Cloud Burst! {Razorclaw Hatching}

[Rowana]

Shira and Kami had chosen a very odd place for their nests. Instead of a nice, high perch near M'kai or Merridan's weyrs, they had opted for a location where their eggs were unlikely to be disturbed until they were good and ready. A place where few people tended to venture until it was too dark to see the eggs at all. It was a small ledge of rock, placed near the out door entrance to the new Wherhandler Apartments. From here, Shira could survey both the wide sky outside the Weyr and keep an eye on any unwary human or creature who ventured under her gaze.

Merridan, on the other hand, was not fond of this arrangement. Auran had found the next, which Shira had been stubborn about hiding, but Mer couldn't convince the razorclaw mother to build it closer to home. That meant walking down nearly every day to make sure no one disturbed the nest and that Shira was getting enough food. Kami and Echo had built theirs just outside M'kai's room, why change now?

Merridan was making her way down at a jog. The morning sun was just touching the horizon, so the wherhandlers should be on their way back to their rooms. Auran flew ahead, while Vikky, with strict orders not to 'fix' the nest, was riding Mer's shoulder. With a chatter of alarm and excitement, Auran zipped back. "What is it?" Mer frowned in concern. Vikky trilled happily, bouncing on her perch. Drawing closer to the nests, Mer was just able to make out that at least one of the eggs was crack.

Mer cursed. They were hatching?! She hadn't expected it so soon! Chaoth! Tell Futh Shira and Kami's eggs and call some other people too. I don't have time to feed them all. Chaoth gave an amused chuckle in her mind. His was so flustered over something beyond her control. Brother Futh! Our feathered friends eggs our hatching! he protected. Then to everyone else who was listening, he added. Come to the wher rooms all who wish to see Shira and Kami's lovely offspring!

Shira strutted on her perch, surveying her mistress. Trust humans to think they could interfere. She knew it was time for her eggs to hatch and if they weren't ready it wasn't her fault. She turned and adjusted the position of the eggs with a gentle caress of her beak. The Nimbus Egg was already showing thin cracks and rocking gently. Clearly it wanted to be the first into the world.

((Note: You only have to wait for Ruby or I to post in order to post again, not both. ^_^ ))

[Rowana]

the Cloudy Skies clutches

presented by Kami and Gawain, Shira and a wild razorclaw

[/font]

Kami's nest contains the Stratus and Cirrus eggs. The two eggs, so different in tone, are pushed somewhat apart, leaning away from each other. Whether this is Kami's doing or chance is unknown. The small, skinny, dull Cirrus egg is more off-center, definitely looking like it is about to fall over, while the Stratus egg sits more upright. Kami spends most of her attention on the smaller Cirrus egg, although the Stratus is not lacking. As usual, Kami's nest is incredibly well constructed, not a single stick out of place.

Three eggs are nestled in Shira's carefully crafted bed of leaves and twigs. The Nimbus Egg is displayed proudly in front, as if leading or possible protecting the other two. The Cumulus Egg is snuggled nicely in the middle and looks quite comfortable in its place. Almost completely hidden, the Fog Egg hides in the back trying its best to be ignored by the world at large. Shira is quite proud and protective of her first brood, so woe befall any who get too close without her permission.

01. Cumulus Egg
The Cumulus Egg is decidedly rounder than the other two. It sits quite comfortable in the nest and seems almost content to be near its siblings. The shell is a little bumpy, but not unpleasantly so. The pale blue background of this egg is interrupted constantly by rounded white patches. The result is a peaceful image of a beautiful spring day with the clouds passing overhead.

02. Stratus Egg
The Stratus Egg is a curious texture. It is a very pale gray with hints of blue showing through here and there, but instead of being smooth, the egg both looks and feels slightly scalloped. The pale gray darkens and lightens along the edges of these scallops, making them look even deeper than they are. The egg itself is medium sized - not t0o big, not too small, but comfortably in the middle.

03. Cirrus Egg
Unlike it's nest-mate, the Cirrus egg is very flat, smooth and almost matte in texture. It is an unassuming little egg, elongated and smaller than the Stratus egg but larger than the Fog egg, and curiously dull in color (even in comparison to it's gray nest-mate). The background is blue, yes, but a peculiarly washed-out blue, striped with wisps of white that look almost like strands of hair.

04. Nimbus Egg
Larger even than the Cumulus egg, the Nimbus egg sits proudly in front of its siblings. It seems to defy an attempt to ignore its presents with its size and color. The blue of its shell is a deep aqua marred only by a large white and grey mass on its front. The shell is smooth, but seems to spark with hidden energy if one dares to touch it.

05. Fog Egg
The smallest of the eggs, the Fog Egg sits behind the other two as if hiding. Its shell is perfectly smooth and warm to touch. Its color is a dull grey that seems plain at first. However, if one can look closer, one will see shifting shades and depths that make this truly a mysterious egg to behold.

Cumulus Egg: Hatched Male Merry Bonded to Olivia
Stratus Egg: Hatched Male ? Bonded to Sena
Cirrus Egg: Hatched Male Griffin Bonded to X'rx
Nimbus Egg: Hatched Female Nefertiti Bonded to Maximillian
Fog Egg: Hatched Male ? Bonded to Roselle

[Zephyr]

Two girls walked nearly side by side, chatting a way. Vellani had found a friend in one of the unlikeliest places, a rider. The blonde girl hadn’t spent much time around riders before she had impressed. In fact, most riders intimidated her quite a bit. Especially the male riders. Females were just as intimidating to the girl, mainly because she had always been jealous of them. However, once she got to know one, she realized that they weren’t so bad. She had tried to hide her crush on Er’ani as long as possible, but someone noticed, much to her horror, and that someone just happened to be one of the boy’s classmates, or…former classmates. Leilani. Truth was, Leilani wasn’t quite a rider yet, but maybe it was her status as almost-rider-senior-weyrling that made Vellani comfortable talking to her. The brunette was only a stone’s throw away from being a rider.

Of course this was not the person Vell would have ever chosen to share knowledge of her crush on. Leilani was close enough to the boy to make it a bad idea. Soon, she would be able to breathe a sigh of relief, content in the knowledge that her new friend wouldn’t tell anyone about it, not that the crush was really a secret anymore. Er’ani had to know about it by now. Of course, if Vell hid as much as possible and tried to avoid being in his presence, maybe things would work out?

“ I don’t know…” Vellani’s voice trailed off as she walked near the other girl. Gweneveth’s presence was a constant thrum in the back of her head. Why don’t you just go talk to him? I think he likes you, love. Otherwise why would he have helped you on my hatching day? The girl sighed. There was some wisdom in her dragon’s words, but before she could speak, there was another voice in her mind. She should have been used to it, Katearath had been talking to her and Lani and Gwen all day, but it still felt odd. Likely Lani felt odd about having Gwen in her mind at times, but this was an open conversation between the four of them. It isn’t that easy, little one. Nevermind that Gwen wasn’t too much younger than Kate. Humans love differently than we do. There’s much more emotion and sticky stuff that makes things all messy. I’m kinda glad for it. There’s also Nitrath’s. I don’t think yours has much of a chance.

“ Gee, thanks Kate.” Vellani sighed heavily. Lani, silent up until now, spoke. “ I do think Er’ani likes Caden, and she might like him back…but it’s hard to tell with her. I don’t think Caden is so good with emotion. So she might…even if she isn’t showing it.” Vellani hid her face in her hands. “ Kate’s right! Caden’s a goldrider! I don’t have a chance!” Gwen piped up again, her voice hopefully unhelpful, But you're prettier mine! Surely he has to see… Kate silenced the dragonet with a hiss and Vellani bit her lip. “ Everyone’s pretty, Gwen. That was not a very nice thing to say at all.”

Before Kate could berate the young dragon, a voice stopped her. The green dragon froze stock still, as did Gwen, but she buried her head under Vell’s hands. Lani paused, head up to meet her dragon’s gaze in a silent exchange. Vellani didn’t have enough time to wonder why Kate wasn’t broadcasting to her anymore because Leilani turned very quickly. “ Wanna see something cool?” The girl said with a mysterious grin. Vellani didn’t think she had much of a choice, and more than a little apprehensive, she nodded. “ Follow me then.” Silently, Lani led the way, and equally as silently, Vell was right behind her, Gwen trailing a little uncertainly. Kate, however, did not follow. The adult green spread her wings and took to the sky, to where, Vellani did not know. She realized, with a slight start, that Lani was leading her towards the wherhandler apartments, a place that she wasn’t at all familiar with. “ What’re we doing here?” She whispered urgently to her friend’s back, but the older girl did not answer.

She led the blonde weyrling to the front of the apartments, where a very small crowd of people gathered. “ Wha…?” Vellani said, not quite grasping what was up until Leilani pointed up. There, on a ledge above the door was a nest. And in that nest was a bird. A very large bird. What was it? As if to answer her unspoken question, Leilani spoke, her voice a whisper. “ Razorclaws. They’re hatching. Watch.” Leaning against her dragon, Vellani’s rapt attention was on the nest. Leilani stood somewhat off to the side, glad she could get the girl’s mind off of boys, at least for a little while. Vellani was one of the most neurotic girls she had ever met, but she was nice and sweet…hard qualities to come by sometimes. She just wished that the girl wasn’t infatuated with Er’ani, of all people. Not only was there Caden for her to contend with (and Lani liked Caden very much), there was also Er'ani's own indecisive attitude.

What a sticky situation.

---

Olivia was working in the stable when she heard the dragon's voice in her mind. You'd think, with all the hatchings she had attending, the girl would be used to having strange dragons in her head. It never actually got any easier, and when Chaoth was suddenly there, the girl damn near dropped the shovel she was holding, startling a nearby runner who nickered angrily. " Sorry..." Liv whispered to the beast, laying her shovel down decidedly more gently and patting the beast's flank. Pippin lounged around outside. He made the runners nervous, so Liv didn't allow him inside. Instead, he was prancing at the door. He knew when there was a hatching, and he knew that his mistress liked to go to them. Time to goooo!

The canine danced like he had to go to the bathroom, but Live knew better. " But I'm all smelly..." The little girl grimaced. She didn't want to go like this. The runner nudged her and she patted its head before turning and exiting the stable. Wiping her hands on her pants, she let Pippin lead the way. It was odd when one's canine knew the way better than she did.

Olivia wanted to stop by kitchens, but she decided that she was far too dirty to step foot in there, so after washing her hands, she pulled out a bit of meat she had been saving for lunch and followed her canine to the Apartments. There were a few people there and only a couple eggs. The girl didn't hold out much hope that any of the birds would like her out of everyone here, but giving up wasn't in her vocabulary.

---

But I'm hungry. The dark dragon grumped as he unceremoniously dropped his rider off near the handler apartments. The dragon was almost completely healed from his ordeal during the earthquake, but ever since he seemed to eat more voraciously than usual. The blue was eating all the time, it seemed, and L'am was a little worried that he would put on too much weight to fly. Jeth didn't chase much, honestly, but if he got fat, he wouldn't be able to catch anyone. Sighing, L'am slid off the blue's broad back and patted him lightly, a big bowl of meat under his arm. " Then go eat. I'm going to the hatching. I want to see these razorclaws." Jeth snorted lightly, looking in the direction of the hatching. But they can't even talk. Why do you want one of -those-?" The dragon said in a slightly disgusted tone. The rider sighed and shook his head, patting the dragon's neck. " Just go eat. And not too much please, otherwise you won't ever be able to chase anyone." Jeth liked girls, and saw the sense in these words, but he was just so hungry!

Snorting, the dragon turned and took to the air, winging to go find something to eat. L'am didn't need to be there when he was hunting anyway. Turning, the lanky man walked towards the hatching, eyeing the mother razorclaws with respect. They did look vicious. Bowing lightly, the tall man placed his big bowl of meat near the frontmost part of the gathering, so people could get some if they wanted. He took a little for himself, not too much though. He hoped other people would follow his lead and show consideration for others and not take all the meat, though, and he saw a dog sitting behind a young girl...maybe he should be saying something out loud. Pippin had seen the meat and was looking at it longingly, but he flopped down onto his belly near Liv, trying to squelch the hunger in his belly.

That meat wasn't for him.

Grinning widely, L'am turned his attention to the hatching, eyes raptly on the nest.

[Avu]

The reddish wildling fluffed up his feathers happily, whistling encouragingly at mate and unhatched offspring both; he’d been as good a father and provider as he could manage (essentially, he had doted on Shira) and he was ever-so-pleased that the eggs were showing signs of Hatching. The Razorclaw was perched in a small nook in the wall above the nest, his body pressed against the smooth stone comfortably; he had gotten accustomed to the Weyr by now, even its messy human inhabitants, and if he still didn’t quite like the dragons, that was okay. Creeeeting at Shira, hopped forward a little, tilting his head and blinking curious dark eyes at Mer, beak clicking at her pleasantly. He wasn’t worried; he and Shira and the rest of their kin would make sure the babies were fine, humans or no.

*

“So, um,” Sena said, flicking a hopeful gaze at Iskierka and trying not to fidget too obviously, “The wher rooms.” Her voice was innocently casual, except for the blatant reference to the dragon broadcast that had had her literally jumping in surprise a minute ago. She’d never gotten used to dragons bespeaking her, because it had been so rare even with her mother’s green, and then there’d been years in between, too. “If I hypothetically wanted to get down there to, um, look around and…whatnot, we’re pretty close to them already, am I right?” (See, she was getting a hang of these tunnels, sort of.) “Like…Gawain could show us, right? I bet we could find them. Let’s go? Please?”

The puppy-dog look was probably overkill, but Iskierka brought out the especially impish side of her again, as if she’d never quite left off being fourteen, except by, you know, four years. Sena impulsively catching Iskierka by the hand, too, was a decidedly childish gesture, “Are they a lot of work to take care of? Um, Razorclaws, I mean, not…wher rooms.”

It had bewildered her, Gawain—she hadn’t really attempted to make friends with the Razorclaw the way she had with Rhino; the idea of bonding with something that was so…feathery and not draconic was sort of mind-boggling. At least Salamandyrs looked like they could theoretically have roots with firelizards or something similar, had the color-gender thing and the mindspeech she had come to associate with mental bonds. Sena didn’t know how quite to talk to Gawain, ended up treating him with tentative respectful politeness from a distance when appropriate, but the idea of having her own bundle of feathers appealed to her. Especially if they resembled, at birth, wherry chicks, all wet and messy, stubbly wings and oversized feet.

Either way, it was something she’d like to see, if nothing else. Learning experience, sort of, introduction to the Weyr. (Belatedly she wondered if Sydney would’ve liked to come see them too, but she didn’t know where the older girl was, and, anyway, if she went looking she’d have to leave Iskierka and she’d probably miss the Hatching.) She didn’t drop Iskierka’s hand even after they rounded a corner, where a small gaggle of people had already gathered, but she did loosen her grasp to allow the bluerider the option of letting go if she wanted—she was probably already pushing the physical affections as it was. Rocking up on her toes to peer over someone’s shoulder, Sena blinked owlishly at the bird she assumed to be the mother of the clutch—mothers? clutches? plural? what?

“Oh, they’re pretty…”

[Ember]

Iskierka didn't even blink at the message from some dragon or another about hatching razorclaws. She'd been to a couple hatchings, namely the first one that allowed people to bond with the birds, and she really had no interest in them. Gawain was a good bird and she was a tiny smidge proud of him for siring a second clutch and she'd be content with that. She hadn't been counting on Sena, in way more ways than one. When the girl piped up, the bluerider immediately gave full attention to her.

There was a moment of silence as Iskierka digested what her niece had asked of her. Then the eyes started and she sighed inwardly. She really ought to be alarmed at how much sway Sena still held over her despite the four long turns that had separated them. "No, we're not far," Iskierka commented thoughtfully, mental map of the weyr well memorized by then. She started to walk in the direction of the wher apartments, knowing Sena would automatically follow. So very much like a puppy in that regard. She couldn't say she minded.

Nor could she say she hated the hand that grasped hers. Slowly, oh so slowly, the older woman closed her hand around Sena's. So what if she was turning into a bit of a sap - she had her family back. What little there was of a family, anyways. "Gawain wasn't so bad since he found me as an adult already, but the chicks are a right menace to raise, apparently," she said in response to the girl. She remembered hearing a bit about the seeming torture back during the first hatching. She highly doubted she'd even be capable of taking care of a baby bird. Best left to the ones who liked ugly little chicks.

When they got to the site of the nests, Iskierka's gaze immediately fell on Gawain despite him being rather hard to make out. Perk of the minimal bond between them, she assumed. He was proudly watching over both nests, one of which were his future chicks and the other were future grand-chicks. He offered a couple clicks and whistles to his mate, his eggs, and his owner but was largely a silent guardian. The release of pressure on Iskierka's hand suddenly registered, though, and her attention got diverted. She almost apologetically retreated from the physical contact but she remained physically closer than was her norm.

[Ruby]

Chaoth says - I heard, Fuffle,[/i] M'kai cut in, his direction abruptly changing. Why I need to be there at all is beyond me, it's Merridan's shift, isn't it? The two owners had been taking turns checking on the nests, not that they needed to. Gawain, Kami, Shira, and the wild one were more than enough protection for the clutch, not to mention that the rest of the family group also seemed to be taking turns. Raven, and Kami's first brood, and... all the rest of them. M'kai had never paid a lot of attention to the razorclaws bonded to humans, with the exception of Kami, of course.

But it's Kami's babies, and Kami loves babies, and... and I think Kyrahths' little bug wants to go. But I don't believe Kyrahth will bring hers. So you can be fairly sure that Kyrahth's won't be there?[/i]

That backwards logic made M'kai grimace. He'd been uncomfortable around A'emi ever since poker night, and Isori's revelation two days later had only made M'kai feel like more of a dog than ever. Of course, that hadn't stopped A'emi from stopping by whenever he felt like it, so M'kai had backslid into avoidance and grumpiness. Luckily, clutching birds was an excellent excuse... broody razorclaws were annoying and dangerous, even sweet-tempered Kami. Not fun.

M'kai, having detoured by the kitchens to get some appropriately sized meat for the babies, arrived as a small crowd was gathering, offering a wave to Merridan before skulking as far to the back as he could. "Here, anyone that wants a Razorclaw, come grab some meat, and get close, just not too close." No more birds for him, thanks, and if Kami got her way she would keep all of her babies forever. The Razorclaw had come to believe humans were a superior choice for her babies than the wild (the better to keep them close), but she would shove them all at M'kai if she had the chance. No thanks.

In her nest, a broody Kami hunched over her two eggs, wings half spread as she glared at the humans with exceedingly uncharacteristic anger. Shira was fiddling with her nest when Kami heard a quiet 'tap, tap' from one of the eggs. It was the smaller Cirrus egg, and Kami tapped it back, listening. Yes, that one seemed to be racing the Nimbus egg, rocking harder by the second. With a excited cheep, Kami hopped back to the edge of the nest, her whole demeanor changing. No longer was she the vicious mother, ready to take off a finger at a moment's provocation - no, now she was excited, welcoming. She even reached over to give Gawain a little nuzzle as an ivory-clawed foot punched through the Cirrus Egg's shell. Moments later, a stripey brown and tan wing shoved it's way out the other side, covered in goo and flailing... but the cirrus hatchling hadn't quite made it out yet. Close, but no cigar.

[Aftershock]

Max and Maximisk had made it back into the apartments a few minutes earlier, and Max was about to head to the baths to wash up before climbing into bed when he heard the announcement. Stroking his chin in thought, he decided to see what this "razorclaw" thing was all about, and shucked out of his mining clothes, taking his wash basin and wetting a cloth to run over his dirt-grimed skin to make himself at least presentable before changing into his "social" clothes, which today consisted of a nice pair of boots, brown slacks properly tailored to his size, and a similarly tailored vest with dark blue piping that matched Maximisk's hide quite well over a dark brown cotton shirt. Running a comb through his hair, Max smoothed down his vest and told Maximisk to hang out, since it was already much too bright outside for the domestic wher's eyes.

Reaching the entrance to the wherhandler's apartments, Max was a bit surprised at how fast a crowd had already formed, considering he didn't think it took him THAT long to change clothes and walk back down the main apartment hallway. Finding a smoothly-carved outcropping to climb on top of, attempting to see over the crowd and catch a glimpse of what the fuss was about, he turned to the nearest person, who just happened to be M'kai, and said, "Hey, there. Don't think we've met, name is Max. So, what's the deal here? I've heard of these razorclaws, but don't think I've spotted a domesticated one around yet. So, you just take a piece of meat and hang nearby, and if one likes you, they'll come on over?"

[Rowana]

Merridan stood off to one side to let people get a closer look. She was glad to see M'kai and some others had brought meat, though she would probably end up showing some people how to feed the little terrors. Mer recalled the weeks of careful raising it took before Shira was able to hunt for herself. It was a lot more work than fire lizards, who pretty much hatched ready and able. Auran returned to her other shoulder, to grab Vikky's tail in a claw. No fixing eggs today, silly green. Vikky whined at him, but stayed put. Auran was always ruining her fun.

Back in the nest, Shira was pleased to see her mate had joined them even with all the human's present. She keening a happy greeting and flew up to nuzzle him gently. Now their offspring would hatch and join them in the sky! Those humans better take good care of them, though, if they knew what was good for them. Shira had no time for fools and anyone who mistreated any of the hatchings were sure to feel her claws.

As if annoyed that the Cirrus Egg was trying to hatch as well, the Nimbus Egg gave another shudder. In a sudden shower of shards, the shell fell away to reveal a wet, sticky baby razorclaw. Even in her messy state, this little girl stood proud with authority. She immediately started to ruffle her wet feathers until they were a mass of silvery fluff. Her eyes fell on the half hatched Cirrus Egg and gave a haughty cheep. How dare it try to come before her! At Shira's encouraging croon, the Nimbus Female turned to survey the humans below her. She looked indignant. How could any of them be worthy of her?

After a long moment, she finally fixed on one person. He would do, she decided. She waddled to the edge of the ledge and gazed down at him, sparking the bond they would now share. Of course he just had to stand so far away! Didn't he know she was hungry? Shira clicked her beak in irritation, then dropped back down to her nest. She collected the Nimbus Female gently in her claws and soared out over the crowd to hover before her daughter's choice. Hurry up and take her, she chirp at Maximillian. The baby added her own insistent cry. And don't forget the food!

[Rowana]

Nimbus Female[/u]

Name: Nefertiti
Species: Razorclaw
Gender: Female
Bonded to: Maximus

Appearance: Quite large, even for a female, this lady is anything but round. She is sleek, elegantly built and well muscled. She stands tall, almost imposing with sharp golden eyes and powerful wings. Her wingspan is impressive and her wings have a wide, eagle like shape that make her a fantastic glider. The only downside is that she will be less agile among trees and corridors. Her talons are also long, good for catching fish and mammals, but less skilled at landing on the ground. Oddly, this girl does possess some ability to see well in the dark and shadows. Though she will never be nocturnal, she may been seen awake long after the sun sets, especially on nights when the moon is bright.

Her color is also stunning. Most of her body is a brilliant silver grey. The tips of her wings and tail feathers are a cream white that stands out against the darker silver when she flies. This white also covers downy tuffs of feathers around her talons and a splash under her chin. The rest of her body is solidly colored, though she does share the black mask over her eyes and beak of the rest of her siblings.

Personality: A queen in an avian body, this female is full of pride and vanity. She is quite aware of how strong and beautiful she is and is of the firm belief that all should treat her with respect. Anyone who insults her or ignores her will be in for a loud and painful rebuke. To her few friends, however, she is very loyal and even friendly and kind. This is especially true for her bonded and extends to razorclaws, humans and dragonkin alike, including salamanders. She'll still perch proudly over them, but her special friends will receive extra favor and protection from any who threaten them.

While her bond may not be as strong as her siblings, this female is tolerant and respectful of her bonded. She'll show her affection in the form of caresses or grooming her human's hair with her beak. She enjoys hunting, but is always wiling to share her bounty with her human and his charges as well as accept the odd treat or two. She is also quite clever and can be well trained if one has patience. She won't work for just anyone, though, and her bonded will likely be the only one to receive such favor. Mind she doesn't get too close to unwary fire lizards and salamanders as any who annoy her will probably be lunch.

Males had better be large and showy to Impress this lovely lady. She'll take none but the best as her mate. Unlike her mother, this girl is very territorial and can be quite aggressive towards other females who invade what she considers her territory. Older females might be given some respect, if that respect is return in kind, but during mating flights she may be known to steal males from other females.

[Avu]

Kyrahth’s little bug did indeed want to go, the fact that Hers was exceedingly frustrated with Kami’s notwithstanding; Titania had come to accept that attending to A’emi’s mercurial moods wouldn’t accomplish anything at all, so it was with a defiant pleasantness that she curled around M’kai’s wrist. She stayed there even after they had gotten to the Hatching itself, blinking curiously up at the wild Razorclaw; if it weren’t for him she might’ve gone closer than M’kai was, but she wasn’t quite willing to risk being eaten. That would be stupid. The Salamandyr crooned nonetheless, unlooping herself from M’kai’s wrist to glide to his chest and scramble up onto his shoulder. Fortunately, he was tall, if nothing else.

We simply must get you to understand the necessity of a good view, she commented, half-reproachful and half-playful, and fell quiet when another man—shorter than Hers, she noted with silent amusement—spoke to M’kai, blinking slowly-whirling blue eyes at him. Ducked instinctively, though, when Shira flew over, her frill slicking back against her neck—she didn’t hiss, but only because of how accustomed she was to Kami. Still, though, the peril was there, and she slunk cautiously over to M’kai’s other shoulder. Just in case.

*

Well…Sena almost hesitated, peering longingly at the chicks and then up at the parents. They really were adorable and what did she have now but time, anyway? She might as well, right? They seemed like they matured to be fairly independent, it’d just be the first little bit and she could do that, except…M’kai speaking had her going still before she snuck a tentative glance at him, biting her lip. “Is that the Candidatemaster’s bird?” she asked awkwardly, nodding at one of the two females at random. “I didn’t know that…” It had mostly been a rhetorical question. The girl edged closer to Iskierka in lieu of reclaiming her hand, just in case she had to suddenly duck behind her or something.

Surely Razorclaws weren’t off-limits to Candidates, and she wanted to get some of the meat if it’d improve her chances, but…at the same time, if they were, then she didn’t want to get caught trying to get meat either.

She’d much rather just stay put and hope that she went unnoticed until, at least, it was too late to change anything. And the man—midget, Sena realized with a blink of surprise—that had attracted the first baby’s attention, he didn’t have meat. To be fair, he was practically right beside the meat, but he didn’t have any. And he was farther from the clutch than she was, so…maybe the two would balance out? Or something…she absently patted at her own pockets in search of something she could use to attract attention, not that she had a habit of carrying around food like a chipmunk to begin with…

*

The wildling clacked his beak at Shira, delighted and scooting over to make space for her on his little perch, running his beak over the feathers of her back in a preening motion. Overly affectionate, a little bit—but mostly he was just so very proud. Watched quietly, carefully, as people filled in and the first chick hatched, chirruping quietly at Shira as she went down to help the female get to her human; he tilted his head at Max curiously. He seemed nicer than the others—if only, perhaps, because he was not quite so menacingly big as the others to the wildling, especially from his perch up above, but still.

[Requiem]

Futh and Chaoth. Others might have come for the birdlets. Razorclaws or what have you. Not this greenrider, though. Eve was within a sevenday of her Rising, and was entering into that final stage where her glow was noticeable. Add into that mix a man unused to the celibacy he'd observed the last couple of months and the unusually close dragonpair was on something of a rampage. Which included (but was not limited to) X'rx's showing up anywhere there was a gathering of riders with male dragons. Chaoth and Futh were certainly a good start, and there were bound to be more. It was almost enough to make any respectable green positively giddy.

All but ignoring the razorclaws themselves (he wasn't actually going near enough to the nests to bother them) He couldn't resist when he overheard M'kai's comment, either. "Too close? Is there really such a thing?" he questioned of the rather stunning redhead in a low, purring tone. The invitation to grab some meat was quite...tempting. X'rx settled for brushing his shoulder, instead. Plenty of him to go around and plenty who should get a taste. Feathers and acorns and the occasional bead or small uncut stone adorned his hair, but that was not so much different from normal. It was the exaggeratedly lithe walk and the undeniable come hither expression that gave the greenrider the seeming of a predator. Or Elysia without the boobs and the dangerous edge.

And said predator was circling his prey.

He came up beside Merridan and flashed her a very appreciative grin. "What are you doing over here all by yourself?" he asked her, leaning in toward the brownrider. He flicked the pendant lightly with a finger where it dangled from her choker. "Such a handsome...woman." The hesitation had nothing whatsoever to do with her somewhat androgynous build. Rather, X'rx found himself having trouble distinguishing between dragons and people. Yes. Even this early. Leaning further in, he commented right next to her ear, "You'd think the girls would be all over you."

Then the greenrider heard an all too familiar voice that sent a thrill of excitement through him. He straightened in front of Merridan. Ioth. Iskierka was sharply attractive, but it was her attitude that he'd always liked. And Eve was quite fond of Ioth, too, quite fond. But who was that who until just a moment ago had been clasping his Ioth's hand? X'rx's eyes narrowed. Other females - not a female, oh, screw it, why was he bothering trying to keep the thoughts straight? - were not allowed right now.

Sauntering up behind Iskierka he then claimed her as he never would have had he not been caught up in Eveyth's proddiness. (Actually, it was pretty amusing. The green herself was calm and logical and perhaps just a touch more playful, while X'rx got most of the crazy hormonal backwash.) The greenrider leaned against the woman - between her and the girl, naturally- an arm on her shoulder as he nipped her ear. His eyes skirted back over to the candidate. "So who's the kid, Iski?" he questioned, eyes narrowing upon Sena above a smile that was just a touch cattish.

[Rei]

The pair had gone to hunt out early this morning. Lketh was finding it hard as usual to hunt in the jungles surrounding the new mountain Selenitas. His blindingly white hide stood out starkly against the bright foliage. Factor in that he could only hunt in the dim lit hours because of his eyes and he was like a freaking blazing neon sign. Look out! Dragon here! So the albino had to get clever. Either he covered himself in mud or he and his rider took a different route and headed up into the snowcapped upper parts of the mountain range. The pair much preferred the latter.

Dangerous maybe, but Lketh was near invisible in the snow except for his red whirling eyes. There were plenty of those horned mountainside leaping herdbeasts as well as pretty marked small mountain felines in the areas they visited. It was like they had their own little world up there. Sure Er’ani had to bundle up, but his riding jacket was made for between and the thrill was more then worth it. Besides the albino found an excitement in playing living snow bank. Lketh liked to see just how close he could get his prey to him before he again became living dragon and took them out. A regular murderous frosty.

At any rate the pair was just returning down from the mountains. Lketh full and content and Er’ani with a new feline pelt when they heard Chaoth’s call. The albino gave a soft chirp and Er’ani felt the question more then needed to hear it. Lketh didn’t talk much at all. Even to him unless he felt it necessary so the boy had gotten quite good at reading him. Yeah I did kinda want to try and see if I could land a Thross didn’t I? In fact Er’ani had gotten his arms ripped up by a pair of wild razorclaws at one point trying to steal a little chick. He still had some of the faint scars from that stupid venture. Now the weyr’s semi domestic females had babies hatching. There you go. A chance to get one that didn’t end in pain and blood. Good enough for him. Thumping Lketh’s neck the boy leaned to the left and the albino shot quickly that direction making small work of the distance.

By the time they got there a rather decent crowd had already gathered and one of the female razorclaws was already dropping one of her chicks. As he slid off his dragon and removed his riding jacket Er’ani blinked. Well didn’t that beat all. They actually gave their babies away and didn’t try to kill you when they were domestic? Lketh was silent but his amusement washed strongly across the bond as he settled down and made himself as small as a creature twenty six feet long could. Curiously he then watched the birds and their offspring. He found them intriguing. Speaking of interesting Er’ani watched X’rx flaunt through the crowd like he was female and therefore attractive. Yeah ewww. That level of 'come get me I’m a slut' was just completely off putting when attached to a guy. In the albinorider’s opinion anyway.

With that in mind he strode up to Vellani and Leilani with a bright and charming grin. Moving to stand beside the two greenriders he ran a hand through his wind tousled hair and winked. “Good morning ladies. Here to try your luck at getting a razorclaw of your own? They’re kinda neat huh? Bringing out all sorts of….‘people’ too.” He mentioned in a slightly disapproving manner before jerking his head at X’rx. “Guess no one ever taught him anything about personal space.” With a snort he then offered Vell a particularly warm smile. “So Vell how’s Gweneveth? M’ta trying to kill your class yet? If you need any pointers on anything Lketh and I would be more then happy to help.” Smiling at his former classmate in the next moment he said seriously. “And Leeeeeeeeeeei. Lketh misses Kate. We should get together for some flight time. There is this neat place in the mountains we can show you if you’re game?”

[Rowana]

Merridan had been watching Shira with a touch of concern. She wasn't sure if carrying the babies to their chosen was very safe, but they couldn't fly like fire lizards. She was distracted enough not to notice X'rx arrive at her side. She raised her eyebrow at him, but didn't back away. She wasn't really disturb or flattered by his approach, she just wasn't sure what to make of it. They'd hardly ever spoken before, and flattery from any source was pretty much alien to her. "Thanks...I think," she began, but X'rx was already off to spread his attention elsewhere. What on Pern could be wrong with him? Was he always like that and she just failed to notice?

Meanwhile, the Cumulus Egg had been slowly rolling around the nest. While Shira was busy with her new daughter and her bonded, the second large egg rocked and tilted slowly closer to the edge of the nest. Without a sound, it gave a final shake and fell over the edge and down to the earth below. Vikky and Auran shrieked in unison, but Vikky was remarkably faster. She dove for the egg, catching it in a tumble of green wings and legs until both hit the ground. Shira shrieked in fury and near panic, but still held the Nimbus Female for Maximillian. That fool of a fire lizard better not have harmed her baby!

"Shards," Mer breathed, moving towards Vikky, while Auran circled warily above. She didn't get far though, when Vikky untangled herself. She chirped brightly, eyes shining with pride. The Cumulus Egg sat in her claws, cracked, but unharmed. She'd done good, hadn't she? She'd fixed it! The egg gave another shudder and split down the middle to reveal a fluffy white hatchling. The baby peep sweetly up at Vikky, before gazing up at the human crowd. Weren't they all just lovely? His eyes trailed to one lonely girl in particular. Wouldn't she like to come and feed him? And maybe cuddle him, he did so love cuddling. He cheep loudly at Olivia, flapping his tiny wings. He was hungry!

[Rowana]

Cumulus Male
Name: Merry
Species: Razorclaw
Gender: Male
Bonded to: Olivia

Appearance:
Fluffy, white and adorable sums up this little male. Nearly all his body is bright white, save for a scattering of small, black spots that make him seem dusted with pepper. He inherited his mother's dark mask around his eyes and beak. His wings and tail are dipped in delicate black tips that barely show when he flies. The only other marks he bares are an extra numerous collection of spots on his belly, giving it an almost grey color.

This male is larger, even at birth, and quite round. As he grows, his person will notice that not all his downy feathers will fall out, giving him a permanently fuzzy look. Though this makes him good for hugging, it's not much help in the air. He'll have trouble flying fast or for long periods of time. Hunting won't be too much for him, but his bond shouldn't expect many tricks or errands from this fellow. He claws, however, are very strong and flexible. He'll be able to hop or nearly walk over most surfaces and cling to perches at odd angles.

Personality:
This lovable boy has inherited his mother's softer nature and increased it tenfold. He loves his bonded, more closely than most razorclaws. He likes attention and may be prone to nibbling on ears if he's not given enough. He enjoys riding around on shoulders and see all that is to be seen, so long as he does not have to fly. He will also let his bonded groom him and feed him, even when he's old enough to do it himself.

Unfortunately, he did not gain his mother's intelligence and dependability. Though not stupid, he seems to have a selective memory for only the things he wants to learn. He is also quite lazy, especially if he is allowed to get away with not hunting on his own. His bonded will have a hard time training him, unless it's to find food or be a lookout. He won't, however, bother chasing after fire lizards and salamanders as they are too much effort to catch and eat. Females are also usually too much trouble to chase and if he does, it usually involves bringing them one of his favorite foods as a treat.

[Aftershock]

Before M'kai could answer, suddenly Max heard a commotion, and looked back over to see that apparently something had happened in the nests. He couldn't see high enough to see exactly what happened, but noticed bits of eggshell raining from one of the nests. Moments later, a small silvery-white head with a black mask around the eyes and beak popped over the edge of the nest, and Max could swear it was looking right at him.

Shaking his head, swearing he was imagining things, Max turned towards M'kai again, awaiting a response, when suddenly a screech, followed by a smaller cheeping, made him turn again, only to find an agitated Shira with the Nimbus Female in her claws, hovering right in front of him. A bit stunned, Max put his hands out, which were soon filled with the downy ball of fluff that was the Nimbus Female, who stood on increasingly-steady legs to cheep up insistently at him for food.

Taken aback and flustered, Max again turned towards M'kai helplessly, presenting the indignant little female towards the man and saying, "What do I do? She seems hungry. How do I feed one of these?" Looking down at the chick, he realized if she'd Impressed to him, he should probably name her. Correcting himself, he added, "Er, that is, how do I feed Nefertiti here?"