Hatching of the Chinese Zodiac Clutch

[Kisha-Ra]

Ordinarily Yoalla would pay a bit more attention to everyone around her, however for the moment the eggs held all her attention. As the first one developed cracks Yoalla leaned forward, it was one of the small ones, however a large egg spilled out a brown before the other dragonet could make it out. However no sooner had the brown started to look around than the first egg finally released a green.

The green went, hopping, sliding and tripping across the sands, Yoalla winced, some of those falls looked painful. She was happy to see Nephele Impress the first dragonet, she made a note to congratulated the new weyrling later.

Before the brown could do more than wander across the sands a second green escaped her shell, who would she go to? The dragons started hatching thick and fast, two blues, one dark and one light. The dark blue was far more graceful than his sister had been, the light, less so. She didn’t really know the boy the lighter blue went to, but she recognised Rusa and thought the dark blue was made for him. The brown went to a girl, well it was unusual but not like it had never happened before.

Another green hatched, and the gold and red egg hatched a bronze! Burn on the north! Except N’nam, and anyone else who was alright. The other egg that had been slightly gold did, in fact, hatch a gold, who faced off against her brother while the newly hatched green ran off and Impressed, and the dark green just waited.

Eventually it was the bronze that grew bored, but the young gold had other ideas and bit his tail. Unfortunately for the boys he was facing being bitten caused the bronze to leap forward and knock them aside, tread on them, an generally cause havoc. Evidently he picked someone, but Yoalla couldn’t see who. For the moment the gold held her attention, what if she Impressed the queen? What if she didn’t? Yoalla really couldn’t decide what would be better, that was what you got for knowing next to nothing about dragons.


Above the hatching grounds Idith’s eyes flashed several conflicting colours in disbelief, that bronze had chosen the fool who had stabbed Calistoth? Why would he do that, there plenty of less stupid candidates down there? The hatchling must have been damaged in the fight somehow, Idith had thought everyone had protected the eggs but that was the only possible explanation for this.

Enough Idith.

But R’aro there is something very wrong with that bronze. He has chosen one of Calistoth’s attackers. He must have been hurt in the fight, should I tell Hepaticath? She might be angry with us if she knew an egg was damaged though. The young gold knows about him at least.[/color]

Enough.

[kat]

Maya spotted a hand rising in the air, and then the blood, and not just a little of it, either. She had known there would be healers up on the stands, ready to come down and lend their aid if a mauling occurred. However, she had also known you could never be too prepared. There were several candidates down on the sands who looked like they needed healer attention. However, the blond haired boy looked by far the worst. She rushed over, assessing the situation quickly. Her Master had always told her: be prepared for anything. Well, she was suddenly quite glad she'd taken that literally. Being ready for any situation involved having a small medical kit on you at all times, as some healers she knew did. She hadn't shirked putting the little belt on today, a small kit comprised of a small jar of numbweed, needle and thread, redwort and fellis. She had not been told she wasn't allowed these things here, and so she swiftly got to work. She needed to see if there had been anything vital hit. She didn't want to think that the jugular might be one of them...

Tearing off a clean part of her robe, she pressed it to the wound to stop the bleeding, and began speaking to both distract the boy from the pain and situation, as well as to assess that he wasn't going to lose consciousness on her. "Hey there, I'm Maya. You're going to be all right. Keeping the material pressed tightly to the wound, she gently lifted the corner for a mere split second, containing a huge sigh of relief when she saw that the cut to the throat wasn't fatalistic. "Can you tell me your name?" she asked, even as she opened the redwort and splashed it on her hands, rubbing them together. Then, she opened the numbweed so she'd have it at th ready. She' need a couple more moments to staunch this bleeding, first. Truth be told, if it had been a few inches more it would have been fatal. The cut was deep enough to warrant her concern--as well as stitches!--but she'd seen worse in her years at the Healer Hall. The boy didn't look like he intended to leave the sands, either. She supposed if he really wanted to, he could stay...so long as the loss of blood didn't make him feel like passing out or anything. Or at least as long as he didn't, that was. She smiled reassuringly at him, and then warned, "this will only hurt for a moment," and began to apply numbweed to the wound...

~~~~~~

Tahlor was assessing the damages Ramen's new bond had done to the other male candidates, and was exceedingly glad he'd had the sense to just get out of the way. It had all happened so fast that he'd barely had time to think to register it happening. He could see blood, and was rather relieved when a girl who seemed to know what she was doing rushed to aid one of the particularly badly wounded young men. Was she a healer? He wouldn't know, he hadn't seen her before today. Well, from those little jars--what on Pern had possessed her to bring them to the sands?--he assumed she was at least a Senior Apprentice. Still, there was nothing he could really do, as he had only basic first aid and there were already healers here to deal with that kind of thing. Plus, there were still dragons on the sands, eggs to hatch. He had to pay attention, because sometimes there would be more than one mauling. He wanted to be ready in case another wayward dragonet came his way.

He figured Ramen was pretty sharding lucky. Only one bronze hatched out, and it had gone to him. He wasn't the sort to be envious so he was sincerely glad for the other young man, but he watched the remaining eggs rather hopefully. It would have been nice to have at least one friend in Weyrling Lessons. Still, he could probably make more friends with the next batch of candidates. He knew Ramen would be pretty busy from here on in--though he had no real idea of just how much work Weyrling Lessons were--and figured he'd see him when he could, if he didn't Impress himself.

[Requiem]

Hard to tell if he woke up before he hit the floor or after, but the sensation of striking the ground and coming awake was so closely intermingled that it hardly mattered. M'ta lay on his back as he tried to regain his breath, going instinctively for his daggers. It was unusual for him to fall. The teenager snugged closer to Behruth, shivering despite the great number of furs that had tumbled down the dragon's foreleg with him. The brown didn't stir. M'ta wasn't surprised. Considering how often the brownrider usually awoke in the night (pretty much any time a firelizard, salamandyr, or human wandered in the near vicinity) Behruth had to learn to block out M'ta's sudden awakenings if he hoped to get any sleep at all.

Besides, they both were weary.

Ah, but it was cold. M'ta squinted against the dim light, suppressing a shiver. Behruth's hoard had rarely looked so...forbidding. The brownrider wasn't much given to fancy, but sometimes it felt as if something was moving around amongst the stones and sticks and scraps of leather, even though when P.M.S. went to investigate such disturbances there was invariably nothing there. And the dreams were much worse than they'd ever been. Memories all but forgotten. He could hear her screaming even when awake, as if she were off far in the distance, well beyond his reach. Sometimes she sounded like he remembered her, but sometimes her voice sounded more like Merridan's, or Meira's. Sometimes...it sounded like some other woman's he didn't know. Even now he could hear it, a ringing in his ears that wasn't quite a ringing.

M'ta shook himself. He did not like this room one bit, he didn't.

It was probably just his imagination, it was. After all, Marra had been killed here, and your mind loves to play tricks on you, right? He didn't really know Marra. Didn't really like her. But he accepted her because she was R'wign's, and R'wign...was loved. It was odd to admit that to himself, but M'ta truly did love R'wign deeper than most couples ever loved. It could be Behruth and Checkoth's influence, though M'ta believed that they must have found what was already there and strengthened it. Silly Ruth.

Sleeping in this room, though, was like sleeping in the same room with the sawn-off leg of your closest brother. It played havoc with his mind. Yes, it must, or else the only other explanation was that M'ta's illness had opened the door to nightmares and superstitions, and he did not much relish the idea of being this on edge for the rest of his life, thank you much. Or it could just be the jealous witch come to haunt me for invading her spot, and for taking up her lover's time. That would be exactly like Marra.

Why do you think of the harpyface when the eggs are hatching? M'ta froze as Behruth's snout gaped open in a wide yawn. "What?" Why do you think of- "The eggs are hatching?" I thought you woke because you heard. It's all right if you're tired. I don't think anyone expects you to go. M'ta was already up and moving, though, throwing on enough layers of clothing to drown his diminished frame. Three shirts, a jacket and an overcoat that dragged the ground later, M'ta stared at the straps in the corner and decided that he'd just walk, shoving his hands deep in the pockets of the coat to stay off the chill. Behruth watched him, unstirring. I would not let you fall.

"I know. It's just..."

You are still not well. Stay. I can go and show you everything. Would you like that? "Merridan stands..." Chaoth's. "She Impressed already?!" To our brown clutchbrother. Checkoth is excited. We can all play together, especially once he gets bigger. "I have to go, then."

Behruth considered keeping up the argument, but decided against it. At least M'taHis was thinking about Chaoth's and Impressions and happy things rather than the shadow people who didn't exist. Yawning once more, the brown pulled himself to his feet and stretched his wings, careful to keep from brushing his frail lifemate. It was so odd, shortyHis being this weak. Behruth often feared he might break him if he just breathed too hard. Glancing over, he caught M'ta's amused smirk as the brownrider slipped out onto the weyrledge and began trudging up the outer stairs. Well, I do. Don't trip, Mine. That would not be good.

"When did you start worrying so much?" the teenager muttered rebelliously.

Behruth landed in a flurry of wingstrokes near his favoritest clutchbrother, crooning to Checkoth as he gazed out over the hatched and hatching dragonets. Mine insisted on coming to see Chaoth and Hers, he commented in mild exasperation. And insisted on walking. He looks like an overstuffed wherry in all the extra skins. Isn't it wonderful, though, all the new brothers and sisters we have now, finding their lifemates?

He stretched expansively and reached out to touch Chaoth's mind. Welcome, little brother! We shall have to play together, we shall, after you eat and rest.

M'ta's trek finally ended at the stands. Annoyed to find himself winded from the climb, he slipped through the sea of people, the overcoat sweeping the floor in his wake as he crossed his arms to ward off the continued chill. He spotted Meira and R'wign some distance off and slid down that direction, unceremoniously plunking down between the two of them without so much as a by your leave. Ah! Warmth.

"They do look different, don't they? I don't think I've actually seen one from so high up," he commented, inviting himself into the conversation as if he'd been there all along. "So when were you two planning on waking me up? After all the dragons Impressed?" He kicked his legs, pulling a mild frown at how his feet didn't quite touch. "Giants must have built this place," he muttered under his breath.

Watching the showdown on the Sands, he was mildly surprised to find a gold amongst the dragonets. So it appeared that the invaders hadn't been wrong after all, even if they'd gone after the wrong egg. That was...interesting. Another goldrider. Lovely. Just what they all needed. M'ta suppressed a sigh. He'd just avoid her, was all. That should be easy enough.

[kysseh]

((H'okay, sorry this took so long, guys. x.x Just got home from work. The next post will be a monster, but I figured you guys would want these two first.))

Rooster Bronze
Name: Weith
Color Code: C43B28
Impresses to: Ramen/R’men
Appearance: Just like his clutchmother, this bronze is simply huge. In length, he will rival a small queen, and his build is quite bulky, packed with muscle even at his hatching. Weith is thick through the legs, deep and broad in the chest, and wide in the jaw. The ridges along his neck are unusually blunted but firmer and tougher in comparison to that of most dragons, and the result is a look of just general largeness that will probably make most dragons think twice before engaging him. His teeth look slightly overlong for his jaws, even if they aren’t, and that flash of whitened teeth and shining white claws only add to the imposing image. Weith is simply intimidating in build.

Of course, his coloration is laughable enough that many dragons (and humans) will not take him seriously. Weith is a coppery shade all over, a brilliant reddish hue that is both ostentatious and painful to the eyes after an application of oil and sunlight. Weith glints in any light, and he positively sparkles in full sunshine. The beautiful reddish color of his hide fades to a lighter, more gold-tinted hue at his ridges, which detracts from his general appearance of toughness. However, the crowning glory of Weith’s hide is his rump. A strip of honey-gold coloration starts between his shoulder blades and runs straight down his spine to his rump where it splits into a branching series of curving, meandering lines that, when viewed from above, show the same tree-like pattern as his egg.

Weith is, for obvious reasons, not the most agile of dragons, both on land and in the air. His movements are heavy and slightly slow, and quick movements and maneuvers really just are not his thing. Brute stamina and strength are his specialties, though his stamina could be called into question if he doesn’t take the time to practice. It takes more than just basic muscle to get his large self into the air, and long flights will be necessary to build those muscles to keep him flying steadily for long periods. While the leaner bronzes may be able to fly circles around him, it can be assured that very few, if any, dragons in the weyr will be able to beat him in a straight dive. Pulling out, however, may be another story entirely.

Personality: Perhaps the name of his egg was too indicative of his personality, but Weith lives up to the stereotype associated with a cock: a great deal of empty bravado and pointless aggression. He is large and in charge, and far be it from anyone to challenge his claim as the greatest of the weyr’s bronzes. Never, ever will Weith forget the identity of his clutchparents. After all… two great creatures could never breed anything less than absolute perfection, in his mind. And to his own highly biased point of view, Weith is perfect. He is masterfully intelligent, highly perceptive, and a perfect planner and leader.

Were it not for the fact that Weith’s ego is not entirely unfounded, he might be comical. Unfortunately, Weith does possess a great deal of intelligence, and his meticulous, perfectionist nature makes him a very good planner and organizer. Never can it be said that Weith is lazy or inattentive, for if something is going on in the weyr, he will know about it, formulate a plan of action to deal with it, and press on without hesitation. He is very decisive and never second-guesses himself, pursuing his chosen path with a great deal of zeal. This enthusiasm is occasionally misplaced and taken too far, for Weith is also a most conservative beast, stubbornly set in his ways to the point that dissenters are viewed in a most critical fashion. Change comes slowly in Weith’s world. Perfection needs no changing, in his mind, and his world (so long as he is running it and picking apart the ‘wrongdoings’ of others) is just plain perfect.

For all his ego, though, it can not be denied that Weith is an intelligent and good leader when not throwing a royal hissy fit about some ridiculous new notion. He will not hesitate to take the side of those he believes to be in the right, aggressively so if he feels it is necessary. Though he is built like a fighter, most of Weith’s aggression tends to be demonstrated in display until someone bares claws or teeth against those he prizes—namely himself and His; Weith doesn’t like to be tied down to one female—or he feels can not defend themselves. This is not done out of nobility but out of a sense of practicality. He’ll have no one to lead in the future if everyone dies, will he?

--

Horse Green
Name: Kunth
Color Code: 057915
Impresses to: Mina
Appearance: Kunth is lovely in her proportions and on the larger side for her color. There is no part of her body that is larger or smaller than it should be, save for her eyes. Her eyes are just a smidge big, giving her an almost innocent and youthful sort of look, something she will retain throughout her life. Her wings are of perfect size to get her body airborne, and the sails are a little more translucent than normal giving her an even lighter and more graceful, lovely appearance.

In coloration, Kunth is a dark, vibrant shade of green, her entire hide slightly glossy to the point where she nearly gleams in sunlight. The entirety of Kunth’s hide is not the same color, though, for she shades near to black at the tip of her muzzle and at the ends of her wings. On her right flank is an odd black splotch that looks faintly like a handprint. Or a perched dragon. Or a bird. People could probably make a game out of deciding what the mysterious marking looks like, but it is certainly ambiguous enough to be interesting. Her only other marking is an irregular little black splotch between her eyes, on the top of her head.

Kunth will best be known for two things: her speed and her odd walking gait. She will always be among the very fastest of greens, and even if she is not the fastest to start with, she will make every effort to be that way, through a great deal of hard work and practice. Her acrobatics will be less in comparison to her sheer speed, and her stamina will need work to build up. Still, she will always be proud of her speed… and her attempts to walk like a four-legged mammal. For some reason, Kunth simply can’t walk like a dragon when on land. She tries to walk like a runner or a canine, which is awkward and nearly impossible given her build. Still, it doesn’t stop her from trying.

Personality: Like many of her clutchmates, Kunth is very elegant when she feels the need to be. Poised, composed… and very, very talkative. Kunth is incredibly talkative and sociable, and she is happiest when in a group and enjoying the company of several others. She is very quick-witted and will probably always be very popular, given her friendly demeanor and ability to make nearly anyone laugh. Kunth has an excellent sense of humor and is secure enough to make a joke, even at her own expense. Anything to make someone else laugh will make Kunth happy, though injury is scarcely something to giggle at. Injuries are very, very bad, and Kunth can be very skittish and nervous when it comes to dangerous situations, for fear of herself or anyone else becoming nervous.

The price for being cheerful and flexible is the label of being ‘fickle’, and though that reputation is not entirely undeserved, there are occasions when Kunth is quite the fickle and stubborn little character. If she wants to do it her way, then she wants to do it her way, and shardit, but that’s how it will be done! These occasional fits of bratty behavior are forgivable by Hers and others, though, since Kunth is usually suitably apologetic at a later date. Still, it does not stop her from wanting her to do things her way later, so Hers will have to keep a close eye on Kunth’s preferences for things. You can never be sure what she’ll be fickle about.

No matter how many friends she has, though, Kunth will always adore Hers most of all. Unfortunately, Kunth can be protective of Hers to the point of picking Hers up in her mouth and carrying her away from a situation that Kunth finds to be undesirable. While this might be beneficial in a fight, having an afternoon tryst interrupted by a mindmate who feels the partner isn’t good enough… it might make Hers’ lovelife a little interesting. Kunth’s own lovelife will be interesting, given that she will probably Rise a little less often than her fellow greens. However, her choices will be wide and varied, and one can never tell just what she’ll decide on next.

[kysseh]

Alerted by the white 'mandyr that was hiding somewhere in the Hatching Sands, Hepaticath's head turned toward the entrance, her whirling gaze fixating on the little spot of gold that sat so neatly and watched. The little gold of Checkoth's, it was, though her name escaped the nervous brooding queen for the moment. Something lovely, though, was her name, and it suited her. She was a nice flying flitter-pet. The queen let out a quiet huff and then relented. You may come sit with me if you like, little queen. I would not mind. Truthfully, she did not mind that flitter-thing's company. She had only intended that the silly candidates not bring their pets. An oversight on her part, and she felt a brief stab of guilt for that. Still, concern for her eggs won out, but she was willing to compromise, especially for the well-behaved flitter queen.

Fine hatchlings, are they not? she added privately to her mate, a distinct note of smugness in her mental tones. Ciceroth should be proud of their hatchlings. Except, perhaps, those two fighting ones. We will have to keep an eye on those two, though. They will be trouble. Much, much trouble... if the newly-hatched queen's clever gaze was anything to go by. Hmph.

Meanwhile, SavitriHers was planting a kiss on the cheek of RysCiceroth's. Apparently, the two were now watching together, but Ka'rys seemed far less awake than Savitri liked. She wished that he could have slept for longer. He needed it. So did she, really, but he looked worse. Still, she passed him one of the infants at his request, the squirmier one that she held in the arm closest to him. "Keravi is desperate for your love," she commented quietly, hoping the little girl calmed in her father's arms. Never could tell with that one, really. Samera, on the other hand, was still happily half-snoozing on her mother's shoulder, unconcerned with the world. Pfft. Hatchings. What interest did a tiny infant have in a hatching?

Answer: None whatsoever.

The hatching things, however, had a great deal of interest in the gathered children. Or... one of them did, at least. The Snake Green was watching the Stands with a great deal of interest, her dark head tilting this way and that as she gazed at each person in turn. Fascinating, they were. Why were they watching her? Waiting for her to choose already, hmm? But she knew already. She had chosen. She would go there... soon. Eventually.

One of her clutchbrothers was not about to waste time, though, for the Ram Egg was the next to break open. The Tiger Egg was starting to egg just as the Ram Blue let out a rather confused noise as he flailed about in the sands. It appeared that he was having trouble figuring out which way was up. Lying on one's head inside in an egg made things rather disorienting, but he was rapidly getting it sorted out. Feet on the sand, head in the air... and, look! See, he was up!

Now he crowed in triumph and trundled across the sands, nearly tripping right over Yoalla's feet on his way around the candidates. After sniffing her over to make sure she was no worse for wear after his little mishap, the pretty blue continued on his way, bumbling past Anzalorin and then stopping completely. There. There. There he was. Ahh, but he had found him.

All of his remaining energy was converted to speed, and the blue rammed his head right into Lokath's legs, knocking himself backward from the force. Ooh, that had hurt. Oops. I meant to stop in time, I think. Did I hit you hard? Sorry, L'kaMine. It hurt my head. Your legs are fine, right? So, so sorry. the little blue told His in a suitably apologetic tone, still flailing around to get his feet back underneath of him. Could you possibly give your Lith some help? The world is flipping upside down on me. Really, it will not stay put. Shame on the world, for ruining his perfect impression moment. At least he was radiating adoration at His. That would help compensate for the bumbling and the hitting and the world-flipping, wouldn't it?

While her clutchbrother made a ruckus (albeit unintentionally), the Snake Green made her way carefully across the sands, low to the ground and avoiding people with each hop. The females were given the widest berth. Not females. No, not one of them. Instead, she got right to the stairs leading up to the Stands and started to make her painstaking way up the obstacles. Bad, bad, bad, these inventions, and all of the fussy people and Hepaticath-Clutchmother were sounding agitated. Didn't they know that Hers was this way? Really, they ought to stop harassing her to hurry it up. She could not go any faster after all.

After what seemed like an eternity, she made it, though she had to snap at a few drudge's legs to get there. Stupid people, trying to shoo her back onto the Sands. I would thank you to choose a more convenient spot next time, my love. And to choose better... oh, it is a hatchling-female. She may stay. the little green commented as she attempted to crawl right across Kalerary. She had nothing against the girl, of course, and she was minding her claws. They weren't sharp at all, anyway, so it was of little concern. Hopefully... Is the little male hatchling ours, K'lirMyLove? Good. Your Baoth approves, and we will keep him and make him be a good hatchling. A lick to Kahrelir's cheek was attempted, but Baoth could not quite reach. She crooned roughly instead. May I eat now? I am hungry, and they kept slowing me down. Do tell them how stupid they were, please.

Because chasing one's bonded up into the Stands was not at all stupid. Of course not.

[kysseh]

Ram Blue
Name: Lith
Color Code: 1E2AC2
Impress to: Lokath/L'ka
Appearance: Lith, like his clutchmates, is on the large side for his color, though not abnormally so. He is also neither very trim nor very bulky for his color, appearing quite average from a distance. Only up close can certain small differences be noted, such as blunt-ended claws and an unusual toughening and thickening of the ridges over his eyes and the top of his head, almost like a rough sort of crown. His tail is slightly shorter than average and thicker most of the way down its length, looking and functioning much like a club when it needs to be.

The medium blue of the majority of his hide is almost as unremarkable as his build, though its loveliness surely knows few matches. The tone is quite even, and the shade is beautiful enough to turn female heads, dragon and human alike. The gray tint to the crown of rough ridges atop his head and the honeycombed pattern on his rump—very faint and hardly noticeable except in good light—are the only markings on his hide, though he seems more proud of the latter than the former. Who needs a crown when one obviously bears the same markings as one’s dam? There is no greater source of pride than that.

Lith is as agile and fast as any blue, though of considerable more stamina than the greens. His aerial performance will be average, nothing any more or less spectacular. He is fairly well-coordinated on land and can often be found perching carefully on rocks, immensely preferring them to sand. Something about the sand makes it harder for him to move, so it will not be odd to see him hopping from rock to rock to avoid a sandpit. Still, Lith will never be forgotten, given his ability and tendency to use his head as a battering ram.

Personality: Generally a passive and very easygoing creature, Lith is rather hard to stir up, save when the occasion calls for it. He is quite content to listen to his superiors and do what he is told, following orders so long as he thinks he is doing what is right. He has a very strong and firm sense of justice, which may lead him into trouble on occasion. Still, he stubbornly does what he believes to the best for all involved, and, as such, he will probably be looked to for guidance by younger or less experienced dragons. He is not afraid to admit, however, when he has no idea of a solution, but Lith is not shy about asking around for advice.

His stubborn persistence in dealing with an issue will be a headache on occasion… for all involved. Lith has a bad habit of using his head as a weapon when someone or something aggravates him to the point of violence, and he will insistently (and for long periods of time) ram said object or creature with his head until he feels that the issue has been fixed. This will undoubtedly give him a monster of a headache until he toughens up a bit, though he wouldn’t complain about an ache unless it truly, truly pained him. He would prefer to nurse his wounds in silence, thank you. He does have his pride, after all, and that pride is not limited to acting tougher than he should. He is quite proud of his lineage and will probably be most attached to those of his clutch. An odd sort of pride, it is, but Lith seems to find this to be the greatest honor, the offspring of two such fine beasts as Hepaticath and Ciceroth.

Because of his lovely hide and generally passive nature, Lith will probably always be popular, especially with the females. He is enough of an upstanding male to avoid trying to upset weyrmated pairs, but… well, he is only male, and things do happen. Still, he does his best to treat all others the way he himself would want to be treated, and he does his best to overlook wrongs done to him… once they have been atoned for. A frequent offender, however, will find themselves permanently in Lith’s ill graces, though males will have a harder time getting back into his good ones. Females tend to win him over just a tad too easily with their affections and sweet apologies, and Lith does enjoy the occasional stroke of his ego, particularly where his parentage is concerned.


--

Snake Green
Name: Baoth
Color Code: 0B250B
Impresses to: Keliris/K’lir
Appearance: Large and slender is Baoth, large enough to startle smaller blues, whom she might intimidate. Her build is serpentine, much like her clutchbrother Ahth, and her legs are slightly shorter than the normal, putting her just a bit closer to the ground when on all fours. Her tail is long and slender but very agile, almost seeming prehensile at times with the way she curls it around objects, people, or other dragons. Her muzzle is very long and tapered, giving her quite the elegant profile when one chooses to look at her.

Her grace is only matched by her coloration, for Baoth is a very, very dark shade of green. It is not ugly, nor is it pretty. What is attractive, however, is the subtle patterning across her hide. Hand-sized blocks of darker green (almost black) are patterned in rows from the front to the back of her body, perfectly straight. These patterns are very faint at her chest and head but are quite dark around her rump and on her tail, making her look like a fine dragon sculpture of green and black bricks. Some might consider this coloring odd, but it suits her well and is positively fascinating to watch when she is in motion.

In motion, Baoth almost slithers along the ground instead of walking. Her shorter legs put her closer to the ground and also give her better control of her gait, and the length of her body makes her seem to twist right through air and water. She will be an excellent swimmer and will probably spend more time in the water than on land during weyrlinghood… until she can fly, that is. Her size will make it harder for her to turn as sharply as some smaller greens, but she will always possess the slithering grace that lets her twine circles around any hapless males that flit about behind her. Her movements are such that she seems to flirt with those who watch her, flaunting her dark beauty for her enraptured audience.

Personality: Pleasure-oriented is this lovely green. A hedonist through and through, she truly enjoys the finer things in life… and only the finer things. Only the best oil and herdbeasts are acceptable to this creature, and she is fixated on enjoying every moment, accepting that it could very well be her last. What other purpose is there in life but self-gratification, after all? She can be very possessive of the objects, people, and creatures that keep her happy, territorial and clingy to the point of being suffocating at times. It will not be unusual to see her physically clutching at some creature whom she does not want to share. As a weyrling, this will probably be limited to her sitting on older dragons’ feet or clinging with claws and teeth to the end of their tail, an odd and somewhat painful form of affection to be sure. Perhaps greatest in her affections is her clutchsire, much to her dam’s chagrin.

Those who are not familiar with Baoth will assume that there is no depth to her character, though they could not be more incorrect. For all her seeming preoccupation with pleasure and gratification, Baoth is quite the mystical creature, deeply intuitive and prone to some superstitions. She enjoys thinking about a problem or a question, and she is a dragon who likes to ask a thought-provoking question or give a very philosophical answer. Shallow creatures, those whom she believes do not possess the ability to think at her level, are among those who irritate her most, and Baoth will purposefully avoid those who do not wish to converse about serious issues with her. This is partially arrogance and partially just boredom. Baoth is best kept mentally occupied, or that intellect will be turned to something destructive.

When it comes to Hers, Baoth is absolutely and positively in love. She loves him to such an extent that she is very unwilling to share him with other females. Only males may spend time in the company of Hers, and while she may regularly mate with whatever male dragon strikes her fancy, female riders of male dragons should be advised that Baoth will evict them from her weyr immediately upon wakening. She will not tolerate another female to encroach upon Hers, and she will aggressively chase off any other female that gets close. He is Hers, and she isn’t letting go… or… not without some persuading. Maybe if he begs and pleads and promises to only love her forever, she will yield.

[kat]

Tal was watching eagerly, not wanting to miss a single moment of what was going on down there on the sands. He leaned over, closer to the boys side than the girls, and watched the havoc between the bronze and gold before the bronze finally Impressed successfully. Part of him was longing to be down there, but since all those dragonets were Impressing successfully, and then there were those who had gotten mauled? Maybe not. He wondered if whers mauled people. He'd never heard or asked about it, and so really, he had no clue as to what the case was for whers. Why did dragons even maul people? They could see, they were a little clumsy, but why on Pern did they go trampling people like that bronze had done? It was beyond him.

He could recognize Mina down there, and gave a loud cheer when she Impressed. Was that Tahlor down there? He'd gotten out of the way of that bronze just in time, it would seem. Hopefully his two friends would both Impress. If not, there was always next time, and at least he'd have a friend to hang out with in the barracks. He had no clue when the next wher clutch was due, after all--and it could be a while. Still, he knew everyone wanted to Impress, so unselfishly he wished Tahlor the best of luck.

~~~~~~

Ari cringed up in the stands, watching the boys down there get run over and essentially mauled by a big bronze dragonet. She, unlike others, was rather glad not to be down there with them. She would have probably frozen up and gotten mauled worse than any of them--though that one boy was bleeding pretty bad. Blood didn't really bother her, but the thought of the pain he must have been feeling, and the look of shock...it made her stomach do flip flops. Fortunately, some other candidate rushed to help even before the healers in the stands seemed to notice, and from the way she wa dealing with it, it would seem like she knew what she was doing. Ari wished she recognized more people down there. Still, she politely clapped whenever an Impression was made, since that's what everyone else was doing. No one noticed her joining in that, and she was glad she had zero attention on her.

She was still trying to argue with herself whether she'd attend the hatching feast or not. She wasn't a drudge right now. She might not ever be again, if she dared to hope that far. She could go and just do what she wanted, and she didn't have to talk to anyone if she didn't want to, either. But what if someone were to talk to her? Well, maybe she should just hope they wouldn't, try to remain inconspicuous and look uninteresting, and maybe, just maybe, they'd leave her alone? Or she could talk to that Anusha girl...had Anusha Impressed? It didn't look to be the case, at least not yet. Still, there were more dragons left, and if she didn't Impress, they could still, just maybe, get to know each other a little better? The thought was foreign to her, but it didn't sound too bad. She spied the gold and she couldn't help but feel a little longing--before she realized that she didn't want a gold dragon, of all things! How foolish. It would have put her right where she didn't want to be, in the spotlight. She was no leader, no goldrider, and just because the dragon was pretty and everyone else who was female was eying it with desire, since when was she one to do that? She chastised herself, feeling quite silly indeed, and continued watching.

[Avu]

My and Mine’s thoughts exactly was all that was offered to Ruskeath, for though Corinth simply could not leave the brown hanging – etiquette demanded that, and manners, things that he had to have to make up for his Rider’s lack – his attention was all on the Sands by now. The bronze had paired off nicely, but…the gold did not seem too interested in choosing a Rider so quickly. Hopefully her path would be less…destructive…than her clutchbrother’s, but it’d be worse if she didn’t choose a Rider at all. Strictly speaking, since they had both Millieth and Hepaticath, the need for a queen was not as pressing as had they only had one gold, but a Weyr could never have too many queens. And – well, it’d be depressing. Never mind that His would likely just crawl back to his bed, sleep for another few hours, and then wake up and then be depressed. Because sleeping took precedence over all else, clearly. He snorted quietly, shuffling on his perch, and then looked out curiously away from the queen, to the other eggs, just in time to see a blue tumble over and Impress to some Candidate. That’s the one that you and Yours pulled in from the shipwreck, is it not? he questioned curiously of Ruskeath, eyeing the boy critically for a moment before he huffed and nuzzled absently at the stone before his forepaws.

“I don’t know any of the Candidates,” T’rid replied absently, interlacing his fingers, gaze flickering over the eggshells, away from the gold. She was of no concern to him anymore; Corinth was loyal to Ebolath as far as he could tell, and wouldn’t be eyeing any golds for awhile, hopefully. “Um…that one tending the male Candidates? At least she’s not panicking.” Probably a side effect of being a Healer, but whatever; at least he had a guess, even though he knew absolutely nothing about the girl in question. Queenriders, he’d decided, were generally obsessively fussy and overall irritating creatures. If she was irritating, that heightened her chances for gold considerably, as far as he was concerned; he’d yet to meet a queenrider who wasn’t fussy and irritating. Kaegan, maybe, but he didn’t know the Senior Weyrwoman too well, and she was…ridiculously shy. And truth be told, being obsessively shy was kind of annoying, too. It took a lot to fit in with T’rid’s idea of someone worth sticking around with. G’tor was one of the few people he could stand – though Raylin was probably was the only one he could stand for elongated periods of time – and Ebolath. Not even Corinth could fit in that category, a fact which amused him very much.

T’ridMine. Green in the Stands, Corinth said sharply a second later, the bronze standing up entirely, tail twitching agitatedly. Get out of the way if need be. I do /not/ need you being mauled. You’ve already been torn up quite enough, thank you very much. That same attitude had kept T’rid from showing up at the Hatching Sands when the Weyr he’d assumed to be High Reaches invaded the place – though T’rid’s only motive was pure curiosity; he wanted to know what in Pern’s name was going on, then. He’d had to settle for rumors, though, for Corinth’s fear was too real to be ignored, the bronze’s show of possessiveness almost unusual; he’d curled up around Ebolath, and then wrapped both forelegs around His to prevent him from going anywhere. His to poke at and make mad. Nobody else’s.

“What…?” T’rid stood up in his seat, turning to watch the Snake Green’s progress, straight to…he choked in surprise, eyes widening. K’lir? Well, technically, he’d been Keliris, but…he was K’lir again. He’d…managed to reImpress? Wasn’t that impossible…? It had never happened before. Ever. Never been recorded, never happened. Stand Impressions were rare enough, but…still. He is Baoth’s now, Corinth said (with a decidedly pleased note in his tone; the bronze was very fond of K’lir and openly so, and though he’d the sense not to go to the young man after his loosing Calistoth, he’d wanted to; reImpressing meant he wouldn’t be tempted to suicide, yes yes?). “Well,” T’rid commented, blinking in surprise; one hand raised to pass over his face before a slight frown twisted his mouth to one side. “Wonder what would’ve happened if he hadn’t lost Calistoth…?” It was a question for G’tor, not Corinth; the bronze would have only said something along the lines of ‘But he did loose Calistoth; why would you think of him not?’ Silly dragons…

Would you have another if I was gone, Mine? The question was not wistful, nor upset; Corinth spoke softly, but with a genuine curiosity. I think I would like you to try. You’re always thinking it would hurt to loose me…would it fix the hurt?

T’rid flicked his glance up at the bronze, and crinkled his nose. The idea of loosing Corinth was a painful one, but…he wasn’t willing to answer it, because he wouldn’t want to reImpress. You’re not that easy to get rid of, more’s the pity. I doubt I’d loose you. The joking tone, teasing, was…not at all in tune with the fear that accompanied the idea of loosing Corinth, a possibility that seemed all too real since Calistoth’s death. Hnn.

[Lotty]

While K'sel was watching with little interest (well that was something of a lie, he did get a slight kick out of seeing some good old fashioned maulings), Raebeli was going into complete information overload. Sure, it started well enough, a few cracked eggs, the oohhhs and ahhhs that she expected and participated in, but boy, did things escalate quickly? Was that a mauling? Did a baby dragon just do that? She gasped, putting her hands up to her mouth, eyeing the smear of red that had seemingly materialized onto the sand, sure she was high up in the stands, but crimson had a way of sticking out against gold. She found herself faced with the question, to go or not to go? Surely that candidate had things under control - she had a utility belt of medicinal supplies after all, that was something that even she wouldn't consider bringing along if she was a candidate herself. Of course her specialty wasn't exactly sewing up flesh wounds either, though she was proficient enough to help she supposed.

Her great hesitance was from the beasts that inflicted such pain on the candidates. What if she only served as more trouble? What if she got in the way? What if she became minced meat too? Oh she felt a wave of anxiety. This would be so much simpler if she was prepared, but nothing of the sort ever entered her imagination. She had been briefly told of maulings on occasion, but was never informed that due to certain events a touching was missing from the equation, this of course would become fodder for numerous theories of hers later down the road, but for now? She was teetering on the edge of her seat, and Baoth would be what knocked her over. Metaphorically at least.

Apparently it didn't matter if you were in the stands or on the sands, the dragons ruled the room. At the site of the green crawling into the audience, Raebeli finally took the initiative to go down to the injured and lend a helping hand - she'd show them all she was just as useful with stitching and cleaning wounds as any of the other healers despite popular belief. After a brief moment of flailing and pleading eyes hoping for a quick way out, she made a bee-line for Anzalorin and Mayari, doing her best to softly smile, "Would you care for some help?" Well, she was assigned night shift, she really was supposed to be on call for this kind of situation anyway.

[glamourie]

Sleepily, R’wign lifted one hand to wave toward the new brown rider, Mer. As soon as his little wave (which could only be qualified as ‘half’ of one at best) was done, he brought his hand up to rub his good eye stubbornly, as if there was something in it… which, it felt like there was. His eye was burning so badly. So badly. It was an odd sensation, to have that sleepy “eyes-can’t-stay-open” feeling with only one eye and despite himself, R’wign kept finding his hand trailing over toward his empty left socket (covered by a black eye patch) to rub the other one. Months had passed but he still fell into habit from time to time. At least the itching wasn’t constant anymore, though. When it first happened, he’d always felt inclined to … to poke at his empty socket, as if willing it could make his eye come back. He wasn’t disgusted by seeing it anymore, either, though most people found it unsettling. Hhnnn. Did Mer? Had she? His mind was trailing off in all sorts of directions and only Meira’s voice jolted him back to reality, his eye flicking open to spot the injured candidates on the Sands. Now that felt familiar. One hand came up to brush over the scars on his chest absently, and he remembered when he’d been the candidate bleeding all over the sands. Admittedly, not quite as profusely as that blond boy was, but…

On his ledge, Checkoth swiveled his head up and crooned adoringly to Behruth before leaning against him in an undeniable show of affection. His eyes whirled happy shades. Mine is very happy for Chaoth’s too. He likes her, he does. This is exciting. The Elliegold is unhappy, though. She feels scolded, not being allowed to come, Checkoth admitted, his two tails flicking animatedly behind him. His head leaned down and he, too, bespoke Chaoth, an amiable rush filling him. Chaoth, Chaoth, Behruthclutchbrothermine is right, you must play with us. I like Yours, and so does R’wignmine! And he meant it, although Checkoth not liking someone was far more rare than him being fond of another. He was an easy to get along with creature, after all. Considerably more than his mindmate, in that regard.

Jolting slightly as M’ta arrived between him and Meira (he’d just been sitting there; pfft), R’wign blinked and then squirmed against the other brown rider; if he was going to take his leaning pole away, he was going to replace her, simple as that. R’wign crinkled his nose slightly, then turned toward Meira and M’ta to answer the girl’s question.

“Healers on the Sands. Donno who’s on duty right now, ‘cuz I donno what time it is,” he said with a gruff snort. “But there’s healer candidates, that dragon healer or some such. I forgot her name which means I probably never actually spoke to her.” Dragonhealers were property of Kalierre, not him, and he usually tuned them out. Not his problem. Turning to M’ta, he added, “I figured that --” Yawning interrupted his words and he stretched, then added, “-- that Behruth would wake you up. Sorry if he didn’t… Check woke us both. He was very excited. He doesn’t usually --” Another yawn. R’wign crinkled his nose. “-- He doesn’t usually talk to you because you’re Behruth’s -- ELLIE!” The last word was actually shouted as R’wign flailed his arms in distress, standing up and staring in horror ahead.

Because Ellie had heard Hepaticath’s invite, she had, and she didn’t need further encouragement. Adoringly, the little gold took to wing and flew up and over the sands, careful to avoid any of the newly hatched babies prancing about. She glided around in a neat circle, then turned her claws inward just as she came to land primly on Hepaticath’s head. She was careful, she was, not to scratch the larger gold. Her head cocked to the side, and she fluttered her wings before fluting approvingly. Warm feelings of love extended to Hers; didn’t he know she was allowed? The big one had said she could come. Silly Hers for worrying so much. Surely the big one knew that she’d never, ever hurt the babies. They were such lovely babies. And a queen! A queen on her first clutch. Happily chirping her congratulations, Ellie wriggled about. Even a casual viewer would likely be aware of the fire lizard’s delight. She loved babies of all kinds, after all, and she liked the big gold very, very much. Even though others had told her that the big ones could be mean, Ellie wouldn’t hear it. Checkoth wasn’t, and this one obviously wasn’t either, so humph.

Movement in the stands drew R’wign’s attention from Ellie and he turned his head to the side before his eye widened and he leaned over to whisper to M’ta and Meira both conspiratorially, “Is that green climbing up toward -- toward --” Despite awareness, evidently he couldn’t bring himself to say it. He’d seen a lot of clutches, but that… that was not… what…

[Rowana]

T'ke jumped a little at the sudden tickling of his next. Turning, he saw that it was only Child. He made a face at her, but didn't shoo her off. He wasn't overly fond of fire lizards. He thought they were annoying and pointless. But as long as she didn't jump down his shirt again, he had to admit, she was comforting.

Look, T'ke! T'ke decided he couldn't possibly embarrass himself more, and looked back at the sands. Another blue had hatched and impressed quickly, and was that a green in the stands? That was unusal. He thought he recognized the young man she choose, but it was hard to tell from here. The queen was taking her time though, wasn't she. Who do you think she will choose? Garaeth asked excitedly. T'ke shrugged. How am I supposed to know?

~

Ruskeath hummed loudly with pleasure at the sight of Lokath and the little blue. It is indeed. he told Corinth happily. I am pleased he was well enough to stand. It is a handsome blue. He watched the boy a moment longer, before his attention shifted to the green charging into the sands. He growled a warning. G'tor...

He needn't have bothered. G'tor was on his feet the second T'rid rose as well. But it seemed the green was heading towards them. He gave a low whistle. "Who would have thought. I've never heard of reimpression before." He shook his head free of confusion and sat back down. "I don't know," he admitted. "I would hope she would have chosen someone else." The alternative was going between, and that was just too sad. G'tor was pretty sure impressing two dragons was not possible.

~

Chaoth was finally starting to slow down, so Merridan had moved him a little ways from the main source of food. She waved at the newly impressed, inviting them to take their share while she continued to feed her brown the occasional chunk. They could still see most of the sands and it looked like another blue had impressed. The queen was still there, but where had that green got to? Mer couldn't see her from here. She hoped she had found someone and not gone between.

More brown friends, MerridanMine! Chaoth looked up to Checkoth and Behruth, pleased at the attention. Yes! We must play! he agreed to them both. He rumbled happily at the prospect. He like his fellow browns already. So long as they liked Merridan, he would be delighted to play with them. Merridanmine will play too! "I will?" Merridan glanced up again, slightly confused and saw that M'ta had joined R'wign and Meira. She grinned again and waved. She was glad he had come to see too. Shards, but didn't they all look tired. She supposed she couldn't blame them. If she wasn't so excited, she probably would be too.

[Avu]

– M’ta.

She’d been watching the Sands quite determinedly (had to stay awake, she did), and Meira blinked in momentary surprise at M’ta as the brownrider appeared between herself and R’wign, dressed almost comically in what looked to be a bewildering array of clothing, though she didn’t protest. Too sleepy to protest, anyway, and even if she could have made her mind and mouth connect, she wouldn’t have cared to protest. Biting back a yawn, she dropped her head to M’ta’s shoulder instead, her free hand rubbing at her eyes again, as if that would help her wake up. Hum. “I thought that was Behruth’s job,” she answered, sleep still slurring her voice slightly. She couldn’t help it, and she actually had to lift her head up in order not to fall asleep there and then. The Hatching Sands were probably downright uncomfortable for those standing on it, but from up here, regardless of the fact that they were actually quite close to the Sands – as close as people could get while not actually being on the Sands – it was just…very comfortable. Too comfortable, tsk; if only she’d the presence of mind to splash cold water into her face or something before they’d come to the Sands, but she very well couldn’t do that right now, as it’d require moving.

Dropping her hand from her face, where she’d moved it to hide another splitting yawn, Meira glanced at the Sands again. Right, she’d forgotten Maya. And – yup, she was over there with one of the blonde Candidates that had gotten clawed badly. She might have offered her name at any other time, but…she wasn’t sure that Maya was the girl’s name; she thought it was, but…her mind was sluggish enough at present that she didn’t at all trust it to be accurate and it’d be…very awkward if she did end up giving the wrong name. Hmm. Awkward, though, wasn’t it…? Being on the wrong side of the Sands; would that confuse the hatchlings…? “Should we – ?”

Her words were cut off by R’wign’s yell and Meira jumped visibly, and she stared blankly for a split second at the brownrider before following his gaze, eyes widening in shock; the sight of Ellie flitting up to Hepaticath had very nicely dispelled of her sleepiness (if only temporarily; she was much too tired for it to last). Well – well, she certainly seemed confident enough, landing on Hepaticath’s head, and…Hepaticath wouldn’t hurt her. Ellie was smart enough not to get near the queen without…permission of some kind, surely? She blinked nervously, but since R’wign seemed to be…over the small fuss, she supposed it was all right – though she couldn’t help flicking another glance at Ellie and Hepaticath, a mixture of curiosity and nervousness prominent across her features, before looking back down at the Sands and – and where had that green gone? The blue had Impressed, she noted; the gold had not, but – but there had been a green, and she was…not on the Sands, anymore. Which meant she was –

R’wign’s words made her turn, a sleepy kind of relief untying the knot in her stomach as she leaned past him to look at the green in question, who had made her way up to the very back of the Stands to…Keliris? Had he – had he reImpressed? Was that possible? She rubbed her eyes again, just to make sure she was seeing things right, and then blinked again. “I – did he reImpress, or was that someone else…?” She was pretty sure that she was right, but…well, she was half-numb as it was. Well. Determined little green, wasn’t she? Wouldn’t it have been infinitely easier to just call for Hers to come down to the Sands and join her instead of going all the way to the top of the Stands to get to him? The queen, as well as the rest of the eggs, was, for the moment, forgotten; the green and Hers had effectively stolen all of Meira’s attention (which was admittedly not much given her present state), and apparently most of the rest of the people in the Stands as well – which made it likely that it was a reImpression; why else would people be so worked up? Stands Impressions weren’t unheard of; reImpressions were.

[glamourie]

Hurt. Hurt. Anz winced and put one hand on his stomach, trying not to actually make a peep -- though it was very difficult not to. Especially with his beloved Sprite panicking in the back of his mind. His gaze flicked up to the girl -- he didn’t know her, which meant she wasn’t in his candidate rotation, he thought dazedly (much to her misfortune - their class was probably the most fun one of the lot). Or was she not a candidate at all? No, her robes suggested candidate (unless the healers on the Sands all had to wear them, which the blond thought would have been odd, confusing and therefore decidedly Not Good, capitals for emphasis). So -- so -- Odd. He squinted at the girl, blue eyes showing his confusion, though he held still as a rock. He’d been clumsy enough as a child that he was used to having to hold still for healers to tend to his injuries. He knew better than to fidget around as that made their jobs more difficult, and he didn’t want to accidentally make his bleeding worse. It felt so - so sticky and warm sliding down under his white robe and he was sure that he was going to stain it horribly; would he be in trouble for having stains? He’d probably have to wash them, just his luck, and he was so bad at getting blood out of white, that was why he hated white (okay that and it was an ugly color).

“Hi Maya,” he said, and despite being in quite a bit of pain, the smile that flashed over his face was genuine. “I’m Anzalorin. Or Anz. I’m sorry for bleeding on you. Thank you for your help…” He wanted to ask her a billion questions, as talking was a good distraction from the searing sensation through the cuts; did dragon claws carry any kind of germs? Some creatures did, and he hoped quite seriously that dragons weren’t on that list, but he did suppose it was a possibility. “Where’re you from, Maya? Are you from Selenitas? I just got here -- they told us we could get mauled, but I have to admit, I didn’t expect to be cut up this badly. It’ll heal up right? I guess I’ll have some scars to show off, but Zan will yell at me when he finds out I didn’t manage to move out of the way of the bronze. He’s my brother. He fusses when he’s worried, I think sarcasm is his way of dealing with stress… and I talk when I’m nervous. A lot. Please don’t take it personally or anything, I’m not trying to be annoying -- hurts… BY FARANTH THAT’S COLD!”

Actually leaping away from Mayari, not intentionally but because of surprise, Anz jerked his hands. Unfortunately, right at that moment, the young blue chose to brush past his legs, roughly enough to send him falling forward and… right onto the healer, his arms flailing awkwardly around her before grasping her shoulders to keep himself upright. The bright blush on his face told of his embarrassment and he watched the blue amble off before looking up at her with a wry grin, “Errr… sorry-- didn’t realize he was coming-- did I bleed on you--- shard--- getting numbweed. Golly I’m sorry--”

---

Did you expect anything less than the best? Ciceroth joked with a low, pleasant croon toward Hepaticath. Really. Considering how flawless he and Hepaticath were (his vanity reached a new all-time high at seeing a little gold hatch; that meant he was two for two), to expect anything short of large, wonderful babies would have been foolish. Even their eggs were large and perfect. Perfect. Even if the evil ones had gone for the wrong egg -- yes, that amused him most efficiently. They are ours. Of course they are wonderful. Each and every one of them. I am glad that Chaoth chose that one. His gaze turned toward Merridan where she’d gone, and then he crooned toward Hepaticath. She helped. I approve of her. He’d told Hepaticath before, what happened… no secrets; she’d deserved to know, and he hadn’t abridged at all.

As for the two small ones, well -- Perhaps they take after their dam’s mischief, Ciceroth said teasingly, though he was watching, too. Hnnn. It would be interesting to see who the little gold chose, and how both of them came out. Maybe Theirs will keep them out of trouble? Probably too much to hope for. He’d never succeeded at keeping Ka’rys out of trouble. The Snake Green drew his gaze and he flipped his wings in agitation before inquiring, Why is she climbing the Stands? Dragons do not belong in the Sands…

In the stands, Ka’rys offered Savitri a tired smile before kissing her jaw gently. As soon as she passed Keravi over to him, he woke up far more and wound his arms gently around his newborn daughter before squinting down at her. “Are you misbehaving for your mother?” he asked of the squirmy child, who continued to squirm in his arms, though she did reach up toward his nose -- perhaps contented by being held on her lonesome. Ka’rys stuck his tongue out at her and curled it as best he could, which made the baby actually smile. He sniffed, then glanced at Savitri before raising an eyebrow. “Actually, I think she’s just fidgety by nature. Can’t keep still. I foresee her being a workaholic. Wonder who she got that from…? Keeeera, look.” He turned so that the baby could see the hatchlings on the ground (somehow he’d missed that one was climbing the stands) and pointed at Hepaticath. “See her? She’s a new mommy too. Those babies -- they’re practically your siblings. She clutched them the same day you were born. Interesting, isn’t it?”

[zoie]

Nitsa was so late, and knew it. It didn’t take eyes to see that. She entered the sands, feeling awkward in her regular clothes. Nitsa was so late, and knew it. It didn’t take eyes to see that. She entered the sands, feeling awkward in her regular clothes. She was still wearing shoes, and the heat took longer to reach her feet, for which she was grateful. Some other people were doing a quickstep to avoid it. She still shifted restlessly, if only because she felt like she shouldn’t be there, like she was intruding on a secret, or along with one of her brothers when he wanted to be alone with a girl but didn’t want to tell her to her face to scram.She was there, though.

The rider who picked her up advised her to go to the Candidate’s barracks and check in. By the time she found a boat to get there, everyone was gone, but she could hear a dull humming echoing throughout the place. She got back into the boat, and went to the kitchens instead. She referred to the directions she had been given as to the layout and , and was hungry by now. As she entered, though, people rushed out. “C’mon, we’re gonna miss the Queen’s Impression!” a man said to his companion. Impression? The hatching was already going on? She followed them instead to the hatching grounds.

She was almost too late for any of the dragons at all. By the time she got there, there were only five of the original thirteen left. That was a tragedy, and then she would have to wait for the ext one, which, she had heard from the men she had been following, wouldn’t be for a while. What would she do until then?

[Sheari]

Anusha was...intrigued was probably the best word...by the scene of a green climbing the Stands to find Her's. The little dragon seemed quite pleased with herself when she found the one she was looking for and the girl tore her gaze from the people there and looked again to the clutch and the gold. There were few candidates left and even fewer eggs. By her count there would be 4 people leaving and remaining candidates, or aging out of candidacy to live as weyrfolk (she hadn't noticed the new arrival, if she was there to Stand). The thought wasn't exactly a pleasant one.

As much as she wanted to Impress to the gold, she knew that it might just no mean to be. It seemed awkward to go and congratulate the new weyrlings and not join them. She knew a few of them and would miss them if she was left without a mindmate. It was then she realized, just how much she would not object to a blue. The conversation she and R'ahre had shared a while ago flashed through her mind.

It was still not a preferred colour, a green sounded good because they were female, but she would still not object.

~*~

C'ryl watched with amusement as the hatchling climbed to find the one she was looking for. He had seen this before, with the clutch that he had stood for before the egg containing Pagoth had been laid. The fate of the woman she had Impressed to was an event he would undoubtedly never know. Considering the condition of the north, however, he mused it would not be a good one if she hadn't already met it.

Child tugged on T'ke's shirt for balance as he moved. Her claw poled through the cloth and she quickly flew from him in an attempt to keep from nicking him. Instead she cut herself and in apology t him she licked his ear before landing on the head of the brownrider that she looked to. She proceeded to lick her wound. Injuring herself was not unusual to her.