measure your life in love (ellie's hatching)

[Sheari]

Too early. Akos was clearly upset about something, but Anusha was simply too tired to do anything about it now. "Let me sleep," she said with a groggy voice before rolling over in her warm blankets. Yes, it would be nice to wake up later when the breakfast was actually being served. A piercing screech however, made the young woman's eyes open and her brow furrow to mimic the frown presently behind hidden by fabric and fur. What in blue blazes...? The greenrider rolled over to face Minth's couch, before a slightly frantic voice entered her mind that was obviously not the green's.

"Who's Ellie and why should I care?" groaned the girl. That was Checkoth, and I believe Ellie is a fire lizard.[/i] That voice was seemingly unconcerned, considering the message that was broadcast and the now frantic Salamandyr flying around her head. "I think your problem is a combination of whatever vibe you feel from Checkoth or Ellie, or whoever, and that you've learned where "friends" come from." Indeed, Akos had learned very quickly that when people were around the little clutches of eggs they tended to have the babies follow them. All of Akos's friends he only ever met once, or had died.

Go to the infirmary AnuMine.[/i] It was not a direction, but a command. "Ok, I'm going!" Anusha had barely gotten on her clothes before Akos lead her out of the weyr through the door. He made no noise, the only sound coming from the flapping of his wings and his tiny frill flaring. This must obviously be something dire, for Anusha had never seen him flare his frill, not like this. Sadly, she was too tired to care and her pace was quick only to keep up with the white streak ahead of her, threatening invisibility if it didn't have wings big enough to allow flight.

The infirmary was akin to a mass of people, a sea of weyrfolk bent on saving what appeared to be a basket. One man she'd never met before seemed to be the most frantic, and had yelled for soft things to be piled just as Anusha had walked through the door. Quickly she grabbed a pile of pillows and a blanket as her excuse to get close enough to get a decent look. Drooping her load she looked up to see the source of the fuss.

Not even klah worked this good to wake her up.

One had already fallen and a man was been her landing pad, fortunately. Akos flashed the young woman images of the basket, fire lizards frenzying about it. Another blanket found its way into her hands and she quickly walked back to spread it out where the man had directed. Any others to fall or otherwise leave the basket might not be so fortunate to have someone under it to land on.

[Avu]

Looked like they made it right in time for the show.

A’emi stayed by Elysia’s side, head tilted to one side curiously, eyeing what was probably best described as controlled chaos. Someone trying to climb up to the eggs (and faring no better than the other apprentices), someone hoarding blankets, someone…oh, yes, there was all sorts of amusement. Kind of like a three-ring circus. Anywhere you looked, there was something going on. He blinked mildly at the sight of a baby firelizard falling/flying/flopping/whatever out of the basket, the sight sending little alarm bells ringing through his mind, and he managed not to flinch as he sighed, raising one hand to his temple to press his thumb against it.

No. Get away, come back. I /won’t/ share you. I /won’t/. Kyrahth’s words were hissed, but the intensity wasn’t minimized by the volume, or lack thereof. Fortunately, they’d been bonded long enough that A’emi could almost cut her off entirely: Useful. He didn’t want to leave. This was…funny. And when there were so many people fussing over the clutch, why would any of the babies want to look elsewhere? There’d be hell to pay later; Kyrahth never took kindly to being ignored. He’d deal with that when it came.

“I always do,” he murmured to Elysia, the flirting coming as naturally as breathing. It probably came off as being over-the-top frequently – but A’emi didn’t really care. Elysia, at least, was probably used to it; he called her ‘gorgeous’ more than by her actual name. Most of it was just playful, his version of light teasing. It just happened to be a bonus that it was also true. The greenrider’s grin flashed at his companion, quick and comfortable, A’emi rubbing his wrist against the hilt of the stiletto where it tickled against his thigh. “More idiots than Selenitas has available,” he responded cheerfully, crinkled his nose slightly. “It’s like one of those circus-caravan things. Only a lot more fail. Amusing.”

Of course, he could probably be helping. There was probably a better way of making sure the eggs didn’t do something dramatic, like fall and die. Probably. There usually was – at the moment, not one he could see, but that was mostly because of the firelizard freak-out party.

[Shiny]

His attention was briefly taken away from the scene by X'rx, who realized what was going on while approaching him. "The blanket," he said, throwing it on the pile that R'wign had shouted about, "should be big enough to catch all of the eggs, even if they bounce. Hopefully. At least, if all of these blankets are tied into one big one..."

J'ash watched nervously as Vomit flew down to try to distract the protective firelizards from Merridan. Although the Brown was scared for the clutch, he wasn't originally a part of it, so he was able to realize that the human was only trying to help. He didn't have to do much, though, as Merridan got down safely. Lucky her; going into clutch territory when they were hatching was not a safe thing to do.

The chunk-of-earth flit circled back and perched on J'ash's shoulder. Gently scratching the rough, bumpy hide, Vomit wiggled before taking flight again. The bulky flit was restless. What could he do now? Not too much... Imitating X'rx, he stood, waiting and watching. His heart leaped into his throat as one of the eggs hatched. Luckily, the Green managed to survive her fall because of the E'rrocushion she'd landed on. A relieved smile stretched his face. Now, if only the rest of the flits could pull off the same maneouver...

[glamourie]

“It’s okay. She’ll calm down – are you okay?” R’wign asked Mer, stepping over to her to check out the bites and cuts from the angry firelizards. E’rro seemed preoccupied with his new mindmate (for obvious reasons) and R’wign said nothing else to him – he was busy being distracted with, well, everything. It was hard to focus on any one topic or subject with Ellie panicking as she was. He looked over the other brownrider carefully before nodding to Mer. He considered her his friend and, were it any other situation, would’ve been furious with Ellie for what she was doing. But it was Ellie, and she didn’t behave like that unless she was scared beyond all fathomable reason. Ellie simply didn’t attack people. But she was a gold, and it was her babies on the line. R’wign was biased, he knew: his mindmates were his world. Checkoth was starting to calm down, though, and it helped him to think a little more clearly. He wouldn’t feel better though until the eggs were either hatched or safely on the ground, because it was only then that Ellie would calm down. Gesturing into the infirmary, R’wign said softly to Mer, “Someone can help you get those cleaned up. Tell one of the apprentices I’ll make them cry if they don’t. You need ‘em cleaned or they might get infected, flitter claws are nasty.”

After speaking to Mer, R’wign knelt down and went about trying to help make the blankets softer – in case the basket fell down. He felt Ellie calming some, from Mer’s distance increasing, so... it was a little better. A little. He took a deep, cleansing breath and flashed Nephele a grateful smile. Barely.

In the basket, the Rent Blue continued watching the fussing below with interest. He flared one wing, intrigued by all of the activity. He did not make any noise, so as not to draw attention to himself, and he carefully moved to the side of the basket that was leaning upward – evening the weight out some with his presence. His little claws examined the edge as he considered the individuals below critically. Like his clutchsister, he was gray-toned, but it almost seemed to suit him more. Almost. His tail flicked, and the Rent Blue lifted his gaze inquisitively before finally taking off into graceful flight, rocking the basket to Ellie’s horror once more. He fluted a quiet apology to his mother before gliding as if he was meant for it, spiraling downward.

“What in Faranth’s name is going on?” The voice, loud and irritable, could belong only to K’lir. The redheaded greenrider hadn’t even bothered to open his eyes (he didn’t need to since they were useless and they burned when open, since he’d been sleeping) as he came wandering into the infirmary. He likely made quite the oddball sight, wrapped in enough blankets to look like a mummy. He was getting good at finding his way around without his sight, though he bumped into a few people on his way to the infirmary ledge and when his socked feet his fabric, he did the only sensible thing and sprawled out, asking the nearest person, “Why’re you guys so loud? You could wake the dead. Firelizard babies are so not worth this fuss. What happened anyway?” He’d have asked R’wign but he couldn’t find him, so he was settling for the next best thing. Sleepy K’lir wasn’t good at thinking.

And his salamandyr wasn’t sharing information. Showoff was instead being a very evil salamandyr. Someone incredibly observant might notice the glimmer of bronze and red coming down toward the basket from above – but they’d have to be quick, for Showoff, like all salamandyrs, was an incredible climber. And he wasn’t making much noise, even as he slipped into the basket from behind while the firelizards were distracted with the hatching baby. He had one thing on his mind: lunch. Served in a nice package where no humans could stop him, teehee. The blankets even kept the flitters from noticing him. Where to start?

The Rent Blue flew quick loops through the air, thoughtfully examining each individual, before finally deciding who was going to be His. It was probably an obvious choice, all things considered, but he was taking his time just the same. Daintily, he flew down to land on Ruliana’s shoulder and then nudged her jaw lightly with his head. Hello, His. That food looked delicious. Would she please be kind enough to share?

---

1. Rent Egg Impressed: Blue ? to Ruliana
2. One Song Glory Egg
3. Today 4 U Egg Impressed: Green Feather to E'rro
4. Out Tonight Egg
5. Another Day Egg
6. La Vie Boheme Egg
7. Seasons of Love Egg
8. Contact Egg
9. Goodbye Love Egg

[glamourie]

Rent Blue
Name: ?
Age: Hatchling
Species: Firelizard
Color: Blue #383a3f - #adb0bb - #00a8ff - #095e81
Gender: Male
Based off of: Day of the Dead
Looks to: Ruliana

Appearance: This blue firelizard is identifiable most for the sloping line of his snout that makes his eyes, which are slanted a touch too much, seem to be serpentine at all times. He has a slender neck, graceful and elegant, that makes his body seem more slender than should be natural. He has long wings, wide enough for apt gliding, but really he’s built more for quick bursts of speed that will make even some greens envious. This speed comes at the cost of size – for he’s most assuredly an absolutely tiny blue; at full-grown he’ll match an average green in size with large ones dwarfing him easily. His ridges are sharp and noticeable, and his tail is extremely long and whippy, almost resembling a salamandyr’s. The combined effect is for this little guy to look more like a winged snake than an actual firelizard; he’ll no doubt be adept at twining his body around things, rather than simply perching. Everything is for wrapping around!

Somber shades of blue make up the majority of this blue’s coloring. Leaning closer to gray, he almost resembles an eerie little storm cloud, with midnight hues that spread over his wing bones and down near the bottom of his tail. He has a lighter shade of blue-gray making up his stomach, almost as though he’s wearing a little tuxedo, and this shade is mirrored around his ankles, giving this firelizard ‘socks.’ No doubt he would be qualified as well-dressed. Down his back, though, is a shade that can only be described as electric blue. It starts from the tip of his snout and streaks back in a jagged line, over his neck, down his back to the base of his tail before fading out into the gray hues of his body. At night, this is possibly the only color of him that will be readily visible – a streak of blue lightning for all to admire. His entire body seems to shimmer cerulean, which is perhaps his only saving grace: he’s definitely not an ugly little flitter.

Personality: Somber and serious, this firelizard’s personality is extremely severe. Jokes are lost on him as are comedic antics and any kind of mischief – he simply has no tolerance for it. When it comes to instructions and learning, he’s tops: His can expect him to follow orders without question, without hesitation, and without problems. He’ll never have any problem doing exactly what is asked of him, or finding others to help him, and he understands even the vaguest of requests. An excellent messenger, an extremely gifted listener, and the finest of helpers, this firelizard is aptly suited to any need His may have – as long as it isn’t to provide amusement or become court jester. Being as intelligent as he is, this firelizard likes to learn and learning is something that he does well – instructions, patterns, you name it, he can memorize it. His merely needs to think an instruction and he can follow through on it with ease, and he can pick up the faintest thoughts to act on. The end result of this is frequently for him to do things without His ever needing to say or imply it’s wanted – he’s a little mindreader, and he’s proud of it.

In terms of noises, though, this is one firelizard that doesn’t make much. While he’s capable of chirping and chattering, he just doesn’t do it; he finds it troublesome and hates to be a bother to anyone, least of all His. If he’s not delivering messages or playing errand boy, he usually perches out of the way and listens/observes without a sound. No disturbance. No awkwardness. No noise. He’ll acknowledge if he’s spoken to with a single quiet chirp, but beyond that, nothing. He’s also very gentle, which makes him ideal for interacting with strangers – he has perfect control over his little claws and will never scratch or bite anyone unless he’s risking being harmed. Even in protection of His, he’s unlikely to get violent. Logic wins out: if His needs help, he’s more likely to go find someone who can aid his Chosen rather than act viciously. Violence is for lesser creatures than him. Being intelligent, he’s also good at locating who is the best help to His at any given time, and he’s more than memorized all the ranking individuals at Selenitas. These are the people who can help, after all.

When it comes to other creatures, “respectful” is a good word to describe the personality of this flit. He keeps a distance. He never – ever – lands on someone who isn’t His without them offering, and he never makes a peep unless he’s spoken to. Female firelizards are treated with kindness and consideration, and if he Chases, he’ll likely mate for life – or at least until the last female he caught Rises again. He’s fondest of sweet creatures, regardless of species, and it won’t be unusual for him to positively dote upon females that he likes; he refuses to steal but bringing flowers or shinies isn’t unusual. This is his way of showing affection, after all. Just because he’s always serious doesn’t mean he lacks a heart~

[Rei]

Elysia was fast becoming almost bored with the situation. Still she couldn’t quite leave until the whole drama played out. Mores the pity. One of the only days she actually got to sleep in and it was ruined by a hatching. Go figure. Tilting her head she continued to watch from her half leaning position chuckling at the words her green riding companion voiced. “Indeed. Would almost pay for such a show. Just not quite.” Lazily her eyes took in the next figure to approach, this one wrapped in blankets. Oh she remembered this one. The kid who used her whip back in the fort attack. Hmmm

~~~

Ruliana smiled back at E’rro and started to comply with his wishes in her next blanket trip taking them out of the linen closet and placing them where needed. A few glances where give to the perched basket every now and again just to make sure it was still there and not falling. On one of her return trips she was surprised to see a man lounging in the blankets. Oh dear. “Umm Well you see above you is the basket Elegance’s eggs are in. The blankets you are on currently where put there in case the basket falls. You know to catch it.” The greenrider’s words where polite and informative. Standing there she shifted in place. “So um do you think you could move? I’m sure I could find you another comfortable place to be?” The fact that his eyes where closed along with his questions and approach clued her into the fact that the man must have something wrong with his eyesight. Likely he just didn’t know what the blankets where to be used for. Best give him the benefit of the doubt right?

Before Ruliana could utter another word however she felt something alight on her shoulder and nudge her jaw. Giving a start the weyrling almost dropped the blankets she was holding until she realized what it was. Oh! One of Elegance's babies. It had impressed to her? The hungry feelings she was currently feeling sure weren't hers. It reminded her of a toned down version of her impression to Amalath. rainbow hued eyes and all. She felt Amalath’s excitement about that fact but pushed it away for the moment so she could better concentrate. Glancing at the tiny blue on her shoulder she smiled.

Well what now? Obviously the greenrider still had to help with the rescue effort but her new little firelizard was hungry. Guess it was best to multitask. Setting the blankets down near K’lir Ruliana moved out of the way so someone else could approach and made her way back to the meat. “Yes of course. Hang on I’ll get you something to eat.” Her reply came in the form of loving feelings and another nuzzle to her jaw. As she offered her new pet his first meal she kept glancing back at the basket and it’s occupants. Hopefully her new blue’s brothers and sisters would be okay….

((I’ve decided to name him Poe :3))

[Avu]

A’emi offered a quiet smirk in response to Elysia’s comment, gaze no longer on her (gorgeous though she was, he’d seen her before). He didn’t focus on the clutch, either, but instead his eyes skipped around the growing crowd of people, an expression of polite curiosity on his face. A’emi would be the first to admit that he loved people-watching. Particularly when those people were in fits of near-hysteria. Although most of them seemed to be calming down now that there was…a mountain of blankets. The greenrider’s gaze slid skeptically over it, darted up briefly to the basket, from which another baby firelizard had emerged, and then back to the gathering.

A blanket monster.

He blinked as he watched the blanket that ate a greenrider – er, K’lir – a look that was close to amusement curving the corners of his lips upwards. Well. At least he knew what blankets were supposed to be used for, judging by his sprawling out on top of the pile. “Loud,” he murmured, absently disapproving, at the questions voiced by the other greenrider, before he glanced around the gathering again, swallowed down a yawn. Blue eyes slitted in faint amusement as they landed on J’ash, though, and his grin flickered a little wider.

“Ah,” he said, still quietly, gaze on J’ash, still. Probably would be fairly unsettling, if the kid ever figured out he was being watched, but A’emi didn’t particularly care. “That one…” The words were for Elysia, and though he didn’t actually point J’ash out, he had faith that Elysia could follow his gaze fairly accurately. “…is seriously amusing. Jumped him in the dark once. He ended up trying to kill me. With a stick, if I remember correctly. Then he fainted.” His lips twitched lazily at the memory. “It was…interesting. His dragon’s all weird, too, half green and half blue or something. Tried to fight Kyr.”

Hadn’t even touched her, much to Kyrahth’s disappointment, but that didn’t merit mentioning. His commentary was, while definitely partially for Elysia’s benefit – A’emi was certain that the other greenrider would find J’ash amusing a toy as he did, given that his encounter hadn’t been a one-time thing – also somewhat for himself. The actual Hatching was nice and all, but he still had to distract himself. Or else he was going to end up wandering back up to his weyr and going back to sleep. And then he’d miss all the fun. Although, if the icy flash of disapproval he got from Kyrahth was any indication, there were some who might prefer that.

[Shiny]

A loud proclamation distracted J'ash from watching the basket. He watched the redhead, irritation shooting through him as the man with closed eyes flopped onto the blankets. The basket's only safety-net. If the eggs fell now...

J'ash's usually smiling, friendly face portrayed a frown, eyebrows tilted down in annoyance. "Hey, Greenrider." He was loud enough for said man to hear him, but not loud enough to seriously disturb the fretting firelizards. His voice was toned so that it didn't make him sound very polite, but it wasn't rude either. After all, this Greenrider hadn't done him any personal offense. "Please move. Those blankets are being used to catch the clutch if it falls."

Suddenly, mental images from Vomit attacked him. He whipped his head back to the basket and took several quick steps forward, dodging around people so that he could see better. It wasn't visible from the Infirmary's ledge, but he had seen what Vomit had seen and was certain it was there. His brown firelizard was circling above the basket, emitting a cacophony of noise. He'd spotted something heading towards the basket, towards the eggs, but didn't want to get too close to get it. He might knock over the basket, especially considering his bulk and size. The Brown made sure all of the firelizards around him, including Elegance, were notified by sending them a picture.

Quickly, J'ash turned to R'wign, face holding a worried expression. "There's a salamandyr in the basket," he said urgently, glancing over at it as his hands turned into fists at his side. There wasn't really anything they could do... Trying to get the sharding thing out might result in the basket - and the clutch inside - being knocked to its doom.

He looked at the people around him, a bad feeling settling in his stomach. It felt like someone was watching him. The normally upbeat man held a blank expression as he searched the crowd, silver eyes finally resting on a particular Greenrider, A'emi. A flash of fear shot through him; his eyes widened, the skin on the back of his neck and scalp prickling. He'd been there that day he'd lost it - and himself - in that cave. Still entirely not sure what happened, he turned away, pretending he hadn't seen him. All he remembered was a beast jumping on him... His stomach still churned at the sight of him, though. Somehow, he was related.

Avoiding him was his best bet. He focused on watching the basket and his panicking Brown instead. What a way to start the day... His mood was turning sour.

[Lotty]

To be honest he was on his way to the infirmary anyway. Although he did put on a good show of pretending to have rushed over to the rescue with his messy hair and loosely buttoned shirt, while at the very same time rolling his eyes with that trademark expression that read "my name Ka-sharding-ella and I am only doing this because my mindmates are making me and shard it I don't back down from challenges". A lovely man of contradictions K'sel tended to be, but the biggest one of all had to be that this fiend with the sharpened tongue had a broken voice and not a word had been peeped from his mouth that entire morning. One would think it a blessing, but it had Pettahth only half humored, the brown was concerned about how it would affect his rider's performance in drills, If you can't speak aloud to your fellows then how ever will you get by. See Checkoth's in the sick place perhaps?

Eyeroll. Over and over again as he continued to listen to his dragon's reasoning, retaliating only with the gruffest mindspeak that he could manage, I'm going, I'm going, shards man! He wasn't exactly rushing to the infirmary either despite the scratching burning pain at the bak of his neck. No, hands in his pockets, he was very much distracted by the swirl of firelizards around his head. Never before had he noticed them quite as active or syncopated as they were right then and even Fracas had joined in the dance, though the pretty green didn't seem to be sending him the same ridiculous images that Eyesore and Mojo had mustered. Both of them seemed practically obsessed with the vision of their mother, the gold known to him vaguely as Ellie.

But still. No words could be offered to the small fair of firelizards, no commands to tell them they were being silly he had no interest in dangling baskets and that they needed to go away. Eyesore in particular was being oddly obnoxious, landing on his shoulders from time to time only to offer a good scolding and some sort of message about his dearest brother and his lovely mother. I believe they are concerned for their dam's latest clutch? Oh? Yes, did you miss the announcement? I can't hear everything over the sound of my own misery my friend? How is it that you two leggers say it? Touche?

At very least it was then that much less surprising to see everyone standing around gawking at the circus: the blindman demanding answers, the brownriding female climbing the cliff, the mountain of blankets being amassed under the basket that was just barely holding on. Yes, yes, this was all such a horrible situation and really he didn't like broken eggs anymore than the next person, but for the love of Faranth was there a single healer around that was there to actually treat him and do their jobs? The brownrider could be seen weaving his way wordlessly between spectators and eyeing their shoulder knots in search for at least an apprentice as Eyesore mimicked his moves in search of his best friend forever: Charming.

[Ruby]

Caden was up before dawn, as always. As usual, she'd dressed in the dark, fleeing the girls' barracks before anyone else awoke. If no one saw her going in and out, no one would know she'd been confined with the girls. This week, she'd set her sights on learning the Weyr's layout by heart, so she'd headed out in the breaking dawn, ghosting through the corridors and shielding glow-baskets as she went. No need to waste glow-light once the sun was up. For a minute or two, she was truly alone, and almost at peace.

And then something screeched.

Without a second of hesitation, the Candidate bolted towards the sound, reaching the scene of the emergency as fast as she could. Not fast enough, apparently - the problem had been solved before she arrived, a pile of blankets protecting the precariously dangling basket from the hard stone below. Good (although why a basket that didn't appear breakable needed protecting, Caden couldn't understand). Taking stock of the situation, the Candidate skulked off to one side, running a hand through her short-cropped hair before turning her attention to her shirt and pants, both in an obviously manly cut. While a girl might fuss over her mussed outfit, Caden simply twitched one sleeve and forgot about it, attention on the basket. Obviously she wasn't needed yet, but if she was, she'd be ready.

There were a lot of firelizards around, weren't there? In fact, Caden had never seen so many in one place. Obviously they were more common in the South than in the North, and they caught her gaze against her will, taking it away from the basket. Some were on shoulders, too, and some were very small. Huh. She'd always assumed they'd all be about the same size, like Dragons. Maybe they were trying to rescue the basket? It was obviously important for some reason, although Caden couldn't fathom what it was. Still, it wouldn't stop her from trying to problem-solve.

"A pole with a hook," she said calmly to no one in paricular, expecting her suggestion to be immediately acted upon if it was good. Plus, she didn't know where to find either a pole or a hook - the infirmary might have something useful, and if no one moved to get one she'd go hunting, but it would be faster if someone did know where to find them. Her morning was exciting already.

---

M'kai had gotten up early, dressed in a daze, and headed out of his Weyr. He'd intended to go running, but the cold and a perpetual case of the sniffles had driven him to the infirmary instead, hoping for some sort of herb or nasty potion that would dry up his nose, even for just a few hours. While he was there, he figured he could pick up some sort of warming oil or something - chess boxing had begun, and while M'kai was in quite good shape, the exercise had still left him sore.

Speak of the devil. Something dramatic was going on outside the infirmary, but a groggy M'kai wasn't bothered. A'emi was more worrisome - the blonde still put him on edge, especially since he was snuggled up with none other than Elysia. M'kai had nothing against her, but he certainly wouldn't put it past her to be plotting against him, or A'emi to be using her for some reason. Such paranoia.

Just to make his morning better, that was K'lir sprawled on a pile of blankets on the ground. M'kai had barely seen him since Ahth caught Baoth and he'd snuck out of the weyr (and K'lir and R'ahre's arms), but that didn't lessen his blush any. "Morning all, must be going," he muttered, turning on his heel without even figuring out what was going on. The infirmary could wait.

[Rowana]

Merridan waved off R'wign's concern. "I'm fine," she said dismissively. "My fault anyway." She took a few more steps away from the rocks, in case she wasn't quite far enough away for Ellie's taste. Vikky and Auran still danced around her head, half mad with confusion and worry. Vikky being confused wasn't unusual, but Auran was taking it rather badly. On the one hand, he wanted to rip Ellie's blues to shreds for hurting his Mistress, but on the other the eggs had to be protected above all else. What was a poor fire lizard to think?

Merridan glanced inside at the suggestion to get cleaned up, then back up at the basket. They really had better things to worry about than a few little scratches. Alright, maybe it was more than a few, but she couldn't really blame them. She was just cranky for being so useless after trying so hard. The baby blue fluttered down, and Mer's breath caught before it landed safely on another girl. How could she go inside at time like this? Still, infections were bad and making R'wign feel bad sticking around probably wasn't going to help.

Still a bit grumpy, Mer nodded at R'wign and walked towards the infirmary entrance. He was probably too busy to pay her much more attention anyway. Those apprentices better hurry though or they would have more than angry fire lizards to handle. Mer stopped just inside the entrance. She couldn't see the egg basket from here, but she could still see must of what was happening. It would have to do. She hated leaving in the middle of a crisis. "Hey," she caught an apprentice by the arm, scowling. Mer hated asking for help. "Give me a hand with these?"

[Requiem]

Tch, bah, and the like. If he'd been in the mood to argue with a half-hysterical weyrmate, he wouldn't have plastered himself against the nearest stone wall. Sleep sounded niiice. The drama and volume wasn't diminishing, though, and it seemed ever so convenient to blame it all on R'wign - gold Impressor. He stuck his tongue out at the back of the man's head. Complain about the blankets, why don't you. Closing his eyes, he nestled back against the wall in an attempt to get slightly more comfortable.

Oh. That sounded like Mer. Cracking open one eye, he blinked at her, then glanced over toward the swirling firelizards. Hmph. M'ta slide past the female brownrider. "Give me a sec and you can stay outside. I'm assuming you want one of the buggers?" And it meant he was out of sight and out of range, if only for a short while, the man soon reappearing with basic supplies and beckoning her over to clean out her scratches. And if he mumbled a few things about climbing up walls and braving angry golds, well...what did you expect? It was M'ta, and he was clearly in a pissy mood.

---

X'rx was losing track of everything going on, really, though he'd caught Minnie by her torso, not allowing her to go play guard dog for the hysterical queen. The gold had enough loyal followers to divebomb anyone she deemed a threat - and possibly get themselves hurt in the process - that she hardly needed to endanger his green along with them. Minnie was struggling feebly and licking at his hand to try to get him to let her go. Salamandyr in the basket, K'lir on the blankets, bleeding riders and shouting healers. A bit too much for X'rx. He only followed J'ash because he was at something of a loss and the other weyrling seemed to at least be doing...something...

Until the blue/green rider went stiff.

Following his eyes, he frowned slightly at the small greenrider - he didn't know A'emi by name - staring at J'ash, then stepped between them. There. Another glance was spared for the greenrider before X'rx returned his attention to the heart of the chaos. What an absolute mess.

[glamourie]

“What clutch?” In the morning, K’lir did not think very clearly, as evidenced by the blatant confusion on his face. He still didn’t open his eyes, though, and made no effort to move off the landing pad because no one had answered his question, so whatever, this was a soft spot to lay on and he was tired. Very, very tired, he decided. Squirming into the blankets, K’lir swatted around for anyone nearby, to no avail. He found another pile – folded? – and seized one to wind further around himself. It was too bloody cold. And despite his feigned ignorance, K’lir knew very well what clutch the speaker referred to (Baoth helpfully informed him it was the blue-green dragon’s rider – how nice) but he wasn’t about to reveal that if it could be avoided. Unfortunately, avoiding it was kind of impossible with the boy’s next words and he sat upright with a very distinct snarl on his face – salamandyr. “If you get my salamandyr hurt, you ignorant little snot, I’ll rip you to teenie, tiny shreds.” It didn’t really matter to K’lir that his salamandyr was trying to eat the eggs. He might have cared if Showoff had any chance of it but with them so close to hatching, they’d be fine. Drawing attention to the little bronze menace was bound to be...

... bad.

The word ‘salamandyr’ had an almost magical effect on Ellie and her blue companions, sending them all into a shrieking frenzy as Ellie flew dangerously close to the basket to try and locate the source of the danger. Showoff’s head poked out of the blankets and he flared his frill at her before diving in further – away from where she could reach him unless she risked knocking the basket over. His movements made the basket lean to one side and Showoff flapped his wings irritably, sending the basket to rocking back and forth very noticeably.

The movements made R’wign flail animatedly, trying to calm Elegance. The last thing they needed was to get Showoff hurt, even if the bronze was obnoxious. He really should’ve known the second that K’lir appeared that his crawling, bigmouthed menace was bound to be nearby. Turning to the half-sprawled form in the blankets, R’wign frantically gestured, evidently forgetting that his friend couldn’t see the movements. “Lir – Lir, get him out of the basket!”

“After I get done killing the freak blue-green-gender confused rider,” the small greenrider snarled. He’d always been overprotective of Showoff, but it got significantly worse after Calistoth went between. Showoff was almost like his grounding stone, pain in the butt or not. He came to his feet very quickly. Part of his anger was no doubt fueled by Showoff, who was rapidly growing irritated that the firelizards were making so much noise when he was trying to eat. Never mind that he was the reason they were making so much noise and that if anything came near his eggs, he’d have been louder by far. No, no. Didn’t the uglyflyers realize for one second how annoying they were? The bronze salamandyr curled comfortably against the Seasons of Love Egg. He pressed his weight to it to calm himself from the rocking basket and grumbled so that everyone in the infirmary would undoubtedly be able to hear him.

So loud. So loud. Hate stupid dungheadflyers wakey wake. Kill dead, Showoff will. Once world spinning stops. Taaaaattle-tale!

Showoff was not the only salamandyr divining great amusement from the freaking out firelizards. Vex, being who she was, also found it highly entertaining... though Hers’ upset tempered some of her behavior. Perched in R’wign’s hair, she turned to the pair of humanlies who both looked more like they were female than male, and whispered just to J’ash and K’lir, Fighting words, those sound like. You take that? From him? Because the green was never happy if she wasn’t causing fights, after all.

The squirming of the salamandyr within, coupled with the cracking of the One Song Glory Egg, sent the basket off balance. It leaned further to the side and Showoff scrambled around the eggs – but the damage was done. The Seasons of Love Egg that he’d been leaning on so carefully rolled out of the side of the basket and went tumbling down to the ground below, smashing pitifully on the basket mere inches from where K’lir was laying. The shell shattered around a green firelizard, who for all appearances did not seem to be moving. She lay still, one of her wings no doubt broken from the force of her fall. Her color was a very pale shade of green – sort of like looking at it through a dream – and she could best be described as ‘very pretty’ ... if she woke up at all.

In the basket, the One Song Glory egg completed hatching to reveal a very large and brightly colored blue who fluted musically – likely drawing some attention away from his fallen sister. Flinging himself from the basket (sending it back to swinging; it was a wonder it hadn’t fallen yet), the brightly colored firelizard flew a quick loop-de-loop that clearly screamed ‘Look at me!’ He chattered animatedly before landing on someone – X’rx’s – head with a pleasant, musical chatter. His head tilted and he leaned upside down to look X’rx with rapidly whirling eyes. What was all the fuss about, His? He didn’t understand – that little bronze worm made a good post to leap off of, in his opinion. Hmm hmmm, where was the meat anyway?

---

1. Rent Egg Impressed: Blue Poe to Ruliana
2. One Song Glory Egg Impressed: Blue ? to X'rx
3. Today 4 U Egg Impressed: Green Feather to E'rro
4. Out Tonight Egg
5. Another Day Egg
6. La Vie Boheme Egg
7. Seasons of Love Egg Hatched: Green, not moving
8. Contact Egg
9. Goodbye Love Egg

[glamourie]

One Song Glory Blue
Name: ?
Age: Hatchling
Species: Firelizard
Color: Blue #2cc1ff - #d9f0fa - #0036ff - #010b31
Gender: Male
Based off of: Independence Day (US)
Looks to: X'rx

Appearance: This firelizard is on the large side for his color, easily matching some of the smaller brown firelizards in terms of body mass. He’s also kind of bulky, built more for stamina than any blue ought to be, and as a result, chasing will doubtlessly be difficult for him. His legs, while proportioned well (in length) for his kind, are definitely more muscular than the average blue flit possesses, and he has an exceptionally short, fat tail. There’s just no other way to describe it: he’s got a stump-tail. The combined effect is for his body to look more roly-poly than the average firelizard’s, especially one of his color. He’s not fat. He’s just really, really big, and most people are not used to seeing a blue firelizard look so strange. In adulthood, he’ll probably have some trouble making quick turns and twists, so he may also appear clumsy – especially in comparison to others of his color. It’s probably in his best interest to just… perch and usurp rides as a result. Not that he’ll ever do that, so he’s liable to leave a steady stream of broken glasses in his wake.

Blindingly bright, this is one blue that no one will ever miss in a crowd. If his size wasn’t enough to give him away, his color would be. The majority of his hide is a shade of blue so vibrant that it would make any turquoise jealous. His entire body seems to be spotted, however – interspersed appropriately to avoid being gaudy, each ‘spot’ is tiny and looks more like a freckle, but is a white-blue shade that can only be described as icy. The freckling seems to resemble individual bursts, almost like fireworks going off at random spots on his body. To bring prominence to this, he has similar freckling around both eyes in royal blue, and there’s ‘bubble’ patterns on his wings that show only when he spreads them – also in royal blue. The bubbles look downright weird considering most of his wing sails are at least partially transparent, but there’s nothing for it. He possesses a strange, navy blue streak speckled with white that starts at the end of his nose and zig-zags down his neck, over his back and then fades out around his tail; it’s almost as though someone painted his back with the night sky itself. Pretty.

Personality: Loyal is the biggest, most dominant trait this firelizard possesses, and it is the one that people are unlikely to forget upon meeting him. To His, he is faithful beyond all reason. His can simply do no wrong in his eyes and he will defend his chosen to the point of brutality: he picked this person for a reason, see, see? Oh, yes, he knows that His has flaws, but those flaws are okay because it’s His who has them and the good things outweigh the bad. His is simply wonderful. This loyalty doesn’t only extend to his chosen, though. No, any mate he takes, mindmates that His shares, the works: he simply loves any and everything that he decides is His. He makes this decision based on a number of factors, most of which qualify under the ‘do I like them’ description. He’s very possessive in this regard, claiming multiple figures as his, and while he isn’t prone to clinginess or jealousy, he does make a point to make sure that and everyone knows that people and creatures are his. And they’re completely fantastic! Look at how wonderful his chosen is~

In addition to being a loyal, loving, faithful little pet, this firelizard has the bad habit of being an insufferably friendly creature that most would find annoying. Buzzing around chattering happily and being extremely outgoing – this is normal. Even typical. He loves to eat, drink and be merry, so to speak. Acquiring odd pieces of shiny to wear is very normal behavior and so is ‘singing’ (loudly and out of key) to music that only he can hear. Excited. Happy. Excited. Look, shiny thing! He’s quite the partier and he’s not at all afraid of people finding out. Sharing joy is his specialty and he loves to flash his happiness to any and every creature he finds – regardless of whether they’re connected to his mind or not. Salamandyrs beware; this little guy is completely impossible to repel with insults and will instead bombard you with ridiculously happy images that you can barely stand! Yes, he should come with a warning sign to ward off any unsuspecting passerbys. Maybe. Possibly.

This friendliness, while applying throughout his life, manifests itself most prominently with potential mates. For a firelizard, he’s way too friendly – yes, he’ll happily chase blue salamandyrs regardless of the fact that they’re blue, and he really likes any creature that will respond to him, regardless of species. He’ll mostly spend his time trying to win himself a mate outside of Runs and Flights though, by exuberantly flirting with a female of his choosing; his criteria for picking a female not withstanding (primarily because it’s entirely dependent on his mood at the time – maybe His likes said female’s mindmate; maybe said Female happens to be overly friendly too), once he picks one, he’s theirs for life… or until assured rejection, anyway. He’s loyal, after all. And it takes a lot to make him give up. Who wouldn’t love him, after all?

[Sheari]

Anusha looked up just in time to see the blue glide from the nest. Really? The gold, Ellie, made such a fuss you'd have thought the little blue was suicidal. She took her mind back to the task. Another blanket for the area below the basket, another pillow to pad it down. She looked up again while she had the chance, seeing Akos among the fair. He was so small he hadn't been noticed, at least not yet. Or perhaps he was so small they simply didn't care about him being there. She'd learned at a gather that 'mandyrs ate fire lizard eggs and was part of the reason to two didn't get along. Whatever the reason, the greenrider didn't muse on it, instead she scowled at the man that had decided that sleeping on the infirmary ledge was more important.

And Akos, with sharp eyes, saw something as he watched the eggs in the basket. He had barely seen it, but it wasn't flying and...and...he flashed an image of a green baby, one that wasn't moving and the emotion of panic to His. No no no!! Bad!! He was like a hummingbird in distress, flying from one spot to another, his wings quickly tiring out, forcing him to find a small outcropping to land upon. From there his tiny legs took over and he bounced on his forepaws. He watched the new "hatched" green on the blankets, willing her to wake up. He tried to reach her mind and give her an image of the fire lizards around the nest, but wasn't sure if there was a mind there to touch. Still he tried and sent the image of the little thing's mother, and food, maybe that would wake her up?

At the image, the young woman looked up and toward the ledge from where she was inside the infirmary. She mentally willed the white to calm down, knowing it was fruitless but it kept her from panicking as well. Calm down, calm down. They will be fine. Would you like me to call him away? Akos will listen to me better than you right now.[/i] Minth did have a point. As much as he acted docile and fire lizard-like compared to other Salamandyrs, he was still a Salamandyr and that made him a potential threat to the clutch. Granted his tiny mouth wouldn't even fit around an egg and his teeth were too small to do more than mark the shell. No, he can between if he must, and he'll either go to you or return to me if he does. That is, if the fair turned on him and he was able to get out in time.