Head in the Clouds (Craig)

[Craig Jamerson]

Craig considered the notion. "I guess it makes sense, when you put it like that. I'd always wondered where her fascination with the concept came from, but considering her dearest friend could fly innately and she was around him 24/7, I suppose the thought would cross one's mind. After that, I imagine it'd actually get to be pretty hard to shake the thought." He slipped the matches back into his pocket and pulled a drag from the cigarette simultaneously.

Craig was surprised that this girl, the only other Draconian he had met to his knowledge, had the same fantasy of being able to fly without wings as the last one. Either great coincidence was at work or his point was being proven. Being around Dragons could do that, he guessed. Maybe it was different for them, too. Craig had never flown on a Dragon and could hardly relate. He supposed it would be an exhilarating experience as well as mildly frightening for a first-timer. He looked at the Dragon and wondered if he would be permitted for such a thing before shaking the foolish thought from his mind.

Just then, the Dragon's head moved closer to Craig, who froze. Could this Dragon read his mind or something? Talon's snout and massive jaw stopped just inches from Craig's hand and sniffed. Ah, so he hadn't been acquainted with cigarettes before. He looked disillusioned with the idea of cigarettes, but did puff out a plume of smoke at Craig (who completely misunderstood the creature's body language). "If you don't like the smoke, you shouldn't sniff at it. It's hardly reason to blow smoke in my face." Craig took a few steps back, waving his hand to disperse the smoky air before taking in a different sort of smoke.

[Tayva Aschaund]

Tayva watched as Talon blew a ring of smoke in the direction of Craig, before letting out a small giggle and helping him to wave some of the smoke away. "He's not familiar with cigarettes, or the idea of another creature able to create smoke. It's more of a challenge really, which I think he won." she explained with a grin, watching as the looming dragon gave the man a smug look with his tooth-filled maw, before turning to Tayva. She smiled, finding a small soft spot under his neck, then began to scratch there. Talon's eyes fluttered for a moment, he growl-like breathing softening into something more akin to a light purr, enjoying having the space between his softer scales scratched.

"Have you ever flown before? I should take you to do so sometime. It's rather scary at first, but after awhile you start to get used to it. There's no better way to get inside the mind of a flying creature than to experience it firsthand." the Draconian offered with a smile. Of course Talon wasn't all that fond of strangers, but this one seemed harmless enough to be around. He wasn't quite comfortable about the idea of leaving them alone though. Not just yet anyways. The man had just come out of nowhere after all, and there were many threats in the world still unknown to them.

[Craig Jamerson]

Craig chuckled modestly at the correction. "I see. Well in that case, he certainly has won." The woman proposed taking Craig for a flight on Talon and Craig's expression changed to one of uncertainty. He looked the Dragon over carefully, attempting to gauge it's reaction to her suggestion; he failed, naturally, having little knowledge of the body language of Dragons. He turned to her instead, relying on her personal expertise with this particular Dragon. "If it's alright with Talon, sure," he replied and quickly added, "But I don't want to push any limits. If he's not alright with it, I'd much rather not step on his toes." The thought of flying on a Dragon's back was certainly a tempting one. He had been on Red's Dragon's back before when they feared they were to be attacked by another Dragon but hadn't actually flown. Craig took another drag from his half-gone cigarette before dropping it on the ground and squashing it out with the toe of his shoe. "Again, if he's okay with it, I am. I've never done that before, though, and I imagine that there's a certain technique to doing so. You'll need to teach me so I don't get myself killed up there," he explained, uncertainty apparent in his brown eyes.

[Tayva Aschaund]

Upon hearing his concern, Tayva looked over toward her dragon, who was still enjoying a good scratch under his neck. The dragon paused, opening one reptilian eye that looked back at her, and there were a few moments of silence, as if an entire conversation was being conducted between the two. The girl then smiled, finishing her tending to the dragon, releasing him from her hold.

"He says that wont be a problem, but you'll need to hold on well." Tayva explained, allowing the dragon to kneel close to the ground, wings tucked in tight to allow access to his backside. There was a small section between the end of his neck and the lower half of his torso where there were no fin-like spikes, the preferred place to sit. She slipped herself on, close to the base of Talon's neck before glancing over at Craig, who still looked somewhat uncertain.

"Just come sit in behind me and hold on tight. I've done this plenty of times before, though never with another rider. I promise we wont let anything happen." she smiled, extending out her feminine hand to his, encouraging him to climb aboard the large dragon. Any excuse to show someone why she felt so strongly about the gift of flight was good enough for her. And being around the mountains meant that both she and Talon were familiar enough with the area, a place where their kind were rarely bothered by humans, or other beings that would seek to do them harm.

[Craig Jamerson]

Craig looked over at his creation. He had come out here to test and train it (and still intended to), but this offer to ride on a Dragon's back was utterly irresistable. He seemed to be enjoying himself anyways. "Stay within a hundred yards of this spot," he commanded it before turning to Talon. Craig approached the Dragon cautiously, looking for any signs of aggravation from the creature. He made his way to stand just in front of the creature's wings and hosted himself up the way he had seen Tayva do it (though he was new to this and performed the act much less gracefully than she had). Before he realized it, he was atop the beast. "Whoa," he said, clearly nervous and awestruck. The Dragon was firm below him, but surprisingly not as uncomfortable as he'd imagined. He could feel the being's warmth and felt a small pang of confidence roil within his chest. The creature's strength and power was nearly tangible when mounted and a shiver slipped along Craig's spine. He clutched to Tayva tightly, hands firmly clasped about her. "Okay," he started, anxiety dimming. "I'm ready." Craig braced himself for the ride of his life.

[Tayva Aschaund]

Tayva grinned as she watched Craig slide onto Talos' back, seeming almost uncertain of what he was to expect. However his expression was quick to change, which brought the girl some ease. At least he wasn't changing his mind at the last moment, which she expected somewhat. After all, dragons could be rather intimidating creatures, especially for those who weren't used to being around them that often like she was. To those that actually knew they existed, there was less to fear about them.

Feeling him slide his arms around her waist to hang on, the girl couldn't help but blush slightly, which she tried to hide. "Alright, now hold on tight!" she reminded, grinning all the while before giving a mental nod to Talos, who stood tall once more. He would have to take things easy to ensure that they didn't lose a rider. Splaying out his massive wings, he thrust them down a few times, creating a powerful updraft which lifted his figure up into the air. A few more flaps like that were enough to get them above the trees, before he shifted forward and began his ascent toward the clouds. Tayva was used to the quick ascent, though she had instructed the dragon not to ascend too vertically, in case their new passenger was to lose his grip in the awe of the moment.

[Craig Jamerson]

The Dragon stood below him and Craig felt more uncertain than other. He wasn't going to back out now, though; this was too amazing an opportunity for him. As the creature's wings unfurled, Craig clenched his lips tightly in anticipation and pulled himself closer to the Draconian. His head turned to the left, he saw the wings beat down to lift them up and felt the muscles below him move in accordance with the body. Craig let a small smile break through. I'm flying on a Dragon, he thought to himself with a sort of giddiness.

As the Dragon began it's ascent, Craig tightened his grip on Tayva's waist, knowing now was the most likely time for him to die. However, he couldn't help but lean out a liiiiiiittle bit. They were a long ways up and he could see quite a distance from here. Talos beat his wings in a steady rhythm, bringing them higher with every pulse. Soon, they broke the clouds and Craig felt like he was in a movie scene. It was cold, but the pure exposure only heightened the experience. Bareback on a Dragon. Unreal. Craig breathed deeply, wondering what the air tasted like up here and smiled to himself at the carefree silliness he was indulging him. This was very atypical, indeed. "Thank you," he finally said. He reached down to gently place his hand on the dragon, though still held to Tayva with his right. "Thank both of you. This is truly awesome." It seemed to Craig as if the expanse of wispy trails bloomed out forever in every direction from them. Except where there weren't and those served as little lenses for viewing the terrain far below. It was extraordinarily scenic. Exhilarating and initially worrying at first, as imagined, he thought to himself, answering his earlier hypothesis. He smiled deeply and rested his cheek on Tayva's back, looking out as far as he could for a few serene moments. "Are airplanes ever a concern? Or what about satellites?" Craig asked, the curious, analytical side suddenly showing itself again.

[Tayva Aschaund]

Tayva had experienced the sensation of flying on the back of a dragon a number of times before, but each time always filled her with a sense of wonder, as if each time was her very first time riding up through the clouds, with the freedom that only birds would have normally enjoyed. Talos had taken to circling about now, dodging and weaving through the different clouds that surrounded them with what appeared to be little effort.

As Craig thanked them both for the experience, Tayva couldn't help but smile. She never had the chance to share her experiences with others, especially when she was supposed to be keeping her heritage a secret. Still, it made her feel warm inside that she could make another person understand not only the majesty of dragons, but the amazing sensation of flight that she wished to experience for herself.

"Not a problem. I bet you can see why I've always envied the marvels of flight." she explained with a grin, keeping her arms clenched around the neck of Talos, more for the comfort of their passenger. "As for planes, the clouds are a great aid in hiding from them. Rarely are they ever a problem, but they're loud enough to hear from quite a ways away, and the surrounding clouds always provide a way to remain hidden from them." the girl continued to explain, as Talos suddenly lurched down. The dragon felt a little playful, and so began to dive downward in a spiral, for his own amusement.

[Craig Jamerson]

Craig nodded in understanding as he processed the information. His question answered, he looked around at the expansive scenery, taking in the vibrant blue sky, the vapory tufts of cloud about them, the carpet of vegetation spread out far below them, and the birds veering carefully out of their path.

"WHaaha-haaahuhaa!!!!" Talos had plunged downwards suddenly, pulling them into a spiral that must've been practiced before. Craig, however, was caught fully off guard and was unable to suppress a yelp of surprise. "Whoa, whoa, stop!" he pleaded with his eyes clamped shut, arms viced onto Tayva, and forehead pressed to her back.

When finally they had pulled out of the screeching downward spiral, Craig moaned at the action. "Oh, thank you, thank you. Sweet dear God, thank you. Ooooooh!!!" He expressed, forehead still pushing against Tayva's back as he steadied himself. "Please let's not do that again," he asked of the pair. Craig was frankly surprised at how quickly they had accumulated speed and was a little shaken. "What's the fastest you've gone?" he managed.

[Tayva Aschaund]

Fortunately for Tayva she wasn't all that shaken. While it was a thrill each time they managed to pull the trick off, it was something that they didn't do very often, as it made both the rider and the dragon fairly dizzy. And for first timers it was something that would last forever in memory, especially considering the response that Craig had given off during and after the experience, causing Tayva to respond with a small grin.

"A little faster than that," Tayva started, looking down at the now-closer ground. "The faster you want to go, the higher up you need to be. Of course one also needs to maintain complete control. Imagine if we weren't able to stop..." That very thought caused the Draconian to swallow, for she did not want to think about such consequences.

Feeling Craig clinging onto her for his dear life, she figured that the Human could use a break from their little flight to return to the ground. With a short mental command to Talos, the large red dragon began to descend carefully to the ground that they had started from, by his car. His outstretched wings allowed for a safe and easy landing,and once firmly on the ground he settled down onto the ground below, to allow the riders a chance to slip back down onto solid ground.

[Craig Jamerson]

Craig lifted his leg over the neck of the creature before sliding to the ground, losing his balance and barely stopping himself from faceplanting with his hands. He regained himself and stood up, turning to the Dragon and it's rider. "That was definitely something I won't be forgetting," he stated, slightly out of breath. Nibbles came bounding out of the thick foilage towards Craig, who carefully folded his hands behind his back and ignored the oncoming creature's jubilation at seeing it's master. Nibbles screeched to a stop just before colliding with Craig and sat patiently on it's haunches, waiting for a command. Craig continued ignoring him, electing instead to speak further with the Draconian Tayva and the fire-red Dragon. "If I can do anything to help either of you, let me know and I'll see what can be done about it. Unless you have something else you wanted to talk about or ask me, I'll be training with Nibbles now."

[Tayva Aschaund]

Tayva soon slid off the dragon's back as well, after a quick pat on the back of the creature's neck. "It was no problem of mine. I really need to socialize more often anyway." Tayva grinned. Having to keep such a big secret made it tough for her to have 'normal' friends, normal simply meaning humans who were ignorant of the existence of dragons. Just like she had been what felt like a long time ago.

"Actually now that you mention it..." the Draconian added, looking back to Talos once more. The man had mentioned some agreement with his old friend about getting her to fly. Perhaps he had made some kind of progress, and could lend her a hand as well. "You mentioned before you were helping your friend with the ability of fly. If you've made any progress on the task, perhaps I could get in on that as well?"

She hoped that he had a better understanding now on why she wanted to fly so badly, and why his friend had wanted the same thing. After all it was hard to imagine the glory of flight until it was experienced first hand. And despite the fear he had shown during their little downward spiral, it at least got some positive response out of the human.

[Craig Jamerson]

"It was no problem of mine. I really need to socialize more often anyway." Tayva responded pleasantly. Craig smiled politely with a nod. Thinking she was finished, he looked to Nibbles and began to turn when he heard her interjection.

"Actually now that you mention it..." she began and Craig turned to look at her. She glanced at Talos and returned her attention back to Craig before explaining, "You mentioned before you were helping your friend with the ability of fly. If you've made any progress on the task, perhaps I could get in on that as well?"

Craig chuckled at her question. "You Draconians," he teased good-naturedly. "It's actually a bit more complicated than you might imagine. You see, I'm a bioengineer. That's how Nibbles," he gestured to the rat-lizard, "Came to be. I spliced genetic codes from different species to create a new species. However, I can't simply do that to make a Draconian fly." Fully involved now, he was becoming somewhat animated. "It's about what codexes are for what things in your mRNA helices... that is, what strands of DNA serve what purpose? After identifying this, one must interpose the purpose strand into the host's codex." Craig narrowed his eyes slightly, "It's not that easy, either, though. You can't just put it in any old place. You have to find where the purpose strand would align properly with the host's codex. Also, you have to make sure that the interjection of that strand won't be removing any important strands from the host lest you take away an important body part or function. While you might be willing to sacrifice a left ear lobe, you don't want to lose your ability to see. So you have to carefully evaluate that against the interlock code of the strand's edges on compatible points. After all of that, you can construct a theoretical model to analyze the probability of success. If the margin of error is less than 1%, it is considered safe for testing. We were, of course, going to go with a higher margin of error, considering the shady nature of this whole operation, but if the margin of error is greater than 10%, even I would be unwilling to approach it. Also, all host and Dragon DNA is going to be different, requiring replication of the process for every case. If you're still interested, however," Craig summarized, pulling a syringe from the inside of his coat, "Then I'll need blood samples and patience." A dark eyebrow raised questioningly, awaiting Tayva's decision. "Well?"

[Tayva Aschaund]

It was obvious that Tayva was having a bit of difficulty following along with his thought process, but she did manage to come to the conclusion that it was going to be a long difficult process if such a thing were to be possible. Still, to be able to have any chance at all was better than to have none. If she could wait this long to be able to even have a shot, she was more than happy to wait a little longer to achieve what she wanted.

"I don't mind waiting." Tayva concluded, extending her bare arm toward him as she saw him remove the syringe from a little pocket in his coat. "Any chance is better than none after all. And I trust that if anyone could make it happen, it'd be you." the girl added with a smile, glancing down at his little hybrid. The man seemed to be very intelligent toward this sort of thing, due to the creation by his feet, and the way he explained the process of manipulating the genes.

"I would love to see where you work sometime. I bet its fascinating." she added. Tayva knew that Talos wouldn't be able to travel within populated areas in his true form, so she gave a nod and a mental question to Talos, to change back to a human form. They were after all not too far from the road, and it was better to play things safe. With a small unhappy huff (as the dragon hated to maintain a human form), the creature began to shrink down, draconic features vanishing as he took on the appearance of a 24 year old male.

[Craig Jamerson]

Craig looked the girl over, weighing carefully for a moment as he considered her bare arm. She seemed extremely obligatory; clearly one willing to go through great pains to be blessed with the power to fly. Craig shrugged in conclusion and nodded. "I suppose I could..." he mused.

"I would love to see where you work sometime. I bet its fascinating," the girl said. Craig chuckled at this. "I've worked there for a long time now, really. I suppose it may've lost a tad of it's luster, but overall, yes, it's a fascinating field. Certainly something with potential for exploration, too." Talos snorted, seemingly unpleased before suddenly he seemed to move. It was an odd thing for the shift came at an inward direction and Craig couldn't help but stare as the Dragon shrunk into a Human male with black hair, a stark jaw, and generally striking features; an attractive facade. He looked between the two. "That'll make the donation more easy, I'm sure. The actual studying of the strands and splicing, though, is a strenuous process. If you don't mind my asking, what would I get for my efforts?" he inquired, business-side showing through slightly.