Trouble's Game.

[Lady Smara]

Prontin had found her hands pleasantly full with raising two flitters. Even with the classes and special assistance from the Shield, Prontin still knew for a fact that handling her flitters was taking her longer to master than even the Weyrbrats who had impressed a handful of them from the Weyrwoman’s clutch. Even so, it made the darkness of her world suddenly seem like there was more in reach.

The first task was learning to tell the two apart without being able to actually see them, but Prontin had her own ways of learning their differences after the first sevenday with them. The larger one was quieter, more reserved and certainly more thoughtful and mindful of his actions. The smaller one, however, loved the game she had been given to play with them in order to teach them to fetch small items for her. After getting the little blue to understand he was bringing her things, he soon made a habit of coming to her with all sorts of things – most not even asked for. She quickly named him Trouble after he brought her a riders coin pouch.

Today she found herself blessed with a smooth long sort of… rope perhaps? Except that it was warm, as if almost fleshy. Feeling it fall into her lap, she reached out wondering what Trouble had brought her today, but when it moved in her lap, she lept up in the middle of the WeyrHall with a muffled yell of surprise.

[Marnark]

Imp had watched with some curiosity as Trouble had gone and caught a live tunnelsnake ... and not killed it. Not eaten it either. Winging gently through the air, he'd followed the young blue all the way to where he was taking the writhing thing ... and witnessed with some rather acute horror as the youngster deposited the dangerous animal in a person's lap. None other than Special-Person-R'gar-His'.

With a screech of horror that almost drowned out Prontin's own yell, Imp simultaneously flashed images of the tunnelsnake and Prontin to R'gar and dove at the dangerous creature. Hissing and spitting, the adult Brown tacked the creature from the side and sent it tumbling away across the floor. Righting himself, Imp took out after it again. Time to show a couple youngster flitters what tunnelsnakes were really for!!

After receiving rather abruptly and unexpectedly Imp's mental warning images, R'gar dropped what he was doing and lit out across the Weyr. Luckily he was a person given to detail. Instead of just understanding Prontin was in danger from a 'snake, he'd also noticed where she was located in those images. He'd been unnaturally busy of late and hadn't even had a chance to hardly see her or visit, something he absolutely hated. But at even the notion of her being in danger, he didn't even hesitate. By the time he reached her side he was out of breath, but also already had his beltknife in hand.

It didn't take him long to figure out that Imp already had the tunnelsnake handled. So he turned his attention to Prontin instead, sheathing the blade quickly. "Prontin, are you alright? Did it bite you?" he asked, automatically moving to take her wrists with the intention of inspecting her hands. The place where most people got themselves bitten.

[Lady Smara]

Prontin was not sure what surprised her more – the sudden surprise of something alive and moving in her lap, or the sudden explosion of commotion all around her in both sound and movement. There was a hiss from her shoulder where the growing flit she called Velvet had been perched before he lifted into the air, another loud screech from another flit as it seemed to cause a whirl of wind in front of her as well as a sad croon from no other but Trouble himself as he realized that he had made a mistake in calculating just how wonderful this ‘gift’ would be.

Even a few shouts came up throughout the WeyrHall and if Prontin knew what exactly was going on with the moving chairs as people made room for Imp to handle the Tunnel Snake, she’d have blushed in embarrassment, but as it was she was lost and slightly terrified of the sudden storm of events. It was the steady and deep voice of R’gar that helped her find her breath as she felt his familiar (and much missed) hands found her wrists and turned them this way and that, asking if she was alright.

“What is it? It was alive wasn’t it? Oh Trouble, what did you do?” she asked, the last bit turning her face toward where the little, sad croon had last come from. Hearing his name, the growing blue flit made a clumsy landing on her shoulder and he gave her a sheepish chirp this time.

[Marnark]

R'gar was relieved to find her pliable to his hands, as well as apparently unharmed. Shaken more than anything, but that was to be expected. Especially so of someone who couldn't even see the danger to avoid it. How in Faranth's name had she ended up with a tunnelsnake anyway? He couldn't fathom. "That was a tunnelsnake." He clarified, guiding her back to a safe place to sit again. "It was most definitely alive, and dangerous. I am glad it didn't bite you." R'gar confessed. As a Healer he would have known exactly what to do for her, but at the same time ...

There was a reason Healers generally didn't treat their own family. Due to stress levels. Despite how he had no right to any claim to Prontin, she was still that special to him. Even if she was of no kin whatsoever. "I wonder how one got in here ... they usually don't stray into open places, much less open places full of activity like the hall..." He mused, glancing over at his flitter, who was happily chewing on the stump that used to have a head attached to it. Gruesome, but effective. The Brown was more than happy to share with Velvet and Trouble too, should they care to partake. It was a good way to teach the young ones anyway.

Releasing Prontin's hands, he touched her cheek briefly before patting Trouble a little bit. Dragging another chair over, R'gar more or less collapsed into it. Relief was still having an effect on him ... that moment could have been so bad, and it had turned out alright after all. Thank Faranth for flitters!! "I'm glad you're okay, Prontin."

[Lady Smara]

It was the feel of his hand that brushed past her cheek before patting the blue on her shoulder that had her scrunching up her face slightly and lifting her hands to pull his away from the little blue who she could feel puffing up his chest. She might not be able to see it, but when he took in so much air to puff it out so proudly, there was a change in the way he held himself, and she was learning to recognize it. Of course, the sudden feeling of pride that she knew she shouldn’t be having sort of gave it away as well.

“Oh don’t encourage him.” She said with a bit of a pout to her tone. “I know exactly how it got in here. Oh, R’gar. I’m suppose to be playing a game with the flits to teach them to bring me the things I ask for. The problem is it seems to be an easier game when you can imagine what you want and I guess show the picture to the flitters. At least that’s what the ‘brats say.”

Hearing the brown rider sit down, she felt around for a seat herself before sitting carefully so she didn’t dislodge the blue, who had not yet deflated. She had no idea where Velvet had moved to, though the bronze was now on the floor sniffing carefully at the tunnel snake Imp was eating. “I am just having a hard time explaining what I want to them when I can’t see what I want to begin with. I was trying to ask him for some string from the table in my room.” Pushing out a lip with a pout, she put an elbow upon the table next to them and rested her chin in her now supported hand.

[Marnark]

"I suppose that would be something of a hurdle, given they're very visual creatures." R'gar agreed, pondering the problem for a moment. Before another curiosity came to his mind. "Are you meaning to tell me that they haven't shown you anything yet? At all?" that was odd ... for flitters were very visual creatures. They not only received images of things, they were quite prone to sending them as well. If they weren't sending to her, then they were only talking to her through audio ... which was odd. But made sense in a way, since that was how she focused on seeing the world. They might pick up on that and play into her strength to try and communicate?

But if they showed her the world around her, things that she could not see on her own, she could learn was was beyond the reach of her ears and fingers! But how to get them to do such a thing? How to keep her from becoming frightened when it happened? How to keep her from hurting when it did happen? For he was pretty sure that image swapping used the same bits of brain that optical reception did ... and her optical receptors had never been used. Chances were good it would make massive headaches for her until she got used to it.

At least that was his best educated guess. He didn't know for sure, and certainly hadn't seen any similar cases.

So it was the flitter ... she'd asked for string and somehow the flitter misinterpreted that to mean tunnelsnake. What in Faranth's name ... what kind of dunce make that kind of supposition? "I see your problem." He prompted Imp, and the Brown abandoned the carcass on the floor to flutter up to the table nearest where R'gar was seated. The Rider didn't do much beyond that, trying to figure out how to broach this bridge never crossed before.

"Can you try asking one of your boys to show you what they see?" He asked. It would be better if it came from her own flitters, he was sure of it.

[Lady Smara]

Hearing the surprise in his voice, Prontin could not help but tilt her head a little to one side, as if lifting an ear to listen more carefully before sitting up again and lifting her chin from her hand. “Shown me anything?” she repeated carefully before furrowing her eyebrows together trying to understand. “You mean like the ‘pictures’ that the Weyrbrats show their firelizards in order to play the game?”

She took a moment to think about it. She knew what describing a scene, a picture was, but every time she had heard the class told to ‘visualize’ it, she had always been told she’d be worked with afterwards. After all, how well could a blind woman visualize a strip of cloth? A piece of fruit? A pebble on the ground? Prontin had no concept of colors, so while she could send the way something felt to the touch, she couldn’t exactly show what it looked like.

But had her flitters shown her that in return? Ah, but there was a storm a few days ago and both had ended up shaking in the bed with her. She had heard the storm outside even though she knew they were well inside their mountain home. It had told her that the two were afraid of the thunder and loud rain as much as she was and had cuddled with them to comfort them.

“I think so. Well, they came in one night and even though I was in my rooms I had sort of heard the storm outside… but not with my ears. I could feel that they were a little afraid of the thunder. I think that is because I keep my room so quiet if I am not playing my music though.”

While the bronze watched the brown flit leave the dead tunnel snake, he continued to nose about it, seemingly unconcerned with the discussion at hand.

“Asking them? You mean for a picture?” she bit her lip a little considering the idea. “I suppose I could… but I’m not sure they will understand because I’m not sure how to describe what I want to begin with.”

[Marnark]

"Yes, pictures." R'gar answered, reaching over to stroke Imp's back in reward for his obedience ... and for his prompt action regarding the 'snake. "Flitters normally communicate with pictures. They have other forms, but pictures is most potent. Which I am sure you were told. But they don't just receive them. They also share what they have seen, in turn. It's how I knew where you were and that you were in trouble ... Imp showed me." He hesitated for a moment before continuing on. "With a flitter ... or two in this case ... if you can sort through what they see, you essentially can regain sight. You can see what lies beyond your reach, what is across the room, what color is."

The trick was in keeping it from scaring her, and getting them to do it. "I think ... I don't know for sure ... but I think they're talking to you in only the forms you have spoken to them in. That is audio and touch. Which is why they share what they hear ... like the storm. Hmmm." He watched the flitters in general for a moment, one hand resting on Imp still.

"You don't have to describe to them what you want them to share. They know what pictures are. Just tell them you want to see what they see, and leave it at that. Once you get accustomed to what images are, and what relates to what in what you already know, then you might be able to be more specific in directing what they look at and report." It should be easy, getting them to show something. After all ... pictures were natural for them. "Go ahead and give it a try, tell me what they answer."

[Lady Smara]

Prontin listened quietly to R’gar as he tried to better explain what he wanted her to try to do and how it should, theoretically work. She was still not entirely sure if she could get the little creatures to understand what she wanted when she couldn’t even properly get them to understand what items she was asking for. Really, she was surprised she had even taught them their names let alone anything else with the way she seemed to fumble around with everything.

Grasping in the darkness for hope that what R’gar was trying to say might work easily, she carefully disengaged the blue’s claws from her shirt and hair, as well as the tail from around her neck and sat him down in her lap. He obediently turned around and sat on his hind legs, crooning up at her – already knowing that she was going to ask for something new, it was clear by his tone that he was excited and liked this game. Of course, Prontin was sure she’d have better luck with the bronze, but she hadn’t heard him for a few minutes now and was not entirely sure where he was, so Trouble would have to do.

“Trouble, I want you to give me a picture.” The little blue cocked his head to one side, gave a little warble before cocking his head to the other side even as Prontin bit her lower lip. “No, not a walnut, you already brought me a walnut. I want you to show me what you see.”

Several long moments passed as the blue looked to one side of the room to the other, as if he could find the object she asked for by simply searching for it. Finally Prontin let out a sigh and ran a hand down the blue’s back reassuringly when he sent her the feelings of his confusion. “Maybe its confusing for him because I have not done it with him before.” She said, the pout clear upon the tone of her voice.

It was at this time, however, that the bronze decided the tunnel snake was no longer interesting before he fluttered up to Prontin’s lap, nipping at the blue to give him more room there. Feeling Velvet rejoin her, Prontin let out a sigh and ran a hand down his length as well. “You would show me what you saw if you understood, wouldn’t you Velvet?”

Tilting his head, he looked up at her, gave her a curious croon and watched as the color drained completely from her face. His curious croon instantly turned into one of confusion and panic as he finished pushing the blue out of her lap before butting his head against her stomach.

“R’gar?” she finally asked, all confidence lost in her own confusion.

[Marnark]

R'gar watched as Prontin worked with Trouble, and couldn't help but be seriously curious how she got 'walnut' out of that warble, if he hadn't flashed her the idea of one. Which, in flitter speak, should have been an image. But he held his silence for the moment and waited patiently to see what would happen. At her statement to why it wasn't working, all he could do was shrug. "Maybe." He added, as an after word that was more and more becoming habit and less having to actually be thought of. She couldn't see, and he was getting used to making up for that lack of communication method, the more time he spent with her. But that didn't mean his sighted nuances didn't still happen on simple reaction.

Seeing the color drain so quickly from her features after her second pet shoved his way into her lap, R'gar started to his feet. "Prontin?" He answered, concern evident in his tone. "What's wrong?" He let the flitter stay where he was, monopolizing her lap. It would do more good than to remove him at this point. "Just breathe, Prontin." He prompted, hoping some color would come back to her features. "Talk to me."

[Lady Smara]

“It’s…. It’s Velvet. I think… I think he just showed me a picture, R’gar. Like you said they should be. But I have no idea how to describe it.” She stammered, the color still gone from her already normally pale face as she turned her face toward the sound of the brown riders voice, her hands finding Velvet in her lap and caressing him as if to calm him more than to calm herself. The reaction of the lizard to butt his head into her hands and fingers showed which way the comfort was truly going, however.

How was she suppose to explain something like that? A sudden sensation that she'd never felt before with a sense that was so long unused. To be honest it made her head spin. And what was she suppose to do with the sudden intrusion that the 'picture' brought? She had no idea what she was looking at, let alone what to do with it.

R'gar said she could see with her flitters... but would that be a good thing?

[Marnark]

R'gar smiled suddenly, and dropped his face into both hands. Blowing out a sigh of relief, he rubbed his face and sat up straight again. "Okay. Good. I understand. I do ... you've got no basis to compare what you've just experienced to what you already know, after all. That ... will probably take time, since I can't exactly ... show you through it." Living life through still images of the world was a bit different from actually seeing ... but at least now she could experience color, and what her world really looked like ... and that it was bigger than the reach of her hands.

If a tad skewed by flitter vision. It was better than darkness unending. At first he flustered at trying to figure out how to help her through what she had just experienced, not knowing what she'd just seen at all. Then an idea occurred to him. "Can you get him to show me the exact same image? Maybe then I can tell you what you're seeing, give you some reference point to go from." Being it was the first thing she'd ever seen, he was pretty sure she wouldn't be forgetting it any time soon.

[Lady Smara]

Mentally picking up the image that had been given to her by Velvet was an easy thing to do, being the soul thing she had any memory of seeing. Just like she shared the memory of sounds with her flitters, of a noise that signaled one thing or another, she offered the picture right back to Velvet again and projected to the little bronze the sounds and feelings that she associated with R’gar as well. “Can you give it to R’gar too? Just like I had you give objects to my father yesterday?”

Thankfully, the bronze had always been (and probably always will be) a bit quicker on the draw than the little blue who was still quietly complaining about being de-throned as it tugged at the hem of her skirt at her feet. This time there was no hesitation or questions, though for some reason unknown, Velvet chose to send the picture to Imp rather than straight to R’gar. Perhaps it was because he understood that R’gar was not his own? Or perhaps the little bronze understood that R’gar had a MUCH larger brown he was impressed to – or perhaps he simply didn’t have a desire to talk to the man who was taking Prontin’s attention from him.

The picture itself, was exactly what the little bronze had been seeing at the time he sent it. Prontin, from his viewpoint in her own lap with her dark hair encircling her porcelain face as she had angled it down toward him.

[Marnark]

R'gar waited patiently, but didn't get anything. Tilting his head slightly to one side, he wondered if Velvet was even going to cooperate any further. Imp, for his part, was startled to suddenly receive an image of Prontin from Velvet. Sitting up straighter, the older brown peeped at the young bronze, before turning to look at Prontin.

Whyforwhat?! Fluttering over toward the girl, Imp peered up at her face before turning to look at Velvet. He completely did not understand why the younger flitter had shot him that image, as if he was supposed to do something about it.

R'gar watched this with some interest, wondering what had prompted his own flitter's interest in the girl. "Imp, get over here. You three are going to overwhelm her you keep that up." He instructed, aware that she was practically dripping with flitters now.

Reluctantly Imp abandoned Prontin's lap and fluttered back to where R'gar was sitting, peeping his confusion. Settling down to sit on his haunches, he fluttered his wings and wrapped his tail around his feet, staring back at her and Velvet.

[Lady Smara]

Prontin had been surprised by the additional weight that joined her lap and she lifted her hands to keep them out of the way. Velvet, however, seemed suddenly offended as the brown joined him. Despite still being a bit smaller than the brown, he wasted no time in bumping his head against Imp’s shoulder as if to try to push him from the lap. When Imp moved under R’gar’s command, however, Velvet gave a satisfied and smug whistle before doing his best to take up her entire lap, spreading his wings and looking all over ridiculous trying to spread out so far and take up so much room.

Prontin herself had a confused look on her face before letting out a sigh. “Oh you can share me, you big baby.” She said when she finally realized what the fuss was all about. Figuring it hadn’t worked when R’gar said nothing about the image, she sent it to the little bronze again, again trying to explain to him through her own knowledge who R’gar was. She thought of the sound of his voice, his touch, the way his hair felt tickling her fingers – and put all of that knowledge in the area that she knew the brown rider was now currently.

“Please send the picture to R’gar. Show him too. Just like you showed me.” She repeated, this time lifting a hand and feeling around until it landed on his upper thigh. The movement made Velvet’s attempts to take up her full lap even more awkward as he almost lost his balance in her movement, but she patted R’gar’s leg anyways. “This is R’gar, send your picture to R’gar.”

If a firelizard could put a pout on his face, Velvet would have as he regrettingly sent the picture to the brown rider with a little hiss. He didn’t see why she had to continue to give him attention when Velvet was perfectly within reach. So when he sent the brown rider the picture of Prontin, he also sent with it feelings of ownership, letting the man know that Prontin was Velvet’s, and only Velvet’s.