Racing Sunrise(Sourtai's Flight)

[maruset]

It was early when Sourtai woke up. She had been restless, and the need to move had jarred her from a unsettled sleep.

Huffing, she gave a lazy flap and landed on her person's head. It only took a moment of bouncing for him to come to awareness. She wanted out. Now, please. And he needed to open the doors for her.

It took a moment for Letorin to figure out what was going on, and then he started at his oldest. Oh, shards. Well, time to let her out and hope for the best.

Though he did take a minute to admire the way she looked as she almost glowed brilliant pink. Tugging on some clothes, quietly as to not disturb his roommate, Letorin got up to let his flit out.

The second she had freedom, Sourtai got herself settled up. She wanted to play in the sun. It was just starting to come up, and the light turned the clouds as pink as she was.

With a shriek, she took to the air, letting the light hit her, wings spreading out to look almost translucent in the light.

Let them chase her! She'd race the sun, let them see if they could catch up. With another call out to any interested suitors, Sourtai rose for her flight.

[Chimera]

What woke Aulyur up in the first candlemarks of the morning was a call.

A call, a bittersweet reminder of times when he was young, and reckless. The powerful red lady, more than a blur in his mind thanks to the constant, painful memories of her...The blue firelizard let out a soft, self-pitiful whine.

But despite his bonded's restrictions, love and desire bloomed in his green little heart once more. Ainoth, R'lan, and Malikot were sound asleep. Pebble had woken up, and upon Aulyur's mental images showing his thoughts to the brown bug, he eagerly - though only to the flit - Mareeed. How wonderful! Perhaps Sourtai would be the heartbroken Aulyur's true love.

He had decided. Aulyur would chase the pink.

With a running start, the blue had leapt into the air, a few powerful flaps beginning his pursuit, whirling higher and higher into the air until he could safely screech his arrival. But it was more of a warble this time, Aulyur being a bit older - and a bit wiser. He called after Sourtai. Let the others come! He knew he was a strong choice. But did she? He squawked in love with the pink, trying to send her images of clouds, beautiful clouds, made out of little blocks the human weavers made, and dark, but clouds nonetheless. And though the blue's mental images were forever doomed to be dark, in this series a wondrous pink ray of light burst through, illuminating the dark clouds.

[Gray]

That shriek awoke him in an instant. Lifting his head, his eyes whirled a rather worried yellow. Was it dangerous? But as the second cry came, they soothed to a mellow green. Oh. OH. That was no trouble! At least, not the bad kind. One hind leg thumped against the stone beneath him, tapping out a rhythm. Nevermore didn't like this, and shoved the purple from their narrow ledge with a hiss and a red glare. The purple could be an amorous twit elsewhere!

Masque considered that as close o his brother’s blessing as he'd ever get. So spreading his wings, he caught himself and whisked his way through the door, which A'til always left very slightly ajar so the two could get out, or Matilda's fair could get in. The moment he broke out into the fresh morning air, he let loose a trilling call.

There was a pretty to go after, so undulating his pitch, he took up a song. A song he was sure conveyed passion and romance. He let his tenor voice weave through the notes as he snaked through the air. Oh, there was a blue too! He paused in his song to coo his greetings to Aulyur before taking it up, He was larger than the blue, making him slower, but he could overcome him if the flight lasted. Oh yes he could. Plus, was his song not entrancing? Was she not pleased?

[Dragonwher]

Auylur's cry was answered albeit faint by distance; by Asher who had decided it was much nicer to wake up Malinoth to open the door. Though from the bed Mira mumbled "don't fuss if the lady yer chasing marks you and I have to bandage you again...or one of the other chasers y'hear?". Asher would send his the mental approximation of an eyeroll as he lifted off his perch, followed by a quiet peep indicating a 'yeah yeah I know'. Then he was out of the room and flapping his way toward where Auylur was headed. Though he ended up trilling his own 'hello' to Masque and Auylur when he got within sight of the two males. Then tried to project a query of 'who we Chasing?' to the pair.

But soon enough, he saw Sourtai in the sunlight once they were outside a low trilling whistle expressing his opinion of her pretty appearance. All the while pumping his wings to try and catch up to her. Sure in the fuzzy edge of memory Shanza's reaction to him stung yet. But this was a pink and she was nice sounding, if a tad demanding to his ears. But that seemed to be the way of females in Flight mode. So he didn't mind over much as he trilled his own song to Sourtai, trying to proclaim to the pink flicker of beauty that he would fight anyone for her. Clearly the twitterpated fool forgot that while a Wild black of now disliked familiarity wasn't here; a subking flit was!. And he might well take exception to the idea a mere black would best him.

Then again Asher was not exactly familiar with Masque so for all the black knew he might be easygoing enough to shrug Asher's statements off as bluster. Fool's bluster to be certain; but the current fool doing the blustering was young yet. After all in the beginning of a flight it could be anyone's victory. It all fell to the female to decide unless a male caught her through sheer force, or trickery. But Asher was too straightforward for tricks; and not quite swift enough for sheer force. So he was left hoping the pink might like him. For the first time he did call attention to his faint scars; showing fuzzy memories of fighting off an older, meaner black that had marked him. Though he cut off the memory before it showed who he Chased then. No need to anger the pink lady by showing he'd chased a copperflit after all.

[twitchie]

Schrikken woke up to the sound of a rising call. At first he hid further in Yrri's bed, because chasing was dangerous and someone would likely eat him!
But his sister would not have this. Aanekas nipped her frightened brother's tail, just enough to hurt but not make him bleed. Get going! She screamed, nipping at him twice more. He really was annoying, and she wanted him to do something for a change! Be useful!

The black whimpered, floundering frantically out the window. His sister was very loud and scary, yes she was! And he had to get away from her!
He fixed his eyes toward the sky, focusing on the shiny shiny pink shape in the air. She was lively and lovely and he nearly forgot how scared he was until Aanekas head butted him off the ledge. With a shriek of terror he beat the air with his wings. He looked like a black salamander flopping through the air. A leaf drifted past him, causing him to cry again because the evil leaf was going to kill him!!

Nearly hysterical, Schrikken looked to Sourtai again. Oh how sweet she looked, like a fruity flower! He gave a meek warble to her, his voice getting a little stronger as long as he kept watching her. Hello love! He sang. He chirped to her and told him how brave she made him feel. Would she like to dance with him? He would be the very gentlest lover to her if she would have him! Maybe he was not a bold brave suitor, but he promised unending happiness for the pretty pink!

[lee]

Harpsiklahd prepared himself for a fight. When a shriek of challenge danced through the morning dawn, he went from uneasy sleep to alert in the space of one small, fluttering heartbeat, and from the hiss of pain he heard when his talons automatically flexed them, he knew his Person was awake as well. Tensed all over, the large brown eyed him warily, the beginnings of a low rumbling growl in his belly as he prepared to be grabbed, or tossed in a pot, or otherwise inconvenienced by the paranoid bluerider as the man attempted to thwart what needed to be done. He was surprised then, when mournfully dark eyes met his and F’dren simply sighed, covered his face with a hand and fluttered the other one at the window in aura of resignation. "Go. Just go." He peeked through his fingers at the surprised fire lizard and added in earnest, "Keep an eye out for currents. Use ‘em. You're big so you can hang in there, but the little guys'll try and outmaneuver you. Don't let 'em, okay? Keep your eyes on the lady and play nice. You’re a good boy. Act like it. Ain't a race, and she ain't a prize."

Harpsiklahd drew himself up with a hiss, horribly offended, and F'dren chuckled, reaching to stroke his wedged head even as the brown moved away from him. too wired to accept contact. Harpsiklahd was defined by respect, there was no need to remind him of his core trait. As Sourtai again called from the sky, Klahd snapped like a taut rope, the anxious, buzzing energy spreading from heart to wings and body in a vibration that seemed beyond his control, managed by the wingbeats of the rising pink. For the first time, he understood the energy, wild and beautiful, the coil of anticipation, the hunger for the sky. For the first time, he answered it, for the first time, he chased.

The klah-colored brown with pale socks and a pale snout, soared through the window and into the Flight, alongside the blue and purple and black, strong wings carrying him to them in few a beats. He was a quiet fellow by nature, and so his only cry was a sweet-throated croon of affectionate greeting, soft, steady, and solid. He had no fancy moves and did not apologize for it, only stamina and steadiness, and the strength borne to big browns. His eyes swirled and he admired Sourtai in silence, the way her wings shone like fire in the rising sun, gold and red skittering across pink and mixing with orange, so that they looked, next to the darker hue of her body, as translucent as swirling flames. He caught a current and rode it higher, though he stayed below the rising lady, as if in promise. He would be here, he would offer his strength and that steadiness, and when she grew weary of wings like fire she could, if she wished it, have his to guide them home.

[maruset]

The morning was beautiful, and Sourtai gave a joyous trill as she flew. She was well aware of her chasers, giving a twist and a dive that sent her dancing between those who chased her. Letting her tail skim over Schrikken and Masque,and spun in a tight spiral between Aulyur and Asher. She marveled at how strong they all looked. With a final loop around Harpsiklahd, Sourtai gave an encouraging call to all her chasers, twisting acrobatically through the air.

Cool air felt amazing, and she powered through it with sheer strength. No warmth of the day to provide lift for her. Instead, she considered it a challenge to her suitors. Let them keep up.

Wings folding, she let herself drop once more, only to spread them and skim over the heads of the people who were already out and about this early. Sourtai wanted only the best, and only those who could keep up with her. As she moved, she continued up to trill, using the songs that hers had taught her. She would grow quiet soon, but right now, she had the air to sing, and she wanted them to hear her.

The sun was rising fast, and Sourtai pushed herself to go even faster.

[Chimera]

Aulyur was quite confident as he soared in pursuit of Sourtai, steadily flapping through the air, and catching a ride on a current, propelling him further through the skies of Dalibor. Though his confidence was passive, if arrogant, it would be partially overcome with frustration when the next suitor arrived. Masque's greeting to Aulyur was not with direct maliciousness, but the blue took it as a direct insult and made an ugly krEEEbrip in response to the purple. Next was Asher, and a smaller, more mocking blip would make its way to the black flit. He screeched at Schrikken, the hopeless little guy, and -

- was that another subking. Another. Subking. Aulyur breebooBWAKed his annoyance at Harpsiklahd. Color - color didn't matter! Aulyur was better! He wasn't blue or a king or subking or anything! He was...a new, blue-ish, super-color! Yes! He transmitted this realization to Sourtai, in some sort of image-thought format the blue didn't understand himself. He trill-booped as the sun rose ever higher, the call to the pink lady a hybrid of her elegant singing and his own ugly, robotic squawks. It was as muddied as his mottled blue body against the pink and orange rays of the rising sun, the most brilliant competitor to Sourtai herself.

[lee]

Harpsiklahd crooned as Sourtai looped around him, and he mirrored the movement in the opposite direction, a gentle response that echoed a dance. He finished his loop without flourish, preferring a more subtle way of showing his worthiness. For Klahd, that meant not slowing down, holding steady to his pace and chasing the pink from below, always below, and never letting the distance between them grow further. He like order, liked precision, he was good at those things.

He hummed, low and soft, a wordless expression in answer to her challenging shriek. He was not a boastful sort, but there was confidence to his flight; a brown who knew his worth and what he had to offer. There was some of this confidence in his next call, short and trilling, and if it was friendly it was also laced with the low growl of competition. Take a chance, an invitation, and know the risk was small, because he was a good brown, and good browns were not brash flitters of the night.

He ignored the annoyed call of the blue chaser’s frustration, because what was he compared to the glorious rising pink? No, his attention could not be spared for anyone but her, soaring and swooping and teasing those who had risen early enough to catch a glimpse of her Flight. Harpsiklahd followed her, staying below, which meant he was forced to dive and loop and twirl around shoulders instead of heads, avoiding hands that automatically swatted and effortlessly ignoring cries of startled alarm. He went silent as she began to sing, unwilling to compete with the beautiful sound but unsure if she wished for them to join her or not.

After a moment, eyes swirling in a mix of peace brought on by her song that clashed with the fervent flightlust, Harpsiklahd let out a low thrum, a sound that was felt more than heard it was so deep, a vibration that may have echoed applause or the slow, steady beat of a drum in counterbalance to the high, sweet sound of the songtress they chased. And always, always, he stayed below, wings spread in the promise he had offered at the start.

[Dragonwher]

Asher trill-cooed at Sourtai as the pretty-pretty pink spiralled between himself and Auylur. Then he'd tried to power after her, up till Auylur railed at everyone not Sourtai in the flight. Though he wasted none of his breath on return insults. He'd spotted Klahd finally; and despite the females tendency to choose as they pleased Asher's flightlust addled mind thought the brown would be picked. Though he pumped his wings as hard as possible; a warbling trill issuing from his maw as he tried to be a stripey shadow on Sourtai's tail.

Though he was always keeping one eye out for that wild male who had marked him in the copper's flight before. Though it would seem his luck held out in regards to that wild one not winging into this flight. As he flew the tabby marked black stopped singing quite so much and simply levelled all focus on Sourtai, wings starting to burn as the flight went on and he worked to somewhat dive and dodge about his competitors. Not even wanting to waste the time to lash out at the other males. Though he did remember there was at least the brown who seemed almost a better contender since he rose to chase when Asher and the others were likely all beginning to slow up.

Not that Asher would let that stop him from flying his hardest to reach Sourtai before she might choose the brown. Then again she might choose the one who tried hardest through out the whole flight for all Asher knew. Either way he just hoped he wouldn't get mother hen attacked by Mira like last time...

[Gray]

The brush of her tail spurned him on more. Yes! He could catch this pretty pink. He could prove himself! The dusky, greyish-purple let the pitch of his wavering song. He more or less swam through the air, letting the faint breezes and the wing beats of others guide him. Though it was a bit harder to fly with no warm pillows to bouy him up and lend their aid to his twists and turns. Masque was not a aerobatic flier, but more of a carefree one. He weaved around, using bread wings to glide or soar, then pulling them tight to drop him into short dives.

Even the Blue's annoyance could not dampen his mood. Any other time, he might have ran to Nevermore, but now, he had his eyes on the pink. Her song lifted him, he could feel lightness pooling in his chest, like warm thermals it aided him. Spinning,he let himself fly upside down, barring his bright markings to the sky. Though the trick was short lived, and he soon had to right himself or lose control.

He tried to twine his song with hers, though he had no actual songs, just melodies and rythms that popped in his head. His had never been one for singing, but Masque was. So he tried to add his own baritone voice with hers. The addition of Harpsiklad's deep thrum made him focus on being the bridge between her higher notes, and his lower ones. If this were not a flight, he'd want to show this off to the humans, but no. This was private. This was theirs.

[twitchie]

Schrikken gave a meek objection when one of the other males went on a rant. He dove, expecting to be attacked, and faltered slightly.
Sourtai was so pretty, and she was nice and fair and surely she wouldn't want to choose such a violent and snappish male such as Aulyur?

When the pink skimmed by him, Schrikken gave a happy trill. Hello! You look so pretty and shiny! He seemed to say, but then she was quickly gone. His hide tingled where her tail had graced him, and puffing himself up, he plunged onwards.

All the black could think was he wished the best for the pink lady. He had flown his best for her, despite how scary it was really. If she chose him, he knew in his heart that she would fit perfectly against his chest. He wanted to dance with her, and feel her warmth and heartbeat against his own hide. But that was up to Sourtai wasn't it?

He was feeling tired, and the sun was waking up now. He beat his wings with hope that he might still win. And with the rising sun would come the answer...

[maruset]

It had been a lovely flight, and Sourtai was pleased with her followers. It was clear only the best had come out, and she trilled out another song to them. Several of them had caught her eye, and she wished she could keep all of them. With a light tone, she circled around Masque, then Harpsiklad. Both had been wonderful, and she wanted to sing with them again later. However, they were just a little too large for her, and they'd overshadow her completely.

One of the others had caught her eye, though. He had been a dedicated follower, if quieter, and his attention never wavered from her. She could appreciated that, she had flown to race against the sun, and found such pretty fellows to sing with. The fact that so many of them had come out to see her definitely made the pink's day. It was always good to see that a lady could still get plenty of attention.

With another trill, she settled against Schikken, tail curling around him. He was sweet and quiet and had followed without distraction from the start. And they fit quite nicely with each other. Pleased, she gave a cheerful little croon, having made her choice.

[Dragonwher]

It was a tired and wingsore Asher who trilled a congratulations to Schikken as he slowly glided down out of the sky. Sure he wanted to win; but Schikken was nice enough and didn't snap and squeal at him or his competition. So Asher sent a last flick of happy thought to both the pink and his fellow black. Then tried to land lightly on the ground before starting his trek back to his human. While he walked; sidestepping carefully around the feet of drudges and the like he slowly stretched his sore wings. Then WARK'd comically as a particularly perceptive person decided the lil male was safer off the ground. Though the drudge didn't know who the black looked to.

But Asher; after his initial freak out, did settle until he recognised where he'd come out of to chase Sourtai and tried to climb off the drudge. Who was only to happy to set him down when the black's sudden fussing nearly upended the cleaning implements the drudge was carrying. Though when Asher got to the door he found it was shut again and set to peeping at it and poking his nose under it; being too tired to pop between. It took a bit but; thanks in part to Perrin and Malinoth Mira did finally realize her little black was at the door.

Though he waylaid her fussing quick enough by kicking off the ground and looping once around her before alighting on Malinoth's head. Which gave his person a giggle to start her day of chores lessons and oiling Mali.

[twitchie]

The sun bathed the trail of suitors in warm light, and Schrikken knew the flight was over. Before he could beat his aching wings again, the beautiful pink princess glided to him. A happy hum rumbled from his chest as she joined him. She was so lovely! The sun glittered on her already gleaming hide, and it was all the more bright in contrast to his solid, dark hide.

Cooing in Sourtai's ear like the lover Schrikken had promised to be, he adoringly wrapped his wings around her dainty frame, talons and tail curling with the limbs of his sweet pink. If he could have said any words it would likely be I love you but he settled for purring and crooning instead. He would always make Sourtai his center of attention, she was his shiny pink jewel. She chose him, and he had been brave for her. And his bravery let him hold this treasure against his own little body. He savor we the feeling, the warmth and her heartbeat against his chest. He was the happiest flit there ever could be, in his opinion.