Abracadabra! [Levi's Hatching]

[Rowana]

N'rik knew Tenlie by sight if not very well. He waved happily at her. His excitement over salamandyrs made him seem even younger than he now was. Of course, Alph was still gloomy and N'rik was sure the brown was keeping the babies as far away as possible. Maybe if Corvin did want to Impress he should stand farther away. Why did Tenlie seem so nervous anyway? It wasn't like the new guy was anything special but for the odd way he talked. Tenlie talked odd too, maybe they had more in common?

"Not all of them are so noisy," N'rik explained, petting Alph proudly. Not that he would mind if his brown was loud, but being quiet seemed to suite him better. "I'm N'rik and this is Alph," he continued as the boy introduced himself. "Ophi's outside, since he's so big and all." Well, he wasn't that big for a dragon, but gone were the days he could follow his boy inside that was certain.

~

Hoayamae was beside herself. She'd let the little witch have her sandy nest. She'd hardly had any choice, but still she had allowed it. She'd resigned herself to the fact the hatching would likely take place here. Honestly, she was going to have to set a rule against eggs in her Hall and that still probably wouldn't stop them from coming. Mae had even made some extra bowls of meat from tonight's meat pasties for the little ones. But at no point did she see she had to allowed the pests into her kitchen.

"You!" she bellowed at Kyr'n as he entered hastily. "Out! No pests in here!" Kyr'n scowled darkly at her. How dare she order him around! He started to protest, but Mae was already shoving a small bowl of food into his hands and pushing him out the back entrance. "Shoo!" Kyr'n glared at her, but took his retreat gratefully. At least she hadn't made him go back into the chaos. Mae meanwhile, had other problems. She heaved up a few more bowls and stalked out of the kitchen into the crowd. Rolling her eyes at the mess they were making, she set the bowls on a few outlying tables, then found Osnat near the eggs. "I trust you'll help me clean up this mess?" she asked, wrinkling her nose at the sand.

Mae's eyes scanned the crowed, amused by those who had chosen to come, or at least not run. She frowned a moment. Weedling her way into the crowd, she found Rosanna and caught her by the arm. "Aren't yah a candidate? Stars and shells, girl, are yah asking for trouble? Where's yer Master? Shirking again if I know riders."

[Ruby]

"Well, when you say it that way..." T'ri drawled with a smile, shooting Roselle a mock long-suffering look - but it was tinged with concern. What was that look for? Avoiding eye contact? This couldn't be about the flight, could it? Well, he'd deal with that once Cairenn was gone. Before Roselle shooed the girl off, though, T'ri knelt to reach Cairenn's level (being over six feet, their height difference was quite drastic) and put a hand on her shoulder, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial tone that Roselle should JUST be able to catch. "You listen to your auntie, she's a smart lady. I'm not all bad, though. If you ever need anything, let me know," he added somewhat louder, then let the girl find her way into the crowd. With a pretty twitter, Cristal asked if she could go too, and T'ri shrugged, dislodging the flit as he stood up. "As long as she doesn't mind having you," he told the Green, who immediately disappeared between and landed on Cairenn's head again, chatting pleasantly at the girl.

Once they were alone - or as alone as they could be, on the outskirts of a loud crowd - T'ri crossed his own arms, raising an eyebrow under the brim of his fashionable woven hat. It even had feathers in it. When Roselle continued to refuse to look at him, he nudged her arm with his elbow, and would continue poking at her until she looked. When she did, he cocked his head to the side, somehow managing to look both offended and sad-puppyish at once. "So, what's up? You've been avoiding me. Is it the flight? I mean, Henny's a dick, I'm sorry about that." Look who's talking,[/i] the Blue grumbled, flicking a wing in his Rider's direction in a well-rehearsed symbol of dismissal. T'ri obviously couldn't see his Blue, but he felt the gesture and it made him snort vaguely. Hopefully his blank eyes would signal to Roselle that that one gensture was for Henny and not for her, but who knew. Girl could be infuriating when she tried. "Like, really though, I don't know much of what happened. When Henny does that... thing, he does, during flights, I really... It's not me, you know? So, like, I really don't know the deets."

--

Shells was busy bowing and scraping and thanking Leviathan for the honor when Asshat somehow snatched the throne right out of his grasping paws. Oh no, Shells said, deadly quiet. Asshat fatal err made. Levitan like Shells better, already re-give throne to his. Asshat in vrong, he make own throne if want. No fropane Levi's presence with inverior brown poo-color hide. Get 'way from her prefectionness. The Bronze hadn't attacked yet - it was only a matter of time, and he stalked around the base of the sand pile, hissing and flashing his enormous frill at the Brown. Asshat foolface! No deserve! King rightful full-manthingdaddy! As much as Shells hated to say those words (and they were absolutely spit, he certainly wasn't promoting King because he liked the bronze), they needed to be said. Asshat had never been a rightful clutch-father, after all. He was Brown. Leviathan must have wanted him to think he was for some evil machination of her own.

Across the dining hall, Piden broke out of a doze long enough to wave R'men over. "Issafer over here," he said, taking another sip of klah to try and clear the sleepiness from his voice. "Seriously. You don't want two, take it from me."

--

"And I do be Ten of Rajnith. Well, Ten do be a nickname, but.." She trailed off into a bit of nervous laughter, cursing herself on the inside. Why did her brain seem to be taking a vacation? Why couldn't she be smooth and cool herself, like some of the other riders? While she was busy telling herself to shut up, though, her mouth kept moving. "And I do have a few pets myself, my salamandyr Grip do be Alph's brother, but he is off on his own business today. Those two flits up there are mine. Do you have any creatures?"

Right about then, a little girl brushed past her, working her way up closer to the clutch. Ten made room for her, then furrowed her brow. "N'rik, do you know her?" the Greenrider asked, gesturing at Cairenn. "She do look very familiar, but I can no place her. She looks to be about your age, no?"

[Sheari]

Asshat was torn. The chaos loving 'madyr was suddenly extremely concerned for his fading, green daughter (because all of the babies were his, clearly), but he had to defend his territory throne from Shells. Asshat sire! Shells not there, Shells not know! Shells stupid foolface! It wasn't HIS fault that stupid foolhis has decided to take him from his throne and lock him away! He had had absolutely nothing to do with it! Leviathan had yet to say anything to tell him to get down, and he was confident she would tell Shells to back off. She was a smart queen. The only two things Asshat would move for would be if Leviathan told him to...and for the green from the Lover's egg.

With a hiss and a spit, Asshat climbed toward the baby. REAL sires help babies, he replied. The brown never kept his thoughts private unless they were special words for certain people. Otherwise, what he said was for everyone. With careful, hesitant steps, the brown crept towards the green. He sniffed her, dwarfing her diminutive size, and licked her to try and comfort her. What wrong? he crooned, before nosing around at whatever she was pawing at. Didn't she know that only one baby came out of the egg? Certainly she knew because she had just been inside the shell. His feet were getting covered in egg goo by now, and his legs would soon be caked in sand.

"Indeed," R'men replied, looking up at Piden. He was unfamiliar with the wherhandler, but he knew the man was a wherhandler. Grabbing his wrapped hand, the bronzerider rose and limped over to where Piden was sitting. "Usually Asshat insists I be there for everything he deems worthy of import. Thankfully it isn't much, and he's...busy, at the moment." He could leave the bronw to fight his own battles. He couldn't do anything about it anyway, and he wasn't in the mood to sacrifice his remaining hand to a futile cause. With a huff, he sat down next to Piden, carefully babying his leg. "King isn't yours, is he?"

[Sebz]

(Fail Post is Fail. Sorry all, I'm actually running out the door)
Eselda watched with wide eyes at the proceedings, watching each of the newly hatched creatures pair off with their chosen mindmates. She quickly realized that these little salamandyrs where quite different than firelizards she so loved, they had a whole different aura around them, and they seemed quite smart. Not that her own firelizard wasn't smart, Guise just was smart in a different sort of way, these 'mandyrs seemed to know what they wanted, and made sure they got it.

She wasn't the tallest in the group, and had to figit around the growing crowd to gain a view, and even then she never quite had a clear shot at the tiny, grey eggs. Or what was left of them. More seemed to have cracked open since she last caught view of the clutch, tiny shards lay on the makeshift hatching sands. There was a tiny brown that was staring up inquisitvly at the humans that surounded him, while his two smaller clutch sisters seemed more interested with each other than the possible mindmates.

Eselda was also able to witness of a few of the pairing offs, it seemed that one needed food to offer the little creatures in order for them to stick to you. At least the golden clutch mother had picked the dining halls to lay her clutch, if the candidate did manage to attach a salamandyr it would be all to easy to snag some food to offer the creature, enough to feed it until it's belly bulge.

[Lotty]

At Mae's approach, Osnat didn't even uncross her arms to shrug. In an unconcerned voice she replied, "Maybe... Looks like a got a pair of ailing greens on my hands..." she gestured towards the newly hatched egg with the pale green crying over it, "could be too distressed to deal with it ya know. I'll see what I can do..." not that it mattered, as quick as the woman came she was gone again to harass someone else. Good riddance.

The Lover Green made another pitiful cry as her gaze met the brown who approached her. She missed his insistence that he was some kind of "good sire", pleased enough that he came to her side in such a state of distress. With her snout she pointed in the direction of her egg. Why look! There was her very own twin, all smooshed within, having failed to reach viability outside of the shell. Tragic as far as the counterpart was concerned, and he was rather sure that she too was unable to go on. After all, what was the point, she had lost her other half, and in her truly dramatic fashion spanned her half frill and whined to her adopted father, Lost eggsietwinsie. For shame! For sorrow! No no no no! Not being one for tears herself, Leviathan was still impressed by Asshat's attempt to ameliorate the distressed daughter of hers, and mentioned to the adult males who were gathered, Why can't you all get long? Help the eggs and babies. King good fahder, Asshat good fadher. Shellsssss should take a turn and rock a bye babiesss.

Her tail washed over a slowly shaking egg who was simply taking up too much of her time. The quicker her children moved on and bonded, the quicker her life could return to normal. All kinds of lounging on her bonded's bed and no longer being attached to a load of rocks was in her very near future. She just wanted it to come that much sooner, and so she then jutted out her leg and kicked that egg along over to Shells, Pokes, pokes, pokes itsss. Helps it long. She wasn't necessarily solving the problem of the males all hating each other, but she was going to keep them distracted for the rest of the hatching at very least by handing out little jobs to the each of them.

The Magician Green wasn't wasting any time like her sisters though. She made moves, and knew exactly what it was she wanted. Tuned in to that alluring voice she over heard - oh it was so... sooo.... something. She didn't quite know what it was that she liked about it, but as an appreciator of language she found no reason to not pick someone who sounded every bit as good as she did. Stepping out from her shell she took no more than a few seconds before she was leaping about, finding the fastest route she could right towards Corvin. Just in case he tried to run away though she was quick to bespeak him, There you are! We have much to discuss you know, but only after you feed me. Finally reaching him and seizing his arm with her long and malleable tail, she claimed him fully with a set of rainbow eyes.

The Hanged Man Brown took a little more thought before picking the right life partner. He had his eyes on a little triad that was caught in the back of the crowd, and was rightly relieved when the smallest one moved not away, but closer to the front. The spars that framed his face jumped up in a rare moment of delight as he crooned to the chocolate haired girl. Just his luck, she was even staring right at him, and at very least there would be no jolts or swats of surprise when he lept right for her. With his lean form, it was easy to make an agile motion, and drop gracefully onto her shoulder before ringing himself like a necklace around her throat. With a slight suspicion he narrowed his eyes and questioned, You approve? Stay with me? Shouldn't spoil youth in tired ways. Fun you know. Thats thy name.... Tongue in cheek most definitely. Hopefully his new bonded, Cairenn would appreciate it.


The Devil Egg - Impressed - Bronze - Ka'aen
The Fool Egg - Impressed - Blue Jakemo - Kyr'n
The Hanged Man Egg - Impressed - Brown - Cairenn
The Hermit Egg - Being rolled by Leviathan over to Shells
The Hierophant Egg
The High Priestess Egg - Impressed - Green - Sydney
The Lovers Egg - Hatched - Green - Crying to Asshat over lost twin
The Magician Egg - Impressed - Green - Corvin

[Lotty]

The Magician Green

Name:
Age: Hatchling
Color: Green (#5B9C64)
Looks To:Corvin
Physical Appearance: A true verdant green, the girl is the color of nature in it's ever growing and lively manner. Her hue taps into the very real sorcery of the world all around and the Pernbound magic of the giving and motherly earth. Do not think that there is anything mundane or everyday about the girl, prickly where it counts, she is the thorny vines of the rose bush, the deep emerald of the leaves pouring over her hide and spilling darkly over the spindly frame of her little wings. Like fresh shoots from the ground, her limbs and thinner membranes are covered in the lighter shades of newly sprouted vegetation, and ages into the matured hues that at places take on a warm, even reddish cast. Joints in particular bare these rusty growths, appearing as thorns upon her elbows and the tip of her tail. The color is most vivid on the points of her sharpened frill spars, where the red almost appears as a stain from a victim's contact with the piercing little prongs. These details would steal the show if not for the dark lining around her catty eyes; a perfectly blackish shade of evergreen.

She is not the smallest of the clutch in body, nor the largest, finding a perfect medium between the two. Her wings are another story. They are seemingly stunted, and bat-like. Broad no doubt, but in span they leave something to be desired, ending in a blunt curve which allows her to hang-glide leisurely on the air in near levitation. While she may be able to stay afloat for sometime, she is not going to be going anywhere fast, preferring to use the appendages as a parachute as opposed to a propeller. In contrast, her frill is sharp and well formed, and her tail is of the sort to appear to go on and on for eternity. In the manner she often twists it, it is hard to determine where is end and where is the beginning. This looping design is mirrored in one other place - on her very hide. A lemniscate - the infinity sign - swirls about in ceaseless turns of the same brazen auburn that appears elsewhere on her body, right there on the heart of her chest in a spot only noticed when she rears her shapely head. Despite the odd wings and comically long tail streaming out behind her, she is a remarkably attractive specimen, whose silhouette nips in at the waist and legs prove to be mobile enough to move her about with added agility.

Personality: She is the mirror to her glowing and stately sister. All the same potential, channeled into a more showy and staged pizazz. Words are the name of the game with this one, and she is anything but quiet. A master communicator and rhetorician, the green is of the belief that utterances are action, and that all that is said has symbolic punch. We shape the world around us with the meaning we create - context is ours to change and warp - and so even what appears to be an innocuous sigh or harmless groan is a charged and active message, they are every bit as powerful of an incantation as the fluid and full sentences with which the green came equipped. Thus she uses the gift of grammar she was given to try and inspire change in her friends and acquaintances, and speaks as if what she says will come to pass simply because it was verbalized. Unfortunately for her - and her bonded - this doesn't necessarily mean she is quite the best listener. Oh she'll lend an ear to the voice in need, but don't delay her with notes of advice. She has everything under control thank you very much, and as much as she tries to hear someone out, she is just as likely to hum and haw in dismissal before going off completing tasks her own way.

There is very little that is traditionally feminine in her manners. In addition to her stubborn streak, the green's mindvoice is husky, as deep as any male's, lilting only faintly to give the notion that there is a woman after all there inside her. Those who are opposed to squeaky and high sounds will be thankful for the soothing cadence, but likely thrown asunder upon realizing its source in the apparently female green. This is not all however, her very confidence seems to be steeped in testosterone. While pride is not a man's domain alone, there is a particular brand of masculine gusto with which she expresses it. At times flamboyant, she will strive to outdo anyone who attempts to challenge her, and will especially aim to best her "heavenly and angelic" green clutch sister. At very least there is nothing underhanded in these dealings. She is not a secret keeper - despite her word sorcery there is a sense of transparency about her behavior and she makes it more than well known her every intention. In this way she remains genuine and even likable; if a bit contrary she is not purposely malicious.


The Hanged Man Brown

Name:
Age: Hatchling
Color: Brown (#EE8262)
Looks To: Cairenn
Physical Appearance: Imagine a scene from the desert. The sunset dips under the sandy, gritty ground, covering the bramble and deadwood with a dusting of salmon pink. There is a definite mix of oranges and corals on this mandyr's skin, marking him as rather unique - not that he would be the first to readily acknowledge this. Warm and inviting, a stroke of rose melts down his body in a slow even drip down into notes of burnt sienna and finally into a healthy if somewhat faded base of brown ochre. It is a uniform swath of gradient, falling even over the bridge of his maw, just as it does at the tip of his tail. A glaze of translucent gold pools around the crown of his head, and mingles into his hide so clandestinely as to barely be noticed beyond the shimmering mirage like aura emitted in the full light of Rukbat. His wings carry further the scorched and sun baked theme, fanning out to a pale sample of Igen's earth - primarily tan with just a touch of blush. He is, for all intents an purposes, spotless, trading in blocks of pure color for a certain knotted quality to his limbs; fluting up his legs is the suggestion of wood grain bared for anyone lucky enough to manage a close look.

Finely built, the brown does not draw attention for his smaller size so much as the way he was sculpted. His face is a clear throwback to his firelizard ancestors, narrowed at the snout and widening into inquisitive eyes. Yet there is a distinct sweetness there underneath the stressed and heavy brow - the physical manifestations of his frustrations. The brown's frill is curiously missing, leaving the bony spars, sharpened yet delicate, promising some sort of danger in their cocked readiness. His wings bear the same elven beauty, sweeping and wistful, pulled into crescents upon his back. In midst of a glide, the long finger bones curve dramatically in a swallow like manner, carrying him efficiently and easily into quick turns and twists should he ever be so inclined to. His tail too proves to be blade like, tapering to a severe point. It maybe a tad flatter than normal overall, but otherwise up to par, and hardly distracting from his exotic appeal. Being slender in all the right places, signs of his feline bone structure come to surface at times, paired with a crease here and there to denote some corded muscle. He does come together to be a rather attractive treat to the eyes.

Personality: Born into the midst of an existential crisis, even as a tender young salamandyr, this creature has some supernatural sense of the way of the world as if it had been handed down to him by unseen scores of sages. He did not receive their knowledge alone however, but also their baggage, leaving a perpetual weight on the heart of someone who should otherwise be pure. Do not be surprised to find him sulky, or stoic, even seething and acerbic for his emotions rush to him like a man still barely resisting complete surrender and wallowing in an unhealthy sense of dread. It is so sad to see a creature with so much going for him, so strung out on negativity, but for the rosy brown this is a constant fact of his nature: he is a scapegoat, he is a lamb, he is willing if hesitant to throw himself to sacrifice. The brown is a martyr, but for whose benefit he subjects himself to such torture will never be clear. Perhaps it is for a greater good, perhaps it is for his bonded, or maybe it is for himself and he is simply killing himself time and time again for some form of enlightenment, enduring dread to flower into something better. No pain no gain right?

Coming to peace with his role as the eternal purveyor of doom, he has to make time to find other hobbies right? Right? Well, maybe. As it is, he seems perfectly content to be the perpetual devil on the shoulder of his bonded - of whom he is endearingly protective of - and occasionally add his wry commentary to the situation. Not without a taste for the offbeat, the brown likes to fill his curiosities with observation and an inquisitive eye, occasionally taking off to glide about his human counterpart and gain a closer look. He is slow and deliberate in these quests however - but he seems to take on all challenges with the same standards of delegation and planning. For as open as he is to experience, the brown mandyr rushes into nothing, even choices that appear to require a rushed and instant decision will be set aside for him to muse over preferring to allow the answers to present themselves in due time. As can be expected then he'll be the last to throw himself to such spur of the moment events as a green's mating run, finding it too easy to weigh in his head the pros and cons of participation and potential rejection. What he can commit to fully is perhaps the most the most important thing of all however - he is at one with his human. Hopefully misery loves company, because to whomever he bonds is absolutely stuck with him.

[InsaneWhitey28]

Smile quirking seemed to be a talent of his as the little blue jumped his way through the redhead's hair, leaving a trailing goop behind. Amusingly goop from his egg. It was a hazard of all hatchings, and in some way dragons tended to be worse; Rhiiseth showered him in goop at his own hatching. A fact he didn't really mind at the time, it was still something he looked back at with joy and bemusement. Being surrounded by dragon wings tended to get you goopified.

"It comes out easier than it feels," he stated, clamping down on the amusement wanting to brim in his voice, and sowing his tone with sympathy and sincerity. Well, some of his amusement showed through, but that was just the spice in the curry. ...Well he has ridiculous metaphors. He quirked an eyebrow at the girl, Diamonique-

What a splendid name, so strong, so elegant, and so easily related to diamond.

Please tell you didn't just come up with a pet name for someone I just met, and you have yet to talk to. You really have a bad habit of eavesdropping, Ka'aen replied to the croon that floated through his mind, schooling his features away from the grimace he felt.

"Your family sounds almost as ridiculous as mine," not that he was going to talk about them, "I haven't had the pleasure of personally meeting M'kai or Cr'oph though. Our social groups have the issue of hating each other." Granted he was questioning his own loyalties, his ultimate loyalty was still to himself and Rhiiseth. The world can burn for all he cared.

How morbid.

[/color]

Ignoring the blue, Ka'aen glanced back at Diamonique and gave a half-hearted shrug, "As far as I know, gender doesn't necessarily matter to salamandyr's, so there's plenty of chance for you to Impress that litt-" And I am yoursssss. You know. Bringer of delights, and hungriest mandyr. We eat! Brings purdy future matey too.[/i], "-or not and he could just use you as a perch before invading my mind.

"And to answer your earlier question, why yes I know all about it considering Rhiiseth's enjoys adding little comments to my life-"You get far too little entertainment in your life, so it is my duty as your other half to provide it.[/color] "-it's cool for the first month. The rest of the time there's a running commentary I can do without," and thus ended Ka'aen's longest speech of the day, a touch of sarcasm hinting in his tone as the bulky bronze nuzzled the woman's cheek, completely ignoring the fact that the hatchling had called Diamonique his mate. Did he mention he just met her?

He gave a nearly silent sigh, moving to push himself from where he was leaning when one of the weyrfolk came by, dropping off bowls of meat so conveniently placed near him. Did he also mention he was questioning loyalties? Snagging himself a bowl, he briefly let himself muse over this new bond in his mind, the bronze finding Rhiiseth to be an absolute curiosity as he prodded at Ka'aen's other mind link, wild, feral, ferocious; by all means he should have gone wild. But then, he shared a trait with this bronze, one that he appreciated alongside his blue counterpart, laziness.

"Would you like to feed him? Considering he's still on your shoulder and all," Ka'aen stated, offering the woman the bowl even as he dangled a piece of meat in front of the devil's maw, having it immediately snatched from his hand, teeth just barely grazing his fingers, "Though his teeth might snag you."

Oh noooess, noooesss. Not graze purdy matey, not at all,[/b][/color] his sincerity enhanced by another nuzzle, but perhaps it was ruined by the brief, small trail of goop left on her cheek. Oh he hoped not.

"See? Absolutely ridiculous commentary," Ka'aen stated, blatantly ignoring the bronze's claim as he handed the thing another piece, bemused by its presence at all. He hadn't necesarrily thought he'd Impress one of the tiny 'mandyrs, much less a bronze, yet here he was. With a bronze salamandyr comfortably nestled on Diamonique's shoulder while its mind was nestled next to Ka'aen's own. You have you little star, minion or whatever you choose to call him.

Indeed I do, my only. What a feisty little star he is, I think we shall call him... Aodh.

I thought I was supposed to name him? And why that?

Haha, too slow only. The turtle may win the race, but only if the hare is turned off course. And I am not an arrogant enough hare to be turned away from the finish line. It means fire.[/color]

How do you know it means that? Can you read?

Of course not, reading is for you. And you happened to read it somewhere in that book of yours. I liked it. I like it still. And it fits a feisty little star. Aodh.[/color]

"Not even allowed to name my own 'mandyr..." Ka'aen muttered, rolling his eyes at Rhiiseth's logic and at the blue's own amusement toward the creature. Though the bronze didn't like the thought of being a minion. Please. If anything the huge blue beasty would be his minion. Rhiiseth amusedly begged to differ. Ka'aen played Switzerland. "Rhiiseth named him Aodh. Apparently it means fire."

.:oOo:.

A gathering crowd blocked her view, she didn't know whether to be happy or angry; so she took the middle ground and was just irked. Rolling her shoulders, she stood, closing her sketchbook as she choice a spot closer to the hatching. Because though she feared and vaguely hoped, but really who didn't at hatchings, that one of 'mandyrs would latch themselves onto her, she really needed to get a better look at the hatching babies. Particularly that bronze, such a wonderful sha- oh, never mind. Being near a Wasterlander suddenly dubbed him off limits. She rolled her shoulders again and let it go, ignoring Cotton's chirp of curiosity.

Before jumping as her someone caught her arm. It would be the headwoman.

"Well, I particularly ask for trouble most of the time," Rosa replied in a slight haze, "I either look for it or it gets shot right into my face." As if to prove her point, the obviously slightly ignored 'mandyr stood on her haunches, peeping a pleasant hello to the headwoman as she shook herself from strands of Rosanna's hair. Being so tiny, she really could hide wherever she chose, and she did it frequently.

"Case and point, Cotton," Rosanna stated, reiterating her case as she worked her free hand around the 'mandyr to calm the floating strands. For whatever reason, having the green in her hair involved it getting static-y. A pain in the butt and non-repairable unless she had water on hand, so of course she was just making it worse as she tried to settle it. A bemused Cotton simply looked on before her attention was caught once again by the hatching, crooning her own sympathy to the little green who lost her twin. Deciding that Rosa's head was no longer much of a good seat, Cotton took of from Hers hair and glided down to the edge of the cloth near the hatching eggs.

Pretty, pretty babies. Pretty sires, pretty dam,[/b][/color] Cotton stated, chirping a hello to Leviathan as she kept a respectful distance from the nest. She didn't want to intrude, oh no, though she sent a sympathetic croon toward the little green.
[/blockquote]

[Aftershock]

Cairenn gave T'ri an incredulous look at his statement, the, "Don't you think I know that?" written plainly on her face as he spoke of her aunt. She did, however, jump and cry out as the man's green flit landed on her head once again, startling her. As the tiny creature crooned and chirruped at her in a parody of conversation, she reached up and carefully rubbed along the creature's head affectionately, silently enjoying the fact that she was already having a much more exciting life since her aunt rescued her from her horrible life in Hyphen Hold.

As she stood watching, the vibrating egg suddenly exploded with such force she automatically put her hand up in fear of needing to deflect egg shards, and when she dropped her hand, she saw the very vibrant Magician Green, who didn't take long to leap through the air and land on the older Candidate she was standing near. Turning her attention back to the nest, she saw the largest egg collapse upon itself, and wondered at why the tiny green half-frilled creature inside was so distraught, though apparently one of what she assumed was the older salamandyrs seemed to be on hand to help the Lovers Green deal with whatever was bothering her.

Suddenly, she noticed that the Hangman Brown that had just been sitting in the remains of his shell since he had hatched was staring straight at her. She mouthed, "Who, me?" and made a self-indicating gesture with one delicate hand at the small creature, which apparently prompted it to croon at her, then take to the air, his curved wings carrying him the short distance between the nest and the Candidate girl, where he then alighted upon her shoulder and wrapped himself around her neck like a companion to the necklace Roselle gave Cairenn, which she always wore now. "You approve? Stay with me? Shouldn't spoil youth in tired ways. Fun you know. Thats thy name..." the creature spoke into her mind, his question accompanied by the telltale rainbow of Impression.

Cairenn fumbled, not sure what had just happened. Luckily the brown had been sitting around long enough that his egg goop had dried, avoiding a neck ringed with slime, but she was still stumbled by her very first Impression, feeling a deep, but also grim, mind slide in beside her own. "I, er... y-yes, I approve. You're... mine? And your name is... Fun?" In her confusion, she mis-"heard" the brown 'mandyr's "thy" as a "my", thinking the creatures named themselves as she had heard dragons do in one of the few lessons she had attended in her short time as a Candidate. At this, the newly-christened Fun turned already-world-weary eyes on his new bonded, and said, "If that is way it written, that is how must be. Fun, indeed, be name. Fun is very hungry, however. But Fun understands if mine is too busy, with whole life ahead of mine..." Cairenn frowned a bit at the gloomy nature of her new companion's thoughts, but decided she would do her best to take care of him anyway, noticing one of the other new 'mandyr owners taking a bowl of meat from nearby and feeding his new companion and imitating the man, wending her way through the crowd once again to snatch up her own meat bowl and offering the pieces to Fun, who gratefully, if slowly, ate each piece Cairenn gave to him.

[Ivy]

Dark eyes would have stared holes into the back of T'ri's head when he knelt to speak to her niece had it been possible. As it wasn't, Roselle stood there looking quite cross. Finally he let the girl go off into the crowd and to the hatching - then he was looking at her. She looked away, a look of cold anger draped over her features despite the light flush that still colored her cheeks. So what if he had been encouraging and charming with her niece? It didn't change things.

Oh and now he would feign cluelessness?! That brought her eyes onto him, full of fury and no forgiveness. "Well I remember well enough. I say you're both jerks." It wasn't true of course, the bit about her fully remembering everything. The night was a blur - becoming more so the more time that had passed. Tserieth's emotions had been almost fully in control that evening, that and the wineskin she had been nursing before the Green took to the skies. But afterwards, when she woke and T'ri was gone and she found bruises on her skin she added it all up. Nevermind that she bruised fairly easily. Nevermind that enough time had passed for them to fade and for her to have put it all behind her - she obviously hadn't. She had liked him. Then he let her down by not training. By not graduating. By being a jerk at Tserieth's first flight.

Her eyes said she wanted to scream and cry and hit him. But the rest of her was emotionless now. A cold mask, one she had worn when she first arrived at the Weyr. "It doesn't matter, does it? Even if you did remember it doesn't change what happened. Some of us have feelings you know, not all of us are carefree. Not all of us live outside the world of rules and common decency like you do."

She was being harsh on him, harsher than he really deserved. Truly she was more angry at herself. She'd given up control during the flight and she hated it. Opening her mouth to say something else to him, she was cut off by Cairenn's voice a few bodies ahead of them. Who was she talking to? Roselle recognized the girl's voice despite all the others in the hall speaking, though she couldn't make out what was being said.

Tserieth shifted on her ledge, she'd felt her rider's emotions and knew it was T'ri before she bothered to steal a peek through her rider's eyes. Carefully seperating her speech so the now distracted Roselle would not hear, she spoke to T'ri, Arhenaiyth's. Rosemine will calm, her anger is with herself more than you. She cares about you, it worries her.[/color]

Roselle was all but ignoring T'ri now though, rocking up on her toes to see past some of the taller people in her way. Was that a salamandyr on Cairenn's shoulder? "Cairenn! Come here!" she yelled out past the others, hoping her niece would hear so she wouldn't have to push past everyone to find out.

========================================

Swithin watched the hatching from a distance - not fully into it but still a spectator. However when The Lovers Egg hatched he took more interest. A flashback to when Swisk had hatched - how frail he looked and now how frail the little Green appeared... The hairs along the back of his neck stood up and he stepped past a few people to get closer to the nest. He risked being bit by the Gold with how close he was for sure, but it couldn't be helped. As much as he had wished Swisk was born healthy and strong like his clutchsiblings had been, Swisk was his. And now here was a frail little Green who reminded him so much of his wher.

He heard her crying over a lost twin, ah so that was why she was so slight. She had shared the egg with another. Walking in front of some others he grabbed one of the free bowls of meat and sat it on the table's edge, keeping a wary eye on the clutch mother. He wasn't trying to force an Impression, oh no. He just knew the little one needed food if she was going to stay in this world for long.

He willed the Green to go for food, now that it was so close. He willed her to stop her crying over her twin and think about herself for now. It would be sad to lose the little one, even if she wasn't his.

=======================================

Despite it being something he had never experienced before - the hatching was quickly taking a backseat in Corvin's mind. Ten had taken the forefront. Smiling to her he nodded a bit, his nod including N'rik of course so as not to be rude. "A pleasure meeting you both I imagine. As far as pets, no I can't say I have any."

He mused over the best way to pronounce the names given to him in his mind, finding his tongue was not accustomed to dragon names yet. "Rajnith. Interesting, and lovely name. Grip is an equally nice name. As is Alph." He glanced to N'rik as he said the last bit, "So am I to take it they do not name themselves as dragons do?"

Suddenly there was something new in his mind. A presence besides his own. It was similar to when the Gold had called out for people to come, but different all at once. There you are! We have much to discuss you know, but only after you feed me.

Where was that coming from? A shake of his head... and then suddenly a salamandyr had lit upon him. A lovely little Green - the one whose hatching he had missed because he had been paying so much attention to Ten and N'rik.

Let me explain, lovey-voice. I found you, thus you are mine now. We can speak more later of course lovey-voice but I must be fed. Starvation is certainly not acceptable.

Odd. The voice in his head sounded masculine but this was definitely a Green. Weren't Greens females?

Indeed lovey-voice. Now that we have that out of the way please feed me.

Her rainbow swirling eyes looked up at him from his arm as she quickly scurried up to rest upon his shoulder. Long tail twined around his neck, not too tight but in a decisively possessive manner. She looked from Corvin to glance towards the two riders. The longer she sat there the more her mind and his slid together, her consciousness twining around his much like her tail had around his neck. Having never had such a bond, Corvin was left speechless - and gave a very confused look to Ten.

Food and a name, if you please.

"N-name?" So apparently they did not come with their own names. Thinking on it for some time he murmured, "Nymeria."

With that settled he stumbled towards the bowls of food. Somehow he managed to grab up some meat and offer it to the little salamandyr, which she gladly accepted.

[Rei]

Her attention was mostly on the clutch. For two reasons. One because that was where the most action was and two she was still half trying to avoid getting into anything deep with Kaius. Unfortunately the latter didn’t last long. With a sigh Sydney turned back to the gold handler. It would be rude not to listen and she did like Kaius. That wasn’t the issue. That had never been the issue. What the greenhandler didn’t except was this sudden outpouring from her tall friend, for friend he still was even if it wasn’t like it was before. Willing herself into calmness Sydney waited till Kaius had completely finished before speaking.

“I know you care Kaius. I’ve never doubted that. But you have Sena now and she has you. It’s not wrong? It’s not bad. It’s a fact of life. You guys have each other now there is little room nor need for anyone else. That’s how life works.” Smiling a little sadly at him she went on. “It’s not anything either of you did. It’s just the natural course things take. You guys have less time for everyone else. That’s not your fault and you shouldn’t change it. That’s dumb. You and Sena are still my friends. You always will be. It’s just not the same between us three anymore. The dynamic has changed because you guys are a couple now. I still love you guys but it won’t ever be the same again.” Sydney was very careful not to let much of her own emotions on the topic show. It wouldn’t do anyone any good because nothing could be changed. “You worry too much and being around Sena less won’t do any good because like I said I am busy.” The greenhandler smiled slightly at him.

Hell even if he broke up with Sena, which she very much hoped he would not, it wouldn’t ever go back to normal again. What was done was done. Erilena even admitted to most of her friends falling to the wayside for awhile when she got involved with Dmitri. She still was friends with them all of course and things were more normal now, but at the time it was natural for there to be distancing. There always was when you were trying to build something with someone that was hopefully to last your entire lives. In truth? Sena’s best friend had been replaced. Kaius was her best friend now. It was natural. It was probably also natural for Sydney to be insanely jealous of it. But then the green handler wasn’t about to give that emotion away. There was no point in saying what would only possibly hurt or damage someone else.

Besides thought of any type was rendered moot in the next instant. The almost angelic voice that briefly questioned her was extremely feminine and Sydney blinked her head turning as she tried to find the speaker. What? She didn’t have to wait long for an answer however. The creature that glided around her head and brushed her tail across her neck causing a shiver and look of wonder was….simply put mesmerizing beautiful. For a second the handler tried to reject the possibility that such a creature wanted her of all people but as the beautiful green clung to her chest and turned her rainbow gaze up to her it was impossible to deny.

In fact it felt like being hit with a wagon. The handler didn’t even realize she was crying as the tears flowed and her legs actually shook. Blindly she groped for Kaius’s arm using it as a type of lifeline, and anchor to keep her legs from collapsing underneath her, as her mind melded with the creature's. Because this was not intrusion. This was nothing like what she had experienced when she had impressed Sydsk. This was something far, far beyond that bond.

Perhaps this was what impressing a dragon felt like? Finally Sydney found her voice and spoke the tone strained with various emotions. She, for the life of her, honestly couldn’t tell where the mandyr started and she began. Or visa versa. So complete was the bond that she could feel every heartbeat between them, feel every breath. “Hello yourself.” It was all she could manage to say in the moment but in truth there was really no need for words. She could feel the amusement coming from the creature and the same emotion blossoming in herself as she smiled slightly at the baby green.

It was….surreal. Like honestly finding that you had a chunk of your soul missing and suddenly it was there. With a trembling hand Sydney reached out to stroke a finger down the small creature’s spine and then offer the back of her hand to her to climb up to. The High Priestess Green nuzzled the woman’s hand gently before climbing onto the back of it. You need not fear my Sydney. It is as it all shall be. We have much work to do you and I. Arranging herself perfectly onto the woman’s hand she spared a glance for the man her bonded was still clinging to before speaking again. I am terribly hungry my love and I require a name if you would be so kind? Another pulse of reassurance laced with amusement was shared with the woman. But you already know that now don’t you? Soon you will see that there will be little need for words between us.

Sydney nodded almost dumbly at the mandyr before her attention went briefly to Kaius and she realized just how hard she was gripping his arm. “I’m sorry…I….have to feed her now. She's...mine...or I'm hers...or something” Still reeling from the impression the woman released the goldhandler and turned to look for some meat, her finger returning to almost absently stroking the small creature resting regally on the back of her hand. Unbidden thoughts of the stories her and Gus used to read and share with each other sprung into her head. It was the crescent moon marking on the mandyr's forehead that brought those thoughts. That and the celestial speckling on her back.

“Nyx.” The word was spoken aloud only for the benefit of whoever might be listening because at almost the moment it was thought it had already been accepted. Nyx I shall be.

[Ruby]

What?

No, seriously, what. T'ri was usually fairly good with women (or so he thought, all evidence to the contrary) but this was news to him. He'd always figured Roselle put up with him because he was amusing and different, not because she actually... well crap. "Wait, I - dude, this is not - " Shut up, you sound like a fool.[/i] It was good Arhenaiyth cut him off when he did, actually, because T'ri would have talked right over Tserieth's two cents. He wasn't quite sure how to respond to another dragon in his head, so he directed his reply to Arhenaiyth instead. Tell her thanks, I'm sorry, I dunno what the deal is but I'll do what I can. Tell her yourself, lazy.

Despite his blue's reticence, though, T'ri felt him reach out for Tserieth, passing on some version of the message (with some sort of negative judgement of T'ri attached no doubt). Roselle, meanwhile, was ignoring him, so T'ri stuck his hands in the pockets of his burgundy corduroy pants, trying to look like he had not a care in the world. She was busy calling her niece, after all, and a disgruntled Cristal had reappeared, annoyed that she'd been displaced for a Salamandyr but understanding why. Just because she understood it, though, didn't mean she had to like it. "Ready to go?" T'ri asked his green pet, more than ready to get a move on. He'd catch up with Roselle later; the dining hall was not the right place for that sort of confrontation.

--

For any other Salamandyr, Shells would absolutely have refused the suggestion that he work, or get along with a brown. But Leviathan was gold, and got special dispensation. Asshat would die later, which Shells made clear through whirling red eyes and an angrily flicking tail, but he reserved comment as he headed for the egg Leviathan had indicated. Well, reserved most comments. Ohno, Fathat mistake, he hissed, Shells no lowerself, share wif uglyfaces. Shells only take Levitan if only sire. Shells dere, Shells know. Shells know. The red mandyr had a more important job now, though, and he halfheartedly poked at the Hermit Egg; until he noticed Leviathan watching, anyway. Then he was the picture of paternal love, tapping it and curling around it and doing everything he could short of taking a bite out to get it to hatch. That's what she wanted, right? Shells do good, yeessss?

Piden, meanwhile, had propped himself up on an elbow and was doing his best to look awake. "Nah, Shells is mine. The red terror. King belongs to that kid," he said, gesturing at Kaius. "Wherling Kaius, the new Goldhandler, which should be fabulously hilarious," he said, gesturing at his Bronzehandler's knots. Not that there was anything wrong with Kaius, he was just... young. Suddenly putting two and two together, Piden snorted, and asked in an overly salacious tone, "So how is he?" Piden, of course, had no idea that Kaius hadn't been present for the culmination of Leviathan's run. He'd been... busy, after all. Mainly finding another partner.

--

((I'm gonna hold off on Ten until Corvin and N'rik get a chance to reply ^^))

[Sheari]

Asshat found the dead twin and nosed it. Sad tragic, yes. You ‘live is good. Asshatsire here but you has to choose mindslave. The brown licked her cheek and nudged her, getting a combination of egg goo and sand on her pale face. Yes, it was sad that her egg-twin had not made it but she really needed to go and pick someone. Asshat nudged her hind end to try and get her to go closer to the people. Shells was preoccupied at the moment with another egg, he had noticed, but eggs hatched and soon Shells would take the vacant throne.

Pick mindslave and rule world, li’l green twinbaby! Asshat cheered, trying to pick her mood up. Really, being sad on your hatching day was just…sad. The brown wouldn’t mind her picking Foolhis…maybe he would. Foolhis R’men was fun to manipulate and boss around, but he had also been stupid and tried to keep Asshat away. The brown would have to concoct even more chaos to punish the stupid shinyrider.

“I think Shells is the one giving Asshat a hard time. Oh well, he deserves a bit of trouble,” R’men chuckled. He’d met Kaius. Sena had introduced them when Lucia had hatched. The shy, quiet green was currently curled up and sleeping on Weith, who too, was napping. “I didn’t know men could Impress gold whers. Then again, I don’t know much about them, sadly.” He was probably just another ignorant dragonrider because he knew so little about whers. Honestly, the last time he’d heard anything major about them had been a while ago and one had died. Had it been a bronze? He couldn’t remember and it was probably something he should pay more attention to. “I…don’t know?” The man wasn’t sure what Piden was getting at. “Did something happen to him recently?”

Way to sound stupid.

[Lotty]

Only with help from Shells, The Hermit Egg began to come apart. First a spurt of ooze poured out slowly and dripped in a slow viscous manner. Hardly the prettiest of sights. Sadly, neither was the creature that emerged from it. Pushing his head through, a cloudy blue frill opened up to air out the tattered and torn membrane. Other than a flick of his head, he did little else in drying off the goo from himself. A truly gross mess, he looked out to the crowd to find a fellow who would take him as he was. Much to his own surprise it didn't take all that long to do so. Licking at the air he sense the trail of his siblings before him and narrowed in on the sight of a girl with fresh goop drying into her hair. She seemed good yes? Before he could take off a body went hurdling toward him, yelling Take me! Go gether we can! The dark red body spun into the blue one and they tumbled right off the table and onto the ground with an oof!

Apparently at some point during his own emergence The Hierophant Brown had hatched too. Late if you were to ask him... he wanted to be there for all of his siblings, but as it was he was bringing up the rear and could only tag along with The Hermit Blue much to the latter's eternal chagrin.

On the floor the blue made a grand push to escape his much larger brother, huffing with an indignant, Rather you not! Go way! With another swipe towards the brown's nose the blue turned to look back where he once was planning to go, but was distracted instead by the sight of someone else. Ah! How curious how a change of perspective makes everything appear so so different. Jumping over The Hierophant Brown he made his way in the direction of Ce'thian, finding himself completely fascinated by the odd bronzerider. He would do. Yes... he would do... and The Hermit Blue took the sneaky path towards the man, eventually pouncing on his shoelaces and crawling up his pant leg to stir a reaction. Plus if he couldn't be seen then he couldn't very well be rejected now could he? From under the cuff of the man's pants he said, Hey you. Down here.

The Hierophant Brown trying not to be offended by the blue, quickly realized that he needed to pick his own partner, and as luck would have it, Diamonique was going to get another look over as well. There was something about her naivete, her curiosity about the weyr that appealed to him so. He enjoyed those types of individuals. In fact, they could learn more together, meet new people together, all kinds of things really! He crooned in his delight and scurried off as well, rushing towards the woman in long, bouncing, leaps. Upon reaching her however, he pulled his act together to form the picture of a perfect gentleman, addressing her as would two strangers in a chance meeting as opposed to new partners for life, Hello hello. I am yours. See!? Presentin myself in service. His wings then unfurled a bit as he slightly bowed.


The Devil Egg - Impressed - Bronze Aodh - Ka'aen
The Fool Egg - Impressed - Blue Jakemo - Kyr'n
The Hanged Man Egg - Impressed - Brown Fun - Cairenn
The Hermit Egg - Impressed - Blue - Ce'thian
The Hierophant Egg - Impressed - Brown - Diamonique
The High Priestess Egg - Impressed - Green Nyx - Sydney
The Lovers Egg - Hatched - Green - Unresponsive, fading away
The Magician Egg - Impressed - Green - Corvin

[Lotty]

The Hierophant Brown

Name:
Age: Hatchling
Color: Brown (#660000)
Looks To: Dia
Physical Appearance: There is no doubt about it. There is a definite tinge of red to his appearance. Wait... that is an understatement. He is predominantly a ruddy ochre, as if draped in some regal and highly vestments. The brown could have been exactly that - a run of the mill mud color with little to speak of - but no, he shares his brown brother's flair for interesting color combinations, albeit in much darker values. With a base of deep dark bloodied mahogany, looking at him alone invokes the smell of leather bound books and dimmed sitting rooms. A pair stripes, in a vivid chestnut, ring around his multifaceted eyes and carry on the side of his face and trail off into ever narrowing lines along his neck where they die off, seemingly for good. The color pops up time and time again, in an even more defined crimson. His frill, as one may expect bears this color, as do the stretched skin of his wings. Flecks of gold work their way in - as if his mother's influence is unavoidable - and gather in true mandyr fashion on his back in little spots. He does have one rather distinguishing birthmark settled in the garnet hues of his wings. A black splotch is settled in between his first and second finger bones, its shape resembling a keyhole waiting to be unlocked.

In terms of size and build, he is rather impressively built. No, he is not a mass of muscle like his bronze clutchmate and he most definitely does not appear ready to enter any weight lifting competitions anytime soon, but he is solid. Unless the wind was to catch his exceptionally large frill, then there is not a gust likely to knock him over. His power comes from the breadth of his chest and the force of his muscled hindlegs which curve into a deceptively large rump when he sits propped up. His paws are nothing to laugh at either though, his toes are long just as they are thick, gifting him extra strength in his climbing grip. It may come in handy since his wings are otherwise useless; not from their form, but simply from his lack of coordination. Outside of gliding he is fairly rooted in the ground, despite his constant stretching of his wings in emphatic punctuation of his grand schemes and ideas. This is his mode of expression since his face is too often cast as stern and unmoving. On first assessments alone, he strikes a rather intimidating image: a stone guardian set to strike fear in the very bones of ill doers, while soothing those of who are pure of heart.

Personality: Stubborn, hard headed, in love with order... this anal retentive creature is least likely to win any awards for his stunning personality from his peers, but really he is the most misunderstood mandyr of the brood. He simply wants perfect harmony and balance at all times, and he will go to all lengths to accomplish this, though ironically he is likely to only irk and irritate those he resolves to fix, thus making him a constant extinguisher and breeder of conflict. At times this neurosis is harmless. He'll try to order his own and his bonded's day into strict routines, repeating the process time and time again until it becomes sacred ritual. You see the sunrise breakfast and the one candlemark grooming and the regular counting of the steps between floors are important. These practices create boundaries and define his reality. To disrupt the process would not just tip the scales and ruin the normal swing of things, but skew meanings and his very sense of security. To keep things in line however also keeps the peace, and it is this that he intends to do with his misguided attempts at authority and rule over his bonded.

Despite his failures in working towards the greater good, he has that special kind of insanity that drives him to try and try again no matter the varying outcomes, and all because of some deep unspeakable truth which drives him. He is a creature of great beliefs. There is good in the world, he knows it, and will prove it despite being surrounded by people and circumstances that would lead the average person to think otherwise. There is also knowledge... enlightenment... secrets to be uncovered in the most mundane aspects of life even. For this he is more than willing to take what are in essence grand leaps of faith and he feels incredibly sorry for anyone who isn't. What does it mean to live a good and full life if all there is to be known is there and on the surface - easy to be found? He'll make his attempts then, to gather like minded mandyrs despite the rarity of such individuals may be, for he takes little pride in knowledge that is not shared amongst equals. Yes underneath his hidebound, stodgy mannerisms, and his prudish disapproval of all things "fun" he is still very much a social creature who wants nothing more than for everyone to just get along.

The Hermit Blue

Name:
Age: Hatchling
Color: Blue (#737CA1)
Looks To: Ce'thian
Physical Appearance: The drabbest shade of blue imaginable coats this salamandyr. With the same tone as a hazy sky - the clouds gathering and preparing to burst open in a dreary day long rain - his hide is best described as being spectacularly mundane. Painted as it seems to be, in a textured matte finish, there is the hint of depth there with the tiny - no - minuscule dimples of minutely darker color stretched across his length. The faint specks are orderly and arranged, moving down from the forehead clear down his back. The effect is subtle but effective, the pattern perfectly placed as to make him seem covered in a rough and shabby periwinkle cloth. Hooded like a monk, only his bulbous and hooked snout peeps out from the barrage of flat color in a flash of softening bone white that fades back into the grays and blues as it seeps back towards the eyes. It is a vague hint of brightness amongst a palette of otherwise aging and deteriorating pigment. Even his little talons and teeth which rightfully should be blessed with pristine clarity at hatching show the faintest signs of yellowing, which will promise to deepen and darken with time to the color of a stained parchment left to the cruelties of a neglected archive.

His frill, if full, had the hints of a darkening membrane, but the skin is simply not fully there, haphazardly formed, and looking to have been eaten away at by phantom maggots even in the embryonic safety of the egg. Tattered as they are, they are rarely flared, and for that reason, hardly noticed, and ironically out shined by the more... everyday aspects of his appearance. Indeed, there is certainly nothing to write home about in regards to the size of this critter. He is perfectly average in just about every aspect of length, height, and girth, save maybe some short comings in regard to weight gain; he likely won't put on much more than is required, eating as if he has to save his rations for another meal, leaving his ribs nearly constantly poking out from that plain habit of a hide. In all other respects he measures up to those standards and ratios by which blues are supposed to live up to, his legs leaving his center of gravity low, and his tail long enough to wind about his own body, as every mandyr's should. Even while his frill lay torn and defeated, his wings remain fully intact, but functional only in being able to carry his body as far as a short glide. All in all, with one glance it can be said that this one will not be winning any awards for beauty any time soon. Unless, of course, one considers the old adage about the eye of the beholder.

Personality: Grizzled. His voice reflects this, hardly rising with peaks and valleys, but forever level with the same grinding, gravely tone. Slow and measured, his calculated words mirror his nature if not the usual demeanor of most of his species. Rather than blurting out his every thought and feeling, like many mandyrs are known to do, this one is remarkably reflexive, often thinking at length about the words he uses. Thinking too much that is... By the time he gets around to picking out the perfect thing to say, the moment has usually passed, and either his comment appears incredibly out of place - why on Pern is he talking about lunch now, it has to be half passed midnight now - or never comes at all, leading the average acquaintance to think him either mute or mentally dull. This blue is anything but though, and his bonded, graced with the advantage of time and experience, will learn this first hand, often being the direct recipient of the blue's erudite teachings - if one were so inclined to call them such. His little life lessons are more like poorly spaced stepping stones, with clues serving as a weak foothold for one to balance upon. If this little guy's bonded is not careful, and fails to follow the blue's sage advice, then they should prepare to fall flat on their face... and be laughed at.

He has little sympathy for failure unfortunately, rather acting like an elderly grandfather figure who had been there, done that, and seen it all before. Not only has he had his own share of troubles - in his oh so humble estimate - but his were about a thousand times worse, and most likely involved trudging through a few feet of snow. You should be so lucky as to come through your various trials and tribulations with little more than a bruise, he'll be sure to remind his chosen one in his own way, and most likely punctuated with a callous flick of his tail. It really is no wonder the salamandyr is a solitary figure, for as misanthropic as he seems to be (with the notable exception of his human counterpart of course, everyone needs somebody after all), the distaste is mutual. Who wishes to be spend time with a creature as cantankerous and cold as him? Certainly not the majority of Pern, and he is perfectly fine with that. In exchange he will not go out of his way to befriend or bother with anyone else. For that matter he would be unlikely to chase after a running green or gold even if they came right under his nose. No thank you! Keep the chases to yourself! In his opinion they really are just silly, futile spectacles anyway.

Besides, he has a certain human pet to bother, and pester, and remind to breathe.

[Sebz]

Eselda blinked, and in the time it took to take that blink, she missed the hatching of the little blue creature that just as quickly hurtling off the table, his tiny legs entangled with his- was that a red salamandyr? No, it couldn't be, the candidate decided quickly that is must be a brown, though an oddly colored one at that. Eselda grinned in amusement as she nudged her way a bit closer to the quarelling salamandyrs.

The blue seemed to recover quickly enough, and Eselda watched the 'mandyr scurry across the ground and leap onto somebody's shoe- a bronzerider if she interpreted his knots correctly, though she wasn't sure she had. She was still relatively knew to the weyr, and was still learning. Her sight lingered on the blue for a few seconds before turning back towards the brown. But where had it gone? The strangly collored salamandyr had disappeared, but quickly enough Eselda found it, perched near another young woman.

There was one left, the small green. The candidate frowned slightly, the poor thing didn't seem as lively as any of her siblings, was there something wrong? She remembered hearing stories about how if dragonets couldn't find their mindmate among the candidates they would... no, this little green wouldn't do that. If there wasn't a suitable human in the crowd that gathered, he or she better get there, and quickly!