2024-07-20 - You think they aren't screaming?!

Rioth had been straining to listen, to understand.

Emotions ran high all around her constantly, and she would strain to make sense of all of the social cues outside of her confines, and the moment she thought she would understand the way things were supposed to work, the ground would be whipped out from beneath her and she'd have to start all over again.

Time had begun to solidify into days, hours, even minutes, and that had only given her more things to count as time and again, the idea of rank and color would seep and bleed into people's minds. Sometimes it would inspire; Rioth would note how things would get done when directions were clear and there were duties to perform. Size seemed to help.

More often though, the matter of color and destiny would simply make everyone miserable. And now she could count the days and hours when it would happen to those around her.

It hadn't been Shayled's fault, really - rather, the fact that it had been Shayled thinking those thoughts, Gwillanth's human partner and one to whom Rioth attempted to look up to, was the thing that did finally did it.

With a whirl of a tempestuous toccata, Rioth finally snapped.

"You CUT THAT OUT!"

She thrashed upward against the pointed part of her egg; the movement rather difficult, now - but easier to make the thing wriggle somewhat. That, at least, was somewhat satisfying.

"I don't CARE if Mother hears this. This is ALL I HEAR from humans. All the time, all of it, and it's making all of your dragons worried. Mother. Picked. You. She could be blue! She could be green! She loves you and you love her and Perte loves her!

"You don't think you can do whatever that was you were thinking? You want to scream? SO DOES EVERYONE ELSE. You think Amind and Nillipa aren't screaming?! All those people in those songs, you think they're not also screaming?! That is why they are IN those songs, they do their things, anyway, even if their colors are different or their duties seem WAY TOO MUCH TO DO. You do what needs to be done!"

She stopped in a huff. And screamed, herself; it was loud and it was frustrated.

And at the end of that scream, she curled up tightly; had she not been enshelled, she'd fling herself on the ground in a sulk.

"Scream, fine. I don't care. I'm right. I didn't want to hear those things from you, too. I thought you knew better. Mother, my Mother, your Gwillanth knew who she wanted. She knew what you can do. She still knows what you can do. She wouldn't pick anyone less."