Hatching of the Blooming Flora Clutch

[rynnti]

Moritz stood up on his toes as the Forget-Me-Not Egg fell onto its side. Despite trying to get a spot near the front of the boys, he managed to end up behind two or three others. All taller than him, of course. He looked at the little blue dragonet in awe, biting his lip as it went straight for another boy. Did they all just know like that? The hatchling didn’t even have to think twice before it found its Bondmate! The green from the Buttercup Egg wasn’t nearly as decisive as her blue clutchmate. She was just meandering around, taking her good old time. Moritz couldn’t quite blame the hatching, she was making the most important decision of her life.

Moritz scooted to the side as the Tulip Egg revealed a gorgeous dark brown head. He couldn’t take his eyes away from the spots and stripes underneath the dragonet’s eyes. He hadn’t realized that dragons could have such interesting markings. He tried to stand even higher on the very tips of his toes so he could keep his eyes on the handsome hatchling, but then one of the boys in front of him shifted and ended up standing right in front of Moritz. Shards, he knew this would happen. The dragonet kept walking back and forth, continuously coming back to the candidate directly in front of Moritz. Determined to get a better look, the young candidate squeezed in between two of the other boys, ending up right in front of the young brown. He looked straight into the whirling eyes of the dragonet, a small smile coming to his face as the hatchling lovingly nuzzled him in the abdomen.

MineM'ritz! Your Origoth is very hungry! M’ritz, his small smile growing into an ear-to-ear grin, gently rubbed the side of Origoth’s face. He still couldn’t believe that this had happened to him! And such a beautiful dragon! His dragon! “Of course Origoth!” He led his new Bondmate off the sands to retrieve a few bucketfuls of meat.

[Ruby]

((maul away! Although I'd like it if Aster could stand again if he doesn't impress))

Trying subtly to lift both feet off the ground at once, Aster was shifting back and forth like he was dancing, feeling VERY uncomfortable. He was North continent born and bred, and although the weather this month didn't bother him at all, the heat of the sands DID. He was NOT ok with these temperatures. There was, however, very little he could do about it except look more silly than he already did, in too-short robes surrounded by little kids. Well, some of the boys looked around his age, but he was definitely taller than most. So, tall and skinny and just past awkward, he half-danced as the clutch did, trying his hardest to be dignified. It wasn't easy. In fact, the 12-year-old next to him was pulling it off far better than he was, but that was probably because the little boy's mouth was hanging open to the floor, and he didn't seem able to move.

When a mottled light blue egg started jumping around, though, Aster calmed down almost immediately. It was starting! The hatching was starting, and soon he would see what baby dragons were like! He was almost more curious about that than about what would come out, and if he would get one or not. That was out of his control, and being a pretty easy-going person, it didn't bother him in the slightest. Even the worry that he was unprepared backed out of his mind, leaving room only for wonder and welcoming thoughts. This was... well, this was better than anything Asterlin had experienced so far, and let's just say he'd experienced a lot in his young life.

Finally the blue egg dashed itself to pieces on the floor, revealing the blue dragonet inside. It came with a peculiar sense of release for Aster. He had been right, his father wrong- it was a perfect, untouched blue, followed almost immediately by a smaller green from a sunny yellow egg. Neither attacked anyone- the green was a little ungainly, true, but the blue rumbled in a pleasant, not dangerous, way, and headed straight for a boy, seeming to know what he wanted right away. The green seemed a little more indecisive, but Aster's attention was immediately captured by a green and pink egg, which had just had a small brown head thrust through its top. This one, too, seemed indecisive, sniffing several boys- Asterlin included, although only once- before returning several times to one of the boys next to Aster. A smaller boy shoved up front, and the Brown immediately shoved into his chest. Watching the new Rider smile so much brought a smile to Aster's face as well, and he turned back to the clutch having seen the glory of impression twice now. Tat would improve anyone's mood.

So the green was still sitting. She was cute, but Asterlin didn't think she was for him- he had never really considered impressing a female dragon, but who knew. He smiled in her direction anyway, hoping to make her feel welcome in this world. He knew how embarrassing it was to slip, as she had, and wanted her to feel happy and comfortable, not embarrassed, on this first day of her life. Only one other egg was rocking at all- a strangely powdery green one. It was so tiny and odd that Asterlin took a liking to it immediately, even though that might not have been the safest thing to do, considering his father's stories. As Aster often considered himself an underdog, he had a soft spot for them. Trying to welcome the egg and the Green at the same time was tiring... but at least Aster didn't notice how hot the Sands were anymore.

[mashiara]

(It's simply not a proper Hatching unless someone gets mauled <3 I don't mind mine getting a little thrashed)

A wave of relief swept over the journeyman when he realized he wouldn’t be banned from the sands-or stepped on. Somehow when remembering Aslath’s angry face from the Touching he imagined being stepped on could very well have happened. In any case Malkier’s face remained somber and thoughtful as he moved along and watched the Eggs rocking. Now that he could heave a sigh of relief his usual manner was quickly returning. As the Forget-Me-Not Egg and Buttercup Egg broke open his thoughts went back to the notes he’d taken…Only that line of thinking persisted for a moment or two before Malkier found himself silently examining-and maybe even cheering for-the dragonets that had burst forth.

They were fascinating and adorable…it seemed they were already so full of personality and will. Sharp amber eyes watched them but his lips twitched upward several times. Fascinating! He eyed the brown that wandered among them-one act of foolishness on the sands was enough and he didn’t think a mauling would add much to his already damaged reputation. This brown however seemed more intent on sniffing out his lifemate than playing wack a candidate. In any case when he finally settled on a fellow Malkier didn’t know the craftsman still felt pleased.

More eggs were rocking though and his eyes returned to the unbroken shells. He hadn’t dared guess what sort of dragon had come from what egg but this information would be useful…
----
Min’s hands clutched her dress tightly as she watched those eggs start to crack. Not in fear. Anticipation filled her so it seemed to hurt. Even as the first dragonet stumbled out-a cute blue-she only held her skirts tighter. It was childish, of course, to think that clutching her dress or holding her breath would make a difference. It didn’t. But these actions-and a bit of pride-were what kept the young woman from shouting or jumping up and down with excitement. Dragons! Or rather dragonets…but the sight of them so young and close and….oh she DID want to shout and holler with excitement!

It was an effort to keep her face calm-one she was losing. They were adorable but different. She’d spent little time in the Weyr and dragons had always seemed strong and proud and graceful. That green may have been two of those qualities but her emergence from the egg had been anything but the last. Understandable though, it wasn’t as if they’d gotten much practice inside of those eggs.

Forcing her hands to release her skirts Min watched as more eggs rocked. The ones that had hatched already were beautiful and seemed to be doing well-though mentally she urged the little green to hurry up and fine someone. In any case the dragonet only managed to snare her interest for a few moments before the dark tilted eyes were on the shuddering eggs. Now what color dragonets would appear from those…?

[reqqy]

Mutasim rocked lightly up onto his toes, then back onto his heels, the restless motion marking his impatience in a way that the still features and motionless arms never would. He'd managed to wheedle his way behind the main wall of male candidates. It wasn't so much an escape tactic as a way to be closest to the exit once the last dragonet Impressed, so that he could get what he needed from the barracks before the excited new weyrlings returned. In his three other Standings, he'd quickly learned that being around that much joy made him more than just a tad grumpy. Not that he begrudged them their dragons. In truth, he just hated being left in the barracks time after time, the people he'd connected with moving on.

It was getting rather old.

He watched the blue with something of a detached air, a brow rising at the theatrics of the green that hatched just behind. Was that a touch of amusement behind his eyes? Hardly likely. Mutasim shifted position behind his wall of boy candidates to watch the progress of both hatchlings. He actually let out a quiet snort when the blue found his way to the very same boy who'd completely ignored Mutasim the other day. Fitting, wasn't it?

The next to approach the group of boys, an eager brown, got down to business straight away. He was taking his time, too. Though the youngling moved throughout the gaggle, he showed not even cursory interest in Mutasim. The candidate couldn't bring himself to care. He did, however, keep track of just who each dragon Impressed, so he'd know where to scavenge for things once the former candidates left for the weyrling barracks. Who was that one? Moritz, yes.

That left the green, who apparently felt the need to announce herself along with her mother's greeting. This time, Muta actually did crack a small smile, though it vanished with its usual swiftness. He didn't envy the girl stuck with that eccentric piece of dragon, sure enough.

***

Salenth let out a rather annoyed snort, circling the grounds one last time before gliding nimbly in to join the other dragons come to bear witness. It had occured to him that maybe he should just suck it up and go. He had. But of course miss 'Go Away but Never Leave' with all her brilliant moodswings saw fit to snipe at him.

You banned me, remember? It didn't quite make sense for him to respond, what with the fact that he was at the Hatching - and, despite himself, somewhat interested to see what would become of the new lives - and that he'd now reminded her of a command that, it could be argued, he was currently breaking. No, it didn't make much sense for the bronze to speak up at all, but he was tired of her challenging him on everything. Absolutely everything. Salenth steeled himself to ignore the gold, and found that the aggravation quickly left.

S'rei was relieved to not have that stormcloud beating against his mind anymore. More, he found himself remembering Salenth's hatching - who knew the bronze would turn out to be such a pain? I heard that, you know. The man wrinkled his nose. Turning to Shmee with a quiet, if somewhat tired, smile, the smile froze in place. What S'rei never would have presumed to do, his sister had; Lauranna came to the seating set aside for the Weyrleaders with all the confidence she'd always displayed, Miguel's small hand clutching tightly at her own. Until he saw 'daddy,' that was.

Though the boy hadn't recognized his uncle right away, as soon as S'rei got rid of the long hair, the color again predominantly auburn, Miguel was clinging to him. Nor would he even attempt to call him 'uncle.' The bronzerider swept his nephew up, the boy giggling as he found a perch on the man's broad shoulders. For a moment, S'rei looked from Shmee to Laurie, wondering what would come of this, but finding himself less interested than he might otherwise be.

Hatchlings were spilling out onto the sands below.

[midnight]

Aminadra was tossing and turning in the midst of a nightmare. She dreamed she had to go back to the Hold, and things there were worse and stranger than she remembered it. She saw Teran at the end of the hall, and she ran to greet him, but creatures ran out of the doors on either side, chasing her...

Candidates, it is time to wake up. My clutch is Hatching. A soothing but urgent voice cut into her dream, and she awoke with a gasp, cold sweat running down her face, her heart pounding. It took her a moment to drag herself out of sleep and realize what was going on. When she did, she jumped out of bed and ran to the washroom, splashing cold water over her face before zooming back to the room and changing into her candidate robe. Her heart still pounded, but for a different reason now. Today could be the day that changed her life all over again! She made haste for the Hatching sands, but when she got there, the eggs were already hatching. Everything was happening so fast!

She bowed to Aslath and took her place among the other female candidates. Was her dragon among those rocking eggs today? She swallowed dryly, the prospect of Impressing almost making her dizzy with anticipation. Whether it was the Gold or a Green or even a Blue or Brown that chose her, she didn't care! Her gaze riveted to the little blue Forget-Me-Not egg, one of her favorites. It hatched a blue dragon who matched the color of his egg. He Impressed to one of the boys, and Aminadra smiled, applauding politely. A green had hatched too, but she was taking her time as she wobbled across the sands. Then a brown Impressed. The Hatching was moving quickly, probably for the better, because Ami wasn't sure if her nerves could take a slow-moving one.

[darcy]

Lienos watched the first egg crack in a daze. He was still so tired, and yet it was not his tiredness that was causing everything to slow down around him, it was pure awe. The whole situation was just too big and inspiring for his head to even begin to comprehend. Sure, he knew the process of events from the candidate lessons, but talking about a hatching didn't even begin to compare to actually being there. Plus, Lienos had a funny feeling he may have accidently slept in the morning they were lectured on the actual hatching... With a inwards chuckle at himself, he focused all his attention on the egg. It was rocking so... violently; he was almost worried for when it hatched, as he rather thought that with that violent hatching process the poor creature was either likely to be violent itself, and if not just spectacularly uncoordinated.

His assumptions were soon cast aside as the blue dragonet proved itself to be extremely graceful. He had no time to mull over this thought, though, as the next egg rocked and split in a manner quite similar to the first. Lienos had barely collected his thoughts when a green dragonet hatched, and more true to his original prediction this one seemed to be falling over it's feet. Lienos attempted to stifle a chuckle as the thing attempted to walk around without toppling over, and was reminded somewhat of his own lack of coordination. His attention soon fell back on the blue however, and like everyone on the sands, there was no doubt in his mind as to who the dragonet would choose, as he sauntered gracefully towards Coralt. And there it was, the first impression of the clutch. The first impression Lienos had ever witnessed. And though he could not share in the special moment, nor feel the emotions running through Coralt, he guessed it was no throwaway experience.

Unlike many others on the sands, Lienos did not notice the brown as it peeked out of its shell. His attention was on the green, who seemed in no hurry to find it's partner. However, he could not miss the event of the brown hatching altogether, as voices became excited and eyes peered in one direction. The brown was a gorgeous thing, and Lienos couldn't help but hold his breath as the creature weaved in between the candidates. It seemed anxious to choose the correct person, and perhaps nervous that he could not see him... yet. He sniffed Lienos once, but the boy immediately knew the brown was destined for another; and sure enough, moments later the dragonet found Moritz. The connection was obvious, even from Lienos's untrained eyes.

His eyes shifted to the Poison Ivy egg, and brought a hand to his head, raking a hand through his loose, and likely to fall out attempt at tying his hair back. Perhaps, to distract his mind, he could guess the color of the dragonet. Perhaps a green? The moment he thought the words, he heard Aslath's cry, and the softer, more comical mimic of the green.

[ryanne]

Coralt fidgeted, trying to keep a calm expression on his face as he surveyed the Sands. His little fantasy had always involved him Impressing yet, but as the true anxiety of the hatching hit him, he realized that he would much rather be the first off the Sands. He would rather have the first to hatch Choose him than have to stand out on the burning Sands, hoping that each dragonet as it hatched was the one for him. Yes, he wanted to be in the first wave, not the last.

His eyes focused on the Forget-Me-Not Egg, wondering which color dragon would emerge. It was sure to hatch first. With the final push, it toppled and out stumbled a beautiful little blue. Coralt’s breath caught in his chest. He’d never seen a hatching before and the little hatchling, as awkward and unstable as he was, was a wondrous sight. He would definitely be a perfect mindmate for whom ever he chose. Part of Coralt knew that he would think that about whatever dragonet emerged, but he still couldn’t help the thoughts from running through his mind.

His eyes were torn away from the little blue as the Buttercup Egg hatched. He watched it with a mild curiosity, but he was sure that a green wouldn’t Choose him. It was a female, they tended to go for mindmates that also preferred those of the male gender. That definitely wasn’t him. She was adorable and clumsy, sharply contrasting the fluid blue. Coralt found himself continuing to watch the blue one, wondering who he would Choose.

As he approached, Coralt dared to hope. Maybe the little one would Choose him!

C'raltmine, I am your Vomath, and I am very hungry The small voice was overpowering. C’ralt knew that instant that the little one was for him. He looked down at the blue, a grin splitting his face. “Hello little Vomath, let’s get you some food!” He wasn’t the last to Impress, he was the first and his dragon was beautiful. None other could even compare.

His eyes left the hatching and immediately became focused on his new bonded, extremely happy and a bit tearful at the same time. Laughing at his luck, he pushed the overwhelming urge to drop to his knees and hug the little to the back of his mind. Come on, Mine, remember? Food? the little blue scolded, nudging C’ralt again. His was supposed to know what to do and where to go and he was hungry!

C’ralt grinned and led him off the Sands to the food. He couldn’t believe his luck, but Vomath wasn’t giving him a moment to think about it. He was too busy trying to keep up with the little one as he made his way off the Sands with that odd grace of his. C’ralt had a feeling that the little blue would be a bit hard to keep up with, but he was very okay with that.

[ryanne]

Liassa watched each of the eggs, refusing to focus on any of them. She was not going to miss the first egg hatching, it had happened before when she Stood. Her eyes grazed the rocking Forget-Me-Not Egg, but she passed over it, routinely sweeping her gaze back to it, willing it to hatch. Maybe it would hold a beautiful little green who would decide to bond with her. That would be wonderful!

But when it finally hatched, it revealed a confident little blue. Liassa grinned and clapped softly for the first hatching, but she didn’t dwell on the little one for too long. Blues rarely Chose female mindmates and she doubted that she would join their ranks. She had no problem with Impressing to a blue, but they usually went for the more masculine females when they decided to bond to a female. The grin was set on her face nonetheless, the hatching had begun.

A few moments later, Liassa caught sight of the struggling Buttercup Egg. This time, it revealed a green. The first green. Maybe this one was for her. She followed the clumsy dragon with her eyes, willing her to get to her feet and Choose. Her little squeal was adorable, but her clumsiness was keeping her from the candidates, from Choosing. Liassa could barely stand still, wanting the little green to find her feet and Choose.

The Tulip Egg hatched while Liassa was still watching the green. When she saw it was a brown, she smiled again, but kept her eyes on the green. That was the one that she had a chance to Impress. And she knew it. The little brown would find his mindmate with or without her eyes on him. And he did, just like the blue had. Liassa was happy for the boys, but she was still worrying about whether or not she was going to Impress.

When the gold trumpeted, it shocked Liassa. It reminded her that Pern was still moving even though she was focused on the hatching. There were still other people and riders milling around. She let her eyes wander around the eggs again, still wishing that the green would Impress already. The movement of the golden egg caught her eye, making her wish that she’d been able to touch the egg. But the sickness had pulled her from the Sands too soon. So she waited, and wondered.

[Administrator]

Shmee paled slightly as S'rei didn't say anything to her right away. She wanted him even to say some sort of greeting to her at the very least. Sure, he smiled at her, but there was no words to follow it. Sadly turning her head back down to Shei's eyes, she smoothed back the smooth red hair. The eyes were still a mystery. They were a mix, at the moment, of brown and blue, so right now, it wasn't what S'rei wished, but she supposed there was hope. But what was the point, if he all but ignored her now? Shei whined a little, flailing about slightly. "Hush, sweetie," she told the babe in a soothing voice, rubbing her stomach. She wanted S'rei to sit beside her, to dote on Shei as they watched the Hatching together...

Looking back over to S'rei, the rest of her blood drained from her face as she realized Miguel was here. That would have to mean Laurie was here. Why the greenrider was in these seats was a mystery to her, but Shmee wasn't comfortable. She had been trying to avoid Laurie since she had taken Miguel away. It made her feel too ashamed, seeing the woman take away her fosterson that she had taken care of so carefully because the woman thought that she was ruining Miguel, or something. Unconsciously, she slid down the bench, away from the pair. She didn't want Laurie to start lecturing her about taking care of Shei poorly, or being too close to Miguel. She felt so small near these two people, and she regretted for an instant that she had invited S'rei here. In that alone, she had unknowingly invited Laurie and Miguel, and was instantly an outcast in her own place. If it wasn't Aslath's Hatching, she may very well have left.

Keeping her eyes to the ground, she tried to discreetly move down the bench, away from them. It would just be her and Shei. Trying to keep herself in her own world, she continued shushing the babe, who was getting increasingly fussy. "It's a Hatching, sweetie, we can't be noisy in a Hatching!" she cooed, maneuvering the babe to her breast. Feeding the babe publicly wasn't as embarrassing anymore, considering most people were polite enough to look away. And she wasn't going to go inside to do this at Aslath's Hatching. Slowly raising her gaze to the eggs, her expression softened as the first Impressions occurred. The miracle of Impression, combined with her counting her breathing to help her relax, made the woman calm down a little. S'rei simply hadn't cared about being invited to sit with her, so perhaps it spoke for his feelins toward Shmee. And Laurie... shards, she didn't know how she could even look at that woman again.

Aslath growled at Salenth. He was being immature. I banned you from the /sands/ because you did not ask for permission, and Yours had made Mine upset. You can still watch the clutch hatch with all the other dragons.[/color] That stupid creature angered her immensely. He was sulking like a little weyrling, which was very unbecoming of him. Now. Stop acting like these hatchlings. That is an order.[/color]

--

The happy little green, after Aslath had snorted at her a couple times, snorted right back before doing what her dam was suggesting: she would look for a partner now! Zipping into the girls, she warbled an odd sound to herself, almost like a song. Sniffing Liassa, she snorted, accidentally spraying some residual egg fluid onto the girl off of her maw. Squeaking apologetically, she left Liassa, then circled the girls. No, no, no. None of these girls would do. They simply weren't for her. Not a single presence from the girls spoke to her. Rumbling irritably, she tried to get an orientation for where that presence was. Hers was definitely where, but it was so hard to find... Waddling straight back through the candidates, she came to an abrupt halt as she felt the warm sensation of a presence close to her. Chirruping happily, she whirled, tackling not a girl, but a boy to the ground. It was Odian! Her beautiful, happy Odian! Oh, O'dan! You're not a girl, silly! Feed your Emerith?[/color] she crooned.

At the same time, the Poison Ivy Egg was getting out a few good cracks. A tap could be heard from within, and the reaction was another long crack growing from the first. However, as the amount grew, the harder the egg was able to support itself. It came as no surprise when the egg, covered in cracks, finally collapsed on itself. Yet the green inside made no noise and her bright eyes regarded the world for the first time. Blinking curiously, the dark green creature shook herself, so some of her itching shards flew every which way. However, she was standing close enough to Min that the girl must have gotten a few shards shot at herself, and there would most certainly be an itch. Fortunately, the dragonet seemed not to notice as she staggered up to Lyelle. However, something about Lyelle repulsed this little green. Screeching, she lashed her claws out as the girl's body, her baby claws still deadly and sharp. This girl had deceived her!

With two pops, one right after the other, there was distraction for a brief moment from Lyelle and the green. The Thistle Egg and Venus Fly Trap Egg had exploded urgently, so quickly that it was impossible to tell which one had hatched first. The former hatched into a bronze, large and charming, while the latter hatched into a rather anxious-looking green. This little thing immediately knew who she wanted, and she needed to get there before it was too late! Screeching in alarm, the green sprinted forward to Lyelle, who was bleeding from her encounter with the Poison Ivy Green. Nuzzling Lyelle lovingly, this little green quickly said, Lyelle! I'm here, do not worry! That stupid green clearly doesn't see what she's missing. She's so mean and cruel to dare hurt my precious Lyelle! I am your Pipsissoth![/color]

Irritated with Pipsissoth, the Poison Ivy Green hissed. Her sister was too dumb. Calmly walking through other girls, she halted in front of Aminadra. She crooned. She was not who I wanted. But you are. Pipsissoth just doesn't understand. But you, Amindramine, are the only one for Sairmonath.[/color]

The bronze continued to wander the Sands, but seemed at ease in doing so. There were plenty of boys, but which one was his...?

The Sunflower Egg began to rock a little more, and cracks were rapidly spreading along the shell. It was amusing to see, however, at the same time, the Birch Egg started wiggling straight away. It was as if it were trying to compete with the queen sister, trying to outdo it. Yet the Sunflower Egg was oblivious to the struggles of the smaller one, rather continuing to rock with dignity that was only befitting of a queen.

[lilliana]

Oh, look at those eggs! It took all Lyelle had not to go up to them, encourage them as she did at the Touching. It wasn't that she didn't care about her life, nor that she was just so willing to give them life. The candidate simply wanted to see what the little dragonets would look like as they stumbled over the Sands, blinking their faceted eyes as they moved their head this way and that in eagerness to find their Mines. Shivering slightly in anticipation, she didn't even notice that the sun was beginning to rise. It didn't matter to her, not one bit. It could have stayed dark for the duration for the Hatching... it didn't matter. What did matter was that there were eggs on the Sands, shaking, shuddering, slowly opening to reveal their occupants. To spill the dragonets that inhabited the soon-to-be shells, to give the little ones a life full of joy, a life full of co-dependency on their lifemate, their mindmate, their Mine.

A smile threatening to burst over her face, Lyelle tried to keep herself calm, tried to keep her energy from being so incredibly excited and curious, and more to projecting kind, eager, welcoming thoughts and feelings. She had heard that it worked pretty well... and it couldn't hurt! Running her hands over her cloth-covered arms, the candidate found that she didn't have to try very hard to keep her eyes on the eggs, even if they were darting from shell to shell. The didn't focus on the queen egg like so many girls would be, but rather, she treated it just as she would any other egg. Alright, so it held the golden queen, who would clutch eggs like this so many times in the future. It could easily be the leader of the future Weyr. But now? It was just like any other dragonet. Special, yes. But Lyelle doubted that she would get it -- she didn't want it. So for now? She would focus on all the eggs, wondering which would hatch first.

The Forget-Me-Not Egg was the first to draw attention to itself - not because it was shaking, but because of the ferocity of its violent shudders. Smiling, Lyelle kept her eyes on this one, waiting out of the corner of her eyes for another to follow suit. However, for now, this seemed like it would be the first egg to hatch. And she would watch it. There was no way she'd miss it. So, when it leapt across the Sands with as much power as it had been shaking, leaving a little blue on the Grounds, Lyelle's smile grew even wider. This one would be a good one, to be sure. Even right now, with the egg goo still covering its body, the little one was a dragonet, a good, sturdy one.

And it didn't take long at all for the Buttercup Egg to follow, matching the shudders, shakes, and movements of it's sibling-egg. When a fragile, adorable little green lay on the Sands, Lyelle's smile grew even wider. She slipped, squealed, and moved around, never once losing a certain candidate's gaze. She was adorable! Finally, however, the girl tore her eyes from the little creature, her head swiveling to track the Forget-Me-Not Blue. He had approached a boy, and Lyelle blinked at the sudden, first, Impression. Clapping along with the rest of the onlookers, Lyelle's gaze didn't linger long on the Impressed-pair. There were other dragons, other eggs yet to Hatch, and she still had a chance. She would have to learn about this boy, though, and his dragon. It was her job. But right now, she had a bigger, more important one. Being a candidate, she was here to Impress.

Still, her eyes didn't wander back to the Buttercup Green. Instead, the Tulip Egg had cracked, revealing the first brown of the Hatching. Lyelle watched as he struggled out of his egg, quickly making his way to the candidates. But it seemed that the other dragonets didn't want her to see his Impression, for they began to hatch as well. And, well, she knew that a brown wouldn't Impress to a girl... at least, not normally. So she turned her gaze once more towards the un-hatched eggs, her attention focusing on the Poison Ivy Egg, which was eager to Hatch and send its inhabitant to its mindmate. Sadly, as she watched this egg, as well as the Buttercup Green out of the corner of her eye, Lyelle missed the Impression of the brown. Oh, well.

The golden Aslath bugled, startling Lyelle, although her gaze didn't waver. However, her smile grew even wider as she moved it towards the Queen Egg, and then towards the Buttercup Green. This would be an interesting, eventful Hatching to be sure... and she couldn't wait!

[darcy]

Lienos was now thoroughly excited. Any lethargy he felt from being woken up at such an early hour was well and truly gone, his mind focused and fixed on the scene unfolding in front of him. As each dragonet hatched, his heart fluttered a little faster, and as each respective dragonet hatched his racing heart slowed and he was overcome with feelings. Feelings of happiness, for the pair that had found each other, but most prevailingly a feeling of anticipation for the next dragonet, and next impression. He watched the little green find who she had been looking for; not a girl, but a boy, much to Lienos's surprise. Of course, it was not unheard of, but - The candidate's train of thought was quickly cut off by the hatching of the Poison Ivy egg, green as he had guessed. However, this dragonet was not like the previous creatures that had hatched. Lienos had, of course, been told often of the possibly violent natures of dragonets. As the green attacked Lyelle, he held his breath, a deep frown crossing his face.

Such a magical atmosphere, but an event such as that brought it into perspective. Although the creatures were small, one fact remained; they were still dragons, dangerous and powerful. Lienos swallowed deeply, and turned his head away. The whole thing was just too much for his inexperienced self. However, his mood soon brightened with the arrival of two new dragonets. He had had no time to guess the colors; they seemed to hatch out of nowhere. A grin crossed his face, as the Thistle Egg, revealed a bronze. The charming and calm attitude still radiated from the dragon, as it had when he had touched the egg. Unlike it's clutchmates, it seemed so sure of itself, as if it already knew it's partner was on the sands. His self assured air calmed Lienos at once, and as he swivelled around to see the actions of the green that had hatched with it's brother, he let out a thankful sigh.

The creature was with Lyelle, obviously extremely distressed over her wounds. Lienos imagined the girl could have lost both arms and still have found the moment of impression to be the best happening of her life. Though, it probably wasn't the best thing to joke about; Lienos was soon filled with images of his arms being severed by some enraged dragonet. Biting his lip, he turned back to the bronze, who seemed quite calm about the whole affair. Not likely to rip his arms off.

His attention was soon brought back to the rocking eggs by the excited whispers of the girls around him. He needn't have even looked, from the giggles and hushed exclamations, he knew it was the Sunflower Egg. Certainly, the hatching of the Queen would be an amazing thing indeed, but Lienos reminded himself that his focus should be on the other dragonets. With a chuckle, he thanked Faranth he was not a girl. Imagine the stress of a Queen Egg hatching!

[kysseh]

Savitri let out a small chuckle as the little green zipped in amongst the girls, watching as the hatchling passed her by. She was disappointed by this... another chance gone by. There would be many, many more dragons to hatch, though, and she watched the little green knock over one of the boys, flicking a slight grimace of sympathy in the hope that the boy was not damaged by the action. She doubted the pain of a few scratches could override the joy of Impression, but getting bloodied up could still hurt.

Her attention was abruptly caught by the hatching of the Poison Ivy Egg, her eyes widening as the little green hatchling lashed out one of the other candidates, whose name she could not remember. What had the girl done to provoke it?! She had not seen her do anything, but apparently, the hatchling was somehow dissatisfied. She took a half-step closer to the rest of the female candidates to make sure the girl was not seriously damaged, wishing on several levels that she could have brought her bag with. Momentarily distracted by the hatching of two more eggs, she was startled to see that the newly-hatched green made straight for the mauled girl. Interesting, how that had worked out... though she doubted the girl would be much upset with Impressing.

She watched the other green choose her lifemate before turning her attention to the bronze on the sands. Well, she had been right about that gray egg, and she quirked a small smile at the bronze, who looked completely relaxed with making his decision. There were enough boys to choose from, and she left him to it, turning her attention to the rocking pair of eggs, one large and one small. The queen egg was still continuing its steady rocking, while the smaller egg seemed to be slightly more desperate. The little one seemed like it wanted to steal the gold's thunder, and she very nearly rolled her eyes at the idea.

She let her attention drift a bit, catching sight of a friendly face among the candidates, a friendly face that had not Impressed yet. Savitri flicked a genuine smile over at Liassa, silently wishing the other girl well. She seemed far more reasonable than most of the other female candidates huddled around, and the healer-turned-candidate had an urge to get to know her better. She had never had a close female friend; now was as good a time as any to start, here in the weyr. But, making better acquaintances could wait until this Hatching was over, which was going fairly quickly by Savitri's estimation. That meant only a little more time to wait, a good thing considering Savitri could barely contain her excitement, her light green eyes lit up with interest as she watched the remaining eggs.

[reqqy]

The child bounced happily upon his shoulders, an arm still thick with baby fat pointing out toward the rocking eggs. S'rei kept a firm grip on his nephew's ankles and ignored the other hand which now clutched at the hair on his head. "Flutters!"

Miguel's most recent word for dragons. The man smiled. "Yes. Flutters. Little flutters." His nephew, clearly pleased with himself, drew back the flailing arm to pop his thumb in his mouth. S'rei glanced downward at Laurie, who had come to stand beside him. He lowered his voice so that it wouldn't carry. "You shouldn't be here, pixie. Not now."

Lauranna frowned. "I've been welcome here since..." Her voice trailed off. Normally, the greenrider was a little quicker on the uptake, but it obviously hadn't occured to her how awkward this could be. The woman sighed. "That bad?" S'rei merely nodded. "I'm not angry anymore. Shmee had every right to be acting the way she was, anyway. You should know better. How much older than her are you?"

"I don't need another lecture, sis," he replied wearily. "Why don't you go find F'rah or Kalierre or something? Miguel will be fine with us. And, if you leave him here, that will say more than you could if you spoke to her. Let me tell her the rest. Okay?" Lauranna stared at him for the longest moment, searching the depths of his eyes, but then she nodded slowly. The greenrider left the seats behind with a cheery wave. Kalierre wouldn't be too far off...

It was then that Miguel began to wriggle, and S'rei set the lad down obligingly, taking him by the hand. "Auntie mad?" The child sounded worried.

"No. She just needed to sit down with the baby." Miguel nodded solemnly. Uncle and nephew walked over to where Shmee sat, S'rei pausing, again uncertain. He wasn't entirely sure that his answer to Miguel had been the true one. She had distanced herself from them, after all, though he knew that she couldn't possibly be mad at the boy. Making his decision, the bronzerider sunk down beside her, drawing Miguel up into his lap. The tyke reached over to place a chubby hand on auntie's arm, smiling up at her, before he turned his gaze back to the sands in open fascination.

The man found himself watching Shmee's face and Shei's contentment. When had that been enough to take away his interest in what passed below? He didn't know, but it was true enough. "I didn't expect...to be asked here," he murmured, still looking to see if he could gauge a reaction. "And I'm sorry about Laurie. She doesn't think sometimes." That last was accompanied by a mild chuckle.

Salenth had just managed to shrug off his foul temper when Aslath shot another zinger at him. For a moment, he was tempted to just give her the argument she seemed to want; it would relieve this tension that had been welling up inside him for days now. The bronze found, however, that watching these dragons Impress had taken much of the anger out of him, such that he couldn't dredge up the energy. I'm here now, Aslath, he returned, the tone quiet, tranquil, as if he were speaking to a terrified hatchling. Guard your little ones, and I'll bear witness to their first steps, to the beginning of their greatest love.

[flupine]

Celeyn had heard the call, it had thrummed through her body awakening her. Dreams clung to her, as she sat up straight. Oh no... Deep breathes Celeyn, Deep breathes. Shuddering in the dark, she groped around for her white robes to put on. It was time to get this over with. Celeyn shook out her robes and dressed quickly, calmly brushing her hair and face, readying herself for the approaching day. It would be a long stressful one for sure. Celeyn ran a hand over her face as she stepped out the door, her face looked haunted, memories and old hurts seemed to rise up and choke a person more than normal on days such as these. Looking down at the scar marring her arm, she seemed to snap out of her transfixed state as another girl candidate stopped by to check on her. "Yeah. I'll be out in a moment." Smiling awkwardly she followed the gaggling group of young girls. Their faces so hopeful and eager, their hearts full of dreams. Too bad she was no longer like that.


Celeyn reached the Sands with a small-ish group of candidates, waiting until the last boat ride so she would not be forced into a conversation. Now was not the time. She followed custom and made no disturbance as she followed the line of Candidates, all making bows before the Queen before taking their place on the Sands. And Celeyn bowed. Lightly. An acceptable bow, perhaps a tolerable bow would be better description but she avoided any eye contact. But that had only been the beginning for Celeyn. The last Hatching had been an absolute disaster for her and now Celeyn felt vulnerable to the memories that swamped her mind. She should not have come...She should not have come. Those words echoed in her mind. She had given up this life, had given up the chance of ever impressing, why had she allowed herself to get sucked back into this life? Blinking back moisture that had started to well up in her tear ducts, she commanded herself back under control. This was a Hatching. She would not impress, she had not the last time, and afterward she would go back home, to the Hold. But what if you do impress? No, she wouldn't.

Hardening herself, her eyes sought out Shmee in the Weyrwoman's seat. It hurt. None the less she forced her eyes to the clutch, she instinctively searched out each egg she had touched before hand in the Touching. Not the Queen, she had avoided the Queen, that was meant for someone else. began to search out the crowd but even as she did this she suddenly realized where she was standing, what she had instinctively done. Unaware of her body, she had moved to the front of the gathered girl candidates. That was what she had always been told to do, to stand up front, proud and let the Hatchlings see you first. Come on Celeyn, we need to go up front, we need the best view, we're the best after all. Seresta's voice laughed in her head but it caused more heartache than anything now. Looking around quickly, Celeyn retreated to the back of the girl candidates quickly in an highly unusual display of submission and defensive act.

As the Hatching began Celeyn bit down on her lip hard enough to draw blood torn between waiting in breathless excitement and forcibly holding herself back in.. anguish?Shame? To punish herself? Each egg cracked and surely each hatchling found their way to their bonded. The process was a fact of life. Yet each crack of the egg felt like it was cracking Celeyn. Her facial expression remained the same, for the most part. As the aggressive green burst forth from the Poison Ivy Egg to claim Hers, memories assailed her from the last Hatching. Each shuddering breathe racked Celeyn's lungs, squeezing powerfully on her frame but even as Celeyn realized that her mask had slipped away, her face hardened back into a formal expression. She would not slip up now...

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keandren had rushed along with the rest of the candidates, attempting to look suave while rushing through getting dress. His readying procedure did not take nearly as long as many Candidates had, Keandren was ready. He was definately ready for this. How could he not be, it was his time to prove himself to the Weyr. To be of some use to someone. Taking a moment to grin a sloppy grin in excitement, he pulled himself into a tight sneering look as he hurried outside. He was sure to be on of the first waiting for the boats. And of course he was. Keandren did not fit in with the rest of the candidates however. Even as he sat in a full boat, surrounded by other candidates, he seemed to sit alone, hunched and turned away from them. Entering the Sands, Keandren felt awe wash over him all over again, his smaller steps were quickly passed by other's much larger ones. His small frame seemed so overwhelmed by the large surroundings, like he was a shrunk version of Alice wandering around with no rabbit guide. But Keandren knew what he wanted and had some sort of clue as to where he needed to be, where the other male candidates were, right? Pulling his face straight he gave a dirty look to a passing (and much larger) boy as he was nearly trampled.

Taking his bow, respectfully to the Senior Queen he moved to the gathering male, but stood away from the crowd, even daring to stand closer to the front. It was not like he was exactly the most welcomed on in the crowd. He was the Kitchen boy, a sweet little boy. That was his problem with the boys. But the girls. Smiling and grinning over toward a girl candidate, he winked. Unfortunately for Keandren however this look was not pulled off as well as hoped. On him it looked like a little boy cutely trying to flirt with a girl, which drew some chuckles and comments from the boys. Which in turn, angered Keandren. This was going south quickly, grinding his teeth together.This is a hatching. Be calm. Be calm. Be calm. Be calm. Already ignoring them he moved farther away from the group of boys, it may have been just a few steps but it was enough to satisfy Keandren. He would grow and maybe just a little but he would be small his whole life, and that was okay. Keandren just wanted to Impress. Just Impress.

Holding his breathe he watched the Hatching with abated breathe. He was sure to impress, this time he would. And Keandren would matter. Each egg hatched brought him to his toes, rocking forward just the tiniest bit, edging his toes forward in the Sand. One of those eggs had to pick him. Surely one of them would think he was good enough. As each Hatchling Impressed to Theirs, Keandren quickly lost interest. Not for him, not for him. Next one, not for him. Even now he focused on the eggs, as if he could send some sort of mind wave to them. He had to mean something to someone. Keandren's body was tense, his muscles pulled tight over bone, his small wiry body waited. Even now as the Thistle Bronze hatched, Keandren waited tensed. Surely if he didn't release some on the tension strung through his small body, he would start to cramp. Each time he wasn't Impressed it had stung, each Hatchling and each Hatching had stung him. But he would Impress, now would surely be his time. It had to be. Eagerly he leaned forward. There were Eggs left to Hatch. He could Impress.

((I'm sure one of mine would love to be mauled. Sorry for the shortness. ))

[ryanne]

Liassa clapped for each Impression, glad that none of the blood that was usually spilled had found its way to the Sands yet. So far she hadn’t really known anyone who had Impressed, but it was still a joyous event nonetheless. Each dragon that found a mindmate was one less that was lost to between, one more dragon that would help defend the weyr and its holds from Thread and from the threat of Benden. So even though she was slightly disappointed that it wasn’t her, she clapped, hoping that next time it would be her.

And her hopes grew as the clumsy little green made her way over to her, sniffing her before covering her with some sticky fluid that had come from her shell. Liassa grinned and laughed, not really minding. Sadly, the little one moved away from her, wandering among the other girls until dashing off, bonding to a male. Again, Liassa clapped, but she was disappointed that the green had come so close to Choosing her, but had moved away. It made her feel a bit unworthy, but there were still plenty of unhatched eggs left on the Sands.

Her eyes returned to the eggs, wondering which would hatch next. The Poison Ivy Egg collapsed into itself, revealing another green. Wiping off the egg fluid, Liassa turned her hopeful eyes to that dragon, wondering if she’d come her way. Instead, the green slashed at another little girl and then ran away. Two pops distracted her, drawing her eyes to the new dragons on the Sands.

The bronze and the new green seemed to appear simultaneously, increasing Liassa’s excitement. The hatching was building momentum and she couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. Instantly, though, the green darted to the hurt candidate, bonding with her. It was obvious that the pair was meant for one another. So, without a bit of regret, Liassa brought her hands together again, quietly applauding the new pair. Her eyes darted back to the Poison Ivy Green. That dragon didn’t seem very happy.

But she found her bonded as well. Liassa knew Aminadra and was happy that the girl Impressed. So she clapped again, smiling at the girl as the Impression solidified. Briefly, she wondered what the little one’s name was, but then she turned her thoughts back to the hatching, hoping that another egg would open up. Her mind barely registered the bronze that was still wandering, he was certainly not for her!

Her eyes caught the gold egg again, watching it begin to crack. She wondered for a moment who the gold would go to, but she pushed it from her mind. No one could ever guess who the golden queen would Choose. She moved her eyes to the other trembling egg, urging both of them on. She wanted the bronze to Impress and the next eggs to hatch. She wanted the suspense to end...but she at the same time, she couldn't stand for it to end either.