Hatching Feast: Christmas Clutch

[dragon]

C'oar gave Ke'rin a strange look. Something on his mind? No ... not that he was aware of. Oh! He shook his head, grinning slightly. "No. Nothing ... I've got something new in my mind, but nothing on it." He joked. Storm chirped happily, rustling his wings a little as he sat down and started preening.

C'oar gestured at the feast at large. "Just ... it's a lot of people. And ... well ... I was trying to keep track of some of it. That's all." He shrugged his broad shoulders loosely. "Just being aware of my surroundings, seeing what people are doing. People watching can be interesting sometimes ... and yes, I can hold a conversation and walk at the same time." He added, with a grin, jokingly.

No, he wasn't ignoring Ke'rin, and no, he wasn't trying to get rid of the lad. In fact, he was glad to meet someone else that he didn't know, was friendly enough, and had also impressed. He really needed to get to know everyone who had, really ... they'd be working together for the rest of thier lives. Or at least ... if everything went well, they would be. And C'oar really didn't have anything better to do at the moment than talk to Ke'rin. If Ke'rin hadn't been there, he'd have been another wallflower that was watching the rest of the feast go by.

He noticed when T'rid stood up, and frowned slightly. There was someone whom C'oar really did not like at all. It went so far as to maybe border on hate but ... that was a powerful emotion, and C'oar didn't hand over his emotions lightly. He listened to the pathetic excuse of a speech that T'rid gave, and then snorted softly. Idiot.

He looked over at Ke'rin, again, and shrugged. "People don't know what speeches are, apparently, or that they're supposed to be encouraging, rather than disparaging." He remarked, quietly.

~~~

E'yan wandered over to where the tables were, and acquired himself a glass of dark wine. Then he wandered over to where the dancing would be, and totally missed T'rid's speech. He stood there for a moment, sipping the wine as he looked around. People were everywhere, flitters and salamandyrs were everywhere. It looked almost like most of the weyr had turned out for the festivities, and were all trying to cram themselves into the hall that just wasn't big enough for everybody. Kind of funny, actually. E'yan almost considered going outside to get out of the press of people, but discarded that idea.

Rascal popped in from between, showering some girls in a blast of cold air for a moment, before winging over to where E'yan was. Landing gingerly on his' shoulder, the young brown peeped a question. E'yan grinned quietly, and patted him on the head while allowing the flitter to sniff the wine glass. "Nothing you're interested in, I'm sure." he answere.

Rascal sniffed the edge of the glass, and then made an agreeing snort. Looking elsewhere, he grabbed a handfull of E'yan's hair to steady himself by as he sat up and looked around. He could see lots of people, lots of flitters, and ... hey! There were some of his clutch siblings!

Since there was no danger in getting eaten by Kindrith in the Hall, Rascal felt free to jump back into flight, and circle over to where Vega was flittering around. Once Vega landed, Rascal did, too, with a peep of greeting right into Raylin's eye, his own eyes swirling in merry colors.

[Tashe]

"Oh thats terrible... at least the Dragons weren't going at each other." Pausing for a moment after realizing how insensitive her comment sounded, Kaegan quickly launched into an explanation of what she meant. "I mean, if the Candidates /and/ their dragons had gotten injured, it would have been worse. I-I've seen Dragons fight each other on the sands of Benden, it wasn't v-very pretty. Millieth fought one of her Green sisters who seemed as though she wanted me... fortunately she didn't really hurt the Green and..." Flushing slightly as she noticed she was babbling, the Junior Weyrwoman felt like hiding under Millith's wings. "Sorry, I get... a little nervous at um, big meetings."

Just then, T'rid unknowingly swooped in and saved her from embarrassment with his speech, and a silent thanks was sent his way. Although, Kaegan couldn't help but release a small sigh at the length of the Weyrleader's speech. What was it with these new Weyrleaders and their one minute, possibly even less, speeches? The Goldrider appreciated longer speeches, not to long, but at least more than two minutes. Oh well. Recently Selenitas Weyrleaders seem more prone to fleeing the Feast Hall than staying and getting to know their followers.

Flicking her eyes back to I'fael as he spoke again, Kaegan fiddled with the hem of her dress under the table. It was true, she herself never seemed to see N'tia anymore, it was probably because they were always doing something at the same time at opposite ends of the Weyr... or something like that. Plus, the Junior Weyrleader never seemed like one that would enjoy celebration feasts. "Oh, um... If you'd like to, I don't mind. N'tia is probably off doing something... somewhere." It was funny. The Junior Weyrleader, despite him riding a Bronze, was one of the few Kaegan felt comfortable around without really knowing him first. Both minds of the Goldpair agreed it was because of his unusual dislike for women.

Glancing over at the T'rid, Kaegan felt a little sorry for the younger man, he obviously didn't want to be here. Turning to the Weyrleader slightly, Kaegan tugged on a curl of her hair before speaking. "T'rid? Um... If you want to l-leave, I can say you were here for... longer, if Shmee or anyone a-asks."

---

"If ya' say so Mum. The owner knows ta' flitter better than the observer." Shortening the leash so Soleil wouldn't have room to lunge, Saraina looked over her shoulder as one of her other friends asked a question about her Dragon. "Oh Hokth? 'E's fine, yeah. Misses ta' practice drills... thats the only time I see 'im almost eager ta' do something productive." Another question was angled toward her, this time about herself. "I sure am. Tomorrow I'mma goin' on a run if y'all lazy butts want ta go, Soleil will go with us this time, so it'll be a shorta' run." Giving the others a grin when they each expressed their opinions in noise, some sighing in relief and others jazzed about the idea of finally getting back to the routine they had set up.

Turning around to face the older woman again, Saraina frowned as the little Green flitter was dangerously close to her canine's nose. This really was turning out to be the big test for Soleil, she hadn't planned for a Firelizard being stuck in the large pup's face.

Wagging his tail harder when the baby-flyer got closer, Soleil jumped up to his paws and tried to get closer, but the lead he was on prevented him from doing just that. He wanted to play! Playplayplay. Maybe his Lead female would play with him when they got back to their den! But for now, the he'd have to do with bothering the little female flapper. Woofing before poking Laef with his nose, the young male began to wonder if the baby-flyer was dead. She certainly didn't smell dead... but she acted like a lazy-foot.

[ladybug]

"Pleasure to meet you, S'lain." Rilyer gave one of his blindingly bright smiles. "I'm not surprised you haven't seen me, unless you have trouble sleeping. I'm a wher handler. The name's Rilyer." Just then, the Weyrleader stood up to give his speech. If you could even call it that. Rilyer rolled his eyes. Maybe it was better than a long, winded, boring speech, but not by much.

"Well, shall we go stuff our faces, then?" He asked the bluerider. "And then I can tell you all about the Hatching, so you don't get confused by all the gossip. There certainly wasn't a wherry...wherry-brained candidates, maybe."

***

Burena suppressed a giggle at the weyrling's blank look, and then at his befuddled response. Maybe he was still a little addled by his Impression. If his dragon was cheerful, maybe dragons were attracted to opposites. In that case, would she have a shy, antisocial one?

"It's Burena," she introduced herself cheerfully. "Call me Burry if you want. I've just been in the Weyr for a little bit, so that's probably why you don't know my name." That, and the fact she hadn't Impressed. She'd go on being insignificant for a little longer now. "Are you hungry? Maybe we should get some food." She wasn't that hungry herself, but she'd follow the weyrling if he wanted food.

[hseru]

The speech was rather anticlimactic, but S'lain really couldn't blame T'rid for its brevity or the obvious lack of enthusiasm. He certainly wouldn't want to be in the Weyrleader's place, but then again, that's probably why he was a bluerider, and not a bronzerider. One had to be a bit more eloquent than S'lain to preside over a Weyr and the multitude of problems that surely arose with that position.

"Pleasure's mine, Rilyer." S'lain said with a smile after the Weyrleader resumed his seat. He inclined his head a bit in additional greeting. The formalities were washed away, however, as delight crossed his face at the mention of food and consuming it in mass quantities.

"A man after my own heart! Indeed, let us stuff our faces, and good conversation will surely serve as the perfect side dish to such a fine repast." S'lain reached over to clap a hand heartily on Rilyer's shoulder, urging him onward with a grin towards conquest of the most filling kind.

[Rei]

Raylin gave a small squeak of surprise as a large brown flitter entered her vision. “Well hello there little guy. Where did you come from?” She asked in a friendly voice before stoking the large flitter. Vega, who was currently perched on Raylin’s opposite shoulder, gave a chirp of greeting but pressed himself against Raylin’s neck. This was his large brother, the one who scared him so badly at his hatching. Oh he wished his would be careful. The pale flits eyes whirled a yellow green his happy emotions mixed with anxiety for his and himself.

The new weyrling stopped stroking the brown flit and reached for her own. “It’s ok silly he will not hurt you or me. Stop being such a worry wart.” She reassured him with a scratch to his chin. Vega snorted but stayed put his eyes losing a bit of their yellow coloration although he did rustle his wings nervously. Raylin glanced around the dance floor. “Farryl do you know who this brown fire lizard belongs to?” She queried of the younger girl.

[Rowana]

Farryl giggled at the brown fire lizards antics. He was a curious one, that was certain. Tille trilled cheerfully at him in greeting and took off to circle him in curiosity. At Raylin's question, Farryl looked at him more closely, frowning in concentration. "I'm not sure, Raylin. Fire lizards are harder to tell apart than dragons." Tille recognized him though, and announced as much with another series of chirps. Farryl was able to vaguely interpret these and went on. "Isn't he from the same clutch as Tille and Vega? I thought there were a couple browns."

~

T'ke nodded dumbly at Burena. "Sure...I mean, um...if you'd like to," he stammered out. In truth the question had reminded him how hungry he really was. Even without Garaeth's bottomless appetite, he hadn't eaten in quite a while. He took a few, hesitant steps towards the food laden tables, turning to make sure she was following. "What kind of food do you like?" he managed to ask, speaking a little faster than he meant to in his nervousness.