Hatching of the Tidal Seas Clutch

[reqqy]

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear..." she muttered, dashing the short distance from Reysalth to the hatching sands. Of course this all had to happen while she was in the middle of her evening bath. Of course! And no, even the Hatching couldn't keep her from at least attempting to towel dry her hair so that she didn't look like a drowned rat. These weyrlings were going to be hers soon! Oh, the delight! The wicked, wicked delight! If she ever got there, that is.

Still glistening from the hasty drying, she'd still managed to squeeze into some suitably tight clothing to show off every curve - while still having that practical, professional look about her. No skirts or dresses. Laurie descended on the weyrlings who had already Impressed like a whirlwind, calling out congratulations and randomly throwing herself at Vashti to hug the young woman happily. Only afterwards did she feel a stab of regret that she hadn't done so to one of the males instead. Oh well. Too late now.

Skittering out onto the sands, she waved and bowed to Millieth and...straightened just in time to have to duck out of the way of a flying shoe. What the-? Oh, oh, oh! Her favorite from the Gather, the one who had run into her! Was he still a candidate? That's when she realized she'd seriously overshot, and the woman dashed back toward the wall and F'rah. The woman chuckled gleefully at the chaos. Oh, this was priceless! She so did love a hatching. "Look at them all! And the weyrlings looked so delighted as I passed," she cooed to her weyrmate.

Then, she just stared at the madly hopping Rawign, her eyes momentarily drawn away from the bronzeweyrling pair and the blues. "What is he going on about, silly thing?"

[Ember]

Ferneth noticeably jumped as the Cold Current egg suddenly burst open. The darkly coloured blue hatchling remained where he was, looking at what was around him. Ferneth was curious. Why did the hatchlings from this clutch all seem so subdued? Maybe it was the earlier betweening that was affecting them? Another egg's hatching distracted him and he saw that this one was a bronze, although not very stable yet. It was a rather amusing.

The Cold Current Blue seemed to agree with him on that score. He made an amused sort of sound - at least it sounded amused to the candidate - while the bronze hissed at him. Their interaction was short. The bronze made his way to the candidates. Ferneth watched him a bit warily. He didn't want to be clawed up by the bronze. Suddenly he caught sight of the hatched brown, amused that he hadn't noticed it hatch right away. The bronze's reaction was to show a display of anger before barelling straight into Rawign.

Ferneth winced in sympathy. That was exactly what he intended to avoid if at all possible. He wondered if he should help or not. Would he be attacked for helping. Besides, Rawign seemed fine as he was pushing and shoving at the bronze. With a slightly guilty expression the tall boy looked back at the other hatchlings. The Under Tow Blue had finally emerged and went immediately towards one of the others. The brown seemed a little distressed though. Was it possible to be attracted to the same candidate as another hatchling?

The speed of the hatching picked up a little for when Ferneth again looked at the bronze he had found the large dragonet already bonded to someone. He gave a slightly wistful sigh which was interrupted by something pushing against him. He gave a strangled cry of surprise and fell backwards. He half expected to be attacked before a voice insinuated itself into his mind just as easily as the blue had snuck up on him. What it said made Ferneth - now known as F'neth - blink. It didn't immediately register with him. He was staring with wide eyed wonder at Kloth. The hatchling stared right back.

"Oh." That was the first sound F'neth managed to make. "You're...But I...oh Kloth!" The young man threw his arms around the blue's neck. Kloth thrummed quietly. "You are certainly very clever! The most clever blue on Pern!" The hatchling naturally preened at this. But then... This I already know. Now if we may get some food F'nethMine? I am quite hungry, you know. F'neth chuckled and stood up. "Alright then. This way!"

F'neth and Kloth joined the other newly Impressed. Kloth paused at the edge of the group while F'neth introduced himself and his new dragon. "I'm F'neth and this is Kloth," he said to F'rah proudly. He spared no more time in grabbing his dragon's first meal and crouching in front of him. Now remember to chew please, Kloth, he instructed the young dragon as he watched one chunk of meat go down too quickly. The reprimand was lightened by a bright smile on the boy's face. Impression!

[kysseh]

The final two eggs to hatch did so within short order, the Tidal Wave Egg cracking open first to spill a rather ungainly hatchling onto the sands. The poor creature began to twitch around uncontrollably, creeling in absolute distress and flailing to the point where legs, tail, and wings went in all directions. Then it stopped, the green's sides heaving as she realized that all was well. Out! She was out! The chubby little creature rolled to her stomach and got herself up onto her short legs, ignoring the fact that her dazzling, dark hide was coated with the remains of her egg and some sand. She did not care! She moved toward the candidates and fumbled halfway there, fairly rolling toward the line of people and squalling in confusion the entire way.

In sharp contrast, the pale creature that emerged from the final egg was anything but overweight. The Open Ocean Blue fairly stumbled from his egg and moved toward the candidates, giving the confused-looking Low Tide Brown and his clumsy clutchsister barely a glance. He was obviously very awkward with his long, long body and could not seem to get it all working in the proper order. He was very wobbly, to be sure, but he had a course in sight and did not stray from it until he reached the line. He started at one end and moved down it, his silvery-blue head lifting to look over each one in turn. No... no... maybe... no... maybe... maybe...

The Tidal Wave Green kept on rolling awkwardly and ended up sprawled against someone's legs, flailing a bit as she tried to right herself. Unfortunately, she was stuck, and it took her a moment of work to get unstuck and roll over again. Up, up, up! She was up! She lifted her dark head and gave a squeaky croon of apology to the poor person whose legs had become her stopping barrier, and then she trundled off in a rather awkward fashion. She had already picked Hers, and she plopped herself down in front of Kalina, crying out in apology and distress as she sat on the girl's foot. I am sorry, KalinaMine! I am sorry, I am sorry! Please forgive your Uminth! I hunger so, and my legs are small, and I can not move well! I am sorry! Please do not be mad at me... she cried in distress, trying to wrap her wings around the girl. I love you! I love you so, so, so, so, /so/ much!

The Open Ocean Blue was in no real hurry to find His, and he reached the end of the line, spun about, and then began to move down the line again to find that one that he sensed was present for him. No, no, no, no... oh! The silvery-blue head lifted, eyes whirling a beautiful rainbow as Impression was made. His... forever His. And he would be the only male for His... for forever and ever. No other. RailaMine, your Imprith has found you, and you will need no other. My beloved... he said adoringly to the girl, resting his pale head against her belly and fluttering his narrow wings. My beloved RailaMine.

Wait... what was going on?! The Low Tide Brown creeled in confusion and loss as he could not understand. They were all choosing, but he did not... how did they know?! How could they... maybe... but.... so confusing! He tossed his head around and creeled and cried until he saw Imprith snuggling against His. Wait... wait... they needed someone comfy. Comfy! Who was comfy, though?! He turned his head to look over the remaining candidates and then realized that his clutchsibling had shown him the way. Oh yes! Now he knew which one was comfy and suited to him!

With all the exuberance of a child running to a beloved friend, the brown dropped to all fours and charged clumsily across the sands. His chosen had his back to him, but the brown was undeterred. The tall boy had just bent over, standing on one foot--what was he doing?!--when the Low Tide Brown made his leap and fairly threw himself up and at Rawign, the force of his weight and his leap knocking the boy flat on his stomach again. He had no time to apologize, though, for he was too busy nuzzling furiously at the back of His' head. I did it, I did it! I found you! Your Checkoth has found you, R'wign! I /knew/ I had to find a comfy one, and you are /it/! And... The brown paused and then sniffed cautiously at His. ... R'wignMine, you smell horrible. Did you make a goo?

[kysseh]

Name: Uminth
Color: Green
Looks To: Kalina

Physical Description: From nose to tail, this green is rather small, though her wings are wide and impressive for her size, and she will probably grow into a size more normal for a green once she reaches adulthood. Her bone structure is unique from most dragons, however, in that she is a lot more bulky than many other greens, and this will make twists and turns extraordinarily difficult. The agility her color is known for will be startlingly absent in most of her flight patterns and it will take a ridiculous amount of dedication on the part of Hers for her to learn to fly properly at all. Constant training of her wings will be necessary for while they are large, they simply aren't built to maintain the bulk of her body. In short, the term 'chubby' will probably be slapped onto this green, and it would not be inaccurate - though it has little to do with her eating. Her entire body looks as though someone crunched her together; scrunched and awkward. Her tail, neck and legs follow the trend of being slightly too small for her bulk, giving her the strangest appearance of being egg-shaped when she's young, and for a green, she'll always be ... slow in movements. Simply strange. Whether this is a physical mutation or simply a quirk for Uminth is dependent on the eye of the beholder, though.

As a direct contrast to her so painstakingly strange build, Uminth's coloring is dazzling. Her hide is a backdrop of the darkest forest green imaginable, merely one or two shades off from black. Down the line of her backridges is a slightly lighter shade, like dense undergrowth in the jungles surrounding Selenitas. However, the most magnificent of her features are the almost leaflike patterns that show over her wing sails when her wings are fully stretched. Elegantly patterned from the tip of her wings to where they connect to her body, the colors are a vivid lime green, as though someone took the time to carefully stitch the patterns and add prominence to her appearance. Similarly, leaf-like outlines in the same shade are visible around both of her eyes, from the ridges down over her face. The intricacy of her hide does not end in the constant blend of colors, however; when light dances off the darker skin, there is a distinctly lighter green sheen, leaving no doubt to what color she actually is.

Personality: Uminth is, simply put, an exceptionally bubbly dragon. Though her physical appearance will doubtlessly lead to teasing on the part of the more malicious of her kind, she has an indomitable spirit that will prevent her from getting down about the insults; shamelessly, she will approach any and every dragon she meets and chat them up as though she's known them all her life. Whether they are male or female is irrelevant, and she treats both the same - with the same insufferable cheer and what could easily be qualified as flirtatious behavior. Compliments like love, darling and gorgeous are not uncommon and will be frequently applied to rider and dragon alike; she has no problem lavishing affection on anyone around her, even those who are mean to her. While she's intelligent enough to recognize insults when they are thrown in her direction, she's simply impossible to offend. Why should she let it bother her that others are not as happy with the world as she is? It's ridiculously hard to make this green mad; some part of her even seems to lack in a temper at all and she possesses an unnaturally large tolerance for others. She likes other people and dragons, and she likes spreading her infectious cheer around and around. Let the whole world be as happy as she is!

However, despite her inherent cheer, one thing of note is that this green does have a few strange quirks - the most dominant of which will be her absolute terror of small places. Whether this terror manifests as anger, agitation, fear, or discomfort depends on the situation and the mood of her rider, but any time she's in cramped up quarters, she will panic. The proper term for this sensation will be claustrophobia and it will be up to Hers to keep her calm rather than have her panicking every time she so much as enters the Weyrling Barracks - or her weyr in adulthood. She requires an escape path at all times. As a hatchling it will not be strange for her to sneak out and sleep outside the barracks at night, which can lead to her getting into trouble from time to time. Being in trouble is one of the things that bothers her the most, too; any time she and hers are scolded, Uminth will most likely become exceptionally melancholy (for a short period of time; she can never stay upset long) and refuse to move, eat or sleep. Hers will have to teach her that this lethargic behavior is not appropriate, especially in minor situations.

Aside from that, she'll always be happy - happy around others, happy to be with hers, and happy to flirt. Unfortunately, the flirting applies to male and female dragons alike, although she'd never do anything so strange as chase another green. It's just her nature and she thinks she's being polite. There'll be no convincing her otherwise, either.


Name: Imprith
Color: Blue
Looks to: Raila
Appearance: Imprith is an average weight for a blue, but he is certainly an attention-grabber, at least physically speaking. He has a very long body, neck and tail, making him rival the smaller browns for length. His body is not very bulky, though, and he actually seems a bit on the thin side. It is almost as though a normally-sized blue was grabbed by the head and tailtip and stretched to make a longer, leaner, more graceful-looking creature. Imprith looks very sleek, if only because his legs are slightly thinner so as to match the rest of him. He is not weak-looking by any means. Simply… not very bulky. His head is more elegantly tapered, much like a well-bred runnerbeast’s, adding a sort of regal touch to his overall appearance. His wings are slightly longer and narrower than those of the average blue, giving him an added bit of stamina, but his agility might suffer slightly from that extra length. In the water, his wings will be excellent for propulsion.

His hide is incredibly unique, being a very light blue with some overtones of gray or silver that give him an almost metallic sort of appearance. Almost. The overall effect is one of glittering health, and he has sprinkled across his hides some small flecks of silvery-gray that almost look like glinting waterdrops on his beautiful hide. Between his coloring and his form, this dragon looks like he would be more suited to the water than the land, and truthfully, he is. His long body makes land-bound travel rather odd, almost clumsy in appearance. But once in the air or water, this blue is the epitome of masculine grace and ease, and though learning to be aware of where his limbs are in space might be a problem, he will certainly take to it quickly enough. His posture will be awkward on land, due to his longer body parts, but he lacks any sort of nervousness or tension, for the most part. This dragon is most likely to be draped or twined in a serpentine fashion across and around all sorts of rocks, very at ease with taking a nap, no matter the time of day or year.

Personality: Imprith is a very placid sort of dragon. Despite his lovely, eye-catching appearance, he is an unassuming sort of creature and does not make any attempts to call attention to himself. He is very relaxed about the world and its inhabitants and is quite content to live a life free of ambition. He chooses solitude over company and will frequently just go for a good swim and nap in the company of his. This beautiful, graceful blue is very submissive in temperament, not being one who makes a frequent show of rocking the boat. When dragons or people are fighting, he keeps his nose well out of and away from it and lets them sort it out. It is not that he is not smart enough to figure out a solution, for the blue is not stupid. He just has no will to get in the middle.

For all that he is indifferent to other company, Imprith will always positively adore His. His is the center of his world and his being, and he will go to great lengths to keep His’ attention all to himself. Unfortunately, this blue does have… a small source of pride. He is insistent that he always be the only male in the life of His. Imprith is all male in that respect and does not wish to permit another male into the life of his bonded as lover. Even male friends will receive reproachful sort of glares, even though Imprith lacks the real ambition to chase them off until they start stealing the attention that should belong to him. He will frequently Chase greens, but oddly enough, only greens with female riders will be sought after. He does not want His to Fly any males. That would infringe upon his own attention. Imprith may seek females as much as he wants, but His may not seek males… or, not without getting a great deal of fussing from the beautiful blue.

As unassuming as he is, Imprith is not averse to conversing with those of high rank if obliged to. He will be unendingly polite when he does speak to people, very modest and honest about his capacities. Bronzes make him nervous, but he does not mind the company of golds. Still, if he must have any draconic company, he prefers that of the lovely greens so as to still be the only male in His’ life. Also, though he will permit His to have pets of any species, he will fuss if any of them should happen to be male, albeit not as much as he would fuss should His take a male human as ‘pet’. That is completely unacceptable without protest.

Name: Checkoth
Color: Brown
Looks to: R'wign
Physical Appearance: Built average-sized for a brown, this dragon has an almost serpentine appearance; definite edges of delicacy lace each movement, though the underlying ripple of muscle toning is prominently visible. At a stand-still he likely looks as if he would break in two at the slightest injury, but moving there is no denying his strength. The slender build he possesses will undeniably hinder him in extended flight; he will not have the power that even the smallest of bronzes is graced with. However, his wings are long and slender, thinner than the average dragon's, which will not only give him an advantage in agility but also make it easier for him to hide his size should he choose to; quick twists and turns will be one of his specialties. In a Fall he will rival some of the larger blues in his agility, though at the cost of the extended stamina that his color is better known for. However, it is unlikely that this will bother him much, as the quick movements will lessen his likelihood for injuries more often than not - and no one likes to be injured.

The most defining feature this brown possesses is a thin tail that is noticeably longer than average and distinct; three-fourths the length of his tail, it splits into two separate halves, with each side resembling a smaller, normal dragon's tail. Ironically, he can move both sides of his tail with equal ease, though the mobility is halved in comparison to a normal dragon's. While it is likely this abnormality will get him teased when he is young, it will be to his great benefit in adulthood, with the two separate sides acting as a secondary steering device to turn easily and quickly on his own length. This advantage will require extensive training to be useful, however, instead of just an awkward burden, and as a weyrling it is very likely that this brown will grow to resent the deformity, if only for the difficulty it will cause in movement. Tripping over the second half of his tail will probably not be uncommon, nor will the faceplanting that comes with it.

Richly colored, his hide possesses several deep, mottled shades of brown that bleed together in perfect harmony, like sunlight through leaves in the autumn. His ridges and wing bones have the darkest coloration, leaning closer to a red-brown best described as mahogany. This dark color fades down into a far lighter shade of brown with swirls of color so light as to lean closer to a dusty shade resembling desert trees. The mingling of color vaguely resembles autumn-cinnamon; no real red hues, but definitely no yellow. In the fall, when the leaves start to change color, his hide will mingle neatly. When light plays off of his hide it resembles daybreak through trees. The biggest downfall for this brown, though, is that as a direct result of his coloring, he does not in any way leave to question which particular color he is - and he does not hold heat very well; he will need to sun considerably more than most browns do, though whether this is truly through need or simple desire is up for debate.

Personality: From the moment he hatched, there was no denying that this dragon is best summed up with the word naive; he has a tendency to speak his mind without thought or question, usually saying the first (and sometimes least accurate) thing to pop into his head. That there are sometimes consequences for such behavior will always strike him as unusual and it will take a long time for him to adjust to the idea that maybe not everyone wants to hear his ideas. The fact that most of his ideas are outlandish (and sometimes flat out wrong) will probably not help to win him any fans, although some may find him comically endearing. With age, his quick desire to state what he feels is fact for all near him to hear will diminish, although his trust in others will not; he believes the best of people, which could be detrimental to him if he runs into someone likely to take advantage of such innocence. It will not be hard to convince him of silly ideas when he is young, and His will have to spend a considerable amount of time following him around and making sure he's not doing anything silly based on mischievous comments made to take advantage of how gullible he is. Since he is naturally innocent, this trait will likely only fade slightly over time; in adulthood he will still be easier to pick at than most dragons.

But he is not unintelligent by any means. While he is quick to believe the best of others, and very quick to defend the people and things that matter to him (sometimes to the point of making up things to drive home a point, if necessary), he is far from dim. He is a quick learner, and will never fall for the same trick twice, and he has a decent memory, particularly for a brown; those who take advantage of him will be stored away to memory not to trust in the future. He is also very fond of learning, particularly when it comes to Threadfall and training, and he throws his entire heart into all that he does. If enthusiasm and work ethic could be weighed in gold he would be rich beyond words, for nothing he does is done part-way. Everything he does is put forth with a ridiculous amount of effort and care, as though even the smallest things matter more than words can describe. Not only is he a hard-worker, however; he enjoys working. Sitting still and idle bores him and leaves him to feel as though he's wasting his time. He doesn't like wasting his time doing nothing and everything he does is for a reason -- even if it may be described as a silly one.

[glamourie]

Hop, hop, hop. Grumble. Rawign's eyes flicked up toward Lauranna apologetically, but she moved away before he could worry much about saying anything to her, which was just as well as his only comments were complaints that she'd prevented him from hurling the shoe straight at that annoying little bronze's head. "Ridiculous little twit trying to turn me into shreds do I look like I am some kind of pillow, what is wrong with it, Millieth must have sat on his egg at some point, it's the only conclusion for such irrational behavior --" Rawign bent down to pick up his shoe, "-- and I am going to -- AGH!"

Whatever Rawign was planning to do to, it was cut off as he was suddenly launched forward onto the Sands again. A hiss of pain escaped him, the bruising on his back and chest jarred, his cuts smearing into the scalding hot sands, and tears actually formed in his eyes - though whether it was pain or frustration was unclear. His immediate thought was one of agitation - why did dragons keep pushing him over? It wasn't his fault he'd spilled tea down his front! His hands moved in the Sands and he propped himself up, well-aware of the burns forming on his palms when he felt a strange sensation in his hair and blinked twice, wondering silently if the dragon intended to eat him. He hoped not; the bronze had done enough damage as it was and he really doubted he'd taste good, although his mind flashed on Ka'rys telling him that Ciceroth once considered eating him -- not good, not good --

I did it, I did it! I found you! Your Checkoth has found you, R'wign! I knew I had to find a comfy one, and you are it! And...

Wait a second. Was the dragon talking to him? Confusion colored over his face and his protests (and complaints of pain) died in the back of his mind as he half-turned over, accidentally dislodging the hatchling in the process. One hand immediately moved down to his chest to brush the bloody sand grains off his chest, but his gaze was stuck on the dragonet, his entire features warped to one look of shock. It was - it was speaking to him - and... it.. what - why did Checkoth's tail look that way? Amidst the confusion was a strange feeling of warmth slightly dulled by an exceptional amount of pain, along with gentle nudging that was - was odd, though not unwelcome. He was so very confused.

... R'wignMine, you smell horrible. Did you make a goo? the little dragon asked, and his rider blinked at him.

"Not yet," Rawign -- R'wign -- replied, though his voice sounded decidedly reluctant. Actually, he was rather surprised that he hadn't considering how much pain he was in. He almost certainly had cracked a rib, and it couldn't be good that he'd gotten so much of the hatching sands into the open gashes on his chest, which just so happened to criss-cross the marks the felines gave him two turns previous. Lovely, just lovely. He was still a touch irritated with the little bronze, though his anger had diminished greatly as he stared, wide-eyed and disbelieving, at the brown in front of him. It was.. hard.. to believe anything would want him. Anything. "Can you - I mean - you're kinda sitting on me, and the Sands are really, really hot --"

I have hurt you? questioned Checkoth, who climbed off of R'wign immediately and circled around to tug at his robes in an attempt to pull him up that was startlingly successful. I am sorry. I did not mean to - I thought - Aberath Clutchbrother-mine made it look okay. I didn't mean it. Are you mad at me, R'wignmine? Please don't mad. Apologetically, he picked up the strange looking object that His was leaning down to grab and held the sandal out toward R'wign, crooning awkwardly around it. The sound was rough and uneven as most hatchlings tended to be, but nonetheless sincere. This is yours, what you wanted... you should take it, and then we should go get food.

Whatever anger that remained - and any agitation he'd felt - was quickly washed away as R'wign gingerly took the sandal from the brown. He rested one hand gently on top of his head and smiled as reassuringly as he could, though some part of him felt highly nauseous. "You didn't hurt me. That bronze did. You're fine. I'm not mad at you, I'm not mad at you at all. Okay? Not mad even the littlest bit."

Once he managed to get himself settled on his feet, R'wign started back toward where F'rah was, though he was walking backwards and awkwardly. The reason was so that he could watch the brown hatchling as they went, and his gaze lingered on the strange, double-split tail. Twice, Checkoth nearly tripped over it, even face-planting once, but he quite resiliently hopped right back up. The awkward bunny-hop so common in dragons was especially pronounced with an exceptionally long tail flailing around behind him like some kind of strange rudder. Once they reached the Weyrlingmaster, Checkoth actually grabbed the side of his robe to keep him from walking right into the brownrider, and he looked up and over his shoulder at F'rah and Lauranna both. "Sorry for uh - yeah. Sorry," he said to the greenrider with a hint of color coming over his cheeks, especially pronounced in comparison to how pale he was getting. He'd need to visit the infirmary, but... in due time. Right. Names. "He's called Checkoth and -- uh, R'wign, I guess, since that's what he was calling me?"

Rather than wait for a response, R'wign half-hobbled his way over toward the feeding tables, trying not to show just how much pain he was in. He still walked backwards, and Checkoth watched him with rapidly whirling worried eyes - although the smell of meat was quickly distracting him. How hungry he was!

I hope they are not out of food!

"I really, really doubt they will be..."

[wirevix]

K'iel found himself far calmer so long as he had his hand resting lightly on Qualuth's snout. After making sure his and his dragon's name had been taken down, so he wouldn't get in trouble, he finally obeyed Qualuth's gentle but insistent repetitions of K'ielmine, I am sure Wymeth and Oquith are waiting for us, come. I want to eat.

"I know, I know," he murmured, picking up one of the many provided buckets. Qualuth bumped his nose against it happily, trying to tip it over enough that he could get at what was in. As K'iel carefully pulled out a piece for the hungry hatchling, the Blue turned his attention to his sisters--and their bonded.

He studied them all intently, just to be sure, pausing a moment to accept the meat that K'iel offered. He was, after all, so very hungry--even if he was also so very concerned with meeting his sisters' people, but feeding his belly could be done now and thorough inspections could be done after.

"Careful, chew," K'iel mumbled, smiling softly as he patted Qualuth's snout. The hatchling just gave a happy huff as he ate his fill in measured portions, trying to remember not to just swallow each chunk whole.

At last satisfied with that, at least for the moment, he could get back to more important matters. He nodded when his sister Wymeth spoke.

Yours's name is very long, he noted to Wymeth with interest, tilting up a bit to peer closely at Vashti. He nodded again, apparently giving his approval, even though there really could be no argument he could make against Wymeth's choice. He turned his investigative eye to Tr'esn, giving another of his happy huffing noises. And yours's name is not so long, he concluded to Oquith. Apparently that was pleasing enough to him. Mine's name is K'iel.

K'iel, meanwhile, was not sure what to say when Vashti spoke to him. He stroked Qualuth's snout slowly, but the Blue was perfectly content, curling his tail slightly around His's ankle as he leaned against his leg. He knew His would be okay, even if he was a bit scared. He believed in His.

"I--ye-yeah, this is Qualuth," he murmured softly, glad for the dragon's presence there leaned against him. Even if that would be a problem if he kept doing it once he got bigger. For now, it was okay. "And I'm... I'm K'iel." He glanced between Vashti and Tr'esn. Qualuth clearly had no intentions of just meandering off without his little sisters, what was he to do? He wasn't sure what to say to the other two.



Trulurve stood quiet and smiling his best throughout the hatching, watching happily at each Impression. He looked concerned when Rawign was battered about by the rather rude Bronze hatchling, but he knew he could always seek him out later if he needed help--he needed to stay here for now, it was a bit too important to go running across the sands just yet. That would just make it harder for whichever dragon chose him to get to him.

Egg after egg hatched, and he watched as the others Impressed, one by one or in groups. And then somehow, the eggs were all hatched, and the Sands were empty. And there he stood, by himself. Alone. Quite suddenly his grin vanished, replaced by uncertainty. Had there been some sort of mistake? What had happened?

But he knew what had happened, really. He hadn't Impressed. He'd been passed up, or apparently thought worse than nothing for one unfortunate, sad Green. He trembled faintly, putting his arms about himself. He'd always believed in himself. He'd always done his best at everything, given it his all. Where had he gone wrong? What mistake had he made that turned his fortune around this way? What had he done that made him the worst choice?

His mind whirled, trying to think of anything that he had done that had ruined everything for him, trying to pick out the one thing he'd done wrong, the one word he'd said wrong, that would have accounted for this... this failure. He'd never tried to be picky. He'd loved everyone and all of them, even the ones that he was pretty sure would hate him if they knew him. He'd tried to keep his heart and mind open and be as friendly as he could. He'd always tried to be his best.

It didn't mean anything now. All the hard work he'd put into this goal was worth considerably less than ash on the wind now. With his head bowed, Trulurve made his way off the Sands, keeping his gaze away from the gathered new Weyrlings with their dragons. He needed to be alone to think, to figure out what went wrong, to find out how he could fix it.

[archenstone]

Kalina watched as the last eggs finally opened. Last two whom she had touched earlier where out. When she saw the Brown move confusedly she was afraid that he would go like his sister before him. But her attention was quickly diverted elsewhere.

A nearby squeak made Kalina look at the Tidal Wave Green. The little hatching was disentangling its self from some hapless person and waddling over. Her breath caught. The creature walked up to her. Kalina was amazed at how dark she was.

I am sorry, KalinaMine! I am sorry, I am sorry! Please forgive your Uminth! I hunger so, and my legs are small, and I can not move well! I am sorry! Please do not be mad at me... she cried in distress, trying to wrap her wings around the girl. I love you! I love you so, so, so, so, /so/ much!

The dragon's emotions swirled around Kalina's mind about as fast as her eyes. Kalina smiled and crouched to stroke her Uminth. "How could I ever be mad at you? Uminth....you're perfect!" She stroked her Uminth's neck tenderly, admiring, no amount of goo could bother her now. Her eyes crossed over the various shades of green. The little dragonet's wings seemed so big. How could she hold them up?

She could feel hunger pressing on her. Kalina decided she better find Uminth something to eat. Oh yes! I am so glad KalinaMine! Thank you I love you. Lets eat and meet my clutch sisters/brothers. Uminth managed to get her wings tucked back so she could walk. Tears had welled up in Kalina's eyes and she wiped them off with her robe.

KalinaMine, why leak salt water? Uminth craned her neck up to look at Kalina. I am completely happy Kalina thought. Before she could speak she felt a warmth swell up from Uminth. "I guess you hear my thoughts now..." She said hesitantly as they walked up to the Weyrlingmaster. Her little Uminth walked beside her. Was it Kalina's imagination or was she bulky at the shoulders? No matter, it just gave them something in common. As she walked over to the Weyrlingmaster she noticed the brown impressed as well. She felt a sense of relief.

"This is Uminth and I am Kalina." She said proudly to the Weyrlingmaster. Seeing where others where getting food Kalina got a bucket and sat with everyone. Uminth was too focused on food, Kalina, and everyone else to notice this place was much smaller than the hatching ground. Say hi to everyone! Why don't you know all their names? You should know all them by now. Introduce me! She flicked her tail. It was a good thing she was telepathic. She'd have choked trying to say that. "Slow down first and I will." Uminth began to chew normally.

"Hi everyone, this is Uminth and I'm Kalina."

[Ruby]

Raila was not very interested in this hatching, although that was no surprise. She had toyed with not attending at all- there was no gold egg on the sands, so what was the point? However, she knew that was rude to Millieth and the Jr. Weyrwoman, who no doubt Raila would have to work with and spend time with someday. So she wouldn't be rude and not attend... she'd pull on the now tailor-fitted robe, slide on her sandals, and join the others at the grounds, for moral support at least. She felt a little guilty that Kemma was still in the infirmary, after all, and no doubt like the Touching Rawign and worse yet, Mutasim would be placed in charge. She'd better be there just to make sure nothing got out of hand.

No such problems, though. Weyrlingmaster F'rah was there to get them all safely on their way. Raila filed in with everyone else, not feeling particularly tied to anyone at all, so she stood alone. Then the hatching began... and she turned off her brain. She didn't really care if any of the other Candidates impressed, and assumed she wouldn't, so all she needed to do was keep herself alert enough to make sure she didn't get mauled. That would be easy enough to do- Raila loved her face perhaps more than most people alive, and was naturally protective of it.

She woke from her daydream slightly when she noticed Mutasim crying- crying, the little baby. It took her a second to realize that he had impressed, hence the tears. Well, good for him, he'd gotten a brown he couldn't even control, she thought, as the little one darted back to the eggs. Shock that Millieth didn't react with more anger, but it was her child after all. No cause to scare the newborns simply because they had made poor impression choices. Raila couldn't help but smirk a little, thinking patronizingly that maybe this little creature would lighten Mutasim up, and the world would be a better place for it. Maybe he'd start wearing brown instead of the perpetual black, at least.

The rest of the hatching passed in a blur. No hatchling so much as approached her, but Raila had no problem with that. None were gold, and so all were beneath her notice. The clutch dwindled, the final two eggs cracking shell, the dragons within them Impressing. Ralia was preparing to turn and leave the sands with the others left standing (no way the final brown was for her), when... wait. The Blue who she had assumed had found his lifemate amongst those further up the line had stopped- in front of her. Standing, dumbstruck, her mouth hanging open, Raila could only stare as Imprith introduced himself.

Impression was like nothing Raila had ever imagined. She had thought of it more like a partnership, a perfect partnership that could never be ended. But in truth, it was nothing of the sort. She felt Imprith's mind wrap around hers, and hers around his, and found a piece of her soul. It did not matter that the creature now twining awkwardly around her legs was silver-blue instead of golden, and it never would in her heart of hearts. He was hers, and she was his, and neither of them would ever need anyone else as long as they lived. Imprith said as much, and Raila, too, felt herself tearing up. No tears fell, but she understood, now, what had caused Mutasim- M'tasim, or M'ta or something now, she grudgingly admitted- to cry, and she could forgive him. After years of standing, whether or not she'd gotten what she had initially wanted, Impression was the most incredible thing in the world.

Imprith practically purred, rumbling his happiness as Raila sank down to the sands to embrace his neck. Do not cry, beloved, see? I told you you needed no one but me... the Blue said, pouring comfort into the mind of his new love. Raila had heard somewhere once that impression was the only true love in this world, and at the time had laughed it off as sillyness, but now she understood, and for once all was right in the world. Imprith did not want her because of her rank or her looks or her parentage, he wanted her for all of her, and she knew for the first time what it was like to be truly wanted and truly loved.

Imprith would have been happy to stay there forever, but his stomach disagreed with a rumble louder than his rumble/purrs. With a laugh, Raila got up, helping the oddly proportioned blue to his feet, and they went to find the food. She nodded at F'rah, and said, "Raila of Imprith, Weyrlingmaster," and continued on to the food. Everyone else was already gathered there, and as Imprith immediately began giving the evil eye to every male- dragon or otherwise- in the room, Raila moved in next to Kalina and Umith, the only pair whose names she'd caught. Imprith started snatching meat directly out of Raila's bowl, but he seemed more interested in making sure the males stayed away from his than chewing to fast, so Raila let them be. Tell them I am yours, mine, so they will ALL know, Imprith put in, turning his eyes on Uminth with a much more forgiving gaze. Alright, alright, although it seems strange to introduce myself to people I've seen around for months now...

Well, do what you like, love, Imprith said, turning his attention back to the meat, which Raila was now feeding him. "This is Imprith, and I'm Raila for those of you I haven't met yet," she said, smothering her awkwardness with smiles. This was, unquestionably, to be the happiest day of her life.

[shadowreine]

And the last was Hatched and Impressed, and Keloran just...stood there.

Again.

He had to be unsuitable. He had to be unworthy. Not only had he not Impressed, but a green had died because nobody was right for her. He closed his eyes, the heat of the Sands, the hum fading away as the last had chosen. No, he would not cry, he could not cry. He was going to pretend he was okay with being rejected again and again. He had to. He would not be the Candidate who broke down in public.

He would also accept no comfort, and once they were dismissed? He would go hide for a bit, so he could let his feelings out without anyone knowing how upset he was. That was the best thing to do, that was the best way...

Besides, if he didn't, he would give the poor weyrlings barbed congratulations, and it was not their fault. The flaw had to lie with him and with him alone.

Not even worth a green. Not even worth... He forced his eyes open, forced his face neutral. But around and around in her mind, the thought that perhaps he had killed her by not being right. By something he had done or said or thought. He knew it was illogical, but he could not shake it.

Yet, he dared not quit...

[Tashe]

Nodding to himself as he continued to write down the new Impressed names, the Weyrlingmaster had to pause a moment and take a breath. His head was pounding again. He really shouldn't be feeling this way, he had taken medicine before falling asleep, though it was more like the medicine had caused him to sleep. Giving out congratulations to each of the pairs as they passed by, F'rah blinked as he thought he saw Lauranna flit out onto the sands. Rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, the Weyrlingmaster watched as the Greenrider narrowly avoided a shoe before skittering back to the wall near the door. "Yes, hatchings are rather... chaotic. But, for the most part, a good sort of it." His Weyrmate looked so happy, and F'rah didn't want to be the one who burst her bubble, so he decided not to tell her about the first green of the clutch. "I do believe, that he might have lost his shoe. The one that you nearly got hit by."

Smiling as R'wign and Checkoth gave their names, F'rah didn't get the chance to congratulate them, finding himself busy with the next three and final Weyrlings. Scratching their names down with a quick scrawl of his hand, the Weyrlingmaster pushed himself off of the wall and placed his hand on Lauranna's shoulder. "Congratulate the Weyrlings for me, I need to go take the Candidates back to their Barracks." Smiling slightly, for his head was getting worse, F'rah bowed to the Queen before trying to round up the candidates that had not Impressed. "Alright kids, I think its time to go back to the Barracks. But don't worry you didn't impress, M'ta stood around five times before he found uh... " Looking down at the list, the Weyrlingmaster continued, "... Behruth. So take heart, you were chose because you have the material for being Riders, it might just take some time for Your Bonded to arrive." Ushering the Candidates with his hands, trying to direct them to the door, F'rah decided he'd go take more medicine and then take a nap in his Weyr. What he had was probably only a cold... hopefully.