"Aw royt," she addressed thle lot of them, "Yew all know whot your heah foh, 'en? Th'Ministah callin' a meetin' an havin' yew all gathehed heah so's Iy c'n ship yew off wherevah 't pleases yeh?" She tapped her stylus against the holopad that was nearly swallowed up in her left hand. Most of the dragons just stared at her. "Aw yew deaf o' somethin'?!" She asked, very slowly and very loudly. Dumb offworlder dragons, didn't often seem to understand most languages, save their petty little homeland dialects. Hmph!

"Pardon me... madame Thorkeve?" a timid young bird, white ruff up all over his head and looking like he just came spittin' out of a dryer, stepped forward, squinted at her name tag, and then gave a little birdy-bow. "We mostly understand you. We're here because anyone interested in flying offworld... was asked to attend? Am I right in that the Station will be providing travel fare to whichever destination we choose?"

"That's abowt royt, yep," Thorkeve nodded, squinting over at the gryphon. She was nearly eye-level with the big bird, after all! "So this's how eht's gonna go: Iy'm gonna list off th'place, and then if theh's anydraggie who wants a roll with yeh's, and yew lot tell me if yew wants t'go, aw royt?" She paused, gave those gathered a hard stare, and then continued, "And if any o' yew laydees fancy a tumble, but don't wanna do eht heah, Iy'll sees if Iy c'n ship yew out with the mens!"

Some of those gathered simply blinked, not comprehending her heavy accent, others nodded along patiently--or not, as their personalities dicated. Thorkeve cleared her throat--a thunderous sound, that, and began to recite on down through the list. "Draco's Infuhno Weyh, they've got one lady-lass waitin', but she's a prissy one, wants only the big fella's. Come on, then, some-a yew in the back, theyh!" The giant swung her stylus at a large bronze who had snuck into the meeting a few moments late.

The bronze, one of those Pern-buggers that Thor' kept hearing about and seeing everywhere, swung his head up, his eyes whirling in blues, touched with yellows and purples. Oh, I'm just back from a big frenzy, actually, I--

"Nonsense," Thor' interrupted, "Whot dragon doesn't wanna 'nothah romp when he c'n get 'is claws on it? Whot's yer name, boy?"

Chroquanth, actually. The bronze tossed his head. And since you're so adamant, mind telling me who I'm chasing?

"Qee-rah-lith, a big black lass," the assistant replied, sounding out the name.

Chroquanth nodded, grinned. It's always good to know the lady's name, of course. I hope she doesn't have a bond waiting for a human or something on my part. I'm unbonded. His mind-voice was proud, of course, moreso in that he, a mostly Old-World dragon had managed to thrive for so many years on his own.

"No worries," Thorkeve tossed her big mitt of hand at him, "Along with fayr'n housing, if yeh need filler, we've got plenty o' big handsome men and laydee folks waiting to accompany yeh." She winked, a gesture directed at those biped bonds more then at the dragons, "Thehr rehlly good at they're particular jobs, if yeh know whot ay mean!" She winked again and recieved a chuckle or two. "Now 'en, any more for this Qeerahlith lass?"

"Well, maybe not for chasing," a female came forward and spoke, this one, of all things, a Star City born mutt! Thorkeve hmphed at her, but this didn't dissuade the mostly bronze female. "I'd like to visit Draco's Inferno, actually. I was talking to one of the candidates when they came to stand for a clutch here, and it sounds interesting. Cold, maybe but Torval and I can handle it."

"If you think I'm going to skip out on work again just so you can chase--or be chased, whatever, at some offworld place, you're kidding yourself, Meroclaisen." A silver-haired human set his hands on his hips and glared up at the multicoloured mutt. "If she's going," he addressed Thorkeve, "she'll have to go by herself, or with one of those flight-fillers. I'm a busy man."

Thorkeve gave a shrug--the motion like the rolling of hills--and snrked at the pair. Meroclaisen, the bronze, was pouting at her bond, but the human remained adamantly against leaving the station, himself. "Whatever suits yer fancy, 'en." And she jotted down their names. After waiting for a few more moments for others, she moved on to the next site on her list. "Now 'en, next 'ere's Sehr-yoo Weyh, an' they's anotheh hoity-toity dragon-ess lookin' fer a high-rankeh, however yoo werk that out. Th'name's Chilleh-doth, a gold, an' all that"

I'm high enough a ranker. A large brown--as large even as the single bronze attending--took a step forward and tilted his head. My name's Stutasenth, and you'd better bring a good human to sub for me, because I don't want that gold's rider disappointed when I catch her. He snorted and tossed Thorkeve a high and mighty look, like he owned the bloody place.

"Fine, 'en. Arrogant lad," the giant muttered, and waited for any other of the dragons to speak up. There really weren't that many high-rankers, here. At least, not as far as Thor' could tell. She wasn't used to this whole 'rank' thing, not when the dragons of Star City were judged solely on their personalities and abilities, like any other creature of the station. After a few moments, no one spoke, and again she moved on to the next site. "Dahrkling Dawn wants a few chaysehrs and maybe a laydee'r two. I knows a few've you're from thahr, so speak up!"

"What's the names of some of the risers, dear 'Madame' Thorkeve?" a little copper brute, a Wyld if she was certain of anything, asked her. He would have rolled his eyes at her if he'd any pupils. As it was, he gave her the most attitude-beridden look she'd ever seen, made her want to throttle that long neck of his.

"Hmph! Antih-leeath is lookin' fer just about any'n who's got a mind t'chase'er. Ee-ehn-pay-ah's lookin' fer some'n who's bond's 'f vampehric perswayshun, but Ay don't buhlieve th'tanyone heyr fits that mold. Last's Zet--..." She paused, squinted at the long, peculiar name, and then said it out slowly, "Zet-awr-eeon-is-th--by th'Father, that's a name if ehver Ay heard one! She'll be lookin' f'r more of 'em big brutes, and little'un's if they're fancy shamncy." Meaning rares, of course, but what, exactly, was a rare? The same little copper dragon spoke up again, almost as soon as she'd finished.

"We'll take to Antliath's flight," he announced, prodding a smaller gold and brown dragon foward, with him. "I'm Mineath, this is Ziage, and if it gets us off this damn station for even a few weeks, we're there." He nodded shortly, then glared at the giant until she jotted their names down. "I'll be damned if that Minister who had us drugged and dragged here in the first place is allowed to keep us forever." Huffing, he and the smaller, wide-eyed Ziage melted back into the crowd.

You said Darkling Dawn, Thorky? This time a much larger dragon, a clouded brown, tilted his head with an uncharacteristicly curious light in his opalescant eyes.

"Yeh, y'lookin' to go?" She responded, ignoring the bloody rude shortening of her name.

Back. Hatched there. He snorted and ducked down, speaking for a moment with his rider, a green-haired lass who had some neon-neo-punker look going on around her. Again that big, blocky head rose above the other dragons, and he spoke again. I want to chase that Z-name lady. Bhijoth, spelled with an 'h'. Put me down.

"And tell'em I'm not gonna bug her rider or some shit like that," the green-haired girl added, arms crossed over her leather jackets. "I c'n find my own ride."

Thorkeve snorted and added them, and was about to move on to the next site when a little, gold-striped green intervened. Oh! Oh, Bhijoth and Susie are going to Darkling Dawn! We'll go, too!

What the hell are you talking about, Kakanorii? You're too dumb to rise. Bhijoth huffed and glared at his half-sibling.

Oh no, I can do it. Marie would so love to go back with Susie and all, and I think it would be fun!

I'll bet you won't even know what to do when you get there, the brown retorted, growling now.

"Aw royt now, calm down yew two, Ay don't wanna fight oh nothin'. 'F she wants teh go, then she gets teh go, 'kay?" The assistant shot them both a doomful stare, and they quieted down. "Now 'en. Wot's yer name again? Kaka-whotsit?"

Kakanorii, but you can call me 'Norii! The green all but giggled. Thorkeve paused and stared at her, and then added her name as a riser. Greens... did not seem to be very intelligent. At least, not these ones.

"Royt 'en. Anybody else?" Silence from the whole group, just the way Thorkeve liked it. Unfortunately, there was still one more site on the list, so it couldn't last for long. With a wistful sigh, she announced, "Last up, th'Vella Crean. Got a few lasses 'ere, a yellow-green Las-eenath who wants handsome lads, some... red dragon Al-eeath--beh, dark draggies only it says 'ere, and a whoyt-green Jaymee-eth. Aneh takers?"

If Lacinath's looking for dark dragons, I might as well go. A black male, one who was sitting next to the bronze Chroquanth, in fact, nodded slowly. I haven't been there before, anyways. He sounded about as enthusiastic as a dishwasher at the end of a banquet. Lorevyceth, he added, before Thorkeve could ask him his name.

And I, A white-gold dragon piped up, I'll be there to pleasure the beautiful Lacinath.

You haven't even met her yet, how could you know what she looks like? A red asked from beside him.

Because, my dear, Oropuiivth knows all! She'll never want another dragon again, after she's had me. He smirked and tossed his snow-white head. Besides, how could such a pairing produce anything but beautiful offspring? If she's looking for a handsome dragon, she'll find him in me.

Thorkeve snorted out loud, but added his name any how. "Ay hope yer libido's as puffed up's'yer head, offworlder, or you'll get nothin' but sass." Which he probably deserved! Oh well, it would serve the bugger right. "'N that's all 'f it. Th'rest of yew had'jor chance, so giht!" And with that, the meeting was ended. By all that was holy, she hoped there wouldn't be another one of these soon... pain in the butt, they were... still, she sent the list to Siche. Soon most of these beasts would be off of the station, and that, at least, brightened the rest of Thorkeve's day.