Creativity II

[M'kel]

We will be re-using the procedure from last year, since no one entered then.


Eligibility: All

Materials Available: Must include firelizards. Other materials can be canvass and paint, or whatever reasonable materials are necessary for the dragon’s chosen activity.

Activities: Dragons will incorporate fire lizards into an artistic display of some sort. This could include painting, music, or a choreographed performance. As it is a creativity competition, the dragon is encouraged to be as creative as possible in his or her choice! The competition will be held on a large, square platform, with a judge’s table set up at one side and room for spectators on the other sides. Whatever materials required by the dragons will be brought to the platform for their use. Each dragon will have roughly fifteen minutes for his or her activity. The rider can participate in the display or can stay in the sidelines.

Procedure: Everyone wishing to compete will have 3 days to post in this thread starting July 29th. At this point, the winners will be determined from those who have posted by dice rolling.

[M'kel]

It was very stressful, waiting by that stage and watching the audience gather. Even more so due to the fact that R'tivor and Aramunith would be first to perform. It had been a random draw for order, of course, but the Weyrling pair had been hoping for a later performance. Anything but first!

Aramunith was positively quivering with anxiety, whirling eyes swiveling back and forth as she watched the judges and Weyrfolk gather. Why are there so many of them? Are they all here to see us?

"It's okay, Ara," R'tivor murmured, kneeling down to stroke the dragonet's snout. She butted against him for reassurance, gazing upward with those enchanting eyes. They were a mix of yellow and green at the moment, with her excitement warring with nervousness. "Just think…if we do really well, every act to come will be compared to us! No one will forget the first."

Do you think I will do well?

"I know you will! You came up with the idea, and it's just brilliant. Everyone will love it. Now, are you ready?"

Aramunith nodded hesitantly, even as one of the organizers of the event beckoned them forward.

Thus, R'tivor and Aramunith strode side-by-side onto the stage. R'tivor was wearing a pale green tunic to complement his lovely Ara, and the dragonet was freshly oiled down and ready for the spotlight. Although the sight of all of those eyes staring at them caused the pair to pause, Sprite chittered encouragingly from R'tivor's shoulder, and the act began.

First, R'tivor laid out a series of parchment pieces and bowls of paint. He'd asked one of the Kitchen folk to provide some music, and the willing young lady was currently playing a lilting tune on her lute.

Confidence growing with the familiarity of the routine, Aramunith began dipping her forepaws in different bowls of paint and pressing them onto the parchment pieces. A myriad of colours began to blossom on the floor of the stage, for she alternated the paint colour with every step. As she went, R'tivor began picking up the parchment pieces and tossing them into the air. Now it was Sprite's turn! The little green had chomped down a handful of firestone before they began, and she now began winging through the air, chasing down the pieces of parchment and singing them. A few burst completely into flame, but for the most part she was able to char the pages without destroying them. Each of the sheets settled back down to the stage, edges blackened and twisted, where Aramunith began arranging them once again.

Finally, dragon and rider stepped back, revealing a mosaic of paw prints with varying degrees of charring, clashing white, black, red, blue, yellow, and green in a dizzying pattern. Unfortunately, the judges needed to stand up to see the finished project, but R'tivor and Ara were quite pleased with how it turned out. Each took a small bow before skipping off the stage, eager to be away from the centre of everyone's attention.

You did wonderfully, Ara. The green dragonet practically hummed with delight.

[Skye]

Myari smoothed out her multicolored, multilayered skirt and grinned. She turned to look at Valyiath who was watching Aramunith as she took her turn.

Myari tapped her foot in time with a tune in her head as they stepped out onto the stage. She moved to the far end as Valyiath stepped into his place, his cobalt blue hide gleaming in the sunlight. He shifted to sit back on his haunches and bowed his head to his rider. Myari curtsied back to her dragon as he shifted back to all fours.

It was quiet for a moment and then a deep humming started, vibrating from deep in the blues chest as he and his rider began to move, stepping and weaving in time with the humming, dancing in a complicated, much practiced manner.

Myari had borrowed L'kas'd brown firelizard who appeared now to drop flower petals and ribbons down on the two dancing partners. As the dance ended, Valyiath bowed again, sweeping his wings around to hide Myari, as if protecting his rider from anyone who might wish to step in and take her from her dance partner.

(pfft....not my best post, sorry.)

[Shikai]

((Sad attempt at an Irish accent. xD Alas, I can talk with one much better than I can figure out how to spell it phonetically, it seems…))

Oh, don’t worry Era-mine. You do that far too much, you know. We will do our best in the tournament, and that is all that matters. Sekheth said, her tone rather crisp and no-nonsense. E’vrael trotted along behind the green, who was walking with a determined step and a slight lash of her tail that was more confident than angry.

But Sekheth-mine! Everyone’s watchin’ and starin’ at us doun hier, and I don’t like it none at all…[/color]

Relax. It’s only art, after all. Exactly what you’re good at, no? So if I can channel even a bit of your considerable skill, we will do wonderfully.[/color] She turned her head back to shoot him a meaningful glance, a little sardonic but well-meant and not really serious. Do you have the annoying one?[/color]

Aye, he’s on way, I hope…

Good. It is out turn now, so let’s get started.[/color]

E’vrael sighed as he began to set up for the performance of his dragon’s own invention, laying down a very large sheet of parchment and setting up the paints. E’vrael hung back to watch with uncertain green eyes, mindful of the spectators as Sekheth moved to the parchment without a thought, dipping one forepaw in brown paint and another in green. E’vrael began to forget the stress of the situation as he watched her work, her own hide more beautiful than paint could ever hope to mimic…

It couldn’t have been more than a week ago they were sitting outside together, as Rukbat began to set after a long day of chores and weyrling lessons.

What are you drawing, the green had asked, poking her head between E’vrael and the picture in order to see it.

“A tree,” he answered, gesturing lightly to one nearby.

Well that can’t be hard. It’s nothing more than a brown line with a green circle on top.

“Oh no, a tree is far more than that! See how all the branches spread out and diverge again and again until they go from thicker than your arm to smaller than your finger? And each leaf is an individual, even though they blend together and harmonize from a distance. If you get close you can see that each differs subtly from the next. They aren’t all even the exact shade of green; there could be countless shades in one tree’s leaves! It’s quite lovely.”

You can be a little silly, Era, she had nearly purred, her head resting on her forepaws as she looked speculatively at the tree. But I do love hearing you talk that way. I suppose you are right.

Sekheth’s forepaws danced along the canvass in streaks, speckles, whatever struck her fancy as she carved out the shape and color of a tree from the plain parchment. If she could have smiled at it in satisfaction, she surely would have, but her performance was far from over. She was not far into her time at all. Sekheth carefully reached out a brown-painted claw and began to cut along the outline of her tree, extracting it from the main parchment.

She repeated the process until she had painted not one but five trees, and raised her head to let out a bugle.

A burst of golden bronze stood out against the clear sky as Othello made his appearance, dutifully taking one of the painted paper trees in his claws. Four more firelizards made their appearances, most bearing the marks of the flitter mail firelizards, appeared and took hold of the other trees. They took flight with them, raising the trees until they stood upright, a few feet taller than E’vrael.

As another bugle went out from the green, more firelizards appeared, and the new group began to weave their way through the parchment forest, letting out almost songbird-like trills all the while. Sekheth surveyed her masterpiece, but seemed to find it to her satisfaction, and the firelizards, with the exception of E’vrael’s Othello, disappeared. Othello swooped directly back to Era’s shoulder, snuggling into his neck and crooning as though expecting to be told what a wonderful job he had done, and E’vrael rewarded him with warm thoughts and an affectionate scratch along his eye-ridges.

That was beautiful, Sekheth…I loved it. His voice, though quiet, was positively glowing, and Sekheth walked proudly back to her rider, whose hand drifted to rest on her head.

I told you so.[/color]

[M'kel]

Oh my! I think...it may be....

THE RESULTS!

First Place: R'tivor and Aramunith (ability: 13, die: 5)

Second Place: Myari and Valyiath (ability: 15, die: 1)

Third Place: E'vrael and Sekheth (ability: 13, die: 2)

Bravo! Good show!