Patient-Dragon Confidentiality Is Totally A Thing, Right?
Posted on Jan 12, 2017 @ 3:39pm by Iphigenia Bonviva
Edited on on Jan 13, 2017 @ 12:58pm
Mission: Holodeck Havoc
Patient-Dragon Confidentiality Is Totally A Thing Right?
=/\=
Location: USS PHOENIX
Scene: Holodeck 1
Stardate: [2.17] 0111.2251
Iphie leaned in low towards the dragon, mesmerized that the closer she got the black of his scales were not only onyx but also had flecks of emerald, ruby, and amethyst deep within his scales. She leaned in low so that she was aligned with her large beast, “Let’s see how fast you can go.”
Digging in her toes into his stomach (or as close as she could go) she encouraged him to go faster and gripped the reins. The large beast let out a large roar, with fire cascading of its large mouth for miles. “Hope that was ok,” she smiled at the large beast.
The dragon responded in kind by beating his massive wings furiously, up and down, low against his belly and then so high that it almost encapsulated her for a moment, until he found his rhythm. But for those moments that he was angrily fighting against nature, the Bolian/Human felt a thrill that she would not name.
Loosening her grip on the reins, Iphie let herself take in the vista. The sea went on forever, sounds of it crashing creating a soothing lullabye. Looking up she was entranced by the white clouds sweeping by against the blue sky.
Tears stung her eyes suddenly. Closing her eyes, the indigo woman bowed her head down, hugging the dragon. She understood that this was not actually a sky, that this was not a sea below her…
But the tears were real.
This time the dragon let out a mournful cry, with no fire; and Iphie felt as if she understood him completely; or perhaps he understood her.
=/\=
Sitting on a cliff that overlooked the sea, far from where they had started, Iphie sat cross-legged, which was fairly easy as she on brown pants with a wrap over it and a belt tying it all together it. “Seriously though who put together this, I mean this top is *not* practical,” Iphie grumbled as she adjusted the gray top that tied behind her neck.
Scanning she saw the dragon paddling around, apparently stalking sheep up on the mountain top. “Hungry?” Iphie asked amused. The dragon ignored her as it suddenly leapt up in the air and with a *THUMP* landed down several hundred feet away from Iphie but next to the sheep, picked it up with massive teeth, flicked back his massive jaw, and as the sheep danced in mid-air, opened his massive dragon jaw open so the sheep could land in.
Iphie heard the *crunch* from where she was down the mountain.
This happened several more times, even with the dumb sheep moving. Finally the satiated dragon lumbered down the mountain and circled Iphie.
**Now would be a good time to remember if they put on the safeties,** Iphie thought to herself.
But instead the dragon sighed, clouds of smoke wafting out of his nose, and he collapsed on his large body next to hers, lying his head in her lap. When Iphie looked down at him his large amber eyes practically were begging her as she heard a rumble come up from deep within his system.
“You want to be petted now?” Iphie asked; the dragon seemingly rumbled in response.
“How smart are you?” Iphie asked but this time the dragon didn’t respond with any verbal cues. He did however, lean in when she petted his scales. “Ok, fine.”
That went on for a little while until out of nowhere Iphie said, “I’m sorry I cried on you earlier.” When the dragon gave something that was between a grunt and snort, releasing puffs of smoke although that may have been because Iphie slowed down her petting. Testing out if he was ok with her touching his horns, Iphie continued on, “I realized it's been some time since I’ve seen the sea or even the sky.”
The dragon settled his head to the side, indicating he liked his horns caressed. “I usually try to visit my sister once a year and then she’ll drag her kids out to see me also once a year. But we didn’t do that last year. She was busy being Boudicca of BOLARUS IX.” When the dragon snorted Iphie defended herself, “Yes I know I mixed a Terran reference with Bolarus please follow along with my point. Where was I? Oh yes, my sister.”
Leaning back on her elbows, the woman who was most comfortable behind a bar or a stove sighed at the open sky. “But I almost forgot what this felt like. It’s been so long, ya know?” As the dragon settled in more Iphie continued on, “I went to space when I was a teenager...I had to.” Iphie smiled wistfully at memories that played themselves like a kaleidoscope in her mind, “But my parents weren’t around like they should have been then but that’s ok I didn’t really get to know them until I was an adult. My grandmothers were were getting old though, that sucked. Horatio was in school, so that was out. Xana got her posting and sent for me. And off I went.”
She looked up at the sky, listened closely to the sea below and sighed. “I miss it,” she admitted softly. “I miss looking up and seeing *colors*. I miss hearing water out my window. I don’t think about it much anymore but...I miss it.”
The dragon moaned, deep sigh rumbling out past his thin lips as if to say “Flibbppt”.
“That was deep,” Iphie nodded. “By the way you’re not going to say anything are you? I mean I mean you can’t talk to me but you’re not going to talk to the other dragons right?”
Sparky, as Iphie had named him in her head, sighed and leaned in closer. “Well thank you for that reassurance.”
“Khaleesi,” a man called out.
“Act natural,” Iphie whispered to the dragon who burrowed his head into her lap. “I said *natural*,” she hissed.
“Khaleesi,” the man continued to call out. When he finally came close enough he bowed slightly and said, “Mother of Dragons, we should get ready.”
Iphie studied the man. He appeared to be a Human man with dark black hair hair on his head and beard, wearing a loose tan tunic, some kind of armor over that, and dark brown pants with several belts loosely around his hips that held various weapons. “Get ready?” she asked.
“You need to address your army,” he prompted. “It’s good you have your dragons--”
“Yeah Sparky and I were having some quality time,” Iphie explained.
That threw off the man. He moved his lips for some time before saying, “Are you--that is---Sparky?”
Pointing down to the large lumbering dragon happily resting his head in her lap Iphie smiled, “Him? Don’t tell me you missed him?”
“No of course not,” he assured her. “Khaleesi...it’s time.”
Iphie had no clue where she was dropped in the story, she just wanted to be with the dragon. She didn’t want to be with overbearing and smelly dude here. Sliding up and away from Sparky the Dragon she faced off against the dude in serious need of a wash. “You keep saying that like it means something,” she said. “Listen Captain Pirate Minus the Peg-Leg--”
“Did you have a bad experience on Drogon? You know I am Daario,” the man told her.
Iphie rolled her gray eyes so hard she was surprised she didn’t see her brain. “Look you’re a rum shot away from being in a bad-uh-novel so let’s focus.”
The man walked towards her, his arms coming together like a prayer, imploring her, “You’ve brought your army here...now you must lead them across the great sea--”
Swinging her arms out wide, Iphie finally got control enough to hold out a hand in a STOP motion. There were many people in this universe who wanted power, who wanted to serve. She was related to a great number of them. However, Iphie had no desire for any of that. The mere thought of going before a large (or even medium) number of people and being *responsible* gave her hives. No thank you, have a nice day. The indigo woman knew who she was, and at this point in life, she was comfortable with it. Her sister could take over the universe, she had a brother who wanted to take care of everyone. Currently Iphie was serving on a ship with a bunch of people who either wanted to lead or die for the entire Federation. Admirable but so not in her playbook.
And all Iphie wanted to do was be left with her food and liquor, thank you very much..
“Well I could agree with you but then we’d both be wrong,” Iphie smiled.
Captain Pirate Minus the Peg-Leg grabbed her hand. “You MUST come with me.”
Suddenly a flash of memory came into Iphie’s head from not long after she moved in with Xana. Xana had been gone a mission, not for very long, but when she came back she had to go right to Sickbay. It was late when Xana came stumbling home in a gray uniform that was worse for wear, Xana’s bodied still looking beat up.
Promise me, Iphie. Shut up, just listen. When the time comes, you’ll just say “No.” It’s a complete sentence. Promise me now, Iphie. Say you understand.
Iphie promised, and Xana walked into her room. They never talked about it explicitly, but every so often Xana would make her promise again. Iphie fleetingly wondered if Xana made her kids make the same promise.
“NO!” Iphie yelled as she tried to yank her arm back to no avail.
Evidently that was all she had to do to get Sparky’s attention (or Drogon if Captain Pirate Minus the Peg-Leg was correct). The large dragon stood up, kicked his front legs, smoke puffing out of his nose, sparks dancing out. Then when Captain Pirate Minus the Peg-Leg didn’t immediately drop Iphie’s arm, Sparky lifted his massive head to the sky and let out a massive roar the vibrations of which shook the earth sending both to the ground.
Iphie recovered first, and when Sparky lowered his left wing she used that as a ladder scampering up that to his back.
With that Sparky beat his wings furiously so they could go up in the air where they were met by two other dragons who looked like him. As Iphie held onto his red and black horns, she realized that Sparky was waiting to see if Iphie was going to direct him to hurt Captain Pirate Minus the Peg-Leg.
“Well don’t roast him,” Iphie sighed.
That was enough for Sparky who opened his mouth; large flames of blue, orange and red flames came tumbling out and scorched the earth near Captain Pirate Minus the Peg-Leg but not on him.
“And dude, pirates are sooo last year,” Iphie informed him, much to the prone man’s confusion.
With that Iphie, on Sparky, went flying off into the horizon with Sparky’s two siblings.
=/\=
NRPG: Iphie is back in the air after having a Counseling session with Sparky (it’s a very appropriate name for a dragon I think) ;-)
=/\=
Sarah Albertini-Bond
~writing for~
Iphie Bonviva
We’ll both be completely at home in midair
We’re flying -- not walking -- on featherless wings
We can hold on to love like invisible strings
--Gonzo from “I’m Going To Go Back There Someday”