Hatching of the Ben & Jerry's Clutch

[glamourie]

“Silver? Dragons don’t come in silver – they come in gold, bronze, brown, blue and green,” Kalerary said with a raised eyebrow, obviously confused. Why in the world would he want silver anyway, silver wasn’t nearly as pretty. “Don’t you know anything about dragons? I’m going to have to teach you, aren’t I?” She huffed slightly, but there was no real offense in her voice. She didn’t mind teaching a holdbrat about dragons, though it confused her: she was weyrbred and she knew nothing about growing up without seeing dragons every day. The prospect struck her as incredibly weird. Didn’t everyone know what color dragons were? She shook her head slowly and brushed her hair from her face. Being who she was, Kale hadn’t asked questions about where Nabrik came from – it was painfully obvious he was holdbred, but beyond that, she’d left him to his secrets, as they weren’t her business. Now, she was starting to wonder.

She probably would’ve said something more if not for a boy speaking and from there, Kale turned to address him with sharp gray eyes. The glare was entirely her father’s, and those who knew him would have recognized it. Fortunately for Kalerary, not many people knew Ka’rys very well – he wasn’t exactly a social butterfly, after all.

“We can talk to Hepaticath if we so choose and if she takes offense, she’ll make it known. You don’t decide that for her,” she said defiantly. The comment about taking a seat in the stands made her step over to Tynaris and she glared harder, putting one hand on his chest. “We’re both twelve. Twelve turn olds can stand. Maybe you should’ve paid better attention in candidate lessons. I don’t think dragons pick dummies.” They weren’t twelve, but shards if he knew that. “As for playing around, that’s also something that the dragons can decide, not you. I think you should learn to mind your own business. People who butt into other people’s don’t tend to live very long lives, my father always says, and I’m betting he’s right.”

Her distraction with Tynaris kept her from noticing the hatching around her. She’d seen plenty of hatchings – just not this close. Her eyes narrowed and she put her hands stubbornly on her hips, looking every part the little woman. “Now if you don’t – NABRIK!” She spun on her toes and threw herself right at the fallen boy, immediately forgetting her anger with Tynaris. He didn’t look hurt, aside from just being knocked over (some bruises, maybe?) but looks could be deceiving. “Are you okay? Did she hurt you?” Speaking – female – Kalerary turned her head and looked around, swinging dark brown curls around her scarred face in confusion. She crinkled her nose and found herself face-to-face with the green dragon that had just used Nabrik as a bowling object and her eyes narrowed as the dragonet spoke.

“Oh will we?” she said, hints of irritation in her voice. There was fondness, too, but she wasn’t about to express that with her friend hurt. “You just bowled over Nabrik – maybe he was in your way but you could’ve gone around, or you could’ve trampled the dumb boy – whatever it was, you didn’t have to hurt my friend. You owe him an apology, and I’m not feeding you a thing until you tell him you’re sorry.” What as a Kamath anyway? Ignoring that thought, she pointed straight at Nabrik and gave the dragon a furious look. “Now, Chandath, or you’ll have to fight Kamath for it because we’re not moving until you’ve made it clear to Nabrik not only how sorry you are, but that you won’t be bowling him over again!”

“Stupid isn’t quite the word I’d choose,” Marsayis whispered back, “but yes, this isn’t really… I doubt anything here wants the likes of us.” He shrugged indifferently. Dragons meant almost a turn of celibacy, something he wasn’t sure that he could survive. He turned to look at Kostya’s leg before frowning. “How bad is it? I can help you get to the infirmary if you need it but it’ll look odd if we leave early otherwise.” Not that he cared much how they looked but candidacy meant free food and free sleeping quarters – useful while saving marks before they went back home. And Selenitas was full of nitwits that they could take advantage of in the meantime. “It looks like it’s almost over, just ignore them and plot how you’re going to kill someone later. I recommend the ditz with the nice backside.” He cast a meaningful glance at the newly-Impressed bluepair before looking back at Kostya.

In the stands, R’wign looked half-asleep because he was. M’ta pointing at the Sands made him look down and he nodded in silent approval before leaning his head on M’ta’s. He was tempted to point out that his sister was dead – Ruliana was just a girl who shared his father; she wasn’t his sister and she made it clear she didn’t want to be involved with him, R’ahre could have her – but it was too early to get into a bickering fight. “Yours too. And a blue so that Ruth never chases her,” he said absently before turning to coo at Teri. “Ickle baby dragons, yes yes. All from Hepaticath. See big dragon?” He pointed at Hepaticath for emphasis. “That’s their maman.” He nodded emphatically before blinking at the proclamation of ‘icky’ and then he sighed, “No, Teri. Boys are not icky. We stood for a long time because Checkoth and Behruth just couldn’t be bothered to get in their eggs properly. Blame them for being late.”

Who are you calling late? Look – The Kaleling has Impressed Chandath.

“Kale what?”

Blinking twice, R’wign moved away from M’ta for a moment to look down at the Sands and… there was a dragon by Kalerary’s feet. He glanced up at Ka’rys on the other end of the Sands before turning his head toward M’ta, “She’s only eleven. Eleven-turn-olds aren’t supposed to be on the Sands. How did she got on the Sands?” Not that being in the Stands was any better, as evidenced by Baoth climbing all the way to the top after K’lir, but he liked to think of K’lir and Meira as special cases – not the standard to judge by. “That green – how – what…”

“Ten turns used to be the age they let us stand, actually. Eleven’s not that bad, she’ll just have to mature quickly. Odds are she’ll be thirteen before that dragon Rises, so it’s not that big of a deal.” R’wign turned to look over his shoulder as K’lir eased in next to him, his salamandyr and firelizard both on his shoulders. He was using the hand rail to guide him. “They changed the rules on when people are allowed to stand because of the necessity of Holdbrats for candidates. Weyrbrats like the shrimp usually know what Rising means by the time they’re ten so they freak out less. She’s a weyrbrat. She’ll be fine. Baoth says her dragon’s ugly though.” He grinned wryly before waving. “M’ta’s here right? Hi M’ta. Wherever you are.”

On the Sands, Chandath fixed Kalerary with a steady stare, and the two females were locked in a standoff. Flicking her tail, the green looked at Nabrik, the rainbow whirl leaving her eyes before she snorted. Rather than apologize, she leaned forward and gripped his robe before yanking him up to his feet forcibly. You are not hurt, correct? Talking to him rankled her, but SneakyHers was insistent on it and she was hungry. Hurting you was not my intention. You should learn to move out of the way of approaching hatchlings so that you do not become harmed in the future, friend of SneakyMine. Come. You can help feed me. See, she’d found a use for him. Turning her head, she looked at Kalerary pointedly, as though to ask if her “apology” was acceptable. Because it was all she was offering.

Rysmine will be quite displeased, Ciceroth commented with a hint of amusement in his mindvoice. We do make lovely, if odd babies. Is that one singing?

[Rei]

Tynaris was just a bit put off by the small girls glare. Okay what the heck did he do? The glare was definitely unfriendly and he just blinked down at the slight girl in confusion as she strode right up to him and started ranting at him. Eyes widening he put his hands up in a gesture of surrender just as a green hatchling barreled into the other smaller boy. The tall candidate winced in response. Ow. That had looked painful. With interest he watched as the girl turned to the hatchling and began scolding her as well. It was obvious from the whirling rainbow in the hatchling’s eyes that impression had been made. Well good for the little spitfire. That’s what he was going to call her from now on spitfire.

So concerned was Tynaris with Kalerary that he failed to see the little blue of bundle coming straight at him until it spoke. Look, Mine! I have hide now! We will have to go find more, though, because my head is not decorated yet. But can we have food first? Where is the food? Your Pravinth is very hungry, T’risMine. The tall boy just blinked in amazement at the little rainbow eyed dragon as feeling after feeling flowed through him. He flinched as the little thing pawed lightly at his leg, it’s little body bouncing in place. Food first, and then I will make you relax. Why do you wear so much hide? It is ridiculous. “Umm I.” Then the little thing's jaws where closing around the boy’s robe, extremely close to his groin. Come, I will wear it instead, and then you can show yourself off!

T’ris practically failed at that and lightly shoved at the blue’s head. “Pravinth don’t you want food first? We can uh show off after we feed you. In fact you can have my whole robe when we get done.” The little blue gave a exuberant chirp from around the robe and bounced in place. Oh really? T’risMine you have made your Pravinth so very happy. The new weyrling ran a hand through his hair and managed a grin. “Uh that’s good?” Lightly prying the hatchling’s jaws apart T’ris began to lead his new bonded off the sands. What in Faranth’s name had he gotten himself into?

[Rowana]

Nabrik was watching each hatching with hungry eyes, as if he could make one come to him by will alone. "No silver?" He sounded disappointed. Still, gold was just as shiny, so was bronze. Green and blue weren't bad colors either, and even brown was nice in it's own way. He pouted at Kale. He wasn't a complete idiot. "I do to!" he countered. "I know they fly, and breath fire, and fight threads." Though why anyone would want to fight thread was beyond him, except maybe to rid the world of clothing in general. Which, he had to admit, didn't seem like a completely bad idea in his opinion. Less fuss from mothers.

He did want to know more and he was about to say as much when the older boy came over. Nabrik stood tall, or as tall as his short body would allow, behind Kale. His arms were still crossed as he held his ground stubbornly. "We ain't babies!" he declared, in agreement with Kale. He resented being treated like he didn't know what he was doing, ignorance withstanding. "We..." Whump! Nabrik hit the sand hard as something fast and green ran into him. He stared in wonder at the creature standing over him. A dragon! A baby dragon! Maybe it had come for him.

No such luck for him, as the green passed him by. Nabrik felt hurt, and not just because he was bruised and the sand had scrapped his arm. He'd been rejected. It just wasn't fair! He blinked at Kale. "I'm fine," he said grumpily. He started to get up, but stopped when he realized that Kale was also talking to someone else. A very familiar looking green dragon. He opened his mouth to say something, but the little hatchling was already coming back to him.

He gulped and for a moment he wondered if she was going to eat him after all. She looked cranky enough and hungry enough too. Though it was hard to tell what dragons were thinking. Instead, he was hosted to his feet and spoken too. Nabrik just stared at the hatchling in amazement. He suddenly didn't care that he'd been knocked over. This was great! If Kale could get a dragon, then he surely could. He would just have to convince them not to send him home first.

"Skies above, Kale!" he cried. "You got a dragon! I knew you would! What's her name? Can I really help feed her?" He looked the green over with delight. She didn't seem to like him much, but she had mentioned helping. He'd love an excuse to stay with them longer. It also might make an easier escape. He'd bet his shoes, it wouldn't take Kale's father and the rest long to figure out they'd been here and maybe punish them. At least him. Kale was a rider now, so she obviously had been meant to be there.

[marge]

There was so much going on that Tobby didn't know where to look. His eyes kept moving from the hatchlings already out on the Sands then back to the eggs, then to the hatchlings, then to the stands, then to the dragons above, and back to the eggs. With every passing second his smile widened. He had been waiting for this chance his entire life and it was finally here! Another glance toward the stand and the boy felt a twinge of sadness as he realized that there was no parent like figure watching him from them. But he knew that there were others in the stand that may be watching him, so Tobby's sadness didn't linger. Instead he looked back forward just in time to find himself flat on his back.

Owwwww. The pain and heavy weight on his chest began to register but then it was ignored as instead an unfamiliar voice entered his mind. Oooh, I am so sorry, T’byMine. T'by? A warm feel bubbled up in him and T'by found himself wrapping his arms around the hatching-goo covered brown. "It's okay, it's okay. You can talk as much as you want. Those two are pretty silly, but you're not. You just tripped, that's okay. I know you're hungry, let's go get some food. Can't have you wasting away. Let's go get some food and find your goldflittymother." He said, his words coming out in a rush that matched Nandath's. "My Nandath."

He still hadn't moved his arms from around Nandath's neck, so when the hatchling tried to back off of the young weyrling, he instead just ended up in a tangled mess on the ground. T'by rolled to his feet and busied himself with helping the young brown return to his feet. He knew that his shoulder might be bleeding, but as he walked across the sands to where meat for the young dragons had been set out, T'by didn't care. His only concern was keeping Nandath from falling on his face. The weyrling giggled as he caught the brown's extremely long tail and held it to keep the youngster from tripping himself with it. A proud smile was on his face as they reached their destination, and he couldn't bring himself to take his eyes off of Nandath to see if anyone he knew had seen him Impress. Nothing else mattered at the present.

[raii]

With all the other candidates, Rofi watched the tension between the brown and the bronze. He gasped in shock as the little green almost got hurt, and then again as she hurt the bronze. To his surprise, the bronze ran over to him, brimming with anger. Rof’lMine, Rof’lMine, did you see what that little… that… that… THING… did to me?! He planted himself on top off Rof'l, nuzzling his injured nose roughly into Rof'l's chest. It is horrible. How dare she treat me this way! Your Kamath is most offended. Why are you on the ground when you should be feeding me?

"Oh, don't worry, Kamath! We will get you to the dragonhealer right away! Er, after you eat. Why don't you let me up so I can feed you? I'm not exactly strong enough to carry you, and with the way you will grow I don't think I'll ever be." He couldn't beleive it. He had Impressed a dragon! He had Impressed a bronze dragon. He had Impressed the bronze dragon. He had Impressed the best bronze dragon in all of Pern!

"Kamath, you are without a doubt amazing, but would you mind getting off of me?" Rof'l asked with a laugh. Of course, Rof'lmine. You are mine and I will listen to you, but only if you get me food! I will have to get used to your frail body. Are all all of your people like this?[/color] Rof'l laughed with a nod. Kamath got off of Rof'l with dignity, as though he had never tackled his new mindmate.

Rof'l led Kamath over to the feeding station, grinning happilly. His dreams had all come true! He had the best, prettiest, nices, smartest dragon to ever exist! Thank you, Rof'lmine, but if you are not careful you will spoil me rotten, like that horrid green. She was just born that way. "You can hear my thoughts?" Rof'l looked taken aback. He didn't know that dragons could hear thoughts. Perhaps it was one of the candidate lessons he had dozed through, and one of the things his parents hadn't told him.

Of course I can, Sillymine. Now walk faster, your Kamath is so hungry![/color]

[Ruby]

Carenath greedily stuffed his face into the offered bag, chomping down a piece of jerky and surfacing with another in his mouth. This piece he tossed into the air and caught, then swallowed without even chewing. Rumbling happily at his cleverness and the scratches from His' Queen, he settled in for a good rub. His was doing just fine repelling all the nasty little beasts down there.

Piden listened, nodding, only about half of his attention on the clutch, now. Tiramnet was a very pleasant Hatching partner, he thought, smirking internally at the double entendre. "Well, if you'd ever like more time with a Salamandyr, I've got two. Can't guarantee either of them will be plesant, and I pretty much CAN guarantee that Shells will insult your backside, but you're welcome to stop by anytime. I'm down in the Handler's apartments, the very last door at the end of the hall. Or if creepy dark hallways aren't your thing, we could always meet for breakfast or dinner." He couldn't help the seductive note that crept into his tone at the end there- he would have no objections to spending more time with such an attractive female, not at all. "I'd love to hear anything you know about the creatures," he added, thinking vaguely of a way to force Shells and Red to get along. Beasts.

As if punctuating his sentence, the Peach Cobbler egg dissolved into nearly equally sized shards. THAT dragon knew what he was doing, no doubt about it. "That's not shiny enough for a Bronze, is it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the baby's critical look. As if in answer, the Karamel Sutra Bronze sprawled out, making the answer clear. "No, there he is. Looks like those two switched their hides," Piden mused, distracted as a Green climbed into the stands. This was a dramatic clutch, that was for sure.

Further down the row, M'kai had decided to let the subject drop, not sure what to say to Meagen. Instead, he turned his attention to... a dragon in the stands? M'kai realized suddenly that Megs had stood, and was heading for the little green as if in a trance. With a glance at his brother, he broke into applause, smiling. Well, whatever Raebeli thought, Megs was apparently well enough for a Dragon after all. Although from the way the Green was staring at a Brownrider up the stands, he wasn't sure SHE was totally normal, either...

Down on the sands, Todmund had gotten himself under control, fully aware that he wouldn't impress. Obviously he was meant to be an archivist (and, he hoped, historian), not a Dragonrider. Now that he'd stood for a clutch, this was clear, and he was already composing his retraction of Candidacy in his head. To whom it may concern, I, Journeyman Harper Todmund, no longer wish to stand as a Candidate. Due to the demanding duties of - You. We are going towards the food now. Used to obeying Masters in the hall, Todmund simply nodded and followed along, his eyes falling on the dragon's teeth. So sharp. Suddenly, he froze, realization crashing in, forcing his mouth open and his eyes to tear. Those teeth were attached to a dragon, and that dragon was talking to him, was leading him off the sands...

Apparently the Brown did not approve of his pause. Do you not understand that your Jagjith is hungry, T’mundMine? Stop dragging your heels. Be a silly emotional human and savor the moment some other time. I am not interested in your feelings at the moment. You are Mine; I am Yours. This is good. I am hungry. Todmund nodded and started moving again, putting one hand on Jagjith's head. Just to clear something up, I was not trying to be emotional, Todmund corrected (T'mund, T'mund, he thought, reminding himself that he, too, had changed). I was simply startled at your choice. Not anymore, now I intend to feed you. Do you approve? The brown released the mouthful of robe, looking his up and down approvingly. See? I was sure my choice was the correct one. You understand me. I am still hungry. T'mund laughed aloud, picking up the pace. Then the appropriate course of action is to feed you, I believe. That meat does look pretty good...

[neeuqtar]

"Mm, I suppose my backside has lost a little toning," Tiramnet replied with a smirk, glancing back at her (rather toned) behind -- and as a side result, also at Piden's. "And I happen to like creepy dark hallways... so long as they're inhabited with handsome men," she added flirtatiously, grinning at him. It was less feminine than might be expected from someone who (at the moment) looked rather becoming, damp hair curling around her ears, escaping the messy braid that tamed most of it, but then again... Tira wasn't well known for her feminine behavior.

"I don't actually know very much about them. I'm a beastcrafter specializing in draconids, so I know a lot about training firelizards and the care of anything vaguely dragon-shaped, but... salamandyrs are a relatively new addition," she admitted, side-stepping the decision of a breakfast or dinner date. She'd... bring him an invite, perhaps. It wouldn't do to appear too eager, after all.

Are we going Flying sometime? Nikeath drawled, her hum making her mind-voice heavy and sultry. Tiramnet carefully ignored her dragon, trying not to lose her train of thought.

"Though I'm surprised -- don't they dislike sharing with other pets avidly? I'd heard they are extremely possessive." She kept half an eye on the Hatching, as apparently Piden did as well, commenting on a bronze Hatching. One of the greens crawled up into the Stands, and a girl sitting near them stood up and headed for her. Tira bit her lip, watching Todmund. Would he Impress? He'd struck her as being good for one of the male chromatics...

One of the two browns headed over for the food, and Todmund started trailing. Tiramnet, still dutifully rubbing Carenath's head, stopped suddenly and sat upright. "Oh, look, Carenath!" she exclaimed, putatively to the fire-lizard, "Todmund Impressed brown." She glanced over sidelong at Piden. "Care to come congratulate him with me?"