they say music can alter moods {mandyr hatching}

[glamourie]

they say music can alter moods and talk to you
musical salamandyr hatching
reaches full maturity 28 april 2009
dam: daeluunya, sire: showoff

---

It was early morning - hunting time. That was probably the only excuse for the salamandyr clutch, which was resting in a large stew pot, to be left mostly-unattended, with extra emphasis on the fact that the pot was right next to a mammoth green dragon with a notoriously bad temperament. The pot was covered and drowned in shiny objects, with all of the eggs decorated by various earrings, necklaces, and what very likely was some poor woman's breastband. From the quality, it was probably a dragonrider's at that. Despite all the clutter, though, the size of the clutch was obvious: unlike the last one, which had a mere seven eggs, the number was considerable for a salamandyr. The glittering jewelry made the perfect nest, reflecting beautifully in the light despite Calistoth's tail curling around the pan as if she owned it; in her sleep, the green was being remarkably protective. Good thing, too, for both Dael and Showoff were temporarily gone - most likely to filch some kind of food. Despite his attitude toward her, Showoff trusted the green to protect the eggs while he found yummies. She seemed to view them as hers.

Calistoth was only one method of protection though. The stew pot was in K'lir's weyr, which meant the greenrider was the secondary method of defense and quite an impressive one when awake. As it was, though, he was sprawled out in his furs, face down, drooling on his pillow. He had a little duckling on one side of him and a sleeping baby on the other, in what was very obviously a makeshift baby bed with dangling necklaces that may or may not have been filched from Showoff to act as a mobile. The group slept on in almost perfect silence, even as the first light of morning crept onto the weyrledge, dancing off Calistoth's magnificent green hide. Glimmer, shine.

The clutch itself seemed to respond to the morning. It was a remarkably bright beginning to the day - perhaps a miracle in its own right, considering that of late it had been storming constantly. Warmth crept through the air, heat in the rays of light that hung on the ledge itself. As the light danced off the shells, the eggs began to twitch.

A splash of red metallic zoomed into the weyr from the doorway. Like a streak, it flared up along the wall, over Calistoth's tail and did a flying leap onto the edge of the stew pot. The scraping of little claws echoed through the weyr and Kahrelir opened his very bright amber eyes. Blinking twice, the babe proceeded to shove his fist into his mouth and stare at the shiny green thing at the end of the ledge. Showoff paid him no mind, instead scampering along the edge of the pot. The eggs had his full attention, and he leaned forward to tap one of them gently. Then he cocked his head as though listening for something. Clearly it was a method he'd learned from Dael, as the bronze would not have thought of something of that nature on his own. However, whatever he 'heard' satisfied him, as he proceeded to slink to the side of the pot closest to Calistoth. His frill flared and he hissed quite loudly.

Awake, awake! Uglyflyer-mine awake. AWAKE! Babies now. Babies. Awake you get babies now AWAKE!!

Startled, the green lifted her head and stared at the salamandyr for a moment. Her eyes whirled her agitation, and then without warning she leaned over and snapped him up - literally. Showoff gave a startled hiss as he was suddenly grabbed in Calistoth's mouth, but she stood up anyway and flared her wings around her in a remarkably impressive morning stretch. The salamandyr cursed her repeatedly, though he did not bite or scratch - clear evidence that he'd been "eaten" before. His cursing was audible only to the green, and she mocked him by taking an exceedingly long time to wake herself up. Wings flaring, tail stretching, body languidly sprawling; Calistoth was the epitome of relaxation.

Lirmine, wake up, she said patiently to her rider as she spit Showoff out onto the ground next to her. The salamandyr tumbled along the stone floor, covered in dragon drool, and hissed again. She ignored him. The obnoxious redthing's clutch is hatching and he's insistent that I call others here to watch and Impress. You'll want to at least be conscious for that.

"Mmm-ff." Eloquence, thy name was K'lir. Groaningg to himself, the greenrider snuggled deeper into his furs in an attempt to go back to a deep sleep. However, any hope he would have had of that was cut off by a very noisy screech. Startled, he jolted upward and immediately looked at Kahrelir, who was sucking his fist still, unperturbed. At least someone was. Scrunching his nose, K'lir rolled out of bed and stumbled (literally) over toward Calistoth, his sleep pants tangling along his legs as he went. Groggily he asked, "Did you eat Showoff again, Lis? One of these days you're gonna swa---" Yawn. What was he saying? It wasn't important, clearly, since he forgot in a matter of seconds.

DO NOT WANT BAD UGLY DUNGHEAD WHERRYMATER WORM PRETTY DO NOT WANT BAD YOU SMELLY WHERFACE!

Both Calistoth and K'lir glanced at Showoff, and the green made a show of licking her chops at him. Then she stretched out and announced to the entire Weyr, Salamandyrs. My Weyr. I'm leaving. Greens not welcome. Hitch a ride with someone else. Bring your own meat. We're not responsible for injuries. Amith, Lirmine says yours is to come or he'll carry her like a sack of tubers up here, and he'll make sure she's naked when he does. Yes, she announced it to the whole Weyr, no, she didn't care. And on that note, the green let loose with a loud enough screech that it was likely the entire Weyr would be woken (if her proclamation hadn't done so) and she threw herself off the weyrledge in a glide. Time to find a quiet place to nap after causing chaos.

K'lir wasn't sure if he wanted to cry or laugh. Silly beast.

---

The Music of the Night Clutch
01. Prelude Egg Impressed: Green ? to A'fyr
02. Aria Egg Impressed: Green Neon to Venus
03. Bolero EggImpressed: Brown ? to Nris
04. Minuet Egg Impressed: Blue Pretty Mandyr Shiny to Behruth M'ta
05. Serenade Egg Impressed: Blue ? to S'lain
06. Symphony Egg Impressed: Green Absinthe to Nautic
07. Sonata Egg Impressed: Gold Brat to Lennae
08. Nocturne Egg Impressed: Green ? to Roivao
09. Lullaby Egg Impressed: Blue Baby to Saeo
10. Hymn Egg Impressed: Brown Onyx to Malara
11. Requiem Egg Impressed: Bronze Mushu to K'iel

[glamourie]

Bronze Showoff & Gold Daeluunya proudly present
The Music of the Night Clutch

Like some kind of disturbing display, the clutch rests in the center of a stew pot in the middle of K'lir's weyr. Each of the eggs rests amidst a pile of glittering shinies, no doubt prizes stolen by the clutchsire as gifts for the babies. However, there are also several woven blankets underneath the clutch in the pan, used to keep the eggs warm. The most visible one is a rich purple and spills out over the sides of the basket, making it almost look like the eggs were intended for a picnic. The eggs themselves are organized all next to one another, close enough to touch, though none are entirely obscured given how small they are.

01. Prelude Egg
Small though this egg is, it is truly remarkable to behold. The color is a dazzling swirl of yellows -- notably not gold -- that gives it a blinding appearance. The vivid coloration is broken up by lighter wisps of white that appear to wrap over the shell, as though to dilute the otherwise eye-shocking hues. Along the center of the vibrant shell are several small flecks of true gold, seeming to shimmer whenever caught by the light, as though dust particles float over the shell's surface. From a distance, it almost appears as though this shell is soft to the touch, like silk. There is a delicacy about this egg, as though it is an illusion to be blown away on the first gust of wind... but the fragility is merely an appearance, isn't it?

02. Aria Egg
Probably one of the stranger eggs of the clutch, this one has a backwash of off-white making up the background color of the shell. Cream-like shades ripple to add high and low tones for depth. However, "plain" would never be a description apt to describe this egg; simple and elegant, it is far from easy to completely overlook. While it doesn't possess the vivid colors of some of the other eggs in the clutch, what it does have is remarkable. Bright gold star bursts seem to explode like several sparks all over the shell, spaced widely so as not to appear overwhelming. Very pale silver snowflakes also brush over the shell, and the combined effect of the gold and silver is a dazzling metallic sheen.

03. Bolero Egg
"Roll out the red carpet." This particular egg is a vibrant shade of scarlet sure to earn second and third glances. Comparable to a dragon's eyes when enraged, there's definitely a feisty air about this one. Darker and lighter hues of red jag unevenly over the shell's surface, like an angry painter's strokes. The intensity of the color is completed by a single orange accent, like a ribbon, spiraling around the egg five times before coming to swirl together with the red near the very top. Dynamic is this egg, like a chaotic storm of fury and feeling, leaving no doubt that whatever lies within is a creature full of life. Curiously, though the colors are so strong, the bottom of the egg has a softer, almost pink tone - as though it were unfinished in some way.

04. Minuet Egg
Everything about this egg is cheery. The base of the shell is a vivid spring green, bright and optimistic, with low tones of an almost blue shade that adds depth to the appearance. Like spots of white, purple, red and pink connect to darker green lines almost like the stems of flowers, making this particular egg look like a garden to behold. Darker ivy leaflets seem to form over the bottom and the top of the shell as though to frame the scene, making it look as if this is a piece of fine artwork. The colors themselves blur and bleed together like a watercolor painting, nothing solid yet undeniably presenting an identifiable image to the casual viewer. Everything about this egg seems to be rich with life.

05. Serenade Egg
At first glance, this egg appears almost like glass; reflective and crystalline, as though it would break if someone were to touch it too roughly. The shell looks like a globe, but what is shown is not actually within the egg; rather, it is a unique three-dimensional effect of the shell that will no doubt confuse and impress many viewers. The color itself is an elegant blue with green undertones that resemble the rippling waves of the sea. Brighter pastels make up the bottom of the shell, as though to resemble coral reef, and vague shadows above it could possibly be fish. Notably, all the colors of this shell are muted, light and yet blending well together to create a tranquil ocean scene far more intricate than any painting; gazing at this egg can be very relaxing. Unlike many of its clutchsiblings, there's nothing aggressive about it.

06. Symphony Egg
Chaotic and vibrant. These are two words that aptly describe the storm of colors splashing over the surface of this egg. Every shade of the rainbow is represented across the shell, but in an uneven pattern, giving this egg the appearance of being splattered with several dozen buckets of paint all at once. The colors splatter together unevenly, with no rhyme or reason, yet there is nothing ugly about the egg at all. Though no actual pattern is depicted, it could be said that the egg is pattern in itself. In addition to the traditional rainbow shades (each vivid and not at all diluted) are tiny streaks of gold like threads twisting up from the base of the egg toward the top, only seven in all and connected at the top in what could be a bow -- bizarrely enough.

07. Sonata Egg
Primarily dual-toned is this particular egg. It looks as though some invisible force wrapped two different ribbons around the shell, spacing them evenly to create a layered effect of vivid blood red and a gold so rich as to resemble a queen's hide. The individual colors merge and blend together harmoniously, with a few flecks of each merging together in places. Small gold sparks seem to flare up all over the egg, starting from the bottom and highlighting orange bursts that have a distinct resemblance to fireworks. Indeed, this entire egg itself has the impression of explosive flames or perhaps the rising son; heat, intensity and danger all molded beautifully into a spectacle to behold with wonder.

08. Nocturne Egg
A deep, velvety black spans over the majority of this shell, like the backdrop to a play just beginning. Swirls of purple and blue canvas like dust spiraling in an uneven loop near the center, faded and blurry, as though watered down in coloration. Accenting the shell magnificently are thousands of diminutive silver spots, as though tiny needles stitched them into the surface of the egg. Each of the silver spots seems to shimmer whenever hit by light. The top of the shell itself is swirled with a magnificent silvery hue that finishes the appearance of the egg, creating a night scene readily recognizable to all who glance at this egg. Some discerning viewer might even make out constellations in the star-like markings, if they were to look hard and long enough.

09. Lullaby Egg
There is something undeniably innocent about this egg - almost startlingly so, considering that it contains a salamandyr within. The egg itself is a pale blue in coloration, with powdered markings of violet over the surface, like being patted down with some kind of wide-end brush. Layered over that are several small swirls of pink, each distinctly forming circle patterns sure to be hypnotic if stared at for too long. As though to finish off the appearance, the egg has white markings resembling lace pressed into the surface of the shell, adding accent and texture as well as depth. The entire egg is inviting and appealing, as though to touch it would be to run one's fingers through the softest fabric imaginable.

10. Hymn Egg
Quite possibly the most boring egg of the lot, this particular one does not possess any real colors. Instead, the entire shell is black and white -- literally. Whether the background is white or black is very difficult to tell, in fact. One interpretation is that the egg is white with black flower-like patterns making up the majority of it; on the other hand, it could be black with white trees with, depending on who views it. What is noticeable is that the black and white is stark and easily stands out next to its otherwise colorful clutchsiblings. Interestingly, the black and white layers almost seem to overlap, as though one is on top of the other; however, touching the shell shows that this is merely a unique, if odd, effect of the markings.

11. Requiem Egg
An ominous egg to be sure, this one appears to be muted shades of blues and purples, heavily faded with edges of gray and silver. The entire shell appears to be mist with a heavy mist, as if someone could lean forward and draw shapes in the fogged surface. What few shades are visible appear like churning storm clouds in hue, and the base of the shell is darker than the rest. Beneath the thick gray hues veiling the shell are vague shapes like trees and flowers bursting from the bottom of the shell, or at least, it can appear that way. However, what the actual pattern on the shell happens to be is entirely up to interpretation: each person will see something different in the mist. One thing remains consistent, however -- there is nothing cheery about this egg.

[weaving]

Salamandyrs. My Weyr. I'm leaving. Greens not welcome. Hitch a ride with someone else. Bring your own meat. We're not responsible for injuries. Amith, Lirmine says yours is to come or he'll carry her like a sack of tubers up here, and he'll make sure she's naked when he does. The words penetrated the early morning calm of Lennae’s weyr. Only registering the first half, the greenrider rolled back over, fully prepared to return to sleep. Lovely sleep. She hadn’t even listened to the threat made by Calistoth. She’d apologize to K’lir when she saw him and go to the next one or something. But her bed was too warm and it was early.

Thank Faranth that Amith had been listening or else the entire weyr would have been exposed to a naked Lennae.

Mine? The green questioned, shifting about on her couch and rustling her wings nervously. Do you really want Calistoth’s to carry you around without any layers? Don’t people not like to see that? Her eyes were whirling yellow with agitation as she eyed the sprawled out form of her rider. It would be easy for K’lir to go through with his threat; Lennae slept in the nude, meaning that removal of clothing would be unnecessary. I really think you should go. Calistoth’s could be here any minute! The green’s gaze focused on the entrance to the weyr as she spoke. What was she supposed to do? She wanted Lennae to impress a salamandyr but it would be bad if Calistoth’s came in to kidnap Hers. Lennae would probably never forgive her or Calistoth’s for it.

“What are you babbling about Amith?” She muttered, turning her face to the left so that her words were at least slightly audible through the pillow. A moment more of thought and then everything clicked. “That dirty, wherrybrained, dimglow, sharding…” the curses continued as Lennae lept out of bed, desperately tugging on clothing in a desperate attempt to get out of the weyr before K’lir came looking for her.

“Shaffit!”

The curse was uttered quite loudly as she exited her weyr, slamming the door. She was stuck going to this thing now, whether she liked it or not. She stormed down the hall, completely unaware of just how silly she looked. A lightweight, transparent shirt clearly meant as over clothing for the middle of summer was all she had covering her top (it looked like part of K’lir’s threat would carry through even without him there to help) while she had bright purple trousers (a dye job gone wrong) covering her bottoms. She had no shoes, unbrushed hair, and the red indentations from her pillow were still quite apparent on her right cheek. It wasn’t until she entered the kitchens and realized that the staff was staring at her oddly that she was even aware of what she was wearing.

“Shells!” The word was quieter this time, though it was just as intense in tone. There was no time to go back and change though. If she returned to her weyr and took too long, K’lir would make sure that the entire weyr saw even more than they did currently. She’d just have to borrow a shirt from him once she reached his weyr. Surely he’d grant her that much.

She snatched a bowl of meat from the counter and then turned and high tailed it back toward the weyrs. It wasn’t until she neared K’lir’s weyr that she paused to consider why she even held the bowl of meat. Amith must have been influencing her in her half awakened state and now it was too late. Hopefully someone would have forgotten to grab some and she could simply pawn it off on them, ridding herself of anything that would attract one of the creatures.

“Can I borrow a shirt?” Lennae asked upon entering K’lir’s weyr. She hadn’t bothered to knock, assuming that she wouldn’t be the first one there. Thus she was surprised to find the man’s weyr empty except for K’lir, the sleeping baby and duck, and of course Showoff and his clutch. She grinned sheepishly, fully aware that she must look like an idiot to the other greenrider. Not that he would mind that. He’d fully intended on making a fool out of her anyway.

[Requiem]

Pretty, pretty colors. Jabber the flutterbye swirled through the air below, chirping little updates on the shinies in the clouds. It was their secret! M'taHis thought they were just going for a morning fly, and had even lightened up some now that he'd been awake for a bit. And why not? Such pretty colors everywhere! Though not as pretty as when Behruth first noticed them from his brand new weyrledge. So exciting, having a weyrledge all his own with the other big dragons. (He knew he wasn't very big just yet, but he would be!) Darting up, he was too slow to catch the shiny again, but Behruth refused to be disheartened. He would catch a cloud shiny today! He would!

A rather abrupt - she must be quite grumpy, Behruth decided - voice came into his mind, talking about salamandyrs and meat and...he lost interest. It sounded like she really needed a shiny to make her happy, though. He would remember and bring her one sometime, that he would, because Ruth hated it whenever anyone wasn't happy. And on such a beautiful day! (He did, actually, have interest in pets, but M'taHis did not like salamandyrs, not one bit, and Behruth knew he wouldn't want to go at all.)

Going back to his shiny hunting, Behruth faltered, losing several feet of altitude all of a sudden before he remembered that he needed to move his wings or they would definitely go splat. Splat, he knew, was no fun. M'taHis had been startled, too, and was pressed flat against his neck. What is she screaming about, Ruth? He did not seem to realize that the screaming green was the same one who made the announcement. The brown was just about to relay her message - carrying Amith up layerless and all - when, upon looking down to see what Calistoth was up to, he saw something that immediately made him forget both her broadcast and his rider's question.

Was that...? Oh, it was, it was! Shinies! A whole round thingy full of pretty, pretty shinies gleaming everywhere! No, wa- But it was very much too late. Behruth's wings had folded into his sides, the brown dropping in a steep dive that cut off all protests - even thought-protests - from a shocked M'taMine.

The young, mahogany-hued dragon, gleaming like polished wood in the early morning sunlight, strained his wings vigorously to pull out of the dive, speeding toward the weyrledge at a dangerous rate. Oh no! The shinies would be no good if he went splat against the wall, and then the pretty but ornery Calistoth would be much, much more upset and they'd have to clean his goo up and M'taHis! Backwinging vigorously, Behruth managed to slow his momentum enough that he actually came to a near standstill right above the ledge, a surge of pride taking him. Look! They hadn't gone splat at all!

M'ta peeled himself from his prone position over Behruth's neck, forcing himself to start breathing again after the unexpected, harrowing ride. "Do not ever, ever, ever do that again," he gasped. His heartrate was still thundering powerfully in his chest, threatening to burst right out of the skin, he thought dourly.

Behruth responded with an absent croon, catching the handle of the kettle delicately between his teeth. M'ta, of course, had an absolutely excellent view of the contents from this angle, and he immediately understood what it was nestled in the shinies. "Ruth! That isn't yours," he hissed, not sure what to do from here. Jabari popped out of Between a short distance away and fluted down at Behruth curiously. "Be careful. Those are eggs. You'll make the parents angrier than they already are if you break any of them. Set it down, Behruth."

Arching his neck to peer back at M'taHis, the brown's eyes swirled with confusion. But they are shinies, M'taMine. Not eggs. Eggs are big. M'ta suppressed a groan, too preoccupied with Ruth to notice whose weyr this was...or that Lennae was also there.

[topaz]

Venus had dutifully stayed up the entire night with her Venusk, still adjusting to the time change. The sun had only come up a little while ago, but it was already very bright, from what the bluehandler could see from under the door of her windowless room. She had to admit, the life of a wherhander suited her. She had already been somewhat of a night owl herself, and enjoyed staying up late in the utter dark and silence of the Weyr. However, now she could actually venture out around the Weyr during that time. Before she Impressed Venusk, if she was caught outside the Candidate barracks after lights out, she'd be in big trouble. Yes. This schedule suited her just fine.

As it was, the girl was just thinking about finally heading off to sleep when a piercing cry rang out in her head, and no doubt all across the Weyr. Venusk was immediately awoken, both by the message and by His' startled reaction. The blue wher's eyes swirled a concerned yellow in the dark, silently waiting reassurance from His. Venus shuffled over the the wher's couch and stroked his head and neck. "I think I would like to go and see if I can snag one of those salamandyrs, Venusk. I haven't really seen one up close. I want to know what they're like. What do you think?" The blue stared for a moment at his, a feeling of confusion bubbling up. But eventually, sensing that Venus was happy about this awfully rude interruption of their slumber, Venuak agreed, pressing his head into her hand, as she had stopped caressing him. She smiled and rubbed his elegant, pale head for a few more moments before leaving for the kitchens.

Apparently the drudges had heard the call as well, as there were a number of bowls full of tiny bits of chopped meat ready in the kitchen for the baby 'mandyrs. Taking one with a quick thank you to the nearest worker, Venus took to the task of locating the particular rider's weyr. She had never explored the corridors that led to the dragonrider's weyrs, since she never really had any reason to, therefore it took her quite a while to finally find the place, after asking many a passerby. Peeking into the doorway, Venus saw that the rider of said weyr was already up, and there was also another greenrider - she assumed it was the one who had been threatened with nude carrying . . . and something about sacks of tubers, or some ridiculous combination of the two - present, already equipped with her own bowl of meat. There was also another rider, a fair bit younger then the first two, and his brown. Walking forward slowly, Venus gave a polite smile to each of the riders and then went to look into the pot.

She ogled the jewelry that was strewn about the eggs almost as much as the eggs themselves. Did 'mandyrs like to horde shiny - and most likely very expensive - things like this? Maybe it was only for the hatching, or only this specific pair of clutchparents. Otherwise a trait like that could prove quite troublesome. But no matter. She was here, and she was prepared to Impress one of the little beasts. Coming down to sit on her folded legs, Venus rested the bowl of meat on her lap, and watched the eggs, alert to any sign of movement.

[glamourie]

K'lir yawned. His tongue ran around his teeth and he stretched before ambling his way back to his bed. Then, unabashedly, the greenrider climbed into the furs and attempted to burrow and go back to sleep. Or at least, that was the original plan. Unfortunately, that got interrupted quite quickly by the arrival of Lennae. Thoughtfully, the greenrider sat back up and indicated the wardrobe on the other side of the room. He couldn't stop himself from letting his eyes sweep over her appreciatively but, for once in his life, he was mature enough to be without comment, replying only with, "Anything in there that catches your fancy, you're welcome to. Might want to hurry though, from the sounds of things Lis didn't give you any leeway on time." His hands went back up to his face and he flopped back in his furs on his back. Fuzz squirmed from behind his head and bounced over to sit right in K'lir's lap, making a low quacking noise in her throat. The older she got, the more noise she could make and she was quite proud of that. K'lir ignored her - and indeed, everyone else as his weyr began to attract people. Why so early in the morning...?

Unfortunately, K'lir's attempt at sleep was not to be, for the second that Behruth came close to the stew pot, Showoff exploded - verbally, anyway. BACKBACK NO NO YOU UGLY BACK MY BABIES DOWN OFF OFF GEROFF BAD BAD MY BABIES I KILL YOU BAD! Flaring his frill in a very obvious display of his rage, Showoff threw himself onto Behruth's snout and proceeded to bounce around in fury. He would give the ugly brown thing one chance - one! - to put his babies down and then he'd bite his face off, salamandyr-sized pieces at a time. His eyes turned redder than his hide as he pranced about, his body thinning into a nearly flat and wide surface, little ribs showing in his threatening posture. He would kill the ugly, if it didn't get away from his babies. He would. To emphasize his point, Showoff lifted one paw and brandished his claws threateningly. Just because he was small didn't make him stupid, no no.

Startled by Showoff's outburst, the greenrider lifted his head again and quirked an eyebrow. The sight of Behruth made him raise an eyebrow and he looked over at M'ta as best he could before adding, "He means it, for the record." It was the best explanation he could offer, but Showoff was doing a fine job of making his rage very well known. From the way the salamandyr was bouncing about, it looked as though he fully intended to fight Behruth -- and he probably did. Size had never intimidated the creature before and it almost certainly wouldn't then. Especially not where his babies were concerned.

YOU DOWN I KILL YOU AWAY BABIES MINE BAD BAD DUNGHEAD UGLY STUPID WINGED PRETTY DIE! He'd also clearly forgotten that "pretty" was not an insult. Dael used it as one and in his rage, Showoff was also doing so. However, his tone made it sound like the nasty comment it was. I TAKE EYES! The scary thing was: He was perfectly willing to try and scratch out Behruth's eyes if he didn't put the pot down. Showoff meant business.

The eggs on the other hand were oblivious to being lifted around, as evidenced by their steady rocking back and forth. Several spiderweb-like cracks blossomed over the tops and sides of individual eggs, while others rocked and stirred. One in particular, the Minuet Egg, toppled over onto its side in the pile of shinies that made up the nest and cracked all over. The different imperfections showed a shiny, egg goop-covered blue hide of vivid sky blue that even the most unobservant would be able to notice. From its position, creeling could be heard, and it was clear which egg would be the first to hatch - just as soon as the salamandyr within managed to crawl himself free.

---

01. Prelude Egg
02. Aria Egg (cracking)
03. Bolero Egg
04. Minuet Egg cracked and hatching: blue
05. Serenade Egg
06. Symphony Egg
07. Sonata Egg
08. Nocturne Egg
09. Lullaby Egg
10. Hymn Egg
11. Requiem Egg

[weaving]

K’lir didn’t have to offer twice. Almost before he’d finished speaking, she’d moved over to the wardrobe and was rifling through it, grabbing the first thing she saw that looked as though it would fit. It was a plain for she wouldn’t dare take anything fancy even though K’lir had said she could have anything. Besides, it wasn’t like she needed nice clothing. She just needed something to get her through the hatching without getting gawked at. She couldn’t do anything about the purple pants, but at least they covered her.

“Hello Fuzz,” she murmured to the duckling after slipping on the shirt, smiling slightly. She’d relented on the name a while ago, pleased enough that she’d been right about the gender to let K’lir win with the name. And Fuzz did seem rather appropriate, for though she’d grown older, the duck seemed to not have lost her fuzzy, downy appearance.

Lennae turned back to the hatching, ready to pawn off her bowl of meat onto someone who was actually interested in impressing one of the little horrors when she was met with the sight of Behruth carrying about the stew pot by it’s handle. It was only moments later that Showoff began his litany of threats, bouncing about on the weyrling’s nose. Poor Behruth, she thought, grimacing as she watched the scene. Hopefully he’d have the sense to put the pot back down. She had no desire to see Showoff maul anyone.

Of course, she also noticed M’ta, meatless, and smiled to herself. Perfect. All she had to do was wait for this whole fiasco to be over and then she could dump it off on him, thus ridding herself of anything that would attract a salamandyr. Hopefully it would be soon, for she didn’t want to still be holding meat when any of the creatures hatched.

Too late. Though it was impossible to see into the pot, the creeling of a newborn could clearly be heard. It hadn’t decided to make it’s way out yet, giving her time to make the exchange, but if one had hatched then the others weren’t far behind. Glancing around, she noticed another person there, though didn’t recognize her, though she was a wherhandler by the looks of it. Unfortunately she was already holding a bowl, but if worse came to worse, perhaps she could convince her to take another anyway. If one bowl of meat would attract a ‘mandyr, then it only stood to reason that having two bowls of meat would double that attraction.

For the moment though, she simply stood there and watched, ready to hand off her bowl to someone, anyone, at the first sight of hatchling salamandyrs.

[ravenmane]

Please?
No, Triniath.
Pretty Please?
No.
Please?
No.
Pretty pretty Please?
Does 'No' mean anything to you?
No.

Sk'ler glared darkly at Triniath and pointed to the small sea of pets surrounding him on his bed. "I have enough pets, and I especially don't need a salamandyr, and this is as close to a salamandyr as you are going to get." Sk'ler held up a sleepy Skye, and Triniath's amusement was obvious when the Blue yawned and blinked slowly at his Bonded. Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease? Pretty please? Why do you even want one? I want a Chatti. This statement made Sk'ler shudder. "This is no way on Pern that I am going to try and get a mandyr like Chatti."

Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease! "If I go, will you shut up and leave me alone after this?" YES! Sk'ler sat there for a few moments before he reluctantly moved Chewy off his lap and placed Soltun there too. "None of you can come with me to the salamandyr Hatching. The parents wouldn't appreciate it very much if any of you came with me." The solemn expressions on the pets would have been hilarious if Skye hadn't been wriggling with excitement. Sk'ler had learned early on that his Blue really liked salamandyrs, and it is was hard to keep him away from them.

"Stay." He pointed to the Blue and then turned away and strode out the door, and he would have kept going if it hadn't been for a little pop and sudden weight on his head. "Skye." Chirp. Croon. Chirpchirp. He held up an arm and the Blue happily clung to His. Skye must really like salamandyrs. Snorting, Sk'ler continued on to the Kitchen and then the Hatching. With Skye hanging obviously from his left arm and a bowl of meat in his right, the Brownrider entered K'lir's weyr. He was instantly irked to see only three other people, not including K'lir, had come to Impress a salamandyr. So while he waited, Sk'ler was content to watch the show Behruth had kindly provided while Skye simply stared at Showoff with obvious fascination.

---

Mine, one of the Greens says that there is a salamandyr clutch in her weyr. Do you want one? Qualuth stuck his head in K'iel's weyr and eyed his rider. K'iel looked up from the scroll he was reading to think the offer over. "What do you think, Qua?" I would like a salamandyr. They are interesting creatures. "Hmm. I guess I could go." He marked where he left off, placed the scroll where it belonged on his desk, and slipped into his riding jacket.

Can you take me there, Qua? Of course I can! I would like to be nearby if you get one of the 'mandyrs. Qualuth replied brightly and nosed K'iel onto his back. We have to stop at the Kitchen to get some food first. K'iel held on tight as the Blue took off and he smiled at the feel of flying. They reached the Main Hall rather quickly where K'iel dismounted and slipped in to snatch a bowl of meat scraps. He nodded a thanks to a drudge and bolted out the door. There was no time for being skittish and K'iel didn't plan to show his discomfort until after the Hatching.

HERE WE GO! Qua leaped into the air and promptly twisted. K'iel laughed and leaned closer against his Blue. As they headed for the weyr that the Green had directed everyone to, Qualuth couldn't help show off some of his tricks. Stop fooling around or we won't get there in time. The Blue huffed and settled into flying in a straight line. When they arrived, Qualuth had to land rather delicately to avoid his clutch-brother and everyone else. I will be nearby in case you need me. Qualuth crooned gently to his rider as K'iel dismounted. The Weyrling clutched the bowl of meat to his chest and politely moved away from the rest of the people gathered there.

[hseru]

The widely broadcast announcement failed to wake the deeply sleeping bluerider. He had just returned from his early shift at the infirmary, so sleeping was one of the first priorities for him at the moment. He was sprawled haphazardly across the bed, partially covered with blankets. Jaxith snorted lightly, obviously well awake, unlike His. He was curious about the smaller ground runners, salamandyrs. Besides, Lainhis could use another pair of eyes to look out for him, and what better than something that could potentially be rather fun? The big blue considered it for a moment, then gave a low thrumming bugle. It wasn't loud, but so unexpected that S'lain jerked upright in a hurry, stumbling mostly naked from his bed to almost land on his face near the Blue's feet. He glared up at Jaxith.

Small ones are hatching, the not-flitters. I thought it might be good for you to go and see if one will chose you. The dragon gave his rider a critical look. You can use all the help you can get, after all.[/color] S'lain groaned aloud. "You woke me up because those things are hatching??" He ran both hands through his disheveled hair, then let his fingers run over his face in obvious disgust. "Jaxi, I hear nothing good about them. They're loud and obnoxious... much like you." He glared at the blue in emphasis, but Jaxith snorted a laugh at him. "I take that back... they're probably not as annoying as you.." Just go. I'll take you, as it's in Calistoth's weyr.

Throwing up his hands in disgust, S'lain eyed the blue. "You won't let me sleep until I go, will you?" The amused silence was answer enough, and he tromped across the room to fetch his clothes, grumbling the whole way about pushy dragons and annoying pests.

He was dressed in short order, though he still looked just as disheveled as when he woke, probably on purpose, and he angrily shoved his feet into boots he'd taken off only hours ago. By the time he was fully dressed, his mood had cooled a bit, and he slapped Jaxith on the shoulder. "You'll be the death of me yet." The blue snorted, and lifted his foreleg to hurry his rider on. S'lain glanced around in a sudden moment of remembrance, grabbing a bit of leftover meatroll he'd started eating just before bed, then clambered up with less grace than usual, foregoing straps as yet another annoyance that would take up precious sleeping time. Jaxith moved slowly to the ledge, dipping easily off and gliding the distance to the weyr holding the 'wonderful gathering'. He made a quick landing on Calistoth's ledge, alighting only long enough for S'lain to slide off and dodge the people gathered to find a nice spot in the back, as far away from the odd nesting spot as he could, given the space.

Don't stand too far back, or you won't get one. That's what I -want-. Jaxith's obvious amusement made the bluerider frown. He was clearly enjoying this far too much. Bring me back a cousin.

Despite his attempt to appear uninterested, he found his eyes drawn to the clutch, smiling a little at the blue which had already hatched. He pondered whether or not there was a mandyr that would completely and absolutely drive Jaxith crazy. Yeah, he deserved that after forcing S'lain to come to the hatching.

[Requiem]

"I have no doubt," M'ta returned dryly. Salamandyrs. K'lir. Great. Trust Behruth to find a stew pot full of shinies and salamandyr eggs.

The weyrling dragon had frozen, which was good, given the fact he likely would have jerked in surprise if he hadn't frozen and nothing good could come of that. Distress swam through him, and he didn't so much as twitch a muscle when Jaxith landed and took off again. His attention was focused on the very, very sharp little claws of the little scary. Behruth didn't like anything upset, and the wingless flutterbyes were no exception. He was having a difficult time figuring out what it was the salamandyr was raging about, though.

You want me to get off and go away? Behruth questioned tentatively, edging back toward the dropoff. The wingless was upset that he was on the ledge? M'ta blinked and tried to hold back a laugh, not quite successfully. Poor Ruth. Jabari, however, had a bit of a better idea as to what was going on, the flitter diving low past Behruth's snout in an effort to distract the irate sire for a few seconds.

"The shinies are a nest for the wingless's eggs, Ruth," M'ta told him, when he could catch his breath again. Behruth's wings flared at the statement. Oh! He could see it now, a squirmy, wet blue hide sliding past cracks in one. Don't kill me, little scary, the brown stated anxiously, carefully setting the pot back down and edging away. He attempted an apologetic croon at the mandyr. Jabari had taken up a position near his headknobs, wings flared and regarding Showoff fiercely. The big Flutterbye was silly, but he wasn't trying to hurt anything, and Jabari would not let that nasty little wormy thing do anything. No he would not.

Well, that was that. M'ta glanced at the people gathered, finding none of them to be - particularly distasteful. He hadn't known Lennae was back, either, though he still wasn't too sure about what he thought of the girl. It didn't really matter, though. Now that the issue of Behruth and the shinies was solved, it was time to le-

Do you think they will let me have the nest once the eggs have hatched? Perfect. "No." But they won't need it anymore. "No, Ruth." Even if I ask very, very nicely? "Showoff will scratch out your eyes. Didn't you hear him?" Because they're little wingless, M'taMine. If we stay, maybe a wingless will like you. Jabber is lonely. "He is not. He has me. You. He likes Zesa. And no, no, no." Behruth's stance widened stubbornly. Well, I'm not leaving. "Ruth," M'ta began, voice dropping dangerously. If you want to leave, you can walk down.

When glaring at the back of the brown's head didn't help any, M'ta swung down from his dragon's back, shooting him a truly nasty look as he removed his riding gear and glanced around uncertainly. He'd have to pass right by the evil little salamandyrs to make his escape and...well, he didn't know if it would offend K'lir for him to make a break for the door. That usually didn't matter much to M'ta, but he could tolerate the greenrider, and he definitely didn't relish the idea of getting on K'lir's bad side. He'd heard stories.

[ladybug]

A'fyr was up with the sun, a habit he had fallen into both because of the necessity to feed Rudolth early in the morning and because he often needed to be out in the forest early in the day for his gathering duties. He had just finished getting ready when the green dragon's message heralded the arrival of the salamandyrs. He chuckled at the tail end of the announcement, wondering what it was about. Dragons certainly could make life awkward for their riders. A'fyr was glad that Rudolth hadn't shown much interest in revealing any of his secrets so far. Not that he really had any juicy secrets to share in any case.

Why do you want one, mine? They seem kind of scary,[/color] Rudolth said uncertainly when A'fyr told him where he was off to. A'fyr smiled. He wasn't entirely sure himself, since the 'mandyrs could be rather frightening. But surely some of them were nice! A'fyr just couldn't let go of his interest in the creatures. Don't worry, Rudolth, I'll make sure to get a friendly one, he promised the brown before going to the kitchen to get a bowl of meat.

Armed with his offering of food, he walked up to the greenrider's weyr. It was too bad Rudolth couldn't fly yet, because he was gasping for breath by the time he got to the top of the stairs. Pausing to compose himself, he stepped into the weyr and warily approached the pot of eggs. He wondered if 'mandyrs always laid their clutches in such strange places. It looked like the clutch was getting ready to be turned into a giant omelet. It didn't help that the pot was currently being manhandled by a brown dragon. Judging by the state of the bronze 'mandyr, A'fyr thought it best to stay out of the way, so he took up an inconspicuous post around the middle of the room, far enough away for safety but close enough that the hatchlings shouldn't miss him.

[Rowana]

Roivao didn't think he would ever get used to hearing another voice in his head that was not Iloth's. Not that he wanted to anyway, but hearing the unknown green's announcement was a shock that he did not appreciate at this hour. It reminded him once again of what he had lost. He was so absorbed in the sudden feeling of emptiness the message brought, that he started when Roisk nudged him drowsily.

Staying up most of the night to be with his wher was another thing Roi had to get used to, but it was a trail he gladly accepted. He scratched Roisk head, earning a murmur of pleasure in return. Was His going to see what the fuss was about? Roi frowned as he tried to recall the announcement. Salamandyrs. Those were the small cousins of fire lizards he had seen. Sel'n had one, as did T'rid the weyrleader. He had always wanted a fire lizard in his younger days, but eggs found or stolen from the South had always gone to better riders than he. It might be interesting to watch, at least, but did Roisk mind? Roisk assured him that he did not mind, so long as he could get some sleep. And if Roi brought one home, to make sure it wasn't too annoying. A small hint of a smile reached Roivao's face. He was almost surprised he remembered how to smile. With a farewell pat, he got ready to go.

He got a little lost making his way to the weyr in question, but soon all he had to do was follow a few other hopeful persons to where a small crowd was gathering. He had a small bowl of meat in one hand, which was the remains of Roisk's breakfast. He recognized Venus as one of the other wherlings who had bonded when he had, but the rest were strangers. almost instinctively, he shied away towards the rear of the group. From here it was hard to see, so he didn't notice that a few of the eggs were already cracking, but he was sure he would see the little ones soon enough. It wasn't like he actually expected to do more than watch, though the last time he'd tried that, Roisk had had other ideas.

[Avu]

He hadn't said anything yet, and he was counting down the seconds until he did. Five. He was sure that he'd hear something about it. Four. Positive about that; it was just something that could not go without a comment from him for very long. Three. It seemed to be physically impossible for him to resist opening his mouth and commenting. Two. And what would his comment be? One. Obviously it would be --

I think you should go.

T'rid squinted at Corinth, as if he hadn't been expecting those five words. (He had.) "Why would I go?" he demanded idly of the bronze, in the mood for an argument. Corinth presented the best option for his arguing, and therefore it was to the bronze whom he complained about...um, everything, as it were. "Why would I want another little horror? Say 'hi,' Stupid. I think Corinth's forgotten about you." He reached over to run one finger down the brown Salamandyr's spine and earned a soft purr in response, Stupid twisting around his finger, his bright eyes fixed on Corinth, flushed with a brilliant indignation. Not about being forgotten. He didn't necessarily mind that (it happened all too often, between himself, Mir, Conspiracy, Dinner, and Corinth) -- but the idea of having to share His made him want to bite Corinth. With an unhappy hiss, the brown obediently said, Hi. Hi big winged stupid, hi.

I think you should go, Corinth repeated imperturbably.

"You'll have to be a heck of a lot more convincing than that," T'rid grumbled. "Now, tell me, if you weren't invited to the Hatching and all the other Lord Holders were, would you feel slighted?" He would. But that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. It would just be...a slight sniffy annoyance, he supposed. And it wasn't technically his business, which Lord Holders would be invited to the next Hatching, because he wouldn't be Weyrleader then (he was sure of it. He was leaving. Blossom Hold was very nice about it usually), but if invitations had to be sent out early, then it would be his business. And he didn't want to invite the Lighttower Hold Lord. "It's not like he'll come anyway," he added morosely. "I don't see why we should waste precious paper on him. He hates us."

If he won't come anyway, then why does it matter? Send him one so he won't feel slighted and then you can rightfully claim you did and blame it on him, Corinth responded, yawning. If you do not hurry, you will be late.

"What if he does come though? He'll ruin it. Absolutely ruin it. And late to what?"
He won't ruin /anything/. It's a Hatching. And you'll be late to a Hatching yourself.
"It's possible to ruin a Hatching. Benden's done it. And I'm not going to that Hatching. I've got you and Stupid and Mir and Conspiracy and Dinner and I don't want -- "
Lighttower Hold is not Benden. I think you should go. Bring you full fair, if you want. Just go.
"Give them time. They'll get there. Why? Nothing'll Impress to me if I bring them all."
Appeal to them now, instead of later, and maybe you can stop that. And that's the point, Mine. Just go to watch.
"Make someone else do it. I don't want to deal with them. And I don't want to deal with K'lir or baby Salamandyrs, either!"
Just to watch. It's your duty to make sure Hatching records are correct, you know --
" -- you can help me do that. Bespeak Calistoth -- "
-- and it'll be best if you go; it'll show people you care --
" -- lies! I don't care -- "
-- JUST. GO.

Glare. T'rid rose to his feet, hissing quietly at Corinth. "Fine. But if I Impress -- " He left the threat unfinished as he waggled one finger at the bronze, who snorted back, obviously unimpressed as T'rid turned, calling for his three draconic pets, catching Stupid as the Salamandyr tripped over his pen and nearly faceplanted off the end of his desk and popping the brown into his pocket, and letting Mir and Conspiracy land quietly, one on either shoulder. Dinner came running, flapping her wings and shrieking indignantly, but T'rid promptly dropped a shirt over the bird's head and she fell into a dazed, confused silence as T'rid made his escape, Conspiracy crooning sweetly in his ear as Mir appraised the walls going by solemnly. Stupid had managed to claw his way so that he was poking his head out of T'rid's shirt pocket, excitement writhing through his body.

Calistoooooooth!

-- was not there. T'rid exhaled in relief as Stupid wilted visibly, hurt and lonely despite the crowd in K'lir's weyr as he realized that the pretty, pretty green had left. That was...that was...that was totally unfair. He'd wanted to see the pretty pretty greenling so badly and she wasn't there and why wasn't she there?! The brown Salamandyr, hurt, curled up in T'rid's pocket. He was ignored by T'rid and both firelizards as the bronzerider, ignoring the drama between Showoff and Behruth, edged so far back that he was practically on the weyrledge, squinting slightly in order to see the eggs as the first one cracked to reveal blue hide. T'rid stepped backwards even more, Conspiracy fluting curiously as the little brown bobbed up and down on his shoulder, his tail slithering around T'rid's neck tightly in his excitement as he leaned out (clearly he was unaware that this was a Salamandyr Hatching and not a firelizard), and Mir merely yawned and glanced vaguely towards Behruth.

What was he doing?

[Rei]

Mask hissed in fury again. His was not allowed to leave. He must protect his surely she saw that. Malara grumbled and shoved the whers growing head out of her way. “I will be ok Mask. I will be back before you know it and if you are lucky you will have a little friend to eat possibly. Now get out of the way.” The blonde gave the wher another shove and proceeded past him ignoring his cries of anguish. Silly beast he was, but he did have his uses.

The trip to the weyr in question (She followed the crowd) Took longer than she expected and so when she arrived the crowd was rather large. She shoved herself through the crowd headless of any threats or comments thrown her way. Didn’t people realize that those shorter should be stationed to the front? Finally she had a unobstructed view of the clutch. Ah one egg was currently hatching and by the looks of it no one else had impressed good.

-----

Raylin made it to the weyr in record time not because she wanted a mandyr (heavens no) But because Cherilith had bespoken Ebolath and asked her to bring meat. Saeo had forgotten in all her excitement. You would think she wouldn’t want on of the beasts what with Freckle’s problems. But alas the girl seemed insane. Ebolath pranced below the weyrs. Calistoth said no greens allowed mine. “You are not going to her weyr darling you will be fine if you wait here. I will be right back.” Giving her dragon a last pat Raylin made her way up the stairs with her bowl of meat.

Once there the weyrling scanned the crowd for Saeo and paused when she caught sight of T’rid. Weaving through the crowd she finally made her way over to him. “Don’t you have enough pets? I thought you were done after the caravan incident, and yet here you are at a hatching. Glutton for punishment?” She raised an eyebrow in an unconscious mimic of his own expression and waved a hand toward his pocket. “Stupid darling Ebolath is downstairs if you want to see her.”

Oh yes! I would love you to visit. I have missed you so little one. The green replied including T’rid of course. “You see Saeo anywhere? I was supposed to bring this meat to her.” The last thing the green weyrling wanted was to attract one of the little demons. Oh no better to get rid of the food while she still had a chance.

((Kinda sucks but eh it's up and other posts going up today. Stupid internet was down. Kicks phone guys))

[dragon]

Nris tilted her head to one side as she looked up from a book she was reading, listening to what Calistoth had to say this bright and shiny morning. Now ... that was an interesting wake up call, no doubt. She couldn't help but wonder who, exactly, it was that Calistoth had been referring to. In any event, she was quite glad it was not her!

But the intrigue of maybe getting to impress one of those funny little beasts that she had been seeing scampering all over the place? Now that was also interesting. She wondered if it was late enough in the morning yet to not get into trouble for breaking curfew? Deciding it was worth it anyway it was sliced, she closed her book, stuck her feet out from underneath her, and slipped off her rumpled bed.

Nris was already fully dressed, having been up for a few hours already, spending her time reading as she waited for the sun to come up. Padding out of the barracks entirely barefoot, the lithe dolphineer made her way across the Weyr toward the dragonrider's weyrs. Taking a side stop in the kitchens, she acquired a nice goodly bowl of meat and continued onward. It was more meat than any little 'mandyr could eat, she was pretty sure. But then maybe someone else would need it. She'd only be so lucky, if she impressed one, herself! She felt confident she would ... the dragons found her good quality enough, why wouldn't a 'mandyr?

She walked up the people-halls inside the cliffs, until she managed to find her way to the appropriate weyr. Nris was not at all sure exactly where she was going, so she was more than a little late in arriving. But, she had arrived in time, that was good! There was only one hatched, it seemed ... a blue one.

Neat! She sidled in with the rest of the people there, saying not a word to anyone, her gaze locked on that pot. Was that the pot that was always rumored to be at the end of the rainbow? It had enough shinies spilling out of it, in any event. She couldn't help but wonder where so much had been pilfered from. But: she was not there to muse on stolen jewelry, no. She was there for the eggs. And she smiled warmly as she looked at them.

They were so tiny!!


((I am not going to be home tomorrow, so please don't yell at me if I miss the next few rounds!! I will post just as soon as I get back! <3 ))