Dracothrope, of course, was too busy overlooking the new dragons that were romping or lolling on the dusty ground, some of which she knew, and some that she didn't. Only when the two small creatures were free of their bonds (in a purely inanimate sense) did she turn, and, at the disapproving glare of the rider, did she draw out her purse.

The rider's hand was raised--scratch-covered from Bkok's lovely sharp talons--to accept cash or credit, but when Dracothrope opened her wallet, only a single fly buzzed out.

A glare.

"Eh... heh." She fished around her little fabric wallet some more, and upon failure, fished in her pockets. Success! A credit disc made its way from her hand to his and he gave it a quick scan... the awkward silence filled only with a loud and probably dirty-mouthed 'bwuck!' on Bkok's behest... and then the rider returned her disc. She waved after him as he muttered and stalked away, smiling even as the mutt took to the air and disappeared.

The smile fell. Jeesh, what a day!

"Heya, Dray!" A ball of green fluff and hypnotically-striped wings appeared out of practically nowhere, coming to an abrupt halt right at Dracothrope's feet. "Whatcha drag home after that trip of yours?" Peer! Staccato made a 'cluck!' of curiosity, and Bkok's feathers FLOOFED as Sren, the little green ball of floof, gave them both prospective looks. "Bkok bonded at Cy Dragonstake," The human replied, and held out a finger even as Sren began tapping her spidery long ones together. "And no, you can't get your hands on Staccato; you treat him nicely." Point. Stare.

"Aw, I wasn't gonna do nothing to him!" Sren lied, grinning that cheshire grin of hers, "Though a nice chicken-dinner would be nice!"

Bkok crowed at her, wings fanning as he charged. It was a hilarious sight, and even Sren was cackling as the rooster-gryphon chased her off. "I was joking! Jooooookiiiiiiiing!" The little green dragon cried, cackling still as she ran. Only belatedly did Staccato follow, not wanting to leave his bond for even a moment.

Dracothrope sighed. There might be more 'acquisitions' here, but things were certainly still the same.

She made the trip up the long walk from the take-off field, up the steps of the generously sized verandah, and in through the human-sized 'cat-flap' door to the main room.

Bedlam met her.

A ball of red and black and white was wrestling on the floor just aft of the doorway--and none of it seemed to be Phoenix herself! Staring (and avoiding a tiny, horse-like creature that ricocheted from the door near her head, back into the fray), she took a moment to take it in. And then she cleared her voice. (No one heard her, of course!)

"Anyone seen Phe?!" She shouted, eliciting a sudden pause, along with various goofy grins or evil faces, or any combination thereof. Tails and fingers and wings pointed towards the biomechanical girl's inner lair, the door of which was currently closed. "Gee, thanks," Dray replied, and got an eerie, "no problem!" Before, of course, the bedlam of all of the Phoenix-coloured dragons et all once more ensued.

Dracothrope edged around the play-war and slipped directly into Phoenix's office--only to be faced with a flying paperweight! "GAH!"

Clunk!

She knew that was coming--

CLUNK!

That, on the other hand....

Two paperweights lay at her feet and two nice, fresh lumps were raising from her forehead, and Dracothrope was looking at least a little dazed. From the corners of Phoenix's ceiling, two creatures lurked. Brickyss, of course, was 'screeee!'ing and reloading for more ammo, but the unknown creature--some hooved thing that came in Phe's own colours, was waggling its tail and making a noise that she could only assume was cackling! "Pheeeeeeee!" The dragonoid-human cried, rubbing her head.

And, right near the back of the room in all of her lairy goodness, sat Phoenix, who was calling off her minions. (Minions?!) Oh, and the comfortingly familiar more form of Lha, her headcrest of feathers raised as she blinked and otherwise pretended not to laugh. Once Brickyss had settled, Phoenix threw her arms wide over her head. "Dray, you're back!"

"Yes....." She was pouting, now--and felt she had good reason, with those two sprouting lumps rivaling her long-established horns! "And... and who's that?"

"Who, Ashkenaz?" Phoenix pointed, and the creature in the corner flicked his forked tongue. "That's my new bond! Kind of by accident, but what can ya do?"

"You have two bonds now? Well that's not fair, I don't have even one!"

~You make it sound like they're marbles or something,~ Lha commented, finally composing herself.

"That's not it at all," Dracothrope parried, hands still on her head. "I just came home and there's all of these new dragons everywhere and I don't know a single one of them and..." she took a breath, "...and I don't get half of them anyways and if you have two bonds then why can't I get one?" Oh noes, she looked like she might be heading for a good sulk!

Not that Phoenix ever succumbed to sulkings! She chortled and gestured for Dray to come into the room--couldn't have her standing around like that, after all!--and wisely advised, "Who says you can't get one?"

"Um..."

~If you want a bond so badly, you could come up to the station with me,~ Lha suggested, ~Of course, if you're not planning on running off from it.~

Dracothrope pouted so wide that if a bird had seen her, she would have made ideal perching-space. "I wouldn't do that~!"

~Of course you wouldn't,~ Lha replied, unfolding a wing to nudge her with it. ~I was just joking with you!~

"Yeah... Well. S'not nice."

"Why don'tcha go, Dray?" Phe interrupted, flicking her black little ears. "I mean, now that Star City's closed down all of those public clutches, it's not like we can scam dragonets from there--" At a look from Lha, she hastened back--"adopt down and out dragonets from there, I mean--very often! But the Abstract Destiny seems open for business! Could head up there, unless you're lookin' for a mutt!"

Dracothrope hung her head. "Mutts don't usually like me." It was eerie how that worked. Put her in a room with a mutt--Atuan or otherwise--and invariably they'd get irritable around her! Go figure, huh?

~Well then come up with me,~ Lha persuaded. The Abstract Destiny's got bonds further from mutts then you could imagine. They're sure to be different in personality, as well...~

"You just want me to come to help you save some dragonets," Dracothrope accused, and Lha floofed a bit. The humanoid poked the white dragon in the side, adding, "Aw, don't get all worked up, I'm just joking with you!"

Phoenix, in the meantime, was tapping her clawed and chitinous fingers together. "I think it's a great idea! Keep each other company and you won't have to worry about anything!" While it was true that her face seemed plastered with an eternal grin, thanks to cyborwaric transmorgifications, she seemed to be smiling even wider now. "'Sides, you might even find someone you like!"