Do it Right! NOW! [Fox!]

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Really, Rez'mat, they're not that bad. Except of course when they're screaming and making messes, Esmareph argued, snorting at Hers. The silly woman refused to see reason - as she had every time before, but that was beside the point.

"They ARE that bad," Rez'mat snapped, glaring up at her green. She'd finally resorted to using physical speech instead of her mindvoice, suspecting that the simourv was drowning her out mentally. "They're screaming, irritating, beastly little monsters. I'm surprised you can even tolerate them, let alone like them."

You're only angry because one of them ran into you. He even apologized, Mine. Properly, too.

"That," the greenrider informed her lifemate, "is a lie. He was screaming before he crashed into me. Children are annoying. He was waist-high on me, Esmareph. Do you know how irritating it is to have a person that small run into you?" Rapidly losing patience, Rez'mat blew a hard breath through her nose, running a hand through her jet-black hair. Personally, she thought the green's standards for children were entirely too lax. Everyone else had to behave perfectly, but for some reason Esmareph relaxed that for little kids. Those were allowed to run and play without discretion around the green - when Rez'mat allowed them to.

Yes. One of them rides on me, the green commented airily. She fluttered her gigantic wings, golden eyes mocking as she stared at her rider. The human stared back, narrowing her green eyes before she shook her head with a defeated snort. "That wasn't funny."

It only hurts because it's true, the simourv remarked cheerfully. She stretched out on her side under a tree, drawing in a deep breath and exhaling it with a contented sigh. Obviously she wasn't bothered at all. Rez'mat, on the other hand, was completely disgruntled, as usual. She rolled her eyes and sat down on a nearby bench, crossing her legs and leaning back against the wooden boards. Stretching her arms out across the back, she finally closed her eyes and drew in a deep sigh. "Whatever you say, Essy. Shush for a moment so I can forget about the little pests," she ordered, and was honestly surprised when the simourv obeyed. Given the few short minutes she asked for in order to calm down, the greenrider finally drew in a deep breath and turned to look at her simourv. The latter had just gotten up, and was shaking herself off vigorously, dislodging every little speck of dirt that might have gotten into her feathers. Meticulous, are we?

Mine, if you snipe at me I'll make you lick my feathers clean, the green threatened. Obviously she wasn't joking - about perfection, Esmareph never joked. The only thing that might prevent her from forcing her rider to do such a thing was the fact that she probably wouldn't want saliva all over her glorious green and gold feathers.

Ooh, I'm so scared. I ought to forge you a sign to wear around your neck that says 'I am perfect.' Would you like that?

No. Not unless you made it absolutely perfect. It'd have to be absolutely rectangular. None of the sides could be even slightly dented. And if it wasn't the same degree of shiny all the way across I'd throw it at you, Esmareph commented snappishly. Her rider opened her eyes and rolled them, indicating exactly what she thought of that. A wizened apple lay near one of her feet; idly she picked it up and lofted it at the green. Without missing a beat, Esmareph caught it in her beak, dropped it on the ground, and crushed it beneath her claws before settling sedately back onto the ground. Get apple on my feathers and I will eat your bed, Mine. Remember that.

Rez'mat did remember it, because it was not an idle threat. "All right. Don't eat my bed, please, or I'll pluck you and make your apple-stained feathers into a new mattress. You remember that." This was an idle threat. Knowing it, Esmareph scoffed and flicked her tail just right, so that it smacked Hers across the face and flattened her against the bench. Of course, Mine. Of course.

[Fox]

I don't see why you insist on coming out for these pointless walks in the afternoons.[/color] The strident tones of Green Niataph grated on her rider's ears, interrupting his attempt to enjoy the autumn day. The gardens perhaps were not at their best at this time of year, with winter drying up the leaves and trees starting to shed their greenery. But it was better than remaining cooped up in the eyling, at least. Or so Br'an would have thought, but Niataph obviously had other ideas. Why must it be the gardens anyway? There are so many things that would be more worthwhile, like perhaps looking over the lesson plan ideas that Seronaph's was kind enough to give you.[/color] Niataph fluffed up her feathers in annoyance as Br'an's shoulders took on a decidedly hunched, defensive posture, as he tended to do whenever someone (or, specifically, a certain beloved green simourv) began to chip away at his self-confidence. He knew she meant well, truly, and only sought to improve him, but the way she did it... left something to be desired.

Nia-love… He tried, desperately, legs moving on autopilot as he walked blindly through the gardens, the large green that had him so solidly under her thumb stalking along behind him. Her wings were half-unfolded to showcase her bright plumage, but this time her tail swished annoyedly behind her. Her mind-voice continued as if she hadn’t heard Br’an’s entreaty which, in all likelihood, she actually hadn’t. You could even go and see the eggs, I’ve seen them but you haven’t and really, it’s your duty to go and visit since the hatchlings will make up half of your Winglet class and--[/color] Br’an made a sound that was halfway between a whine and a whimper, resisting the urge to cover his ears, knowing that it wouldn’t do any good since Niataph’s voice was in his head and not in his ears. -- have you even spoken to your fellow Wingletmaster yet? Since you’re going to be working in a pair, shouldn’t you have sought out Esmareph’s Rez’mat by now? It is remiss of you to neglect--[/color] ”Rez’mat!”

Speak of the angel, come to save him from Niataph’s nagging. Br’an’s face lit up in a smile that held more than a touch of desperation as he hurried over to his fellow greenrider and wingletmaster. Behind him, he was all too aware of Niataph’s sudden awareness and her sharp irritation at having been cut off. But she couldn’t complain since she’d been advising (or rather, nagging) for this very same action. Besides, Br’an did like Rez’mat mostly. He didn’t know her all that well, but she had struck him as a nice person, if a bit… grumpy. Without asking, wanting to escape from the force of nature that was his simourv, Br’an plonked himself down on the side of the bench opposite Rez’mat, lifting his hand in greeting. ”Hello! How are you, fellow Wingletmaster?” A more genuine grin lit his face this time, and he turned briefly to nod at the woman’s green. ”Good morning, Esmareph.”

Esmareph.[/color] Niataph greeted blandly, all traces of her shrewish nagging-voice gone as she settled a short way from the other green. She approved of this sibling of hers; one of the very few that made it onto her list of acceptable sisters, and as such it warranted politeness. Plus, they would now be working together just as much as their riders would be. Having a pleasant morning with your rider?[/color][/size]

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Rez'mat was just in the process of glaring at Esmareph when she heard her name called. In the manner of a dog that hears its master whistle she looked around, angled brows lifting slightly as she looked for the man who'd called her name. Seeing that it was Br'an, she relaxed and sprawled back against the bench. Oh, good. It wasn't a drudge looking to bother her for putting something out of place, or a child asking to ride her simourv, or any other similarly annoying persons. It was only her fellow wingletmaster and she lifted a hand, flicking her fingers in a greeting. "Br'an."

True, it wasn't the most friendly greeting she'd ever given anyone, but no one got a properly friendly greeting from Rez'mat. It was not what she did. She was a grumpy person. That was all. Still, the way she said it certainly wasn't unkind - Rez'mat didn't mind having company sometimes. Like now, for instance. If Esmareph had a distraction in the form of another green, that was entirely fine with her, too.

"I'm fine," she responded, a bit more lightly than before. Moving her arm so the other rider could sit down without being forced away by her dangling hand, the wingletmaster crossed her legs and flicked her gaze to study Br'an's face. He had a certain look about him, one that Rez'mat knew very, very well. It was the look of a rider who had been nagged by his simourv, and noticing it, a smile twitched up the corners of her mouth. Careful not to let the two greens see her, she mouthed the words, 'has Niataph been nagging you?' and grinned, lifting a brow. Now that her green was occupied with something besides threatening to eat her bed, the rider was a little more cheerful. Of course, 'cheerful' was a matter of perspective - the greenrider always had a slightly dour look about her, if not outright annoyed.

Esmareph, however, had allowed her grumpy appearance to fade immediately after she caught side of her green sister and her corresponding rider. Greeted by Br'an, she nodded back, with a greeting identical to her rider's. Leaving Rez'mat to talk to her fellow rider, the green turned to look at Niataph. The two weren't necessarily close, but they'd always approved of one another. Esmareph very much liked the other green's attention to detail and perfection and, because of it, offered a friendly chirp when Niataph settled nearby. Niataph. My morning has been very pleasant, except for my rider being a bit impudent. I corrected her, though - she's behaving well now. How are you, Niataph? the green inquired politely. Unlike with most people, her tone had a warm edge to it - she did like her sister, and besides, they were going to have to share wingletmaster duties. Their classes would be extremely well-behaved, she was sure... or they would suffer the consequences.

That was one of the things Esmareph appreciated about Niataph. The other green was as focused on perfection as she was, which meant that her rider was correspondingly well behaved. Plus, Br'an's simourv was pretty, and that never hurt anyone. The bigger of the two sisters distinctly admired her sibling's way of carrying herself so that her lovely plumage was properly displayed. She herself didn't imitate the habit, but she let it be known, through a soft mental touch, that she liked Niataph's beautiful plumage and her way of showing it off. It was perfect, and just so proper that she automatically loved it.

Rez'mat, on the other hand, didn't care about the way a simourv carried itself as long as it did what it was supposed to be doing. This applied to Esmareph too, although that particular green tended to do what she deemed proper. Still, she didn't get in her rider's way... and neither did Br'an, at this particular moment. "What have you been up to this morning? Having a nice walk?"

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[Fox]

Br'an hadn't expected a greeting to match his in exuberance, and he wasn't disappointed. Rez'mat was as curt as usual, though she was by no means rude. And she smiled at him, so he knew that all was well and he didn't have to worry this time that her curtness masked some kind of annoyance aimed at his person. She and her simourv also provided a welcome distraction, to save him from Niataph in a lecturing mood. His simourv wasn't always so very particular; sometimes she could be downright mellow, but her moods were almost mercurial in their consistency. And when she got it into her head that Br'an wasn't up to standard, he heard no end of it until he got himself up to her standard.

But what he liked about Rez'mat in particular, was that she understood. She understood how it was to be henpecked to distraction, because Esmareph was almost, almost as bad as Niataph herself (he might have said 'just as' except no simourv could quite instill in him the horror that Niataph could with a chilling look). And sure enough, as the simourvs were distracted with their greeting of one another, Br'an read the words that Rez'mat mouthed to him and couldn't help but shudder in response. With a slightly frightened glance at the greens, he nodded minutely and shut his eyes in a pained grimace. But otherwise he said nothing to indicate that she had asked him that, just in case Niataph suddenly decided to pay attention to his conversation.

"Nice enough." He responded reservedly, a faint narrowing of his eyes in his simourv's direction betraying just why the morning had not been better. "It is a beautiful day, though. Niataph was just-- erm-- suggesting that I come and say hello to you, actually, so this is quite the coincidence." When he was nervous, as was usually the case after Niataph had a bout of Br'an-bashing, the greenrider tended to ramble aimlessly, his mouth firing off the words in quick succession, as if to head off any possible disapproval. He was demonstrating this particular trait now, with a slightly manic-looking grin. "Imagine! We're going to be Wingletmasters soon-- as soon as the eggs hatch and the candidates bond, but would you be a Wingletmaster, or would it technically be 'mistress' since you're female and all..." Br'an.[/color] Br'an shut up with a flinch, but Niataph did not say more. Instead, she inclined her head gravely to Esmareph.

I am fine, Esmareph, and it is good you correct her. Your rider is indeed quite well-behaved as our riders go. Mine has been rather remiss in his duties lately. I was just reminding him.[/color] With a return touch of beak to wingfeathers, Niataph allowed the barest hint of gratitude to seep slowly towards Esmareph, to show that she appreciated the approval, though anything more would have been inappropriate. Still, though, she settled into a more normal pose as she curled her tail around her forelegs. She couldn't keep up the pose all the time, though Esmareph was correct in that such plumage should be displayed. In fact, You really should let others see your wings and tail more, sister.[/color] She suggested gently, admiring Esmareph's gold-splashed haunches. Her affection was evident in her nicknaming of the other green; Niataph did not call just anyone 'sister'. Most were blatantly undeserving of the title. They are a most wonderful shade[/color][/size]

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Rez'mat barely suppressed a laugh as Br'an shuddered in response to her mouthed question. Her dark eyes glittered with amusement; she too glanced at the two simourvs and rolled her eyes, carefully making sure that neither of them saw it. As soon as the coast was clear, she returned her attention to the other greenrider, understanding his fear perfectly. She knew just how it was to be harassed and nagged by a perfectionist simourv. Truly, she feared for their classes, figuring that if they were too unruly the two greens together might just go on a rampage of making everything perfect. That, she knew, was bound to get ugly.

"It is a beautiful day," she agreed, and then bit her lip at the word 'suggesting.' She knew about Niataph (through Esmareph's approval of her) and from experience she also knew what a suggestion from one of those greens would really be like. "Ahhh. It is rather convenient, isn't it?" Here she mouthed the words 'to escape the nagging' and grinned conspiratorially, lifting a dark brow. Still, she managed not to laugh, not wanting to draw the attention of the chatting greens. Hearing Br'an's enthusiasm, though, she grinned, and then lifted a brow when the chatter abruptly stopped, accompanied by a flinch. "I imagine I'll still be a Wingletmaster," she commented, not wanting to earn her own tongue-lashing from Niataph. "I hope our class is well-behaved. If not..." she glanced meaningfully at the two picky greens. "I wonder what they'll be like. I haven't met any of the candidates yet myself."

Esmareph was most pleased to hear her sister's polite speech instead of her rider's. Having forced her into obedience, the green was confident that Rez'mat would continue to behave herself at least for a few minutes, and knowing it, the simourv nodded slightly at the other green's explanation. She is learning. Unfortunately, I still need to remind her once in a while. You seem to be doing well with Br'an as well, she complimented. Hopefully they will both stop misbehaving and be truly proper soon. They need to set an example for our future students, but at least they have us to guide them, the green sniffed. Could she be called vain? Oh yes, of course she could. She was perfectly behaved (she worked to be that way) and she could only wish that her rider could be so proper too. Br'an still needed some work, but he was also doing well. Soon, she and Niataph would have their bondeds properly trained, and then they would be an unstoppable force of perfection. It is a shame that the other simourvs are not so dutiful in minding their riders - or even behaving themselves.

Feeling the little bit of gratitude (and it was enough for her), the green also settled into a more relaxed pose, curling her tail around her haunches in an unconscious imitation of Niataph. Esmareph flicked the tip of her tail more at the suggestion, and after pondering for a moment, she half-opened her wings so the white and cream feathers were fully visible, as were the gold feathers on her haunches. She turned her head to look at herself, and then gave a soft chirp of affirmation. I suppose they are, sister, she agreed, affirming her approval of Niataph with the returned title. Esmareph never called anyone 'sister' - except for the other green, now. She was deserving of such affection. Is my display correct? she asked worriedly, rising to her feet once more with her wings held in the same pose. I am not so experienced as you, my plumage not being as lovely, and if I am to show off I wish to do it properly.

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