start of something legendary [faerie hatching]

[Avu]

dull sublunary lovers’ love
(whose soul is sense) cannot admit
absence, because it doth remove
those things which elemented it

Do you…feel that…

A murmur, a whisper, a daringly hopeful exhale…Jingth uncoiled slowly, eyes focused on the clutch arranged just so around the smooth slab of stone. Her tail twitched, the only giveaway of her anxiety and apprehension as she slid forward on her belly, curling one paw possessively around the nearest egg. She tapped one claw lightly against the egg, head hovering precariously close to the shell. There was no answering tap, no rock of the egg…Jingth released it, curling up again on the dragons’ couch, still eyeing the clutch meditatively.

She still felt…something. Although perhaps ‘feeling’ wasn’t the right word…it was more of a knowledge, something telepathic. Something more than the simple feelings that everyone received through the shells, something bigger, closer. Jingth extended her neck, nosing experimentally around the clutch, and was rewarded with an almost tangible sense of awareness, and then – almost imperceptible – a quivering, a shaking.

Meira, my dearest, wake, please, Jingth murmured, blues fading into her eyes. My children are stirring. It is time. There was no hesitation as Jingth tilted her head upwards, words expanding to include all of the Weyr. So sure, now that she had pinned down the feeling as definite, real. Of course they were Hatching; what else could they possibly be doing? The timing was just right, the countdown since her clutching having dwindled to zero only the day prior, and it was a lovely day for a Hatching, not too cold and certainly not too warm, just after noon…

My eggs Hatch, she said, calm with stress and anxiety. Candidates, please proceed immediately to the Sands. The broadcast was perhaps not as eloquent as Jingth usually tended to be, but she hadn’t time. She could feel her babies beginning to move, though the eggs were all still. Nevertheless, following instincts she only vaguely understood, she opened her mouth, a thrumming croon emerging from her throat, low and almost inaudible in pitch, the steady vibration of the Hatching hum.

Jingth allowed the sound to continue, lifting her head and letting the song swell into the still air. Dsoleth, and there was definite warmth in the touch to the brown’s mind. Familiar, now. Join me on the Sands? He would not be subjected to the distance of the other dragons; he was trusted.

And as for Hers…

I’m coming – I’m coming, sorry, sorry… The anxiety in Meira’s mental ‘voice’ was undeniable, Jingth instinctively seeking to soothe it. As it was, the goldrider was among the firsts to arrive, combing her fingers through her hair as best as she could and attempting to straighten her clothing into something resembling the formality that the Holdfolk aspired to at Hatchings. Unfortunately, given that she had, after all, been woken from a midday nap – working night shifts at the Infirmary did that – and had been woken in a hurry, it wasn’t quite as successful as she would’ve liked.

Well, she’d tried. Meira shot a brief smile at Jingth, encouragement and reassurance all in one, before she turned her attention to winding through the Stands towards her seat. Bonus of being Bonded to the clutchmother: Good seats. Although, technically, Jingth would’ve probably liked it if she was allowed on the Sands better, but…Meira would rather not burn her feet off.

01. Selkie Egg- Hatched green Iwyrth, Impressed to Ithanna
02. Faun Egg- Hatched brown Auwanath, Impressed to Y’kiro | Yukiro
03. Elf Egg- Hatched blue Umaheth, Impressed to Mayari
04. Will o' the Wisp Egg- Hatched green Versaith, Impressed to Jenna
05. Nymph Egg- Hatched green Riavorth, Impressed to Orena
06. Brownie Egg- Hatched blue Wridelth, Impressed to Syrene
07. Pixie Egg- Hatched green Quixoth, Impressed to Raebeli
08. Leprechaun Egg- Hatched blue Sfelyth, Impressed to Ae’on | Aephon

[[Please note that there may, indeed, be maulings. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, I will assume that your Candidate being here means I have permission to make them bleed. There will be nothing permanent (and yes, death falls under that category) unless requested.

Also, for those of you intent on having every little detail in your posts correct, color code for Jingth is #ffeb45]]

[Rowana]

Nabrik felt his heart swell with pride. Since he was a real Candidate now, he actually got to hear the Queen announce the hatching. It was weird. Her voice was bigger than Alph's ever was. It was awesome too, because it proved that he was definitely allowed. He even had a robe that fit! Path whined sadly as Nabrik yanked on the white fabric and took off at a run. She tried follow, but the boy stopped her. "Stay, Path!" he ordered. "Jingth might eat you." The canine's eyes widened but she didn't stay. Nabrik sighed. He didn't have time for this "Alright, but stay in the Stands?" Path yipped an affirmative.

Brown wings fluttered on to the boy's head. Alph too? he asked worriedly. "Yes, you too. Stay with Path. You heard what Emoyan said." The salamandyr jumped to the canine's back with a flip of his tail. He like dragons as a rule, but if something went wrong, he wanted to be closer not farther. At least the Stands were better than nothing. The pair trotted off to find a spot in the stands were they could sit and not be stepped on. Nabrik sneaked past some of the taller Candidates, trying to be first on the Sands.

The sand was just as hot as he remembered, but he was ready for it this time. His fists clenched in triumph and his mouth wide in a grin, he stood as tall as his small figure would allow. No sneaking around this time. He had a right to be here same as any. So what if he was one month shy of his birthday? Emoyan thought he could do it. One of these eggs might have his dragon and, by thunder, he was going to be here for it. Eyes shining, he waved brightly to Jingth. "Thanks for not eating me, Miss Queen!" he said, winking. Maybe he was speaking too soon for that...

[Ember]

Hn. Hatching eggs. And that stupid mindvoice again. Can't they just bloody roar or something? Really, not everyone likes having some naggy voice in their mind, Aephon mentally grumbled. Nevermind that Jingth wasn't really all that naggy. Either way, the whole mind invasion thing was precisely why he wasn't going to Stand. Was he still a candidate? Technically. Didn't make a difference to him in the least. He would go to the hatching to act as a Healer though. People got mauled at hatchings so it only made sense to have someone who knew how to heal on hand, right? Right.

So it was that the not-a-candidate-but-kind-of-candidate made his way towards the hatching grounds. He did not go to the candidate barracks to change into a white robe or brush his hair, or panic about whether or not he'd Impress with the other candidates. Instead he chose to go in his bright red shirt with two bangles on his left hand and one on his right. His hair was already perfect so there wasn't even a need to brush it in the first place. He also had no desire to Impress. Even if it had been of interest before it certainly wasn't after the Touching. Creepy ass things, those eggs.

Despite going the direct route to the hatching grounds the boy walked so slowly that he arrived at about the same time the candidates did. He slipped inside as the white robed candidates did, planning to avoid being chewed out by Emoyan for doing his real job of Healing rather than acting like a proper candidate. He went to take up a position leaning against the stands with his arms crossed in front of his chest but he tripped on his own feet - a rare moment of clumsiness on his part brought on by staring at the eggs - and cursed quietly to himself when his stumble made him whack his elbow on the stands painfully. He ended up leaning on the stands, glaring at the eggs.

Stupid eggs. Stupid gold who laid the stupid eggs. Stupid brown who knocked up the stupid gold. Stupid sands too. Stupid eggs again for needing the stupid heat to hatch. The stupid eggs should just stay unhatched so the stupid candidates could keep on being convenient stupid little slaves for the stupid weyr's stupid people. He would not be caught up in all the stupidity running rampant through the stupid weyr. He'd remember for once to talk to stupid Emoyan after the stupid hatching to make sure the stupid Candidatemaster knew he no longer wanted to be a stupid candidate.

-----

Dsoleth and T'san both twitched at the same moment as Jingth broadcast the fact that hers and Dsoleth's clutch was hatching. The brown's humming started shortly after that and the brownrider chuckled. He removed a Nevroti from his shoulder and placed him on a high shelf. "Sorry, blue," she rider told him affectionately, "but the gold'll be there and I doubt she'll appreciate pets anyways. Even if they are mine. You can join me again when the hatching is over, okay?" The firelizard wilted slightly and T'san felt guilty immediately. "Sorry," he murmured again before moving to get dressed properly. He did so as quickly as possible to keep from a repeat of the Touching.

The private request-order of Jingth's was met with an eager, Of course! from Dsoleth and he dropped effortlessly off of his ledge before gaining height and flying to the hatching grounds. Excited brown was excited. His and Jingth's babies were hatching! How could he not be excited and happy? Any of his previous concerns over the candidates had disappeared in favour of seeing the little hatchlings out of their shells. Excited brown was also likely to be stalker brown...or so T'san figured.

The brown let His off just outside the hatching grounds before heading in and standing proudly next to Jingth. It is a good day for a hatching, he observed to her, gently nuzzling her neck for a moment. He was peering at the eggs with the ever impressive dragon peripheral vision the whole time though. He refused to miss a moment of the hatching. T'san meanwhile had moved into the grounds as well and made his way through the stands towards Meira. "Hey," he greeted her as he took a seat next to her.

((Neph, Iski, and Jazz are there too.))

[Shiny]

((lulz pichur of Syrene in candidate's robes *dies* sorry I couldn't resist))

Sk - sk - sk - sploosh.[/b] The disk-like stone skipped across the water three times before sinking, the ripples it caused erased almost instantly by the current. The figure dressed in black stooped again on the rocky beach, outlined eyes searching for a rock that was just right.

So this is how Syrene was spending her days at Selenitas. Taking walks, occasionally hunting, scaring people, and now, skipping rocks across the river. Faranth, it was pathetic. If she had to live like this for the rest of her life, she'd go crazy.

Ah, there was one. She hunched forward and reached for it, fingertips gracefully closing around the stone - and froze, when a voice rang in her head. With a snort, she straightened. Right, call her just when she'd found the perfect stone. Didn't they know how hard it was to find a skippable rock? Syrene glared at the river. She shouldn't know, either. Such things were trivial and useless. Boots crunched against pebbles as she began to walk, carelessly throwing the stone at the river. Sk - sk - sk - sk - sk - sploosh. [/b]She snorted again. Of course, when she wasn't even trying...

The cloaked ex?-Fortian quickly made her way from the rock beach to the Candidates Barracks to change into her white Hatching robes (she shuddered at the thought of wearing clothes any colour other than black), catching sight of several others who seemed to be going to the Hatching Grounds. She wasn't expecting much to come from this; after all, she'd already been left Standing once before, at Fort. Maybe she was just broken in some way, which is why dragons didn't want her. Whatever the case, Syrene was actually a tiny bit excited, even if she didn't seem it on the outside. Finally, something to do other than just live.

In what seemed like no time at all, she was on the Hatching sands yet again. She stalked across the sands to the general vicinity of the two Candidates that were already there, stopping to stand a slight ways from Aephon (she remembered him throwing a fit during the Touching and decided to keep her distance). She turned her head to look at the Gold perched on her couch, and gave a graceful bow to her, although it was far less pronounced than the first time she had done it. She'd already paid her respects to the Gold, after all. This bow was just an extra frill. Not that she was trying to suck up or anything, but she felt it was necessary - as a form of thanks for letting her Stand. Syrene actually thankful was... a little shocking. But she was, in her own, cold way.

Her extremely dark brown eyes fell upon the eggs. Now, she just had to wait until the other Candidates arrived, and the stands filled up. And for the dragons to Hatch.

((J'ash is watching from the stands.))

[Tashe]

Candidates, please proceed immediately to the Sands.

"You... have got... to be... kidding me!" Really? Right now? Couldn't the eggs have waited one more hour before hatching? Grinding her teeth with a vengeance, Ithanna called to another beastcrafter to take over what she was doing. Seriously? "Gah." She was in the middle of helping a herdbeast give birth, she literally had the calf's hooves in her hands! Couldn't the eggs have the common decency to wait until this baby was done? It had been in the incubator a whole lot longer than they had been. Cursing as her replacement came, the Candidate slowly handed the rest of the birthing over to the man. Covered in birthing goo was not the way she wanted to go to the hatching, but honestly there wasn't going to be enough time for a proper clean up. What kind of image would that give the mother, let alone the new baby hatchlings? Walking in all casual and smelling like birthing goo and heardbeasts. It was probably a dangerous combination. Like tempting hungry canines with a hand that reeks of meat. "Shards, shards, shards." This was one of the few times she despised the fact the feeding grounds were above the waterfall. Not only did she have to get to the hatching grounds but she had to get to the barracks, wash up at least a little, and change. Quickly. "Shard my life."

In through the nose, out through the mouth. She was flying or it nearly looked so, running as fast as she was it was hard to keep track of which foot was next in the sequence. Ithanna slipped and crashed into people of course, that was a given, but she felt bad about not apologizing to them. Later. She'd get to that later, right now she needed to get to the barracks. On a normal day it took her ten minutes to get to her temporary home at a steady jog. She intended to cut that time by half, more if she could manage. It was all a matter of how long her legs and strides were. If only she was a Canine... or a Runner. Wouldn't that be nice. She'd be able to run faster and still not get as tired as she did. Bah. At these times she questioned why she was born a human.

The word 'slamming' is not enough to describe how she hit the opening door to the room she shared. Falling back onto her butt the dazed Candidate clutched her head as if she was afraid that it was going to fall off and cursed rather lewdly as the pain blossomed. It took her a moment to collect herself. Well, two. But that was beside the point. If it was possible to get a black eye from a door, she was sure one would appear in the morning. Shoving herself past the girl who she had surprised by appearing out of no where, Ithanna made her way over to her trunk to dig out the Whites. Deciding it was better to clean off before putting them on, she peeled off her dirty clothing and made a wobbley bee-line for an unoccupied wash basin.

There, she thought, this is the best I can do. If she could have done more about it, she would have, but she didn't have time. At least she didn't believe she had any. First hatching after all. It felt like if she didn't get there right away the world would explode or something. It was the best way she could describe her feelings. The underlying hum of the Dragons and Firelizards was not helping that either. Tapping the toes of her sandals on the ground to ensure she had them securely on, the Candidate gently massaged her hurting face all the while making her way to the door. Ithanna gave it a reproachful look as she passed by. Right now she'd blame the door, but later she would look back and laugh at the silliness of the situation.

The trip to the hatching grounds was a bit of a blur, the whirl of emotions that surrounded her was very distracting. The faces of her fellow Candidates displayed everything from cool indifference to excitement she herself could only hope to achieve. It almost made her pause and think, was this all really happening? But again, that was just her silly self talking again. She should really pay attention to where... she was. Blinking she looked at the entrance to the sands. How did she...? When did they...? No, whatever. She was here that's all that mattered. Touching her face again, she winced. Really, one thing after another with her. Oh well, she sighed.

It was hot. That was the first thing she thought. The second being how different it felt from the last time she was here. There hadn't been any people watching. That was probably the biggest difference she really registered. Personally, she didn't mind the crowd. Coming from a merchant family, she was often the one who was chosen to show off a Runner to crowds. Maybe the humming was getting under her skin. It was almost palpable. They really needed to stop soon or she'd go batty. Bowing when her turn came up, she scampered over to the area in which she belonged. Although a man in red totally distracted her from all other thoughts, including the ones about the dragons smelling the goo. Drawn like a moth to a flame she approached him in curiosity. "It's... original." She offered a smile. "Being dashing in red aside, doesn't it make you kind of like a flag? Like in that game... what was it... Capture the Flag." Maybe some hatching would try and "capture" the guy. Now wouldn't that be amusing. Rocking forward onto her toes she pressed her fingers together in front of her chest. Red really was her favorite color... Oh what distractions did to her. I really should be paying attention... So, she divided her attention in half. One half for the guy, the other for the eggs and anything that might come out of them. Jingth and her Brown were of course, included in that half.

(Kae and E'rro are in teh stands -jumps on the bandwagon-)

[Ruby]

Rukbat was high in the sky, beating down on the dusty, cleared area around the tannery. The air itself was still chilled, but out in the direct sun, it almost didn't seem like winter anymore. More like the deserts of Igen. Luckily, Caden was back under an overhang, making sure to keep out of the sun. Pushing her bangs out of her eyes with the back of a wrist, the Candidate sat back on her heels, examining the smallish hide she had staked on a frame. It was a test-hide, some small creature - a whersport, perhaps, or some larger rodent - suitable for nothing more than learning, maybe large enough for the soles of a small pair of shoes or a few canine collars, something along those lines. Caden hadn't thought that far ahead yet.

Her initial lesson with Jaetif had gone surprisingly well, so the Candidate had been returning on her own time, learning what she could from the tanners and practicing on her own. She couldn't quite say she enjoyed it, but it was a nice distraction from constant tragedy (and chores). Caden had never done well with idleness, and the loss of Smath had only made that more true. Tanning took up enough of her brain that she didn't have to worry about whether or not she should keep on living. Cheery, no?

Waving a curious Sel away and adjusting her grip on the frame, the Candidate leaned forward, working more of the greenish-grey brain mixture deeper into the hair side of the hide. Gloves helped keep the smell off her skin, and some of the tanners had showed her a particular type of sweetsand that got most of the stink out, but usually for a day or so after braining Caden smelled like an acrid butchery. She was nearly done with this stage, then she'd just have to let the the hide marinate out of the sun for the rest of the afternoon. Late this evening, she'd come back and transfer it to a water barrel to soak overnight.... oh no.

She knew that hum.

As if to confirm Sel's jubilant soprano note, the Queen's voice entered Caden's brain, giving her the information she needed. Shoving her hair out of her eyes again, Caden stood, peeling off nasty gloves and a leather apron, trying to decide what to do. She hadn't gone to the Touching - it wasn't mandatory, and she hadn't thought she'd be able to face all those shiny faces and eager eggs. Of course, she'd never thought about the fact that all those shiny faces would appear at the Hatching, too, right alongside the eggs, not to mention baby dragons. Oops.

She couldn't very well back out now, though, not when there was a clutch hatching on the sands. As if to spur her into action, Sel swooped over her head, humming and trilling and trying to move Caden in the right direction. The Candidate strode off, abandoning her work, headed for the Barracks with a sudden, single-minded determination. That's right, she was a candidate, that was her job. Appearing at hatchings and offering herself to dragons. Being Caden, she'd do her job, no matter how onerous.

Suddenly she was in the barracks, rooting through her things for her Candidate robes. They were rather short, but otherwise fit well - too well, actually, the thin fabric showing the waist and chest she thought she didn't have (and, of course, strove to hide anyway). Sel wouldn't let her escape without a gauzy rainbow-patterned scarf she'd found lost in the bathing rooms, so Caden tucked it into the belt at her waist, laced up the biggest, manliest boots she could find in her trunk, and headed for the Hatching Sands.

Time seemed to speed up again, and before Caden knew it she was striding confidently onto the sands, bowing to the Queen and taking a place squarely in the middle of the Candidate group. She cut an ecclectic figure out on the sands - wrinkled white candidate robe clinging to her 'curves', chunky man's boots and a man's choppy haircut sticking out at all angles, rainbow scarf fluttering at her waist... and of course, she still smelled like brains. Lovely.

((M'kai, Tenlie, and Serissa are around and available for interaction. T'mund is taking notes, and Piden says f you, it's the middle of the night))

[kat]

Candidates, please proceed immediately to the Sands.[/color]

She had known it would be coming. Any day now the announcement that Jingth's eggs were to hatch would come, just like this. Just like the announcement had come from other golds before her. It startled Maya nonetheless. Startled her and made her inhale sharply. Candidates. That still meant herself. Would it still mean her after this hatching? Would it still continue to mean her after this one, and then the next? There was no way to really tell. No one could answer that question for her. Not Emoyan, the dragonless Candidatemaster. Not any of the goldriders. Not even Meira or Jingth herself. The only way to discover the answer was to go to the sands and find out for herself. Her heart wrenched in her chest as she wondered if she could stand yet another hatching feast. No one said that she had to go. Yet every time she went and subjected herself to seeing the newly made Weyrlings feasting and celebrating. She didn't owe it to anyone to do so. Yet not doing so would make her feel like a petulant, ungrateful child. It was her Weyr and more dragons were a good thing.,.

Dragonthings hatch! You hurry, go now. Maybe bring back Zex-servant, much good, yes?[/color]

Had part of her really been considering not going? The thought seemed to shatter into fragments too small to remember if she had or not. The bronze Salamandyr sitting on the shelf near her was telling her to go. She knew he didn't care or less if she Impressed. He only cared because she cared, and the sentiment warmed her in a way nothing else could. She was so lucky to have him. Her beloved little bronze 'mandyr.

Very much lucky you. Go now, not miss egg-crack![/color] The Salamandyr was insistent and so she smiled brightly, scooping him up and quickly making for the spare set of robes she kept in the Infirmary. Donning them she shouldered her pet so that he might watch from the stands. She wanted him to be there today. If she did or didn't Impress, she wanted him there either way.

He darted along the edge of the hatching sands and up onto the stands so fast no one would be the wiser. She knew instinctively where he was though her own walk across the familiar heated sands was more tentative. She was so nervous. Her stomach felt alive with a hundred trundlebugs. She doubted it would be calm until after all the eggs were hatched and Impressed. Whatever happened now was the time to steel herself for it. She knew that everyone probably recognized her by now. Probably many were surprised she still came back and stood, hatching after hatching. But there had been another candidate here before to do the same, hadn't there? She wasn't the first to stand many times. There was still a chance. She had to believe that until she no longer could.

She kept her head held high as she crossed the sands towards Meira and Jingth. The gold looked stunning. The humming reverberated through the sands, the voices of the dragons and yes, firelizards too. It was beautiful. No matter how many times it happened it did not become less so. She found herself smiling softly as she approached the goldrider and her dragon. Bowing, familiar again, though oddly so for all of whom it was she bowed to. Once she had stood on the sands with Meira. Been mauled by Jingth and walked away dragonless. Perhaps luck would be with her today and she might Impress a dragon from the very dragon she had first stood with on that fateful day.

"Beautiful clutch, Jingth. You should be proud," she told the gold, meaning it but also addressing Meira in that. She nodded and smiled at the other healer. They had worked together in the Infirmary for the past couple of turns. They were, in her mind, at least somewhat friends. She had talked to her many times, worked with her countless times, and now she would be a candidate on the sands for Meira and Jingth's first clutch. It was an interesting feeling, to say the least. She was not so familiar with any of the other two goldriders. Interesting, certainly...

She bowed formally and then glanced back to the sands. Inhale, exhale. It was all she had to remember to do; that and stay out of the way of the oncoming dragonets. She did not want another mauling. Had been lucky enough to escape them thus far since the first time. Only by being aware of what was going on around her and only by luck itself, she was sure. She chose a spot near the front and yet the middle. She did want to see what was going on but didn't want to be the first thing a rampaging dragonet saw, should it go that way. She had long since learned that there were healers there to do the job of helping those injured. It had been in helping someone that she had first been mauled by the same dragon who'd gotten him; ironic that it had been Jingth herself. No need for a repeat. She needed to be alert.

The seconds ticked by into what felt like minutes. The minutes became hours as she stood there and listened to the humming, her own heartbeat and breathing. Another hatching, on a lovely afternoon. What would today hold, and would anything change for her or would it simply be as before? Only one way to find out...

xXx

Mihkal sat upright as the unfamiliar voice entered his mind. So, it was time. Without much preamble he headed for the barracks. The walk was short and he moved with enough haste. His second hatching was upon him and this time he actually wanted to be there. Being a candidate was boring but at the same time kind of nice. Chores, a few random lessons if you wanted. Eat, sleep, take walks, socialize...it was all pretty easy going stuff. He knew Impressing was great and all. But being a candidate wasn't horrible either. Not everyone could Impress. He knew where his future lie, one way or the other. He'd liked traveling Pern with the family caravan. Nothing wrong with that kind of life. Dragons were great and all but not the do all, end all that everyone seemed to regard them as. If you failed to Impress there were always whers if you were that desperate for something to be attached to you for the rest of your life. Besides, wasn't having two feet on the ground preferable to being way, way up in the air? He wouldn't have known too much about it but he'd be damned if he didn't consider that, too.

Candidate robes were adorned quickly and he spotted a couple of other candidates rushing towards the sand. Joining their number he broke into a quick jog. He didn't want to miss anything, after all. Hatchings were intense experiences no matter if you Impressed or got to watch. Besides the chance of being mauled--no one wanted that--what better spot was there but the sands themselves? You were so close to it all it was simply amazing. His cousin T'lor would be in the stands again, watching. T'lor had always been pretty sharding lucky. He'd Impressed his blue the first go around. Mihkal was more a realist that way. You could stand as many as five or six times--even more!--and not Impress. Everyone acted like it was the end of the world if you didn't. Or most everyone.

Still it was a sight to behold. The golden dragon over the clutch looked regal, her eggs in their array of colors pleasantly familiar. After all he'd touched each and every one of those eggs. He recalled them with curious thought, and for the first time bothered to wonder what was in them. Most people guessed but he had decided to let them do the guessing and wait until he was there to make a few random shots in the dark. No bronzes or gold made it kind of easier--or maybe harder. He had figured on maybe two browns and the rest of them greens and blues. Fighting dragons were what a Weyr needed. At least in his opinion. Selenitas had three healthy golds already. Plenty of bronzes too, right? Right. Browns, greens and blues were always needed.

"Good afternoon, thanks for the chance to Impress one of your eggs," he said quietly, though not too quietly, to Jingth as his turn to address the clutchmother came. He smiled and bowed politely to Meira and the gold each in turn. He wasn't nervous or excited. Just pleased to be there and kind of a bit of both but not? He was actually watching almost from simply a spectators point of view. He expected nothing because it made it really easy to deal with getting nothing. Those who got hyped up and hopeful were bound to feel disappointment whether they liked it or not. It was a lot more logical to just go with the flow of things, as it were.

There were already a few candidates there. He took up his own spot, off to the side but nearer the front and admired the eggs casually. Now was a great time to make some guesses, and that's what he did as he watched the eggs intently from behind his cool blue gaze. He didn't base his guesses off what color they were. More off of the feelings he'd gotten from each and a bit off of sizes. It would be fun to figure out if any of his guesses were right; or if they were totally off the mark. Now all there was to do was wait for something to happen. It would happen, too, so he was pretty sure he wouldn't be waiting much longer.

[dragon]

(having to run to church, sorry for shortness!!)

It was Hatching day, and the Candidates were all over the place. Some of them here, some of them not, depending on what they were doing. Emoyan moved quickly and silently - he knew they knew. There was no way they couldn't know. Those who chose to not attend ... that was their business. However, there would also be those who wanted to attend, but ended up tangled in a flurry and delayed. It was these he was watching for, these he would aid on their way. It was a big day for all of the Candidates, and he wanted to ensure that all who desired to be there would be there on time. Some of them stopped to primp and he shooed them on their way. Dragonets didn't care what one looked like, and there surely wasn't time for that.

---

"This is ridiculous!"

"At least we look good in white."

"That's not what I meant. It's just that ... how are they going to tell us apart?"

"I'm sure they'll know." Orena answered, helping her twin into her robe, same as Isori had helped her into hers. The problem that Isori was seeing was the same that was always true; the twins were identical. Normally told apart by their dress, and hair style.

Well, now they were wearing the exact same clothing (not the first time this had happened), and both of them had chocolate locks curling down past their shoulders. Not a whole lot to tell them apart by!

"They're newly hatched, how could they tell anything? What if you end up with my dragon?"

Orena tittered, and shook her head. "You worry too much."

"For once, you're not worrying. Someone's gotta do it. Okay, that's good. Let's go, we don't want to be late!" Isori said, shrugging her shoulders to make sure that, yes, the gown wasn't going to come sliding off. With that, the both of them whirled and took off at a dead flat out sprint, dodging around slower candidates or people who were moving (or not moving). But the flow was in general the same direction they were going, so it was easy enough to get there, and slide in onto the sands.

Both of them curtsied in tandem to the Queen mother, before sliding along the wall to take up places near where they could see other girls. Orena bounced on the balls of her feet, and grinned. This was exciting!

[Kisha-Ra]

Mort jerked back to full awareness quite suddenly, and nearly drowned himself in the process, because, as it happened, he was in the baths attempting to wash off some of the dirt that seemed to have formed a whole new layer on his skin while he was working on his chores. Quite worrying really since he’d been on kitchen duty.

Naturally, once he’d flailed around a bit and managed to stand up, Mort’s course of action was simple and direct. He leapt out of the water like a scalded cat and bolted for the door, and then dashed back, grabbed a towel, wrapped around himself, and bolted for the door again.

Outside the bathing rooms Mort took four hurried steps towards the sands, and then stopped. Right, couldn’t go to hatching in just a towel. Lots of people at hatchings, plus clumsy baby dragons, and Mort really didn’t think he needed to end up naked on the sands in front of everyone, which would be bound to happen in some comical way, and would also be more like a nightmare.

With the kind of sped only panic could fuel, and holding up his towel, which was just so inconsiderate that it kept trying to escape, Mort dashed back for the barracks. At least he was clean, well slightly clean after the run across the Weyr, and he knew where his stupid robe was.

A few minutes later, Mort dashed out of the barracks again, in probably the worst state he’d ever looked. The white robe was still pristine, but since he’d been procrastinating about getting it turned up it wouldn’t be for long. The normally immaculately groomed and elaborately braided and decorated locks of pale blonde hair fell in straight combed and towel dried strings. Not a splash of colour anywhere to be seen, and if this was what it felt like to have your eyes be the brightest thing about you, well Mort didn’t like it one bit.

A high pitched panicked whine escaped Mort without him noticing, if he had done he would have deplored it as a waste of breath and cut it off. He needed that breath for running! He supposed, if his dragon (his queen he mentally corrected) was out there she’d wait for him but that wouldn’t disperse the shame if he was late would it. Plus he’d miss things, he needed to see everything! Also being late would probably upset Jingth, she seemed not to like boys as much as girls anyway, and he really didn’t need to add to that.

With his feet racing as much as his thoughts Mort finally, finally, made it to the sands and stopped outside the entrance for a few breaths. Deep ones. He didn’t want to be panting like a hot canine when he stepped out. Oh he hoped he wasn’t last. That would dreadful!

Straightening his robe, Mort stepped out onto the sands, and winced. He’d only gone and forgotten his sharding sandals, they hardly rated as good footwear in his opinion but they would have protected the arches of his feet, and those few other areas that hadn’t been toughened up by turns of forgetting his shoes. No help for it now, couldn’t go back, had to go forward. Eggs hatched quickly right? He could stand on his overlong robe. Trying not to wince any more, and to keep his feet off the sand for as long as possible, Mort stepped forward, made his bow without falling on his face, and pranced off into the crowd of candidates, where he spent a few moments arranging his robe so he was stood on the back of it with just his toes poking onto the sand. Okay, he was half strangled and he still had to shuffle around like he needed to find a chamberpot as soon as possible but it was better than having his whole foot on the sand.

[Avu]

Meira’s attention was diverted only momentarily from Sands to T’san, just enough to flash a brief, rather breathless smile at the brownrider and murmur a “Hey!” in response to him. To make up for her currently rather scarce attention span, the goldrider reached out to take his hand, although that was certainly a response rooted in her own excitement for the Hatching as well. And – yes, she kind of wished she had Riaren there, or Mimic, but Mimic was as good as glued to Riaren for time being, and surely R’wign wouldn’t let the children miss the Hatching.

The best day, Jingth agreed to Dsoleth, leaning into his nuzzle before she twisted to lick his muzzle affectionately. The Candidates were primarily ignored; as long as they got there, she was hardly going to kick them off – even the obnoxious talking ones (see: Nabrik). Her babies needed them there, but – but…her gaze caught on red, and Jingth’s head came around, eyes narrowing. That one. Was a Healer. And Healers made the best Riders (biased, who, Jingth?) and she would take nothing but the best for her babies. Excuse me a moment, she murmured to Dsoleth, and promptly slunk across the Sands towards Aephon.

There were others near him – a girl – but she was wearing, at least, Candidates’ robes. Still, a pity she could only pick up one at a time. Move closer to the clutch, please, she requested of Ithanna, and then leaned down and literally picked Aephon up by the back of his shirt. You may answer as to your lack of proper attire at a later date. For time being, and she deposited him neatly, only a short distance away from her own spot with Dsoleth, You will be a Candidate.

And if she’d drooled down the collar of his shirt…well, a small price to pay for not ‘accidentally’ biting his shirt in two, was it not?

The gold’s little show was only passing entertainment, though; just as Jingth flopped back down next to Dsoleth, the first signs of real movement appeared in the clutch. The Brownie Egg and the Pixie Egg were both rocking, the former as steady and predictable as clockwork; the latter a little more creatively. It was the Brownie Egg that split shell first, though, and the pale blue that emerged methodically removed himself from the clutches of his egg, turning calm eyes to the Candidates. He made no motion towards them; instead, he waited patiently until the Pixie Egg’s occupant managed to push out a circle of its shell.

A pale muzzle poked out of the Pixie Egg, and chirruped questioningly.

The Brownie Blue gave no vocal answer, but the second chirp from the Pixie Hatchling made it clear the two had been communicating – as did the short nod that the Brownie Blue offered its clutchsibling. The muzzle withdrew, and the blue hatchling turned swiftly away from the egg. Now that the formalities were out of the way, he took a steady, confident pace through the Candidates, not winding around them or even sniffing those that he passed – he knew where he was going.

I apologize for my lateness, the blue said, voice calm, even though he was the first to Hatch and Impress. I wished to confirm the proper procedure with my sibling. I am Wridelth, Syrene mine. I find you highly intelligent as well as aesthetically pleasing. I trust this is satisfactory? And, Mine, repast, at this time, would be much appreciated.

The Pixie Hatchling, meanwhile, continued to pick at its shell with infinite patience, letting the cracks web across the surface. No explosive hatchings here~

01. Selkie Egg-
02. Faun Egg-
03. Elf Egg-
04. Will o' the Wisp Egg-
05. Nymph Egg-
06. Brownie Egg- Hatched blue Wridelth, Impressed to Syrene
07. Pixie Egg- slowly Hatching
08. Leprechaun Egg-

[Avu]

Brownie Blue
Name: Wridelth
Impressed to: Syrene
Color: Blue (#A0CED4)
Appearance: Wridelth is large for a blue, measuring three feet over what’s considered “average” at full growth. One might expect that, given his length, Wridelth would be extraordinarily muscular, or extremely brittle – but neither of the two extremes are true. In fact, the dragon seems to be a perfect balance, each appendage at just the right length to balance everything out and make movement easy and sure. And if, somehow, the curves and angles form something a tad on the feminine side, who’s to notice or complain when everything seems to work together so flawlessly?

While Wridelth’s endurance will be exemplary, his agility will be lacking – not to say that he won’t have any, for with work, Wridelth certainly will be able to perform the basic maneuvers – but he won’t be the best, either. The blue’s grace and strength lies in speed and distance, in the ripple of muscle and his ability to keep all but perfect form during flight, not in contortion of his body into strange patterns. He’ll be able to last the full six hours of Fall, and Wridelth’s cold outlook on morals will make him a definite asset in aerial battles.

Wridelth’s hide is a soft blend of pale blue shades and gray, even though the latter is only truly prominent at the extremities. He honestly looks as if an artist painted his hide; the brush-strokes can be all but traced down his sides and flanks, his neck and tail, where the gray melts into blue. Down his spine a dark stormy gray-blue line can be traced, the same solid shade appearing on the trailing edge of his wings and the lower line of his jaw.

Wridelth’s eyes tend towards colors as muted and near-blank as his hide – frighteningly so, sometimes, given that in the right light, they appear white. Such a ‘light’ tends to appear at night, when the first translucent lid of his eye slides down so that he can see. And see almost perfectly, he can – he even almost prefers the night to the day, given the choice, when it comes to clarity of vision.

Personality: “Robotic” might just be the best way to describe Wridelth. The dragon seems icy cold and unresponsive to most, without being deliberately antagonistic. In fact, his entire being – emotions, words, actions – seem to be perfectly controlled, carefully phrased as to leave no space for confusion (he even avoids contractions like the plague), and yet, instead of sounding polite, it can be almost frightening, just how much control Wridelth possesses over his own mind and body. Very little emotion leaks into any of his words, and, in fact, Wridelth seems to take pride in that very lack. Though he very clearly loves his Bonded (and is terribly, terribly possessive of His, in fact), he almost never puts it on display. In fact, Wridelth often affects not to understand ‘love’ – something His will simply have to live with.

Wridelth is very much a loner, no questions asked. While he never actively seeks to escape the company of another, he’s always extraordinarily stiff in their presence, and ‘friends’ is a term that he will rarely use, if ever – though, to be fair, very few will find it easy to consider Wridelth a friend, given how frustrating any given conversation with him can be. Should he ever actually befriend another, though, that same incredibly possessive streak emerges. Insult his friends, or his Bonded, and you will almost certainly pay the price, though for the most part, Wridelth feels that it’s best to use cold, harsh logic to reprimand instead of physical violence – and given how incredibly intelligent Wridelth is, most of the time, it’s more than adequate.

Though Wridelth puts a great deal of emphasis on ‘logic’ (and can be seen as extremely cold for just that; every solution of his is pragmatic and logical, with very little thought if any spared on emotions), he has a few quirks of his own that no amount of explaining will ever quite justify. For one, he likes all little pets and children. Firelizards, Salamandyrs, canines, human baby, hatchling – you name it. The dragon also has a special fondness for felines. Yes, felines. Of course, he’ll deny any affection for any ‘little pets’ at all, but it’s still blatantly obvious, no matter how much he tries to hide it. Wridelth also likes numbers, specifically multiples of five, and it shows: Every sentence he utters will contain five words, ten words, fifteen words…but never anything but a multiple of five.

[Lotty]

Bounce, bounce, bounce. Raebeli felt the absolute need, to be there on time for the hatching. Although she wasn't the candidate master, the girl couldn't help be start to feel some kind of ownership over the candidates when she was making regular psychological assessments of them. Not to mention Meira was a fellow healer and some of the candidates hailed from the infirmary as well. That Aephon fellow she hadn't truly met yet, but sure enough he was down on the sands as well as Mayari who had such horrible luck with hatchings and so it was only proper that she cheer just a little bit for him them too. The mindhealer had enough positivity to spread around the cavern a few good times...

Well until she saw that she was late. LATE! Normally only the candidates themselves were distraught about tardiness, but Rae had been determined to see the whole thing and with one little blue not only revealed but Impressed, she felt like just that much more of the magic was gone. Oh bother! The spring in her step died just a little bit more right then as she descended the tiers of bleachers to find the closest spot she could get, not only for viewing pleasure but because well she had to be able to leap into action in case any odd, miscellaneous disaster were to occur that required her expertise. Turns ago when she arrived this might have seemed like a lame excuse to get good seating, but with all the weird things people have called her in for, she was no longer surprised by anything.

Plopping down in her spot, she looked around from side to side desperately looking for someone to talk to and hang on and go ohhhh and ahhhh with for the remainder of the Impressions. Just about all there was in choices was Mi'rah sitting two rows behind her who looked much more busy either staring off into space or caught in some kind of eye-deadening conversation with his dragon. Bah, she wished that she could have brought Cap'n along, but it would be much too unfortunate of a role reversal to see a dragonet charging her to eat her darter... even if it would be somewhat proper revenge for all the times the bird tried to snap up someone's pet.

[heisokufire9]

Ashlyn arrived at the sands just as the first egg hatched. Thank faranth she wasn't too late. She joined the other candidates as the blue emerged. She was surprised when the blue chose Syrene but happy for the girl. "Congrats Syrene." she said to the new weyrling. She turned back to the other eggs wondering what would come out of them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yukiro and Connor were a bit late to the hatching. Yukiro had been napping and taken forever for his brother to wake up but they got their in time to see the first egg hatch to reveal a blue hatchling. He picked a girl with short black hair that they didn't know. They clapped with the rest for the new pair before returning their attention to the rest of the eggs.
((OOC: Sorry its so short but I'm short on time. The rest of the posts will be better promise.))

[Ember]

Aephon was surprised, to say the least, when Ithanna approached him. People generally stayed away from grumpy looking people. He tried to get her to leave with rather unenthusiastic replies but she seemed to be one of those rare types that could keep a conversation going all on their own.

((This is sort of optional reading, hence the small text. Didn't want to make it huge. It may be a little confusing but I really wanted to save space.))

Aephon: "D-d-dashing? Wh-who me?" Ithanna: "o-o I could have said ravishing, if that would be any better?" Aephon: ".....*mouth hanging open* Are you....okay?" Ithanna: "Yes. What, I can't compliment someone when the color their wearing is not only my favorite but it suits them nicely? D:" Aephon: "Hey! There's no reason to get sad about it! Tch." Ithanna: "I'm not sad. I was going to feel disappointed but then I realized you just need to get more compliments." She's all just smiling up at him. Aephon: "...Do as you like." Ithanna: "Great. So next time I see you, I'll think up a really good compliment. So be ready. Oh, I'm Ithanna by the way. You can call me Itha if you want." Aephon: "...Okay. My name's Aephon." Ithanna: "Aephon. I like it. Not hard to say and rememberable. So, other than being a flag, what are you? You carry yourself like someone who has something to do outside of being a candidate." Aephon: "I'm a Healer. Journeyman." Ithanna: "Oh! Interesting. A journeyman even. I would have been a Journeywoman if I stayed at Karoon for a few more years. I'm a Senior Apprentice Beastcrafter with a specialty in Runners." Aephon: "Huh. You should have waited until you Walked. But I suppose that's neat." Ithanna: "Guh. If the place hadn't been so stagnent I would have. I felt like I was dying. Ten or so Turns there takes a lot out of you. Most people drop out before they even achieve Senior Apprenticeship. Especially if they have a specialty." Aephon: "Hn." Ithanna: "-shrugs- Oh well. I'm okay with being a Runner Trainer. What about you, do you have a specialty?" Aephon: "No." Ithanna: "Hmm. I think that you look like a surgery kind of guy. I bet you'd be good at it." Aephon: "Maybe." Ithanna: "Maybe! Don't sell yourself short. You know, I bet when you find something you like, you'll be good at it. Maybe not at first, but in the end." Aephon: "Hn. Thanks." Ithanna: "You are certainly welcome. :3" Aephon: "...Why do you want to Impress one of those? *waves hand at eggs*" Ithanna: "To tell you the truth, I don't really. But I made a promise to the Stablemaster. Becoming a candidate was part of the deal I made with him to be hired as a Stablehand." Aephon: "Ah." Ithanna: "Yeah. But they're interesting... dragons are. You see, I grew up at Ruatha. Kinda ground zero for destruction when it comes to the war. Dragons pretty much destroyed Ruatha and scattered her people before I was born. So I grew up helping rebuild the Hold. But I look at it like, Dragons are a variable that you can't always count. Therefore, it makes them interesting." Aephon: "They're freakish. They talk in your mind." Ithanna: "Its weird but... its only a step up from how other animals communicate. Would it be any different if a Runner or a Feline or even a Canine started talking verbally? If you get good at reading animals, its basically like they're talking to you." Aephon: "That's...freaky too. But at least they wouldn't be in your /mind/." Ithanna: "True. -she looked up thoughtfully and then back down- But then again, the only reason we percieve speach is because the mind translates what the ear hears. Then again... the Dragons who aren't 'yours' can't pry into your mind. So the only dragon who would see anything other than what you want them to see is the one you're bonded to. And from what I understand you pretty much love the bugger to death and wont care." Aephon: "Hn. Well I don't want one. *motions towards clothes* Hence the dashing outfit." Ithanna: "I say you're going to end up with one. Just because you don't want one. Some little dragon is going to be like '-Haha, this guy doesn't want one of us. He's stubborn.- I like that. Hey Aephon, you're mine. Feed me.'" Aephon: "...They won't because I'm a Healer." Ithanna: “*bursts out laughing. Haaha. Oh you're funny." Aephon: "It's not funny! *huffs*" Ithanna: "Hehe. What about R'wign then? Or Kalierre? Both of them were healers before they impressed." Aephon: "...It's still not /funny/. Say you're sorry." Ithanna: "-collects herself and grins at him- I'm so very sorry, I think I will die unless you can find it within yourself to forgive the travisty that has occured. *pauses* =D How was that?" Aephon: "Hmph. Fine. *conveniently ignoring any sarcasm*” Ithanna: "Oh thank you kind Lord."

He was about to respond to Ithanna when he realized that the gold had moved towards him and the girl. Bugger, he forgot that the queen had seen him at the touching. Well, short of being picked up he wasn't going to move fro- "Hey! What do you think you're doing you...you...you twitbumbledork!" He yelled as he felt his feet leave ground. "This is perfectly fine attire for a Healer at a Hatching you annoying gold. Let me down right...now." He shuddered in disgust as he felt drool all over his back when the gold put him down again. "And stop talking in my head you lunksnark!" Did he care that he was making a fool of himself in front of the weyr? Not when he was angry. He'd regret it later though. For that moment he was too busy glaring at the stupid gold.

-----

T'san smiled and grabbed Meira's hand in return. Distracted, huh? He settled for placing a quick kiss on her hand and continuing to watch the hatching. It was turning out to be an interesting hatching already. Jingth had picked up a...candidate? The brownrider had seen him at the Touching but the lack of a robe was throwing him off. Not that he'd been wearing a robe when he Impressed Dsoleth but still.... The boy's yelling was entertaining and earned a wide grin from T'san. Twitbumbledork? Interesting choice of insult.

Dsoleth watched curiously as Jingth excused herself. Ah. The yelling kid. Personally, he thought the babies could do without one like that but he wouldn't question Jingth's judgement. He watched in amusement as the boy flailed and yelled pointlessly. Talk about overreactions. The grumpy attitude may well drive away any babies. The brown might have said something to Jingth when she joined him again but babies decided to steal the show then and the brown was quite distracted by them. As the blue hatched the large brown interrupted his humming to offer a brief, quiet croon.

T'san couldn't help but smile at the flood of emotion from his dragon. Pride, affection, joy...oh. Was that blue heading towards...? When it became obvious that the only candidate he knew Impressed the brownrider's smile actually grew before he yelled, "Way to go, Syrene!" While Aephon had lost his shame in anger, T'san simply had no shame to lose. Something wrong with expressing happiness for someone he knew Impressing? Not in his mind.

[rii]

"Ergh—"

Jenna shoved away from the mess hall table, a hand clutching at her throat as she staggered for the door. Fingers dug into the frame when she halted. Realizing a simple fact: she wouldn't be getting anywhere without the ability to breathe. Choking because the broadcast – one she'd eagerly been awaiting no less – had surprised her mid-swallow of her late lunch sandwich. A consensus of the weyrfolk said the hatching would occur at some inconvenient hour, certainly not nicely timed in the afternoon.

However, turning a touch blue in the face, Jenna didn't find the timing convenient. Someone caught her shoulder in their rush to get to the hatching grounds, bowling the candidate over. She caught herself roughly on palms. Lightheaded now, Jenna didn't really take notice of the two arms circling around her middle, nor the strength that lifted her from the floor. Only in the next moment she – "I'm gonna be laaaaaaaate! Nooooo!" – she could breathe again.

Her feet found purchase on the floor, and not even sparing her savior a glance, she torn down the hall for the candidate barracks. Clothes were flung haphazardly about the room until she found the some-what wrinkled white robe she had neglected to dig out from the bottom. Half-naked she left, one arm through the sleeve of her robe as she bumped and pushed her way in through the crowded entrance. She just got the white fabric to drop down over her hips when she reached the sands – unlaced boots still on her feet – and she rushed to gain a spot among the other candidates.

She caught sight of the blue near Syrene, a touch of despairs reflecting in her eyes for the span of a heartbeat. There were still more eggs to hatch and chances to impress. If she didn't get kicked off the sands for being late. Jenna glanced toward the gold who looked a tad too busy with some guy to notice her tardiness (hopefully). She's just duck behind one of the others. Or would have, if she hadn't stepped on her own boot laces and went down on her knees in the sand. Catching herself for a second time with her hands.

Yelping, Jenna jerked upright and pulled her hands out of the hot sand and proceeded to clamp them over her mouth. Face turning a brilliant shade of red as she glanced at those around here. Just a soon she stood to her feet, putting on a bravado... while tucking her hands under her arms.