. “It is nice to finally meet you.”
The Junior Weyrwoman laughed. “Sh’an’s friend. He was quite excited to write to us, to tell us his friend and niece will be arriving. Hello Sidhu, and” she looked over at the young girl whose eyes seemed to widen further, her hands going to her satchel to clasp it tightly. “Hello Aki.”
Aki’s smile was a bright, infectious one as she bobbed her head. “Thank you for meeting me.” She said outloud, her words slightly stilted, an accent overlaying them. She frowned. “It is good to be meeting you?”
If Aylia noticed the slight slip of the words, she made no remarks, instead her smile deepened. “It is lovely to meet you also.” She said instead. “We have a candidate master who will show you to your quarters, someone who will help you settle down. But in the meanwhile, let me take you to see our firelizard eggs.” Her eyes strayed for a while on Vaekhelik. “Alskyr-“ she murmured.
Sidhu nodded her head. “I heard, of one of yours who is waiting at the same Caer my Vaekhelik hails from. We did not want to stand out too much on our arrival but I am afraid” Sidhu’s tone turned sheepish. “My Vaekhelik is the most inconspicuous of our dragons so far.”
Aylia laughed. “Come, tell me of the Labs that you herald from, and this gift you have for walking in dreams. We can discuss much over some tea.”
 | Name: Trouble Silver – Male Firelizard – Fancy 2’5 Protective | Quick-witted | Positive | Cuddly |
“Come here Trouble, you can do it.” Aki crooned at the silver firelizard with pale stripes across his back. He inched closer, crooning back before placing two front legs banded with pale silver against her arm, nuzzling at her shoulder.
“Aki! Are you in there?”
Aki straightened, sending the silver firelizard tumbling backwards- but he did not mind, letting out a creel of amusement as he flew into the air, heading towards the entrance of the candidate baracks.
“Lyanri!” Aki reached to collect her satchel with her tablet and thin sweater, and ran out towards the pale haired rider. “I’m here!”
Lyrani laughed as she waved, Volt flying towards them to greet Trouble. “Shall we go then?”
Aki nodded. The sun was high in the sky, the weather pleasantly warm- a great afternoon to wash and oil a weyrling.
The rider and candidate reached the lake in easy conversation: speaking of lessons both were taking- weyrling classes for the rider, candidate and language classes for Aki.
“You’re speaking is improving.” Lyrani noted.
Aki wrinkled her nose. “That’s because we only talk about fun stuff. I can do that in my sleep.”
The rider laughed as they reached the edge of the wake where a weyrling waited patiently, his blue hide gleaming in the sun.
Aki let out a happy noise as she ran forwards. “Hello Brayloth, thank you for letting me help out.”
The blue inclined his head, waving a wingtip at the candidate who seemed to adore spending time with him.
“You are doing me a favor, cutting down my work.” Lyrani’s smile was easy as both women stopped to fold up their trousers, entering the lake where the water was ankle deep. “Brayrolth also likes your company.”
Aki laughed, delighted. Grasping small fistfuls of sand and rubbing it against the weyrling’s hide, she watched his eyes whirl with pleasant, and laughed again. “Sh’an told me his Pederth is not much different from Brayrolth, so to treat this blue as Pederth, if I miss them too much.”
Lyrani smiled. The rider who had impressed from the same clutch as she and her sister had sent them multiple letters, speaking of his ‘niece’ who would be arriving at Dawn Watch as a candidate.
Curiosity and politeness to a clutchmate had sparked Lyrani’s initial interest. Delight after, seeing that this candidate not much younger than herself had a knack for languages and interesting new technology to help further her studies.
It was easy conversation for Lyrani and Aki- both highly sociable, both delighting in the connections and updates of people around Dawn Watch.
“And your classes? They are going well?”
Aki nodded. “The language is easier to grasp now” she rubbed more oil into a stubborn dry spot on Brayrolth’s shoulder. “I understand it better enough to help with translations. Which isn’t useful for my family.” She shrugged. “Telepathy seems to help with most language barriers- and translation software for any written word. I don’t have many places to apply my knowledge, but I think if I did, I would learn faster.”
Lyrani was thoughtful as they continued to oil their dragon.
“You could try speaking to Rhia.” She suggested.
“The dragonrider?” Aki’s hands paused, and she tilted her head.
Lyrani nodded. “She’s the diplomatic wingerider- our Weyrwoman has her handle most communications for interdimensional endeavours. Maybe you can ask her about projects, to work on your language skills?”
The grin that creased Aki’s cheek was wide and joyful- ah. She saw the resemblance with S’han now, the candidate who was always laughing and smiling.
“I can introduce you?” Lyrani offered.
She had been curious about Rhia’s work and latest visits to different planets. It would be interesting to hear the latest gossip, see which of their candidates were being sent off world to new worlds.
Aki renewed her efforts in oiling Brayrolth: “Oh, yes please.” She breathed, excitement sparkling in her eyes as she worked a little harder on her efforts. “Sh’an is going to be so proud.”
—
Aki lay in a field of grass the color of pale lavender, her arms stretched out above her head as she watched fluffy green clouds pass on by. She loved this odd, pastel hued world the most: a place to relax and escape and be alone with her own thoughts.
Sometimes, Aki needed a place to be alone with her thoughts.
‘But I am here.’
The words were carried by a breeze that fluttered past her face, tickling her cheeks and curling the edges of her hair until it rose up, fanning out in front of her eyes.
Aki laughed.
“You don’t count, Tiskaya.” Her words were friendly, amused as she spoke to her friend with no distinct form, only a voice in the wind.
‘Because I don’t matter?’ the words held no offense, no insult.
“Because you are my sister.”
The wind paused, Aki’s hair dropped back to the ground. Grass shifted here and there, as if the wind was deep in thought- Aki closed her eyes, thinking of her own thoughts.
‘How is it?’
“How is what?”
‘Being out there. Being free’
—
From Dawn Watch Hatching
And then, there were two. The twins walked together, the darker lagging a half a step behind the paler. Differences between the pair became more apparent the longer they were observed. Though of similar colouring and markings, as was usual with twins, the paler was slim almost to the point of being too skinny, while the darker, though they too carryed no spare flesh, had a frame more like that of a bronze than a silver. The paler had a long and elegant face, while the darker’s looked to have been squashed in the egg and had a vaguely crocodiallian air about them.
They seemed to be arguing, though about what exactly was hard to tell, for even those with the ability to hear dragons picked up nothing but rumbling thunder and biting static from the darker twin.
The two stopped aubruptly, the the darker then gave the lighter a hard push with their nose and a significant look.
Fine The lighter said, with the air of someone for whom the argument is only temporarily over with But you’d better go find yours right away
Aki! The silver marched over A young redheaded girl and plopped down before her. Taranisleth says that since we found you first, he’ll go find his on his own. I am Myraloth. She gently nudged a hand with her nose, We are going to be magnificent, I just know it
The Sunshower Silver
Name: Myraloth (my-rah-loh’th)
Colour: Silver
Rank: High
Gender: Female
Parents: Out of Gold Wrenth, by Bronze Yunjith
Species: Pernese Dragon x Pernese Dragon
Abilities:
Empath – While Myrath has no ability to project emotions, she is unusually sensitive to the emotional states and shifts of those around her.
Appearance:
- Colour Codes – #55505C | #D9CFD9
- Size – 42ft
Depsite her too small beginings, Myraloth will grow to be among the largest of silvers, at least if you only take length and height into consideration, as she is more slender and delicate in figure than most. Like the intial wire posing of a clay sculpture that never got properly fleshed out, Myrath carries little spare flesh and will struggle to maintain a proper weight. She has a long slender muzzled face, with subdued eyerides and long narrow headknobs. She’s a pleasing shade of slightly purpled dark grey, like looking into the heart of a rainstorm, with curling ribbons of bright platinum running along her back. The same brighter colour forms a half-starburst under her eye, and a brilliant stripe along the edges of her wings.
Mutations:
Polydactyl – Myraloth has an extra toe on each foot
Personality
Supportive | Inquiring | Maternal | Ambitious
Myrath is whatever Aki needs her to be. Friend, confidant, voice of reason, mother-figure, Myrath wears many hats and she wears them all with pride. She wants nothing more than to see Aki succeed at whatever she wishes to do, and will do whatever it takes to help her acheive her goals. Despite this strong focus on her rider, Myrath is not oblivious to others, and extends her desire to help to those around her, willing to be their support system in whatever way they need. She’s curious about the world around her, and the other worlds she has yet to see anything of, but while she’ll always be happy to go and see new things and meet new people, in the end, home is where her heart, Aki, has chosen to put down roots.
