They Call You My Better Half (Virtues Hatching)

[dragon]

Emoyan nodded to a few of the other people who showed up, but didn't offer any comments. Instead he settled with his shoulders against a wall as he went to jotting notes. Which egg hatched first, what it was. Which one second, what it was. How they behaved, how they looked. All in shorthand that he'd go over later. He didn't pay much mind to the other people or adult whers. So long as one didn't try to stomp on him or knock him down ... which he was making an effort to forestall by staying near the wall. Leaning on it actually.

The mention of someone trying to ride the gold mid-hatching did get his attention for a moment. That sounded like a heck of a story, but now was hardly the time for it. It also struck him as a very very stupid thing to do. Most people weren't that stupid. At least, he liked to think they weren't. He'd been proven wrong more than once before.

That there were other Harpers present ... much less so many ... never crossed his mind. Simply because he was the only one that didn't have other duties to attend to, the only one not pulling double duty in some other capacity. He remembered being a Rider all too well ... he'd been far too busy to do any Harper work beyond the mildest dabbling. He well imagined that wher-handling wasn't much different. Or was it? After all, no one sane would even imagine touching a Gold dragon during a hatching ... why would anyone want to mess with a Gold wher?

The excited frenzy that was the third hatchling captured his attention for a moment before he went back to jotting notes. The tip of his stick crumbled mid-word, and instead of trying to peel the parchment back so that he could keep using it, he merely changed for one of the others he'd brought. If he had time, he'd deal with it. Right now he didn't have time. Finishing his notes he took a moment to sketch out a rough draft of the brown that was merely lounging instead of choosing. The other two had Impressed, and quickly. Good signs. But this one that wasn't might well not, and if he was going to get a sketch of it now was the time. Before it went wild and ran off to never be seen again. Theoretically. Wild whers were quite unpredictable in his estimation. Never knew when one would just randomly happen through.

And get chased by all the domestic ones.

A fourth egg started and stopped in hatching, instead choosing to croon like a dazed bird. This was also noted, though he could not distinguish what it was that was going to finish exiting that particular shell. While he waited for that to move along a little more, he jotted down some notes on the Gold's behavior instead. He really didn't have any idea what was normal Gold-Wher behavior for a hatching, so anything of note was worth noting. And her reactions to her own clutch were certainly of note to his mind.

"Can anyone see that that last one is?" Emoyan asked absently. His vantage was wrong, but neither did it really concern him. When it hatched it would be obvious. It didn't really matter if anyone deigned to answer him or not. Most of them seemed rather occupied with their own conversations anyway. Conversations that clearly had roots in the past, for half of it didn't make any sense to a newcomer's ears.

Skink peeped from his pocket, and rearranged herself within it as she listened to the happenings outside. For the moment she was trapped, but that did not mean she couldn't lend her two cents on whatever she perceived to be happening. Thank Faranth so far she didn't have much of an opinion yet. Emoyan stifled a yawn, trying to not be rude. But he really wasn't quite awake entirely despite all the note taking he was doing. He could only help his notes would be readable in the morning when he actually woke up.

[Rei]

Nysania returned Hinsero’s wave with a small smile and wave of her own. It seemed more people were arriving. Good. The rocking eggs then drew the majority of her attention, the woman watching with curiosity as the Courage egg shattered and a small goop covered hatchling stood amongst the shards of his egg. His color was what caused her to frown slightly. Purple? Weren’t whers supposed to follow the same color patterns as dragons? Apparently so considering the colors of the adults milling around. Well then. That made the little one blue didn’t it? Some blue could look purplish in the right lighting after all. The blue baby’s little bark was actually quite cute. Almost canine like. Indeed at hatchling he was roughly the size of your average canine wasn’t he? Although he also seemed rather clumsy and she gave a wince as he tumbled into the Temperance Egg, shattering that one as well. A brown emerged from that egg.

The healer watched in amusement as the babies grumped at each other and detangled, the purple blue making his way over to….her? Nysania gave a quick glance to her left and right noting that she was indeed alone. Oh no. He didn’t want her. He couldn’t possibly want her. Except it seemed her did. And enough to actually fight for her it seemed. Well. That was the first time she had been treated to almost being fought over by two males. Amused at that thought, as well as the fact that the brown had backed down so quickly, she turned her gaze downwards to the Courage blue and his rainbow hued eyes. Could you reject a hatchling? Was there a way to remove this sudden intrusion into her thought space? Apparently not and this little creature seemed insistent that he was hers. There was no room for doubt or anything even resembling it in the hatchling's mental boadcast. Vain little creature wasn’t Nyssk? Yes Nyssk, it seemed he had come with a name. Although he hadn’t spoken it and she still wasn’t sure exactly how she could understand him, that was undoubtedly his name.

With a soft sigh Nysania reached out to touch Nyssk's head, the purple blue purring contentment as he nuzzled her and demanding food all at the same time. Snorting at the backlash feelings of hunger, the woman thought back to what the gold handler had said. Feed it, and giving it blood would make the bond stronger. The healer had not expected this in the first place. Wasn’t completely sure she wanted this ugly little creature. Cute as it was now it was going to get bigger, and it was an intrusion into her most private of places. Her mind. Nevertheless, perhaps because she was extremely lonely and he seemed insistent on keeping her, she rummaged through her medical bag to pull out a surgical blade. “Alright. Since it seems you’re not giving me a choice, you smug little thing, looks like we’re stuck together now.” Making a small and shallow cut in her palm she cupped her hand, allowing the blood to pool, before leaning forward to allow Nyssk to lick it off.

Shivering slightly at the rasp of his tongue against her skin she allowed the baby blue to work on her palm as she raised her gaze to the previously ignored hatching. Just in time to see a green blur of wher trample Hinsero. Oh dear. Well seemed as if she had a job now. Nyssk licking her palm was momentarily torn as he kept one eye on the apparently injured boy. He was hungry. But he supposed that could wait while they took care of Protected Number Two. Nysania raised one eyebrow at the purple hued hatchling in front of her and spoke, her tone heavily sarcastic. “How kind and generous of you Nyssk.” The little blue gave a soft purr as she pulled her hand away and started towards Hinsero. Oh he knew that. That’s why he decided what he had. Came the comment as he stumbled at her side. The healer didn’t comment. Apparently Nyssk either didn’t get sarcasm, was too young to understand it, or was just that vain. Oh this was the start of a beautiful relationship. Nyssk wholeheartedly agreed.

[metaldawn71]

The Queen's reaction to Kalaht's greeting to her and the eggs made him a bit nervous. Great. He angered her! Now what! After all he was there to Impress but would the wher Queen allow him to Impress one of her babies this time around?

His eyes turned there attention to both Eiskask and the eggs, giving the emotion that he admired them both equally as much and they were both beautiful and very precious...and yes *very* amazing. He smiled at the gold, apologetically.

In silence, he awaited the next egg to hatch.

[Requiem]

Dmitri looked over Eikask as if seriously considering the goldhandler's suggestion. Then he sighed, shaking his head and shrugging a shoulder. "I've become quite fat since last I tried to rodeo a gold." He brushed his hands down his sides in illustration. (Though illustration of what, considering he did a good job of imitating a sapling on the best of days, was anyone's guess.) "Even Dmisk won't suffer my weight for long."

Tempted though Dmitri was to either be an ass to (and hopefully scare off) Zemaren, he found it more appealing to simply ignore him in favor of better company. Eikane and Nautic were certainly better company. Even, strangely, Piden. There was also the temptation to mention to Eikane their bipolar young friend over there. But why spoil the surprise? If Kalaht Impressed, they'd all see for themselves in due time.

That left just one other thing to capture his attention. Dmitri wrinkled his nose and stepped out into the hall, catching Nautic by his scarf and dragging the greenhandler closer. "What are you doing all the way out here, crazy? And acting like you've been in the wine again." Dmitri tugged the smaller wherhandler along into the room and prodded him toward Eikane. "You seem to have misplaced it again."

A hiatus in the hatching. After that new healer Impressed...no other eggs hatched. The brown didn't move. Faolan wasn't necessarily the most impatient of people, but it seemed odd to him. Usually hatchings went at such a fa- The egg that Eikask had moved over to inspect seemed to explode at her touch. Or maybe it was the hatchling inside it exploding into action, because she streaked across the sands at a ridiculous pace and bowled right into Hinsero. Well, that was one way to greet your new mindmate, he supposed.

The dragonless' eyes turned back to the remaining eggs. He wasn't sure what he'd do if none of these whers wanted him. Much as Faolan felt something compelling him back here - loyalty, perhaps? - the man didn't think he could take much more of living in the world of dragonriders and dragons. His nerves were so frayed he could barely...And the touch. Both familiar and not, like a probing at first. Then a full embrace where uncertainty was replaced by certainty.

It was not something Faolan had been expecting. He started, eyes snapping toward the green he'd thought already Impressed. There was a shiver of pure fear and both man and hatchling scrambled backwards in a mirrored image of one another. Faolan struck the wall; Faolask backed up nearly to the point of tripping over her brother again. But the other moving people were far more frightening, and after the initial startlement the dragonless man comprehended. Welcomed. Beckoned, even, his own eyes darting to the swiftly moving creatures all around.

Faolask wasted no time. The little green darted forward (not nearly so fast as before, for her hatchling muscles could not sustain so many sprints for long) and used Faolan's chest to stop her forward progress. Her head she half-buried against him, peeking at the scaries from beneath his arm. Trembling together, Faolan found his eyes tearing up. Faolask alternated between nuzzles and plaintive little whimperings. Could they leave? Please, please?

"I..don't know where to go?" Faolan whispered to the green, feeling silly a moment later when he realized he was asking a newborn what to do. Faolask didn't know where to go, either, the little one growing more frantic with Faolan's uncertainty. Which, in turn, had his stomach tying up into knots of unease. His eyes darted, quickly skipping over the healer and the candidate who had been mauled in Faolask's haste. Over the candidates that would do him no good. Over the wherhandlers in their little knots of conversation.

Finally, though, he spotted a wherhandler off to himself. "I'll carry you, if you like," he murmured to Faolask. The green wasn't at all certain. It was hard to run when being carried! But she was tired, and Hers could run if they needed to, couldn't he? So she accepted the offer with a little discomfort of her own, curling tightly in his arms and peeking just enough that she could be certain Hers would know to run if something scary happened.

Faolan skirted wide around any activity, pausing several times when either Faolask got more upset or Faolan himself grew uncomfortable. "Where do we go?" he murmured to the bronzehandler, eyes still scanning to be sure no one started toward them suddenly.

[Ruby]

Well this seemed to be going quite smoothly, despite the Goldhandler's fairly ominous opening. The first two creatures to hatch seemed happy and healthy enough, despite their little squabble over... choice of bonded? The purpley-blue seemed to win, moving on to pick... Nysania? What on Pern was going on here? She wasn't even a Candidate, and the new Head Healer to boot. Well, to each his own, Hinsero wasn't going to judge.

The Brown's apathy made him glance over the assembled candidates, trying to figure out what they lacked. Maybe he was just taking his time. Hinsero didn't waste any more time worrying about the baby Brown, though. Porita had showed up, and the poor girl looked like she was about to faint. Knowing her history with hatchings, he didn't really blame her. With a little wave, he started shouldering his way towards her, skirting the front lines of the Candidates while trying not to crowd the eggs, and more importantly the gold.

He didn't get far. He was going around the smallest Candidate in the bunch - kid couldn't have been more than 13, and got an encouraging smile from the much older Hinsero - when shattering eggshell made him pause. He turned towards the sound, barely registering chartreuse hide before he discovered himself on the ground. Twin lines of fire marked him from shoulder to hip, but if Hinsero thought he might get a mindmate for his pains, he was about to be sorely disappointed. By the time he figured out what had happened, the green was long gone, choosing another.

Propping himself up on his elbows, Hinsero groaned. He looked down at his chest, prodding gently at the gashes. Mostly it was just torn fabric and scraped skin, but down near his waist the cuts were deep, and bled freely. Shaking his head slightly to clear it - he'd whacked it pretty hard when he fell - he reached across his abdomen, pulling scraps of shirt over the worst parts. "Ouch," he commented to no one in particular.

Piden, unconcerned by the hatching's progress, had snuggled in tighter to Ceryl's side under the pretense that he couldn't hear her over the tense chatter in the room. "Eikask? Yeah... She's pretty shiny." That word was absolutely laden with scorn, as if Piden's own mindmate weren't bronze. Sometimes Piden forgot. Dmitri's production on Nautic made the Bronzehandler smirk, though. Now he did need to lean closer - he was whispering so low even Ceryl might have trouble hearing. "Oh look, it's the idiot brothers, all in one place. Theoretically, Nautic and Eikane are in a relationship, but I'm fairly certain I've slept with all three of them more recently than Nautic and Eikane have with each other. Prudes. It's a good thing Pidesk and Nautsk like each other, or I would imagine Nautic would have killed me in my sleep long ago..." Because of course Ceryl needed to be updated on all the gossip.

[metaldawn71]

Kalaht was a bit more inclined to say that was it for him, but a loud crack caught his attention. Or it seemed to be loud in the quietness of the chamber. He turned his attention to Eiskask once more and to the eggs, regarding them both with the utmost respect and awe. He was a fool to leave now. What if one hatched and he was not around to feed it? That's what kept him from leaving. He was strong and looked as though he had survived a battle between good and evil. His face was not scarred but his eyes showed many mixed feelings; pain, anger, happiness and sadness among others.

Kalaht noticed the encouraging smile that Hinsero gave him. He gave him a nod of thanks back. His focused on the one that cracked. He was standing, anxiously waiting for the cracked egg to hatch. He looked to make sure he had his knife and he did. Good. He nodded in confidence. He thought he saw the color of chartreuse just barely, but he could not be sure.

His eyes turned to the Queen wher again. Curious or not whether she would allow him to be mauled and/or Impress..it was unpredictable. He wasn't stupid either. He knew something was going to happen, good or bad? He was ready to face either head on. Kalaht was a survivor. He was a fighter and had enough confidence to feed the all of Pern!

During his lessons, he had studied hard, paid attention and did very well. He had worked hard and being short? Yes, he was teased a little but in the end, it did not matter -what- size he was or how old he was. When a wher chose you to be his/her bonded, that was the most precious, beautiful thing ever. He heard there was nothing like the feeling.

Now he was here, ready to experience that sensation first hand. He sighed of nervousness. That smile of encouragement -did- help, to some extent. He began to shake. At first it was unnoticeable to the untrained eye. Was he having an anxiety attack or maybe something else?

[Tashe]

Zemaren did his best to focus on both the hatchlings and the Gold, trying his best to minimize anymore damage that could possibly come his way this night. Shifting position again, the Harper nearly missed the mini explosion within the clutch. Unfortunately the only thing he saw of the Wher was a sudden flash of Green hide. "Huh. That little girl is quick." This was of course said to no one in particular and was meant really only for himself. And while Faolan impressed, good for him he supposed, the young man brought his leg up and rubbed gently at his ankle. Damn. At the very least he would come out of this hatching with a funny story and fodder for a new song, a comedic one... not really his style but one had to be flexible.

---

"Hey, hey! Watch the neck!" Nautic nearly slid off of Nautsk so he wouldn't be dragged off of her by his scarf, it was fortunate that the Green loved Dmitri otherwise she would have had a problem with the Handler's actions. "I have not been in the Wine again thank you! Nautsk didn't want to crowd Eikask anymore than she already was and I told her I'd keep her company." The short, blond tried to fend of the Bluehandlers prodding. He was used to Dmitri's pull and prod methods of moving so it didn't bother him as much as it would have if it had been someone else. "I'm not a kid, I can't get misplaced." Tugging grumpily at the ends of his scarf -which weren't slung around his neck because of the heat- Nautic slid over to Eikane, giving his Weyrmate a smile. "Hi."

[Rowana]

Porita started a little, but turned to smile faintly at Emiliah. "Thank you," she managed softly. "Good luck to you." She was glad of the advice, it helped her focus on the present rather than the past. She took few deep breaths, then her eyes widened as a salamandyr appeared on the other girl's shoulder. "Is that...?" Porita's question cut off when Dementia drew blood. Her eyes went wide. "Oh! Are you alright?" she asked hurriedly. Was it normal for them to do that? She hardly understood these creatures at the best of times and she didn't dare get close now. Emiliah had said not to anger the gold, what if she meant this one?

Her indecision was interrupted by a scuffle closer to the eggs. Porita glanced up, her eyes growing even larger. She saw Faolan leave with a small hatchling in his arms. She was pleased for him, maybe it would help the sadness in his eyes, but something else had her attention. "I'm sorry," she bobbed her head to Emiliah. Her hand didn't look too bad and someone else was clearly much worse. Porita pushed through the others arrive at Hinsero with Nysania. She wasn't sure who the older woman was, but if she could help, Porita would hug her. She had so few people she thought might some day be friends. She didn't want to loose this one.

"Hinsero?" she asked nervously. Porita tugged her scarf off her neck. She hated taking it off in public, but maybe in the dim light no one would see the scar. Besides, trifle things hardly mattered now. Gently, afraid she might be doing more harm than good, she pressed the scarf over the worst of the wound. Blood stained the yellow fabric making her bit her lip with worry. "Are you...does it hurt?" Stupid question, she berated herself, blushing. Her eyes went to Nysania's with a pleading look. What should she do?

~

Roivao took a few steps forward. He knew what bleeding on the Sands was like and it wasn't fun. Nysania seemed to be handling though, and she did know more than he about such things. Besides, it looked like he had another problem at hand. Roisk crooning soothingly to the little green as she approached. She was safe, he explained calmly. Roisk would let no harm come to her. Roi looked the new pair over with a frown. "Eikane brought some meat," he pointed to baskets of prepared meals. "Normally you would just feed them here..." he began, eying the new green thoughtfully. "But I can take you to one of the wherling rooms. It'll be quieter." Roi paused to heave one of the baskets up and move towards the exit. He glanced back to see what Faolan would like to do, even as Roisk sent that he would be staying to see the rest of his offspring safely hatched.

[Ember]

Eikane shook his head in amusement. Fat...uh-huh. Because over six foot tall toothpicks counted as fat nowadays. He must be a behemoth then. As Dmitri went to go sort out Nautic - really what was his partner doing way over there? - he turned his head to address Emoyan's question. "Eikask says its a blue." Well, that was a bit false. She didn't so much as tell him, he just picked it out of her mind. In the beginning the bond had been pretty one-sided but as she'd grown phsyically, he'd grown into the bond. It'd be interesting watching that happen with this new batch of wherlings.

"Thanks for returning it," Eikane responded dryly when Dmitri returned with the greenhandler in tow. He smiled for Nautic though (ignoring any reaction Dmitri might have had) and offered a "hey" in return. He'd have struck up a more involved conversation but the eggs were his wher's babies so he owed them a certain amount of attention. Speaking of the eggs...there went the rest of the Faith Egg's shell. The blue that was revealed was tiny for its colour. At best he was the size of a small green. It didn't seem to bother him much though.

The blue promptly approached not the candidates but his dam in clear conversation. So she was the pack leader? Well...she had to be didn't she? But...oh hey wait, what was this form of communication anyways? Eikask crooned questioningly at the blue who'd stopped his rather odd interrogation part way only to have him snap at her. No, no! Not like that! What was magical about a croon? He stomped away from her quickly and towards the candidates. This magic! He must experience more of it!

His awkward hopping gait brought him straight to Porita and he nosed her. Hi? Hi! Yes, it worked with her too! Amazing! Simply, truly amazing. The magic must be the work of It. Surely His new It, too? If not Posk could certainly teach her. He fluttered his still goopy wings. It was directing him to be fed though...and blooding might not be a bad thing either. Oh riiiight...the blue turned back briefly to gaze at his brother. Wasn't there something the brown should be doing instead of lazing around?

There certainly was, the brown decided. He'd definitely been lazy enough. Any more just wouldn't be good. Besides, it was time to show some concern, wasn't it? Faolask had done something quite bad. Some anger, too, was warranted...except she was already quite scared and it would be seen as cruel. Hmm. Concern, concern...the brown got to his feet and wandered over to His. Posk was there to and he offered a polite enough greeting before flopping next to Hinsero. Hinsesk here, inquiring if His is alright?

Apparently with the floor cleared of unImpressed whers, the Hope Egg decided it was time to hatch. The egg didn't explode so much as crumble in on the baby. What was revealed was a large brown that chirped in amusement and confusion. Would someone be so good as to explain what was going on? He was awfully hungry but that's all he knew. In fact...he nosed the fragments of his shell, taking a piece into his mouth experimentally. It doesn't taste very good...is it edible? The Hope Brown held off on eating it right away. Answers were nice, after all.

Ceryl still wasn't bothered much by Piden pressing into her...although the room was a bit stuffy and heated. "Pidesk is shiny too," she commented without much emotion. Just stating a fact. "But I get what you mean. There's shiny and then there's shiny." She would know...she had a bronze firelizard. He had quite the ego but it wasn't the same as Eikask's arrogance. The quiet words Piden whispered made the greenhandler smile. She missed a few here and there but she got the main message. "Are they really together then?"

((Jen: On Selenitas when we have threads with more than two people (mostly in the case of hatchings and plots) we have what we call thread leaders. Everytime they post a new posting round begins and everyone is allowed one post per round. In this case, I am the thread leader. Please don't post twice in one round.))

[Ember]

Faith Blue
Bonded to: Porita
Name: Posk
Color: Blue #0047AB #191970 #00FFFF
Based On: Passenger Pidgeon
Physical Appearance: Green sized. Small green sized, at that. He's a terribly small blue and even a little perpetually under-nourished. Though not at a truly alarming level his ribs can be seen. He's slim and aerodynamic. Even his nose is thin and he has surpisingly small eyes. His tail breaks the thin and whippy theme a bit, being thicker than it ought to be though as long as expected. He sports a large, wide pair of wings. His legs are on the short side.

This blue is a pleasant cobalt blue for the majority of his hide. Along the bottom of his neck and belly, though, he's a pretty midnight blue. As the colour approaches the base of his tail it begins to blend back into the cobalt blue. A startlingly bright cyan runs along the bottom end of his wing sails and creates spots on his lower back and rump. Towards the end of his tail one can see the beginnings of a blend of cobalt and cyan though it's not all that noticeable under most lights (or lack thereof). The tip of his nose is also covered by this cyan.

This blue is a ball of moving energy. He's extremely quick despite his odd hopping gait. His wings often open and close for no apparent reason (he's good at accidentally knocking things over or hitting others when he snaps them open quickly). He has a habit of bobbing his head slightly as he walks. Fidgety fidgety. Something on him is always moving, sometimes even unconciously. In the air he's a marvel to watch although his landings will always leave much to be desired. The only way he knows how to land is to crash. He also crashes in energy after a while of being active.

Personality: Quirky blue is quirky. He adamantly believes in the paranormal and magical. In fact, even the telepathic communication draconids possess is viewed as a form of magic. It's not infrequent for him to lead His into the jungle in search of fairies or other such things. On top of that, he also believes in all supersitions. Black cats, spilled salt, broken mirrors, etc.. This tends to make him rather paranoid, always on the look out for them. He will also take the time to learn all of the remedies to these situations if there are any.

He also holds faith in a "higher being" that decides the course of one's life. No, he doesn't believe in Faranth, but he does believe in something. He'll snap at anyone who dares say otherwise, more for their own protection than because he's pissed that they don't agree. Don't they know It can hear them all the time? Saying such things will get them punished! One day in this blue's life a human or creature will come along and he'll believe that they are the Being in a physical body come to guide him. His had best try and make friends with whoever it is or risk their wher being influenced by a stranger.

This blue will be perpetually disturbed by the atmosphere in the wherhandlers' apartments. He is a pack beast, through and through. Packs are meant to stick together at all times but (at the time of writing this) his home is vastly different than he imagines. He'll always be trying to stick to another wher or two when they're around. It'll get to the point where if they want privacy they will have to find a way to drive this blue away temporarily. His annoyingness doesn't stop there. He's quite willing to blabber about things no one wants to hear to everyone nearby. Packs also share information, evidentally. All this doesn't necessarily mean he likes his pack mates.


Temperance Brown
Bonded to: Hinsero
Name: Hinsesk
Color: Brown #321414
Based On: Steller's Sea Cow
Physical Appearance: This brown is nothing short of unremarkable in colour. Not to say that his colour isn't handsome in its own right, but he pales in comparison to his clutchsiblings. His entire hide is the colour of a wet Terran fur seal. Yes, not particularly interesting. The only thing of any note is the fact that the shade varies at spots, giving the illusion of shadows. Yes, his patterning actually makes him appear like he has rolls of fat. This occurs mostly around his neck, shoulders, and haunches but is not limited to those spots. Luckily for him these appearances of shadows are not terribly noticeable with just the light of the moon. It will require a closer and more concentrated source of light to see them (such as glows).

Despite his colouration this wher is not fat in the least. He does have a thin layer of fat over his whole body but it is still within the norm for a wher. This layer of fat gives him a slightly rounder appearance than other whers. For the most part, this prevents any cases of being described as bony, with the exception of his ridges and wings. This male may not be round from fat but he is rounded out by the thick muscles lying underneath his slight fat. He's not a particularly long wher, either, so his muscle makes him stocky. He's quite strong if he puts his mind to it but he usually doesn't. He has wings that would be good for his size if not for al lthe muscle. The oddest part of this wher is his feet. Sure enough he has the usual number of toes and such but his feet are a lot wider than usual.

This poor guy has quite the trouble getting around on land or in the air. On land he's slow and clumsy with his larger than usual feet and bulk. To avoid tripping too much, even as a hatchling, the brown will always make a delibrate attempt to move slowly. Distance that takes the average wher to walk ten minutes can take half an hour or more for him. In the air he is equally clumsy. His wings can't properly support his weight. Getting off the ground will be difficult in and of itself - prolonged gliding is a hopeless wish. This wher is not entirely hopeless, though. His large feet come in extremely handy for swimming. Indeed, it is an activity he will excel at. At times he will show a tendency to sink beneath the water but he will come to no harm. Draconids can hold their breaths for long times and he's even better at that than most.

Personality: This brown is a fairly down to earth creature most of the time. He keeps himself in a near constant state of "balance." Not too little or too much of anything, be it emotions, excercise, activities. When he feels anger, for example, he may express it to a degree but he will quickly reign it in after that. Such is the way for all of his emotions. He won't even let himself get too happy or excited. One may think this makes it impossible for him to form deep bonds with others but that is not true. Depending on the way he's brought up he may form several deep bonds and then choose to make enemies to balance it out or he may choose to only make one or two deep bonds and forego the enemies.

Ones who he has developed a bond with are treated extremely well. Random gifts will be frequent, as will affectionate displays. At first it may seem like he has abandoned his moderating nature but that's not true. When they aren't around he does not search them out and when they are around he ignores all others completely. It's just an odd variation of his ideals. This also means his "gifts" tend to be whatever is nearby at the time: rocks, interesting smelling grass or dirt, an unusually long stick. If it doesn't already belong to someone than anything goes with him. Items belonging to His are also seen as his own and he's liable to take them from His...including the clothing he's wearing, sometimes.

He's a very smart wher and responds very well to logic which makes it possible to manipulate him through his moderating tendencies. This will come in most handy when trying to get him to accomplish a goal. Since he follows the moderation ideal, this extends even to the effort he puts into anything. He is prone to either completely stopping in the middle of something or significantly lowering the amount of effort put in. During such times His will have to be crafty and come up with a logical reason why he should continue putting more effort. If His is not able to learn how to do so they will find life with this wher rather frustrating.

[Requiem]

"There should be a rule against riding your wher inside the apartments," Dmitri returned, entirely without remorse. "If I tried that with Dmisk I'd be risking decapitation." Which had more to do with the size of the bluepair than anything else, but who was he to quibble over such unimportant details? "You two really are entirely too shy. Look at all the whers in attendance. There's still plenty of room." Dmitri was having none of Nautic's protests.

"Your welcome." The bluehandler prodded the 'it.' "You've been misplaced in the mines or somewhere for the last quite awhile. Not to mention that you still haven't moved in with Eikane and I thought that was the whole reason I moved out to begin with?" Dmitri had a bit of a problem living alone. It was weird, to be sure, but he'd come to accept it. Kind of annoying when his roommates went and got themselves involved with one another, making him leave (because he wasn't interested in playing voyeur) and yet not sharing the room. Weirdos. If he'd known they were going to be so strange, well...A glance was spared Piden, but Dmitri's attention was quickly arrested by the hatching taking place

Faolask's head lifted slightly when Roisk addressed her, a tentative croon leaving her throat as some of the fear began to abate. This one seemed nice. Who was he? "Your sire," Faolan murmured to her. Oh! Hi! Faolask extracted a leg, pawing for her daddy's head. Of course, that was when Roivao stabbed a finger toward the buckets. Faolask let out an audible cry, the claws of one leg sinking into Faolan's arm. The man twitched back from the sudden movement, pale blue eyes wide. Then he looked down at the blood beginning to soak through his sleeve.

Faolask whined softly, an apologetic sound. She hadn't meant to! The green's tongue rasped over his arm (little good as it did with material in the way). Faolan blinked. Was it the pain in his arm that made everything suddenly seem that much more imposing? The scent of blood on the air - not just his - was sharp. He suddenly became aware of tensions he hadn't paid so much attention to before. Eikask in particular. She was frightening. And Hinsesk was totally mad at hi-

What?

Before that could fully process, the basket swung toward him and the green in his arms. Faolan ducked aside with a yelp while Faolask tried to fuse even more tightly with his chest, her limbs windmilling a little in an attempt to run on air. Fortunately, this time they didn't bite into skin. In the next instant Faolan practically glued himself to Roivao's back. Daddy would protect them. He blinked. Faolask, you're confusing me, he told his girl silently.

She crooned her apology, washing his face with her tongue.

[Rei]

Nyssk stumbled in front of Nysania as the healer crouched by Hinsero’s side. Never fear Protected Number One and Two. He would keep any nasties at bay while the poor boy was seen to. Yes, because a just hatched newborn would clearly do wonders to protect them should something happen.

Ignoring the babies antics for now the woman let her eyes examine what she could see of the boy's wounds. Hmm it was a bit hard to tell with the clothing in the way but they didn't look as bad as she had first feared. The shirt would naturally have to be removed before she could go further. Opening her bag Nysania spoke softly but clearly to Hinsero. “Hinsero? It’s Nysania. You were run over by an overenthusiastic hatchling. Doesn’t look to be too bad though. I’m going to want to bind those so we can move you. You think you can stand?” At least he seemed coherent enough. Could be much worse. Suddenly the woman found herself joined by one of the candidates who started to press her own scarf over one of the boys wounds. Probably in a bid to stop the bleeding. Sweet of her, but really it would be okay. She’d seen far worse. Hinsero need stitches definitely at the worst gashes, but probably no more than that.

Nysania gave Portia a small smile. “Come to help?” As she spoke she used a knife to cut away the rest of Hinsero’s shirt. It seemed all the wounds were concentrated above hip level. Now having a clear view of the area the woman gave a short nod. “Yes not too bad. I’d stitch you up here but I’d rather not risk the repeat of another enthusiastic mistake. So I’m going to temporarily bind them and we’ll move you somewhere a bit safer.” The babies were just a tad too unpredictable to trust.

Nyssk agreed and gave a low growl as suddenly one of his blue clutch siblings hopped towards the group. Before he could interfere however Nysania snaked out an arm and pulled the baby close. Much to his displeasure all Nyssk could do was growl harmlessly and berate his bonded as the hatchling proceeded to impress to the girl beside him. Well then. Nyssk supposed that was okay. As long as his brother didn’t get any funny ideas. Nyssk repeated the same procedure as Hinsero apparently impressed the brown he’d previously ‘fought’ with over Nysania. Well as long as he knew the woman was still his. With a sigh Nysania finally released Nyssk so the purple hued wher could attempt to stare down the Hope Brown. He had quite a few to protect now apparently. The healer gave a snort. Silly creature.

Within moments Nysania had Hinsero’s hips tightly bound and was urging his arm around her shoulders, encouraging him to rise to his feet. Motioning for Portia to support him on the other side she smiled at Hinsero. “Easy does it and we’ll get you properly patched up in no time. Get those babies fed too.” Looking back she gave a whistle. “Nyssk. Come on don’t you want food?” The healer figured the other babies would obviously follow their bondeds.

Giving the Hope Brown one last pointless look of warning Nyssak turned to his siblings. With a commanding bark he nudged first Posk and then Hinsesk. Obviously they needed a proper leader. Move along brothers. It was time for food. He would make sure they were not followed. Giving his wings a small flap he prodded them more incessantly, seeking to herd them towards the retreating humans and the food beyond them.

[Sheari]

Emiliah smiled back at the girl as she understood and she was about to turn back to the clutch when Dementia appeared on her. In a flash it seemed, the 'mandyr slithered down her arm and sliced open her hand. A brief moment of white hot pain blossomed there with the blood on her palm. As if she was helping, lapping blood from her skin! In a bit of a panic the girl whipped her hand to the side in an effort to dislodge the offending gold, quickly grabbing her wrist in instinct. Her knuckles turned white with the force on her arm before she pulled a cloth (because she always had one on her) from her pocket and wrapped it around the wound. No healer was she but she'd been cut before.

With a quick glare at Dementia, Emiliah smiled at Porita and managed an "I'm fine," before returning her attention to the clutch at hand. Well, at least now if one wanted her blood it was readily available. On the note of blood, the "violent" part came into play when Hinsero was mauled and then left behind by the green. A pang of fear wormed its way into the girl's gut as she took count of the chance the same thing might happen to her. The candidate seemed to take it well, propping himself up after the attack. She hoped that was as bad as it got. Too bad the wher that got at him didn't choose him, while another did.

The little brown plopped himself next to the boy and the new blue had chosen the girl Emiliah had just spoken to. Well! With the hatchlings mixing in with the candidates and none exactly moving quickly away from the now disorganized group the girl felt a bit lost. The room had more people in it now, more activity with the babies, and once again, a potential friend had passed just within and just without of her life. A common occurrence for the girl. Meeting random new people only for their faded, blurry faces to be the only memory of them for her. Two eggs remained and one new baby had hatched. Three. If none of them wanted her by the end of this she would be able to continue her life as a drudge (and maybe candidate...?). Afterall, there was always laundry and dishes that needed washing.

[Tashe]

Things were certainly going... quickly. Was this what it was like at a Dragon hatching? Perhaps there it was even faster? He had never been to a hatching, only invited to play at hatching feasts. So he'd seen how small Dragons were, but never how they came to be. These Whers were proving to be a wonderful example of what a Dragon hatching could be. It would be set as the base expectation in his mind. Shifting again so he could get a better look at what was going on, the Harper hobbled a few steps to the right using the wall to steady himself. So far two blues, a green and a Brown had hatched... oh wait, there was another Brown. He hadn't been able to see the Hope Brown from where he'd been standing previously.

Hinsero and Porita Impressed like that girl and Faolan had, it was funny -or at least he thought it was amusing- that they impressed. Not in a mean sense, just that they all shared Candidate classes. At least they'd know eachother going into Wherlinghood instead of being complete strangers. His fingers idly tapped a rhythm on the wall as he shifted attention between the Brown, the rest of the eggs and the Gold mother who made him rather nervous. Maybe all Golds would make him feel this way... he had yet to actually meet a Gold up close, whether it be a wher or a Dragon. It seemed as though he was missing out on a lot of daily Weyr activities...

---

"Nautsk isn't shy, you should know that by now. But she doesn't want to risk making Eikask angry, because then she won't be able to help watch the Eggs in the future." With a huff Nautic tossed the bangs from his face. He made a smack at Dmitri's hand when he was prodded again. "First off, I've been busy making those Mines safe for working in, not to mention making maps and other things we need of the extensive tunnels. I don't want any of my Miners getting lost, thanks. Plus, we're still working on the best way to Mine some of the stones. Its a long process." The Greenhandler prodded his friend in the shoulder. "And, we are living together. I just keep my old apartment on reserve. Mouse lives there, and Absinthe goes there to sleep off her drunkness when she's plastered. Sometimes I get back later in the morning and have no energy to bathe so I conk out and sleep in my old room."

It was mainly due to the fact that Eikane wouldn't appreciate waking up to a dusty and sweaty person curled into his side. The Goldhandler had some issues when it came to dirt and grime so Nautic did his best to accommodate. It was hard, if only because he was the Minemaster and therefore... prone to get caked in dirt and stuff. But then again, being able to cuddle with Eikane was more than enough incentive to get clean.

[Ruby]

Nysania, yes, that made sense... but Porita's concern touched Hinsero, bringing a hint of color to his cheeks. "I'll be alright," he said, in answer to both Porita and Nysania, then reached out to put a hand on the girl's arm. "Thank you," he added, including Nysania in his glance, but really, the words were for Porita. This was the Healer's job, not Porita's. Pushing himself a little more upright, though, he winced. "Not sure I can stand on my own, though. Little one's got sharp claws."

He couldn't help shrinking back a little, though, when a small blue hatchling headed their way. It wasn't necessary, though - he didn't come anywhere near Hinsero, rather nosing Porita in the side. Had she impressed, too? "Pori-" he started asking, only to be interrupted by a very strange feeling in his mind. Concern, concern. Where was that feeling coming from? It was alien and strange, but firmly there in his mind. Like the way Heart spoke, but without words. His eyes tracked over to the Brown who had fought so apathetically over Nysania, and as the Temperance Brown got to his feet, he knew.

When the brown flopped next to him, Hinsero couldn't find words. He lifted his hand off Porita's arm, tentatively placing it on Hinsesk's nose. Hinsesk. His Hinsesk. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was aware that Heart had some serious reservations about this turn of events - worried about his wellbeing, no doubt - but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered but Hinsesk. "His - You - I - I'm alright," the young man stuttered, staring into gently whirling rainbow eyes. Good. I suppose I should have some of your blood, then? Convenient that it is already outside of you, Hinsesk said, reaching out for one, two, three licks at Hinsero's gashes in between Nysania's ministrations. "Enough?" Hinsero asked, as the Weyrhealer reached across to finish wrapping up the bandages. Enough, Hinsesk confirmed.

Hinsero knew it was rude, but he really hadn't been listening to Nysania at all. So when she started helping him up, for a moment he struggled, not realizing what she was doing. In a moment, though, he sorted out what was going on and became far more cooperative, heaving himself upright. Behind them, Hinsesk stumbled to his feet too, nudging Posk in the side as he waddled off after the three humans and Nyssk. Food was indeed this way.

Piden watched impassively as the first four whers and their new bondeds disappeared. Didn't even know their names. He hadn't known any of the Candidates who'd impressed from Pidesk's clutch, and honestly, he hadn't done a lot to change that. Would this class be the same? ... Who cared? Now he had Ceryl, a clutchmate of his own, and even Dmitri couldn't keep his eyes off him. Yes, Piden had seen that look, and he made as sure as he could that the Bluehandler knew it. "Pidesk hardly counts," he said, raising his voice to a more tolerable level. "And yes, Eikane and Nautic were together last I checked. Dmitri's got some pet Greenrider - who she actually is seems to change by the week - and Kostya and Tekivix, not here, seem to have some sort of adorable denial going on. Why, curious about who's available?" he asked, unable to keep the twinkle out of his eye.