This had not been expected at all. Juuell had had a number of plans when she'd set out into space. All were dependent on various, measurable factors such as the price of gems, the amount the mined, and the amount of profit that returned to the crew. Depending on the success of the venture, she had looked into other possible employments or second trips, all with the goal of eventually becoming wealthy and successful enough to plan her own business ventures. She had expected ups and downs in her life, but nothing that quite amounting to what was happening to her now.

I believe you will find this much more fun with company, purred the gentle voice of the creature who had so rapidly become the center of Juuell's life. Inrith was curled around the chair where Juuell was working out the number of herdebeasts it would take to feed her dragon for the next turn. So far, she was just glad she wasn't the one paying for all this. Inrith was hardly growing into a small dragon. "I never needed company before now," Juuell replied in swift Drebai. Inrith nuzzled her arm. No, she agreed. But now you have me. Inrith gazed at her lovingly. Juuell patted her as she pondered without really realizing she was doing it. When did the concerns of a flying creature become such a big part of her day? Was nothing going to be normal on this backward rock of a world?

"Come back here, you goofy twitch!" Jool protested, as her multi-hued green bundle of nightmarish joy went boinging down the hallways.

Catch me if you can!! Lariath challenged, with clearly no intent of slowing down her random, exuberant leaps down the passageways.

"Oooooooooohhh!!" Jool answered, sprinting after her, brush in hand. All the oil had long since all dripped out of it, she'd been chasing the green so long.

Spotting something through a cracked doorway, Lariath laid on the brakes, scooting down the smooth floor on her rump as her young talons scrabbled for purchase on the stone. Changing directions in the flash of movement that greens and other small dragons were known for, she bounded over to the door and nuzzled it open before leaping inside with an exuberant SURPRISE!!!

She leaped onto the young Terran that was there, grabbing a hold of the wing bases with her front feet, pretending to gnaw on the base of Irinth's neck. It was all in good fun though, and Lariath wasn't intending or doing any real damage to the bigger weyrling.

Jool tried to skid to a stop in the doorway, but instead slipped on the vague oil smear that Lariath had left. Her feet went flying out from under her and she landed squarely on the floor with a startled yelp.