A Dragon Inspiration for K'yen

Clutching_msg
Ceayrth seems suddenly bogged down by an infinite weight as weariness takes its toll, dragging her to a half-alert recline upon the sands. With another heave that lacks previous effort, she settles Waterlogged Pre-Raphaelite Ophelia Egg within the impartial embrace of the sands, then buries it.

Egg Name: Waterlogged Pre-Raphaelite Ophelia Egg

Egg Desc:
Small and rotund, this egg's shell is saturated with color in the manner of canvas over-coated and sodden with too much paint: the greens of moss, river reeds and dead grass; the brown of mud and earth; the moist jeweltones of rich garments soiled by murky water. Simplistic strokes lend credence to vague impressionistic fleur-de-lis shapes, silhouetted as if soaked and drowned. And beyond a wash of caliginous dishwater shade, there lurks the amorphous round-moon aspect akin to a maiden's face.

Hatching_msg:
Waterlogged Pre-Raphaelite Ophelia's surface ripples, the nearby explosion of another egg leaving it alone in it's bed of sand. Concise circles flow across the surface from top to bottom, leaving behind the tiniest of imperfections to dissolve into miniscule fragments, unidentifiable from the sand around. Like the drop of a veil, Alluring Dancer Green Hatchling suddenly appears where once the egg stood.

Hatchling Name: Alluring Dancer Green Hatchling

Hatchling Description:
Glitz-dusted absinthe pours over voluptuous form, adding breathy depth to the already broad shoulders and ample hindquarters of this sensuous dragon. Traces of midnight sable curl about her neckridges, shadowing verdant hues from graceful head to elegant tail while a daten of purest heliotrope adorns her sculpted brow. Pale abalone stains her voluminous wings, which unfurled yield a billowing veil of garish, gossamer hues, venous yet vivid chartreuse and pomegranate foremost. Alternating anklets of damson and lily band elegantly elongated forelimbs, conjuring a dancer's grace.

Impress_msg
Alluring Dancer Green Hatchling pauses, her body humming with the music that only she can hear. A flash of ebon against white catches her attention, the clash of dark and light lost among the moving candidates. That One is here - she can feel it! With an ease that belies her newly hatched status, she is off, dodging a stumbling blue in her quest to find the one with darkness to match her own sable 'ridges. Candidates part way, leaving The One to be approached slowly in that dance of old when soul melds to soul, bonding forever.

Impress_name_msg:
The chaos of the sands recedes, leaving you alone in the darkness. Suddenly, a kaleidoscope of colors and sensations wraps you up in a velvety brush; a veil of uncertainty and testing. Above all, a beat kept with the distant sound of argent chimes. Then, a revelation: << Finally, a man I can use. >> A ripple of zills echoes as she spins away, sounding almost like laughter as they accompany those words. Yet, before you can worry, she is back, the zills silent. << I am Meracath. And, K'yen, you are mine. >>

Dragon name: Meracath

Mind Voice:
Gossamer velvet. It's a contradiction of terms, but just the image that it gives is not only sinful in it's decadence, but something that you can almost imagining being wrapped up in. From the sweet singer's tenor she often uses with K'yen, to the pure vampish purr used about those draconic males, it's a voice that intrigues, mystifies, and fascinates.

And like her clashing self, her mindvoice is nothing different: veils of hue. Fluid flows of every shade imaginable, always intermingling, coexisting, and yet never seeming to mix, so yellows lay alongside greens, reds flow past blue, and gold drapes itself in a sultry manner against orange, all against a background of ebon black.

Scent:
Sandlewood, incense, feminine musk, perfume... pure sensuality. It will permeate everything in her weyr, yet never very strongly, becoming a soft reminder that she is around. But, when emotions rise, so will her scent, leaving no room for doubt that everything is /not/ alright with her.

Physical:

Oh, but your Meracath is a feisty thing! Not to little, not too big, she certainly does outsize the smaller greens. She's not humungous, but neither is she puny, giving her a good advantage in the size department for being noticed and pushing the other greens around when her words don't want to work.

Baby got back! So does your dragon! She's a dancer... a belly dancer. In other words: while she's agile and moves well, she's hardly the skinny, scrawny thing that many of these dancers might be. She has a large chest with which to bear her weight and wings, and good, heavy hindquarters to sway and shift, in order to get every man's attention, whether dragon or human. See? You don't need to be completely slim and svelte, if you've got the big parts where it counts! Particularly when you know how to use them, and indeed your beauty does. From a very young age, she'll be swaying those hindquarters at the males, drawing eyes and compliments.

And her wings are nearly as much fun, with their gossamer, clashing colors and their filmy sails. They'll grow along with her, so she'll always have a pair of nice and fancy sails to flutter around, adding to her own beautific colors and getting the eye of every single male upon her... or maybe just standing out in front of the lake, admiring herself in its still surface.

Meracath, in her young ages, will have a few problems with walking. She hasn't yet adapted to that wonderful rolling way of walking that she has, or the hip-sways that she throws in so provocatively. This means that you, her lifemate, has to help pick her up and get her back on her feet, as well as picking up whatever she may have crashed into, be it large barrel of oil or fellow Weyrling. She'll grow out of it, but it'll certainly bond you two closer together, as you witness her bumps and tumbles, as well as her gently frustrated attempts to get right back into the, er, 'swing' of things.

Growth on your dragon will, happily, be much more balanced than anything. At least this will help minimize the problems with awkwardness, since she'll be doing more than enough of that on her own. However, you'll find that she completely insists that she itches far-far-far more than all her clutchmates. And indeed, her skin is rather sensitive, and will need to be oiled on a regular basis even after she gets older. And itches will simply be torture for her, causing her to stop and get some help scratching at times. This gets worse if there is anything in the oil that might irritate her skin, such as scents and perfumes. << I don't see _why_ Ceayrth likes this nice-smelling stuff in her oil! Keep scratching. No, keep scratching... >> You'll have to spice her up the natural way: with flower strings. She'll search for flowers or other oddities that add to her own scent, accessorizing one might say. Her straps will be a source of distress later as well, for the same reason: if that leather isn't _utterly_ soft, then it will begin to itch her terribly. Once she gets older, she'll get used to it, though she'll still want a good scratching once those beastly things come off.

Personality:

Meracath adores men. Even from the day that she's first popped out of her shell, she has adored men. Why else do you think that she wandered right over to you, rather than some buxom young lady? Simple: you were a man! Well, and you were HERS, but let's just pretend for a moment that it's because you were a man. She likes both human and draconic males, and anything from blues, browns, and bronzes. Oh, she _very_ much likes bronzes. Such brilliant, shining things that almost match her own beauty. Almost. Not quite. But at least they match well. This means that from the very beginning, all the way through into old age, she's hanging around the males as much as possible, both to flirt with them and to gain from them. She enjoys exposing the innermost secrets of the male mind(s), and as such is a question-asker when she's young. However, many of these questions tend to angle toward personal, rather than worldly.

For instance, rather than:

<< Why is the sky the same color as a blue dragon? >>

She may ask,

<< Tell me, K'yen... what sort of voice should I use more? *tenor* This one? Or *soft and low* this one? >>

Each of these questions is carefully stowed away, to be pulled out and tested at some point. You say you liked that sultry vampish purr in your ear? Well, she'll try it on some unsuspecting brown and find out that, yes, it'll get him to just about melt in his traces. Success! Another trick she can use against the males!

And why all the personal information about these males? And why all these male-friends? Your Meracath far prefers things of a delicate and enjoyable sort. And if something is neither? She'll simply have to find someone else to do it.

<< Oh K'yen? Such a lovely day today, with such glorious sunshine. Surely rather than flying sweeps, I can talk that wonderful Seniith into doing it, and we can go dance in the meadow? >>

She'll usually ask you first before doing something. After all, two people of such beauty couldn't be expected to do _everything_ when there's males around who are willing to do it? If you want to argue? She'll snit a little, and possibly still attempt to ask. She's a strong-willed little thing who knows exactly what she wants and doesn't want. And what she doesn't want, others can handle for her. She'll even make sure to get some human males, where she can, so that you can get _your_ rest, preening, and the like in, and she can still get oiled or bathed or whatever. This will, undoubtedly, make for hard times during weyrlinghood, causing all sorts of trouble for K'yen when he gives in to her, and foregoes that class for an afternoon sunning on the beach, or has the Weyrlingmaster find out how he's conned poor R'der into doing his chores so Meracath and he can laze about.

However, when it comes to females, Meracath tends to be... hmm, how can we say this politely? She's catty. There. That's as nice as it gets. To their faces, almost all greens will get a passing look, a compliment, possibly even bright chatter. But behind their backs?

<< Oh my! K'yen, did you _see_ her straps? They're hideous! And she actually likes to wear those? >>
<< Yinxiath's got these huge yellow dots all over her. So ugly! I'm glad I don't have that problem >>
<< I was standing around Aileath, and suddenly noticed... she had the most _hideous_ smell to her. I think she must have rolled in something other than flowers. Tee hee. >>

And so on, and so forth, et cetera, et cetera. And that's her better moods. If they're worse, expect her to be as catty as she can get, right to another dragon's face.

<< Yes, well, no one asked what _you_ thought. >>

Or

<< Oh, well if I had a tail that bends like yours, I'd probably let the ugly blues catch me, too. >>

And if they go back at her? She can be a downright spitfire, hurling pure insults before stalking off in a huff, trying to get the last word in. She's better, she knows it, and no one is going to tell her otherwise. She'll just go and sulk about it.

Beyond all these personal problems, though, your dragon is an exceedingly graceful and artistic thing. She adores movement, dance, pretty things like that, and the art that a person's body can make are all the finest that she can find. She loves song. She adores handsome people and dragons. And dance particularly intrigues her. If there is a dance going on, expect her to be right there to watch, savoring the motions of the people and possibly even trying to join in. And while she has more feet than they do, she can move with the best, thanks to that grace that she's cultivated. Each step will be like a step of art. And you'd better bet that she'll use that to catch the men's attention as well! After all, when a piece of art like her is doing something so beautiful, how can they possibly _not_ notice?

Remember those flower strings mentioned earlier? That's just one of her quirks. While her oil can't be scented, she loves things that smell good, whether it's flowers, plants, oils, incense, or potpourri. Hopefully, K'yen isn't allergic! Don't be surprised when this lovely lady decides to do a little redecorating, having K'yen hang and position pots of all sorts of things that smell /good/ to her just right so she can get the best scent of them. << A little to the left. No.. too much. A little to the right. Now up a little. There!! Ahhh.. >> And while we're talking about redecorating, there's something else that she'll be eager to add to her place. Wind chimes. The sound is nothing but soothing to her, especially after a long day of classes when she's young, or fighting thread when she's older. Those chimes will be a constant source of music for her, her mind already thinking about what type of movements she could do to it. And if it's not windy outside? K'yen better be ready to make a breeze! Or have a handy flit to perch nearby flapping it's wings!

Proddy. The worst of times, the... uh... worst of times. You thought your beauty was catty before? That's _nothing_ compared to how she is now! She won't hold back on those greens, telling them exactly what she thinks of them. And you thought she was flirty before? Every one of those males will have to deal with her being right there and looking for admiration, and if she doesn't get it?

<< Oh! Well I wouldn't expect a stupid _brown_ like _you_ to understand _true_ _beauty_. >>

And she'll stalk off. Those males had better apologize if they know what's good for them, or they'll be completely ostracized until her proddy is over, and she's forgotten about it.

<< I did what? Oh surely, Chesketh, you must be mistaken! I couldn't have done anything like that to a noble beast such as yourself. >>

Her flights will be an aerial show the weyr will not soon forget. Those dance moves that may seem clumsy on the ground will be pure art in the air, leaving all the males behind, attempting to pursue. Yet, those moves will cost her, for all that extra energy spent on them will no doubt make the flight a short one. Spectacular, but short. Soon enough, she will falter, and in the end, be caught. She'll show favoritism to the bronzes that always catch her eyes, even if they don't often catch her in flight, calling out to them in her teasing manner: << Ooh, Bronzeth... you're _so_ big and strong! >>

DragonSong: "Original Sin" by Taylor Dayne

INSPIRATIONS

Name Inspiration:

We played around with words in the Malayalam/Malay languague until we found a few words that we thought would best describe this dragon. We ended up with the words 'acah' meaning teasing and 'merak' meaning peacock making her the 'Teasing Peacock'!! We suggest 'Meer-ah-cath' as a pronunciation for her name, but, ultimately, it's up to you.

Theme Inspiration:

"I am a woman who enjoys herself very much; sometimes I lose, sometimes I win. "

These are the words that were long ago spoken by the infamous Mata Hari: spy, seducer, double-agent, and dancer. And yet, how much of this was simply hearsay, and how much was true. Was she truly the spy that she was accused of... and later executed for? No one is completely sure, as there is simply too much proof on either side of the coin. But one thing is for certain: Mata Hari knew how to get what she wanted from the men.

Mata Hari was born Margaretha Geertruida Zelle on August 7, 1876, in the Netherlands. Her family was not the richest of groups, and her mother was lost a while after this. However, even in those days, Mata Hari was interested in dancing. Even after she married and bore two children, she was studying dances, learning them, and doing them, while trying to avoid her abusive husband. Finally, however, more tragedy struck: her children were mysteriously poisoned, and her husband left her for another woman. Having no other place to go, Mata Hari packed up and left for Paris. There, she thought, she could make a much better life for herself.

She was right. After only a few changes to herself and her background, thanks to the suggestions of one Baron de Margurie, she changed her name to 'Mata Hari' and once more began to dance. And dance. And in that dancing, she became famous all through Paris, introducing the world to sensuous dancing, and the act of disrobing while doing it. It was sensual. It was risque. It attracted men from all over the world to watch her. And though it only lasted a few years, it was a few years of joy, of money, and of learning to draw the men's eyes and hands and cash her way.

Once the 'act' died down, and she was no longer as famous as she once was for her dancing, Mata Hari found herself slowly losing money, rather than gaining it. And the rate was accellerating, as she made less and less in her much slower career. However, she soon began to deal with high-ranked military, enjoying the chance to gain their money and their attention, before flitting on to the next one. In fact, she even met a man who was her 'true love' in this time, though he was called away to the front, when the great World War broke out. However, he was not called away before she was asked to spy for his people: Germany. Then, another shock: she was also asked to spy for France. However, she held to her final day that she was given money by the Germans, but never went to spy. That she had been France's all along. The belief, however, was the problem. Most people did not.

Much time was spent in this duty, until her arrest in 1917, and her further imprisonment once 'proof' came forward that she had, indeed, been acting as a double agent for France and Germany. She was seen as one of the most dangerous spies of all time, and yet how much was fact and how much was fiction? Indeed, the world may never know for certain.

URLs:

http://writetools.com/women/stories/mata_hari.html (A short bio on Mata Hari)
http://www.discovery.com/games/someone/someone980622/answer.html (Much more in-depth and detailed bio)
http://www.expatica.com/main.asp?pad=34,35,&item_id=4814 (Good info on the myth and truth of the woman)
http://www.findagrave.com/pictures/5820.html (information on Mata Hari's 'burial')

Egg Inspiration:

This egg is described as an attribution to the painting "Ophelia" by John Everett Millais (1829-1896), a painter classified to the Pre-Raphaelite movement, which is defined as a group of young English artists who reacted against what they felt was the frivolous art of the day, and lacking the "truth of nature". This they intended to restore. The brotherhood was known to admire the simplicity of the early 15th century.

Millais often drew on Shakespeare's literature as inspiration for his artwork. Ophelia was a character in the famous play _Hamlet_: a young woman who, driven by her love of Hamlet prince of Denmark, and consequentially by his rejection of her love, and by her father's death at the hand of Hamlet, to madness and thence to suicide by drowning. Millais' painting of Ophelia depicts her floating down the river into which she has cast herself, surrounded by a bouquet of violets and many other different flower types, all of which contain meaning in Victorian flower lore, or are mentioned in the play. For the scenery from the painting served a spot on Hogsmill River at Ewell in Surrey.

http://192.41.13.240/artchive/m/millais/millais_ophelia.jpg

Desc Inspiration:

You were so detailed about your dream dragon for K'yen, and as the abstracts poured in, Mata Hari jumped out at us both as being the /perfect/ dragon to fit the proud Peacock.

She's not a lanky green, more curvy as you requested. At first glance, she may be quite colorful, but we tried to capture the essence that was the dancer, who generally stripped down to only her jewelry. This, we incorporated in the daten that graces her brow, and the bands of damson and lily that 'bracelets' her legs. And, what belly dancer is without a veil, that gauzy piece of material that allows them to cover, yet hint of the treasures that hide behind? This, we attempted to capture in her wingsails.

From her wonderful colors, to her form and temperament your dream dragon and Mata Hari blended wonderfully together to create Meracath, your teasing peacock!

Dragonsong Inspiration:

I've been looking for original sin. And so has your lovely dragoness. In almost all parts, this song fits your beauty to the utmost, both in vocal tone and instrument. The music is soft, slow and languid, with a harshening half-way through that adds just pure _emotion_ to it, that suggests your dragon's moods quite accurately. And the lyrics, too, describe her to a great extreme. Always through life, your Teasing Peacock keeps the men watching and drooling, and always she's looking for that bigger better deal... the Original Sin, perhaps, of life in joy, or joy in life. It'll never be enough. (enough) No, it'll never be enough.

There are two sets of lyrics to this song, one slightly different than the other. There is the one done by Meatloaf, and the one done by Taylor Dayne. The one we chose is the Taylor Dayne remake, for both the vocals and the words. However, either version is a very good listen, with a good sound to it, so long as the rather 'grimmer' side of the Meatloaf version doesn't come through. Look for this song on 'The Shadow' soundtrack!

I've been looking for an original sin
One with a twist and a bit of a spin
And since I've done all of the old ones
Til they've all been done in
Now I'm just looking
And I'm gone with the wind
Endlessly searching for an original sin...

You dance forever you got a fire in your feet
But will it ever be enough you know it'll never be enough
You can fly and never land and never need to sleep
But will it ever be enough you know it'll never be enough

It's not enough to make the nightmares go away
It's not enough to make the tears run dry
And who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men today
It's a city of shadows
It's a city of light
It's a city of secrets
It's a city of pride
It'll all be over now
All I wanted was a piece of the night
I never got an equal share
When the stars are all out of sight
And the moon is down
The natives are so restless tonight

I've been looking for the ultimate crime
Infinite victims in a testible time
And I'm so, so very guilty
For no reason no ryhme
So now I'm just looking and I'm killing some time
Endlessly searching for the ultimate crime...

You can loose yourself in pleasures
'til your body's goin' numb
But will it ever be enough
You know it will never be enough
You can always take whatever
You can see them of you want
But it'll never be enough...

It's not enough to make the nightmares go away
It's not enough to make the tears run dry
And who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men today
It's a city of shadows
It's a city of life
It's a city of cruelty
It's a city of prize
It'll all be over now
All I wanted was a piece of the night
I never got an equal share
When the stars are all out of sight
And the moon is down
The natives are so restless tonight
All I needed a spot in the light
Never had to get so dark
The natives are so restless tonight
All I needed was a spot in the light...

I've been looking for an original sin
One with a twist and a bit of a spin
And since I've done all of the old ones
Till they've all been done in
Now I'm just looking and I'm gone with the wind
Endlessly searching for an original sin...repeat X 2...

I'm applying for a licence to thrill
Going out on the edge moving in for the kill
And there'll be hell to pay someday
Put it all on the bill
Cause we'll always be paying
And paying until
We're beyond expiration with a licence to thrill...

CREDITS:

Egg Description: Rasputina
Clutch Message: Tarlin
Dragon Description, Hatch Message, and Inspiration: Re'a and K'sh
Dragon Song: K'sh

All Tweaks done by the Telgar Tweak Team: S'rien, Aida and Fiana