An Explosive Affair[Matsi]

[jack]

The dining hall was quiet in the mid candlemarks of morning, breakfast having ended a while past and lunch still a ways away. The clattering of working cooks in the kitchen echoed distantly in the nearly-deserted room, but its single inhabitant paid the noise no heed. His full attention was concentrated entirely on the flamethrower--"confiscated" from a storage room--between his legs.

A soft click sounded as S'ket twisted his screwdriver, giving a soft hum of approval as a section of the machine fell apart into his hands. Like a child in a room full of bubbly pies, he snatched up the small screws that had tumbled loose, inspecting each and every one as though they were treasures in of themselves. Delicately, he placed them in a pile on the floor, just one upon many small piles of parts--both large and small ones.

The flamethrower had been almost completely dismantled, its inner workings and outer protection scatterd in organized chaos across the dining hall floors as the young man dug further and further into its hide. Piles of gears grew as he fiddled, and bits of metal were strown carefully across the stone. Every inch of the machine was memorized, bright yellowed eyes marking down each and every piece as effortlessly as a child would point out dragons in the sky.

"Mah...these things're incredible..." The weyrling slurred after a moment, teasing his bottom lip between his teeth, "So many pieces...an' they click together perfectly!" A bright eye opened as S'ket rattled on, mumbling about this and that. Sentiath remained silent at his side, his tail flicking absently as his stare moved about the rest of the room. Although he was getting fairly large, the Blue still had no trouble squeezing his way into the dining hall and remained a constant shadow to his goggle-wearing Mine.

Quietly, the guard dog of a dragon yawned and stretched out against the stone, giving a soft hum of approval. He did enjoy S'ketMine's diligence.

[matsi]

''DIA! I SWEAR!'' A voice echoed from just outside the dining hall as a small, lime green firelizard darted through the open doors. Her eyes whirrled with happy colors, as if she thought the yelling to be part of her game.

The little green let out a screech of excitement and darted to the Weyrling with the metal. She landed on the ground and bounced into his lap, then put her front paws on his chest to look over his shoulder to the door. Her eyes glittered and swirled.

A tall man entered the room. His lang black hair a mess from chaising after the little flitter, and his sapphire eyes filled with annoyance and slight anger. His eyes looked around, and the green flitter ducked behind the weyrling's shoulder again, her body trembling with excitement.

''Dia...Oh Dia, Dear,'' H'to called softly with a loving tone. A feirce look was on his face though as a sly smile formed on his face. He began creeping around the Dining hall, crooning a little tune about the little green flitter, trying to find her.

''Oh Dia Dia Diablo, Where has thy gone?'' He crooned as he leaned to look under a table.

You really lost her this time, H'toMine Lanith commented lazily from outside.

SHH! I WILL find her!

[jack]

The weyrling was so engrossed in his work that--at the first appearence of the green flit--he didn't notice her at all. his eyes were narrowed, bottom lip bleeding in pleased concentration, and his hands were steadily working through a delicate piece. But while S'ket was blissfully unaware, Cogs and Sentiath both were watching the Green with disdain. And, just as both feared, S'ket noticed her at long last.

Curious at first, he glanced down at the pressure in his lapm expecting some wandering feline or perhaps Sentiath's nose. When neither soft fur nor bright blue met his stare, his eyes widened, and Cogs shot in the air just in time to avoid the squealing flail that sent S'ket backwards into a terrified roll. Panicked, he scrambled free of the greenling's grasp, shivering all over as he dove for Sentiath, cowering beneath the blue's wings as though his life had just been threatened.

With his hind end and one leg sticking out from beneath the dragon's wings he curled up as tight as he could against the Blue's hide, the dragon himself seeming nonplussed by the panicked reaction. Delicately, the dragonet lifted his head as high as he could, arching his neck powerfully as he set a firm stare on the Green flit. Cogs, meanwhile, glided down from the ceiling and set immediately on H'to, giving a low grunting hiss of disapproval before settling on Sentiath's broad head.

[matsi]

H'to jumped almost ten feet in to the air as he heard the frightened yell and turned to look at the Wyerling. His attention was grasped by the fluttering, confused flitter.

''Dia,'' He snapped, and this time, the little green returned to Hers. She looked at the Weyrling with worry and confused colors in her large eyes.

''Get outta here and go to Lanith, you troublesome pest!'' H'to scolded the little green. She let out a sad croon and betweened out of sight.

H'to approched the young dragon and His slowly.

''Ya' alright there? She didn't hurt ya', did she?'' He asked as he knelt down to the wing of the blue, but still a good distance away.

I have her pinned, Mine, Lanith reported to H'to as, outside, he grasped the wild Flitter under one of his paws.

''Dia is a bit...much. I'm sorry she involved you,'' H'to added a moment later as an appologetic glimmer shone in his eyes.

[jack]

Do not fret, rider. Sentiath interrupted, his mildly curious stare locked on the Bluerider as he shifted minutely, rustling his wings around but not removing them entirely. Mine is quite fine. He is unharmed.

Eyes whirling placidly, he flicked his tail again and ducked his head, peering at S'ket beneath his wing. S'ketMine...you look quite the fool with your tail in the air. Perhaps you would like to come out? I assure you, the little green creature is gone. Amused, he straightened, rustling again, and S'ket shifted, peering out worriedly from his blue coccoon.

"Ah...m'sorry 'bout that." He slurred, a sheepish grin sliding slowly upon his lips, "I'm alright." The mechanic squirmed from his hidey hole fully after a quick look around, and plopped down happily o nthe stone. Cogs immediately sailed to his shoulder, lovingly nipping at his ear before settling. "I'm just...a little spooked 'round girls is all."

[matsi]

H'to let out a small chuckle.
''No need to fear little Dia, I promise. She's quite harmless. Though, if you ever want her gone, just ask her if she wants a good washing,'' He grinned as he spoke. His eyes glittered happily.

''H'to of blue Lanith,'' He introduced himself as he held out his hand.

''A fine young blue, you are,'' He added after a breath. He nodded to the young dragon with a smile. He admired the color of the blue for a moment, then looked back at his rider, then back again to the dragon.

''Remind me of my dear Lanith, when he was young o' course,'' He smiled a smile that seemed to glow. He enjoyed other blue riders. Probably because it made him remember how great the blues were.

In his thoughts, Lanith growled with jealousy.
Lanith, You are always mine, and on the top of my list,

Good

[jack]

S'ket let out a soft scoff as he stroked Cogs's soft scales, rubbing the other's shimmering eyeridges. There wasn't a Bronze in the world as obsessively cleaned as Cogs was, and it was clear in his brimming coat. It was as healthy as it could possibly get, hours of reclining under S'ket's polishing fingers leaving him with a daily glow that the little flit was secretly proud of. "Mah..you can say that, but it won't change my mind." The weyrling rrumbled, gently rapping his fingers against the bronze's spines, "Girls are just...just evil."

Shuddering slightly, he bit into his bottom lips, before seeming to be startled out of his panic, and he shot up to his feet in a flailing of limbs and embarassed glee. "Oh, sorry! I'm awful rude, ain't I?" Grinning, he offered a hand to the other, his goggles sliding to cover one eye as he laughed and pushed them up with the back of his hand. "S'ket of Blue Sentiath. Oh--and Cogs." Eyes brimming with amuesment, he shrugged the shoulder the Bronze had situated himself on, but the flit was silent, his whirling gaze locked sternly on H'to. "He doesn't like to talk much."

Thank you, rider. Sentiath rumbled, clearly proud of himself as he resituated, folding his wings regally against his spine. S'ket grinned at his dragon and plopped back to the ground, his fingers already finding the remnants of the flamethrower he'd been working out on earlier.

[matsi]

H'to seemed to be severly amused.

''Well, that is probably the truth. Dia can be an evil little b-'' He paused and chose his words carefully. Giving up, he just shrugged off the rest of his sentence.

''It a great pleasure to meet you, S'ket and Sentiath,'' He nodded politely to the dragon again.

H'to's eyes followed S'ket for a moment as he watched him mess with the pieces of metal. He did not understand what it was from for a moment, then he recognized a few pieces.

''Now, my next question is, Can you put it back together?'' He eyed the Flamethrower for a moment more, then shifted his gaze back to the young man. He held a grin onto his face and wondering, curious eyes. His black hair hung in his face slightly.

Leaning back slightly, he jammed his hands into his pockets.

Mine, she got away. Lanith growled into H'to's mind.

Keep an eye on her. Don't let her get into trouble.

Easier said than done! Lanith hissed again.

[jack]

Quietly, deft fingers worked easily through the pieces, and he gave a victorious smile when he seperated the last two parts. Now surrounded in a spiral of bits of metal, he looked reluctantly from his prize, arching a brow at H'to. "Of course." He replied almost curtly, a smug smirk curving into place, "I remember exactly how it went together."

Giving a soft laugh, he began to put everything together again, although for some reason he purposely neglected several pieces that appeared key. His eyes were whirling with thoughts, however, and it was quickly obvious that while he could put it together the same, he had no intention of doing so. Instead, he appeared to be making something entirely...although what it was was a mystery.

"If I can't take something apart and know exactly how to put it back together, then what use is there in dismantling it?" He smiled, looking up at H'to, "It would certainly be depressin' if I couldn't fix a one-of-the-kind item, now wouldn't it?"

[matsi]

H'to snickered and laughed.

''I am beginning to think you are a one-of-a-kind item yourself,'' He leaned onto one foot and let out a chuckle as he watched the progress of the young rider. His eyes were focused on his hands as they moved, tinkering, fixing and rebuilding.

''Got some good hands on ya' to be able to do all that,'' H'to frowned slightly, but his frown faded back into a intrested grin. He did not understand how one could be so good at things like that, and it was beyond his understanding, he knew.

''It looks different...Have you changed it?'' He asked as he looked at the jumble of metal parts and pieces.

He scratched his head, thinking, wondering if the flamethrower was really going back to the original form it was in or not. Something told him it wasn't.

[jack]

Soft grey eyes flicked up at the quiet comment, the strange yellow reflection gleaming with pleasure as he let a smooth smile flick onto his lips. His hair fell slightly into his face as he ducked his head a bit, unsure of why he felt so pleased over a simple comment like that. A faint, barely there blush on his cheeks he set back to work, giving a quiet laugh.

"Not to sound haughty or anything..." He chirped, admiring his hand for a moment, "But I love my hands. I can do anything I put my mind to with them...I think that gives them the right to praise." Grinning slightly, he twisted a coil into place, holding it tight until slamming a gear where it should be, keeping the coil where it should be.

His grin broadened after a moment, and he winked, wiggling a brow at the other, "You could say that." He crooned playfully, biting his bottom lip as he increased his pace, "It certainly won't involve fire!" Laughing--obviously eager to test it out--he gestured to Cogs and Sentiath, who moved into action slowly. Cogs was the faster of the two, leaping into the air and betweening. Sentiath was a bit slower, and in fact didn't move far at all until Cogs reappeared, settling an empty bucket in the dragon's way.

The Blue grabbed the bucket in his mouth and flicked his tail as he headed off to the kitchens, a few screams of surprise turned into laughter following his entrance. Cogs, giving a soft huff of disapproval, betweened again.

[matsi]

H'to stood silent for a while. His blue eyes watched all that was going on, curious. His curiosity always got to him. He was, as he could tell S'ket was, Eager to see what the thing did, though he probably never use it in his life time.

''He won't be able to do that for much longer,'' H'to chuckled as he watched the blue wander off.

''He will be a bit too big in a short time,'' He commented as he grined. He remembered how fast Lanith grew and grinned more. His Lanith grew fast once he hit the stage that Sentiath was at at the moment.

''Soon, you will have yourself a Mighty Blue Dragon,''

[jack]

S'ket chuckled, nodding, and settled back into work, pushing his goggles down suddenly as he forced a piece--not quite perfectly sized--where he wanted. A shard broke off and flashed as it hit against his goggles, but he seemed unpeturbed, pushing them back up with a hum.

"Yeah...I know." He looked after Sentiath, clucking his tongue thoughtfully, "I think I'm still suffering from shock. Seems like it was just yesterday I was livin' in the middle of nowhere, helping my father make his ridiculous inventions." He gave a soft laugh, but cut himself short as Sentiath returned, delicately carrying a bucket now filled with water. The dragon set it down just in time for Cogs to reappear, dropping a bar of soap into the picture.

Grinning toothily, S'ket launched towards the soap and water, mixing them together until the bucket was covered with a thick, soapy foam. Immediately after, he reached up and was given a funnel and a cup by Cogs, who settled on the man's shoulder--proud of his job. Tongue partially sticking out, he scooped up a healthy portion of the soapy water into his cup, propping up the flamethrower as he set a funnel into what had originally been a hole to shove stones in. He poured the mixture in and shoved in a makeshift cap, setting the cup and funnel aside.

Eyes narrowed and lip teased between his teeth, he lifted the gun like object and pointed it at H'to, pulling what appeared to be a trigger. Instantly, the man was assaulted by a stream of bubbles...followed immediately by S'ket's laughter. "It didn't explode this time!"

[matsi]

H'to's face went slightly pale as he pointed the invention at him. When he saw him pulling the trigger, he covered his face with his arms.

''WHAT ARE YOU DOIN!?'' He yelped, then...he waited. And waited. Nothing came. He moved his arms and looked up to see bubbles. His jaw about dropped and he soon was laughing.

''I thought you were trying to kill me!'' He grinned and watched the floating, glittering orbs float around the room.

''Yeah, I am kinda' happy it didn't explode,'' He muttered as he reached out and popped a bubble with his finger. He laughed a slight bit more. He felt like a child, amused by something so simple. He wasn't going to lie though, he enjoyed the sight of the little orbs floating around.

''I am impressed, S'ket. Really Impressed!'' He nodded to the young dragon rider, still grinning.