Langley: 27 May 2001

All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are copyright Anne McCaffrey, 1967, 2000, all rights reserved. The Dragonriders of Pern is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey. This is a roleplay log from PernMUSH at pern.mccr.org port 4201.


**** Editor's Notes: This Firelizard Hatching was run by Skylyn, Assistant Headwoman and Candidate Coordinator at Ista Weyr. The descriptions of eggs and firelizards were submitted by various people; I wish I had a list of credits, as there are a lot of nice descs. ****

You head towards the waterfall.
Alaida emerges from the greenery in the direction of the beach.
Nitali wanders out, five strips of dried wherry held within the clutch of one hand -- hey...where'd she get *those*? --, gaze settled on the ground, one strip lifted to her mouth, dainty bites taken every so often. Nibble. "Or I could...I could pain his firelizards pink..." Yes. She's still going.
Natalee emerges from the greenery in the direction of the beach.
Alaida follows Fierai, who is thumming softly and takes a perch nearby. "What's going... oooh. "
Kyrola emerges from the greenery in the direction of the beach.
Galadryl emerges from the greenery in the direction of the beach.
Sonya emerges from the greenery in the direction of the beach.
Langley's glowbasket serves her well to pick her path along this way, the lid flipped open to allow a little, feeble light illumine her steps. "Is this why you came over here?" she asks, starting toward Nitali to peer at what the other girl might be seeing.
Pulyn's gaze flips from Lanthia to the basket of eggs. "Wow, wonder what those are doing here..." Specifically, his gaze falls on the electric ribbon egg.
Galadryl :wings in from above, humming, an entire fair of humming lizards behind her.
Duke emerges from the greenery in the direction of the beach.
Alaida glances over at the basket and the eggs. She smiles. "Are they hatching? "
Upon hearing the humming, Pulyn smiles, and comments, "Yup, I'd think so. The 'lizards did the exact same thing at Lanthia's hatching."
Natalee leans over the basket and starts counting the eggs. "Oh, there's lots of them!" she cries. "I've never been to one with more than--oh, around six eggs before."
Duke chitters happily as Sonya seems to go in the direction he wanted.
Langley glances to her own bare shoulder and gives a smirk. "Misato's, too, wherever she may be." With her ice in hand, she stands on the periphery, just a little behind and to one side of Nitali.
"Huh?" Blink. Nitali's chin lifts, and she twists at the waist so she can toss a glance Langley's way. "Here?" Oh. She blinks s'more, and scans her new surroundings with something akin to curiosity etched into her features. "Well. How'd I get *here*?" Hm. Odd. She shrugs lightly, and extends her free hand -- after gulping down the rest of that wherry jerky -- to tug at Langley's...shirt. Yea. "Sit. Apparently I found...something interesting?" She still doesn't quite get the fact that...well...this is a Hatching. Hm. A spot relatively close to the basket and eggs is found, and 'Ali promptly flops upon it, legs crossing. Ah.
Alaida smiles as she moves closer to peer at the eggs, then blinks. "There are! Wait. I don't have any meat. Are we allowed to join in? Who's lizard clutched these? "
Inimitable Refinement Egg rocks back and forth, back and forth in the sand, rocking a little faster each time, some bits of sand falling from the egg.
Kyrola's concern fades away. "What's going on?" she asks, checking on Alaida to ensure no purple spots going on.
Sonya takes a seat off to the side, near a couple of quieter candidates. "No, I think i'll just watch. Let you all try for a little mouth to feed." she answers their questions. Duke snorts at that, humming and looking purposefully towards the eggs.
Beca emerges from the greenery in the direction of the beach.
Langley shakes her head certainly and tells Nitali, "I'm not going to sit down in the dirt in my good trousers. No, thank you. I'll just stand here where it's safe and watch." She smoothes the shirt Nitali caught; not that it really needs it, but still. "It looks like there's an awful lot of eggs, Sonya," she adds back toward the bluerider.
Natalee grins as she holds up a pouch. Opening it, she reveals a handful of meatrolls. "I grabbed some from the living cavern," she calls. "It's not raw, but it's beter than nothing."
Pulyn gets closer to the eggs, and plops down on a nearby rock, pulling out a few strips of dried herdbeast. "Anyone want one? They seemed to work well enough at Lanthia's hatching." Lanthia flits up to perch at the top of the waterfall, preening herself.
Someone thought to aquire some meat. A drudge appears laden with a large bowl of scraps and several smaller empty bowls. This he sets down for all to take some out of.
Alaida eeks when the first egg starts moving, then quickly dashes out to the table. She grabs as much bloody meat as she can, then dashes back, a bowl of meat in hand. "I got some meat in case no one got any. Help yourself. " She puts the bowl down nearby then moves to get close enough to the eggs and sits down, smiling.
Nitali only shrugs again, and tips her head back to peer up at Langley, eyes again narrowed. "Suit yourself. Your legs'll get tired though." Right. "Besides...this spot's closer to the little ones." She's content to just watch, see. She's seen these before. The fact that it is indeed a Hatching has been realized. Now all there's left to do is wait. And nibble on the five remaining strips of wherry meat she has left. Narm.
Pulyn gets up, and grabs some of the rawer pieces from that bowl, rubbing them on the herdbeast, then putting it all in a neat pile on the smaller bowl that he grabbed as well.
Langley stays well out of the way of the drudge and his bowl, her nose scrunching up as the fellow passes just a little too near for comfort. The more meat that comes out, the more she edges away from the littler cluster, folding her hands resolutely behind her back. "I'll be just fine," she assures Nitali.
Natalee looks at the bowl of scraps, then back at her meatrolls. With a shrug, she pops a meatroll into her mouth, puts the rest back into the pouch, and wanders over. She takes a bowl, her face twitching nervously, which she carefully fills with a few of the more cooked pieces of meat.
Kyrola goes ooo and reaches for some of the meat. "I've never been to a firelizard hatching before," she says with some excitement.
Sonya glances over to Langley, smileing. "Oh, I could possibly try for one, doesn't mean I'd actually Impresse one. I'll just watch, let you all try to Impresse." her gaze returns briefly to the eggs, Duke's humming increasing.
Inimitable Refinement Egg cracks open, and a Glowing Emerald Green Hatchling tumbles out.
The color of glowing emeralds is captured in her hide, overlaid by soft hints of the verdant shades of mist-swathed grass in the morning. Her wingsails and tail-tip darken to clover, while along her neck, streaks of white-gold fall upon her like tendrils of sunlight that join with the winds to caress a lush meadow of truly incomparable green. Beautiful? Oh, yes. Stunning? Don't you doubt it! For she is as lithe and fair as something out of your most treasured dreams, with a voice capable of breaking hearts--as her first lilting warble of greeting proves. She has charisma to spare, and her heart is as light as a faerie's footstep as she regards those around her with carefully presented consideration.
Pulyn smiles as the hatching comes out, but makes no move towards it. From her perch on the waterfall, Lanthia warbles happily.
Duke crooons lovingly towards the green.
Alaida glances over at Langley and smiles. "Why don't you try. You might find it nice to have a pet. " and at the sound of the cracking egg, she turns, smiling at the sight of the newly hatched green. She reaches some meat over to Langley. "Look how beautiful she looks. Go ahead and try for it. "
Nitali's only reaction to the first hatchling's entrance is a minor jerk of her hand. But that's about it. And it's not because she's surprised an egg actually hatched. It's because she's jittery. It's a fact. Jerky is still clenched tightly, however, and she continues to nibble. No 'lizard babies for her. Or, at least, not this one.
Kyrola fidgets as she plays with the meats in her hand. "ooh!" she says almost reflexively. "How lovely!" Yes, she's never seen a hatching firelizard before.
Langley perches on her toes to see over all the people toward the clutter of eggs, telling Alaida with a quick smile, "I've got one. Her name is Misato. We pretty much leave each other alone as much as possible. That one's pretty, though."
Glowing Emerald Green Hatchling sits up shaking shell shards from her head, looks as though she's just been roughly waken from a pleasant green and she creels unhappily.
Natalee's hand, which has been tightly clutching her bowl of meat, relaxes as the first hatchling emerges. She smiles at the tiny green, using her other hand to dangle a piece of meat in front of herself.
Alaida smiles, trying to thrust meat into Langley's hand. "Then try for her, but hurry. She's very hungry. "
Nitali continues to pretty much ignore the little greenlet, though her gaze remains as focused upon her form as every else's must be. She's watching, but not trying.
Pulyn gets up from his rock, and stands behind Langley. "She's very nice looking. Although, you did say you didn't like green...."
Jagged Ice Claws Egg wiggles around in the sand, rolling about, hitting other eggs in the process.
Sonya doesn't watch the green as much as some as the others, though the brown firelizard perched on her shoulder seems very interested. Typical male. However she seems to have found an egg that she really likes. She winces as the Jagges Ice Claws egg moves around, hitting other eggs. "I bet a real pretty one will come from that one." she comments a'loud.
Recoiling from the attempt, Langley shakes her head quite seriously at Alaida and says. "No. Thank. You." She munches on her ice, eyeing that meat like it might jump up and bite her any second now. "I said it was bad luck and I'd never *wear* it," she clarifies after Pulyn.
Kyrola tilts the meat from one hand to another, looking vaguely worried and glancing back out on more than one occasion. "They all seem lovely," she notes absently.
Pulyn grins in delight at the wiggling egg, and moves closer, ahead of Langley now. "That's a pretty one too...I wonder what'll come out of it?"
Glowing Emerald Green Hatchling struggles to get to her feet and then is bumped into by the Ice Claws egg and falls on her bum a loud, shrill noise emiting from her throat. And as the egg hits the gree in shatters, like ice might.
Jagged Ice Claws Egg cracks open, and a Icy Sapphire Blue Hatchling tumbles out.
Imagine, if you're able, a sapphire of irregular shape. The color of this sapphire is deeper blue than what even the harpers prefer for their master pins. Imagine further that this sapphire was lost in a bucket of water that was then frozen. This little blue firelizard appears exactly like the gem once it had been retrieved from the shattered ice block, the ice still clinging to its hide. His wings and tail are in perfect proportion to his body, and his tiny head has the appearance of uncanny intelligence, or that may simply be the odd shadings of paler color on his eyeridges.
Alaida smiles gently and shakes her head. "Suit yourself, Langley but a bowl of meat is over there if you change your mind. " then she turns back with the meat in her hand and reaches it out to let a juice, half cooked piece of meat wiggle in her fingers.
Oh. Fine. This one might do. Nitali considers both green and newly-hatched blue for a long moment or two, then, with am exasperated sigh light enough to be missed, reluctantly extends her offering of wherry jerky towards the newborn. The way she's acting one might think she's being forced into this. Hah!
Pulyn gasps, and holds his hands up to his mouth in shock as the blue comes out. "Wow..he's beautiful!" Carefully, he retrieves some meat from his bowl, squats down, and stares directly at the blue. "Hey there boy! You're pretty, aren't you? Would you like some meat? I've got some good stuff here."
Sonya ooohs softly, obviously liking what she sees emerge from that egg. "He's pretty." she says softly. The candidate beside her smirks and grabs some meat, placing it in Sonya's hand. "Oh no, I said I wouldn't try for any..." she starts to say. "Well, I could offer some...." she tears off a scrap, tossing it in the direction so that the blue can see there is food out there for him.
Natalee's piece of meat slips from her fingers and back into the bowl as the next egg cracks. Her eyes dart back and forth between the two hatchlings before she absently looks around at the assembled candidates, as if she is trying to predict which ones the firelizards will choose.
Glowing Emerald Green Hatchling screeches at the blue before struggling back to her feet and starting to stumble about the circle.
Langley is obviously intrested, but the meat itself is enough to keep her from actually getting *involved* presently. She peers over the tops of heads, asking, "Which one are you after, Nitali? The green or the blue?"
Kyrola's eyes go wide. "They're so pretty," she says, glancing at the others, almost a bit shy in the crowd. One bit of meat is dangled out uncertainly, the Istan girl taking her cues from the others.
Pulyn holds out the meat towards the blue, clucking and cooing at the 'lizard. "One of you should try for the green, I think."
Icy Sapphire Blue Hatchling is very groggy and he merely shrugs off the screech from his clutchmate and he slowly gets to his feet looking around, swinging his head this way and that.
"Neither," Nitali replies, coolly, eyebrows furrowed as she regards both hatchlings. "But I won't let them starve. If they're hungry, then they can have some. Faranth knows I...don't really *need* one of the little buggers." But is that a stronger wiggle to her wherry? Maybe. Just because she doesn't need doesn't mean she doesn't want. Wiggle.
Natalee puts her bowl of meat down in front of her and relaxes. "I have one already," she explains. "I think I'll let everyone else try first," she says with an encouraging smile for Kyrola.
Sonya leans forward slightly, just to watch of course. The meat is still in her hands, though many people around her and closer to the blue so it's more likely he will see those offerings before her. Duke however seems to think his croons of encouragement will draw the blue closer to her. He does this, keeping up a constant croon so that one might think he doesn't need to draw a breath.
Pulyn grins at the blue as he swings his head around, and continues cooing, wiggling the meat slightly, then adding a piece of dried herdbeast to the hand with the meat, as well. "Hey there, pretty! Yes, you! Look at this meat I have here, so juicy and nice, wouldn't you like some? All you have to do is come over here, and you can have some!" Obviously, he thinks the 'lizard will understand.
With an arm folded over her midsection and the other attending her glass of iced juice, Langley giggles to herself and remarks, "You guys should *so* see yourselves." A sidelong glance manages to incorporate Sonya in the comment, too.
Alaida tilts her head and glances up at Fierai, who is perched nearby and crooning down at the new hatchlings. She grins then glances back to the blue even as she hunches over a bit more and wiggles the meat in her hand as if to entise the tiny creatures forward to try and eat something. She murmurs softly. "C'mon. " then looks up at Langley and wrinkles her nose. "Hey, at least we are trying to feed them. They're starving. Can't you feel it? "
Glowing Emerald Green Hatchling waddles around looking at all the meat, walks towards a girl wearing a brown skirt.
Glowing Emerald Green Hatchling stumbles towards Kyrola.
Alaida looks up, her eyes following the green then smiles. "Yeah, Kyrola! Feed her! " she says softly, yet with excitment that one has found its way toward someone.
Sonya takes her gaze briefly from the little blue to look towards Langley. She chuckles softly. "I'm just watching." she laughs, looking back. "Look there Duke, the green found a home. Congradulations Kyrola." she calls over. Back to the blue. Yes, she is still watching him despite her words of not trying for him. The meat dangles limply from her fingers and Duke continues his croons of encouragement, obviously wanting the blue to get closer to his pet, Sonya.
Langley shrugs a shoulder at Alaida's question and says, "I guess so, a little." She doesn't seem to be trying very hard, instead just munching on her ice. She grins at the bluerider, saying doubtfully, "Suuuure you are. Just watching and waving meat around, huh?"
Pulyn's eyes dart to the green momentarily, but then fixate on the blue again, wiggling the meat a little more rapidly now. "Here you go! Just a few steps, and you can have /all/ of this delicious meat! Mmm...so tender..." Oh boy.
Nitali's murmured congratulations are offered towards Kyrola, along with one of those rare Nita Small-Smiles, but attention soonly slips back to the Hatchling still remaining. Wherry goes a-wiggle, and Candidate even starts to squirm a little in addition. Wigglesquirm. Silence. No need to talk, right?
Thunderstorm Sunset Egg cracks open, and a Lightning Streak Bronze Hatchling tumbles out.
A bronze, like that of a bronze crayon, largely dominates this 'lizard's hide. This bronze is evenly distributed all across his body, as if he were taken and dipped evenly into a vat full of bronze color, no spots getting a darker shade than any other. Once this is taken note of, it surprises the eye to see a long streak of much darker bronze running from the tip of his nose across his tiny head, all the way down his spine to the tip of his tale, the streak itself branching off into many different networks of this color, as if a lightning bolt of bronze had originated at his nose and used his back as a backdrop much like lightning uses the darkened sky to show off. This bronze puffs out his chest, a very masculine hatchling indeed, except when it storms and he becomes extremely skittish and frightened.
Natalee laughs as she hears Pulyn's invitation, then turns to grin at Kyrola. "Congratulations!" she calls. She glances back to Pulyn and asks, "Trying to bribe him, hmmm?" Then, her attention is caught by the newly hatched bronze, and she frantically grabs a piece of meat and waves it wildly, her earlier words forgotten as she breathlessly follows the bronze with her eyes.
Alaida looks over at the eggs when another starts to wobble and crack open. "Oh look. It's a bronze. C'mon, Langley. There are so many mouths here. Please help. " and she shifts herself as if getting comfortable in the sand below her. Her movements make the meat in her hand wiggle, almost looking like a worm or even something moving to catch.
Still no words from Nitali, not even when those around her might be paying their due 'oos' and 'ahs' at the bronze's arrival. It's a firelizard. Doesn't matter the color. Besides...there are too *many*. Nevermind that there are only two. This is Nitali we're with, here. Her attention's still on the blueling. Wigglesquirm.
"Yes," says Langley a touch acerbically. "I see that it's a bronze. Wiggle your meat at him, Alaida, and maybe he'll be *your* bronze."
Kyrola gleeps and cradles the little green. "How lovely!" she says with a smile, reaching down to feed the little one. "I never imagined," she almost whispers, her eyes alight with sudden understanding.
Sonya chuckles softly though her eyes don't leave the blue this time. "Yup, that's all I'm doing." indeed she doesn't wiggle her meat around like some of the others but it is dangling and moving slightly on it's own perhaps.
Pulyn continues his wigglin' and hagglin' with the blue, his eyes only averted for a moment by the bronze. "Hey blue, if you want, I could fry this up for you? Make a regular feast out of it, how about it? Maybe I could get some sauces from the cooks?..."
Autumn's Fading Leaves Egg rocks back and forth, and then *CRACK*
Alaida squeaks softly, instantly blushing at Langley's words but says nothing but instead continues to wiggle her meat, trying to attract any of the hatchlings.
Autumn's Fading Leaves Egg cracks open, and a Sunset-Kissed Brown Hatchling tumbles out.
This large firelizard seems like a lump of clay or mountainside. A wide body that lends itself to a pudgy or rocky image, he seems generally content to eat and sleep. His hide is a lovely shade of brown with hints of fiery golds and reds and even a faint hint of purple on the unlit side. A sort of iridescence pervades his hide, such that whichever side is more lit, that glows with the fiery shades, while the shadowy shades stick to the actual shadows of whatever light is available. His chest is big, as are his wings, and he looks swift in flight, if not very agile.
Wiggle. Squirm. Squirmwigglewigglesquirm. Nitali's still goin' at it, though the squirms have gotten a little more exuberant then the wiggles have. She might as well get up and start dancing. Maybe the baby dance? She can do the baby dance. Yepyep. Wiggle.
Icy Sapphire Blue Hatchling has been walking around in circles finally settles and moves towards a lad, creeling questioningly.
Natalee suddenly realizes how undignified all this meat waving is, so she lays the meat back down in the bowl, determined to keep her word about letting those who havn't already impressed a firelizard have the first chance. She licks her fingers clean of any meat juice and smooths her skirt. When the brown emerges, she lifts her head to get a closer look at the hatchling, a break in her otherwise serene demeanor.
Langley smirks a little knowingly at the squeak, hiding the expression some in her cup as she says something about knowing how Alaida likes bronzes, after all. "I think he's set in on you, Pulyn," she contributes, tipping the cup to indicate the blue.
Pulyn smiles as Kyrola picks up the green, looking at her from the corner of his eye. Shifting his squatted pose, he wiggles the meat again. "You don't want it fried? Maybe we could flame-roast it?..." At Langley's comment, he smiles again, more excitedly this time.
Sonya rocks back to her heels, a dissapointed look on her face as she sees the blue heading for someone else. She hasn't even noticed the bronze emerge.
Lightning Streak Bronze Hatchling shakes shards off his head and listens to a croon coming from his mother and he tries to emulate the example, his croon coming out as a *squwak*! He looks around, maybe someone can help him learn how.
Langley giggles, almost delivilishly, and points again at the the little bronze. "See, Alaida? He sounds just like you! Do like Pulyn's doing - wave your meat more." Since she's the foremost expert, of course.
Alaida giggles softly. "The poor thing doesn't know how to croon. " She glances from the brown to the bronze, smiling but she doesn't change her position, nor offers any less, but she does switch to put meat in her hand. SHe braces her elbows on the ground and lifts her hands, wiggling the meat. " She blushes again at Langley's words.
Nitali's lips part slightly, the only real surprised reaction she gets when the object of such intent attention on her part suddenly...heads towards someone else? No matter. She promised herself she wouldn't get too into thi-"Eek!" Bronze! Squawk! Scary! She visibly jerks, and shakes her head rapidly. "No, no, no." And then, that said, she manages a low, near-pleasant 'croon' from somewhere where those noises usually don't come from. Where? Who knows? Meat pauses in its perpetual wiggle, though the squirming continues. "Like that." In case he gets...confused or something. Silly? Yep. This is Nitali.
Icy Sapphire Blue Hatchling stumbles towards Pulyn.
Pulyn beams in delight as the blue walks up to him. Taking him in his arms, he offers him the meat. "So, how'd you like it, little buddy?"
Lightning Streak Bronze Hatchling looks around sees wiggling meat, streachs his wings, and they dry quickly and he makes a line drive towards Nitali.
Lightning Streak Bronze Hatchling stumbles towards Nitali.
Color Splashed Egg rocks, as does the egg next to it and the two pop open at the same instant
Color Splashed Egg cracks open, and a Ocean Depths Blue Hatchling tumbles out.
In the darkest depths of the ocean, deeper than even the shipfish can go, the shades of blue are almost black. There, things live and die that few Pernese have seen. These things have impossible shapes and sometimes manage to glow in the dark to attract their prey. In the inky depths, this blue's hide must have been found. His hide is that deep dark blue that isn't really black, but may seem that way in certain kinds of light. There are lighter patches on his belly, but especially on his wings, sort of like eyes peering into the darkness. Those wings are perfectly proportioned to the rest of his body, with his long neck and agile tail.
Coordinated Exiguity Egg cracks open, and a Suede Wrapped Topaz Brown Hatchling tumbles out.
Soft as suede is this young little beast. His wedge shaped head is narrow and long with deep set eyes and arched ridges. The neck that holds his head aloft is serpentine and long, yet not so long as his tail or even wings. The neckridges rise and fall is perfect symmetry, fading between his wings, and then continuing to his spaded tail tip. A slim body with well-toned muscles lends flight ability immediately to this little firelizard. In sharp contrast to his athletic body are his wings, which are absolutely enormous. They would be fit on the body of a large queen firelizard, then his slim and small body. He coloring across his body is even and well balanced. Not quite as multiply patterned as others, but just as lovely. Light tan is the primary color across his body; even his wings are the same lovely shade. Though tendrils of topaz do sweep down and parade atop the brown. The main stream of topaz is about his neck, a curling string that plays along his ridges. It is from this main vein that other tendrils sprout. They curl here and there like vines, wrapping around a right forearm here and a headnob there. They wiggle up his wingspars to bloom into a knot of veins on his wings. The coloring, though darker than his primary, blends well with the other shades.
Kyrola beams as she watches some more people impress. "Hey, way to go, Pulyn!" she says. "And Nitali!" The little green complains, so Kyrola is quick to murmur an apology.
Natalee claps her hands softly as the blue hatchling heads for Pulyn. She grins and murmurs her congratulations, but she is cut off as she sees the bronze head for Nitali. She smiles her, her eyes darting back and forth as the hatchlings impress, before her attention is stolen once again by the two opening eggs.
Er. Alrighty then. Nitali leans away from the oh-so-quickly-approaching bronzeling, eyes wide with...surprise, yes. Meat is offered by way of peace treaty, and wiggled wildly. "No, no, no! Eek!" Oh. Gaze locks on the little guy, a blink follows, and then she lets a light trickle of relieved laughter escape. "Whew." Free hand extends, scoops up the croaky little'n, and wherry strip is offered promptly. Bronze croaks, Candidate beams, and the rest of the wherry jerky is settled on the ground before her. There.
Alaida grins over at Pulyn and Nitali then turns at the sound of the eggs cracking again. She murmurs softly, tilting her head up at Langley. "Even a bronze has better taste. " she comments though it isn't sure if she just insulted herself or if just making a comment. She turns back while wiggling her meat.
Ocean Depths Blue Hatchling gets up, a shell on his head, the brown getting up, shell on its head, covering its line of sight, and the both start to creel because its still dark and they start to walk bumping into one another, the shells shattering and the two falling backwords, very distressed.
Langley makes a face down at Alaida and says, "Don't say it like that. Maybe Nitali's meat just smelled better. I'm sure not *all* bronzes think like that." Wink, wink. "What about that brown there? He's a nice looking fellow, hm? Or even that clumsy blue."
Pulyn grins back at Kyrola as he begins feeding the 'lizard. He croons as he takes tiny bites off of the meat.
Kyrola is apparently too wrapped up in things to notice the other firelizards right now, stroking the wings of her green with one finger.
Alaida shrugs lightly at Langley's comments but says nothing. She glances to the blue, then to the two browns while wiggling her meat. "The blue reminds of me on my feet. You think it wise to have another clumbsy creature around me? "
Suede Wrapped Topaz Brown Hatchling gets up, the blue too getting to his feet and they both turn around, getting thier tails locked in each others, and the brown drags the blue towards the closest meat, which happens to be held by Natalee.
Langley says with a quick smile, "Well, maybe if he's such a clutz, no one will notice how clumsy you are?" She's trying to be helpful, it just comes out wrong sometimes. "The brown seems pretty secure?"
Pulyn coos at his blue, going back to sit on his rock while tickling it's tummy. He can be heard to say, "Oh yes, you are very cute! Yes you are!..."
Natalee can't help but laugh at the hatchlings' antics. "Oh, poor things!" she cries, sympathetically but still giggling. She raises an eyebrow at Alaida and sighs, saying, "You shouldn't say that about yourslef." She notices the hatchling coming at her and her eyes widen. She dangles a piece of meat, looking slightly confused.
Alaida rolls her eyes, snickering softly. She watches one head toward Natalee then giggles at the two "Oh my shards.. The poor things! "
Ocean Depths Blue Hatchling creels, two out of three stooges? That doesn't seem right, he latches onto the Hidden Suprises egg and drags it along.
Langley has no qualms about smirking at Pulyn and his tone, shaking her head as she polishes off the ice and lets the cup dangle from her fingers, droplets splashing beside her sandals. "You look so stupid," she says outright to the boy.
Alaida giggles, bowing her head as she watches the two. She almost falls to the side as she watches, then coughs a bit.
Kyrola looks up and starts giggling. "Oh my!" she says as she spies the blue hauling the other egg with him.
Natalee drops the meat again as she watches the blue and tries to sigh theatrically, but the effect is ruined as she gets an attack of the giggles.
Of course, Pulyn doesn't hear at all, he's too caught up in his new found friend. Lanthia, seeing the blue, swoops down from her ledge onto Pulyn's shoulder, crooning inquisitively.
Hidden Surprises Egg cracks open, and a Soap Bubble Green Hatchling tumbles out.
A tiny little firelizard, this one's hide apparently can't decide exactly which shade of green it should be. Swirls of color drip in and around her hide, much like a laundry-room soap bubble floating in the area. Her wings are large for her size, but her tail is slightly shorter. Her wedge-shaped head is delicate, and there is a little circle of lighter green right on her little nose, like a bubble which has just landed there, right where it would make her cross her eyes to look at it.
Soap Bubble Green Hatchling pops out of her shell with such force that she bowls into the other two and all three end up in a heap in front of Natalee.
Soap Bubble Green Hatchling stumbles towards Natalee.
Ocean Depths Blue Hatchling stumbles towards Natalee.
Suede Wrapped Topaz Brown Hatchling stumbles towards Natalee.
Alaida giggles and reaches up to wipe the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. she. "Oh shards! Natalee! You have your hands full! "
Compressed Steam Egg cracks open, and a Frosted Apple Green Hatchling tumbles out.
This little firelizard is of moderate size for her color. A little bit pudgy, she seems rather slow and lazy, but when there's food to be had, she's always first to get some. Her hide is a wonderful shade of green, like an unripe apple, but there is a pale layer, seemingly overlaid on the green, which gives off an impression of an apple that has been exposed to the frost of the High Reaches. Her belly is a lighter shade of green, the frost shade almost entirely taking over.
Langley rocks back on her heels somewhat, blinking down at Natalee. "Oh, my! That must be some pretty good meat you're waving around!" She pauses, thinks about what she just said, and blanches a little. "Er. To them."
Nitali is, like the other Impressees, attending to her little one, wherry strip having been gobbled down in much haste by ravenous bronzen jaws. "Zunchi. Yep. That's your name, little guy. Get used to it." Wherry strips have been forgotten. They're still just sort of...sitting there, all four of them, in front of both 'lizard and Candidate.
Iced Cake Egg cracks open, and a Spoiled Brat Green Hatchling tumbles out.
Vivid is her color, rich and vibrant like something a Weaver would work hard to arrive at. Many a mark would be given if this color could be sold, it's hue that perfect hue that makes a heart ache inside. She's the green of summer trees when their fruit is heavy for picking, the green of the dark mountains in the distance, the green that is just holding it's breath to give way to Autumn. Her attitude is one of someone who knows she's special, holding her head high and acting as if she's the only one in the room. All eyes must be on her at all times! Doesn't the world realize how glorious she is? After all, what other green is the perfect shade? Her chitter is high pitched, her wings the green of that perfect wine bottle, and her tail long and... dangerous? Watch out, she might just wrap it around someone and claim him or her as her own!
Spoiled Brat Green Hatchling bugles as she makes her way into the world in a 'look out world, here I am,' way, making her the center of attention.
Natalee looks quite overwhelmed as the hatchlings pop out, one after another. "Oh...oh..." she murmurs, trying to keep all three ravenous hatchlings fed.
Well. It had to happen sometime. Nitali can't just remain in her stupor forever. Nope. As much as she'd like to, she can't. So, when the newly-named Zunchi's gaze travels to those only-previously ignored strips of wherry jerky, 'Ali's gaze flicks up, and she blinks. "Fine. Here." Hand extends, one is swiped, and stuffed down the bronze's throat. Almost literally. The other three are considered, then the Hatchlings, and she just sighs. "Here," she echos, that same hand gently nudging all three towards...whoever wants them. "Food time, little ones." Hm. "Y'know, Langley. Jerky isn't messy..." Heh.
Alaida watches Natalee, smiling then reaches over to the bowl she brought and makes a small pile in front of her. She sits up cross-legged, perhaps thinking there is something right with the pile of meat. She hmms then starts to make a trail of meat to the bigger pile and looks up at Langley. "Look. She might work for you. " and she motions to the green with a piece of half cooked wherry.
Kyrola giggles at Natalee's little instant fair. "The barracks will never be the same," she says with a laugh.
"Thanks, but no thanks," says Langley in that firm tone, smiling quickly at Nitali and the bronze. "I'm quite happy watching you all make fools of yourselves." She beams at the other candidate, then makes a face down at Alaida. "No, no. I think she'd be just right for you. Something bold might just suit you."
Pulyn finishes feeding the blue the herdbeast that he's got, and grabs some more, while saying to Lanthia, "This is...hmm...well...this is Gephy." When he hears the bugle of the other green, his attention is diverted. He calls out, "Langley! That green fits you /so/ well!" in a kind manner, not meaning to be insulting. He then gets up, and walks back towards the eggs, Gephy cradled in his arms.
Plain Sandy Egg rocks slowlt and cracks up the side so softly, and unnoticably that not many would notice when this one enters the world.
Plain Sandy Egg cracks open, and a Chicken Broth Gold Hatchling tumbles out.
Swirling yellow-gold colors swirl across this gold's hide, as if the color had just been briskly stirred, such as a hot drink might be, and the bubbles atop are still revolving. There are some white patches squarely upon the center of her back, as if there were tiny air bubbles there, giving her back a freckled effect. The hide is silky soft to the touch when kept well oiled, and always tends to feel a little warm, even in the coldest of climates. Her eyes whirl slowly, and two slightly darker tear-drop shaped patches gives the effect that she is crying, even though her naturally attitude gives her to be cheery. She is larger for her size with a long tail that comes to a delicate point at the end. The tail becoming a darker shade, as a matter of fact, the color starts out lighter at the tip of her nose and appears to get darker in most lights, as if one were looking down into a mug of a liquid, such as chicken broth. This rather maternal-looking 'lizard is sure to give comfort to those whenever they are feeling ill and to take care of them until they are well again.
Natalee sounds terribly bewildered as she asks, "But how I am I going to feed them all? They'll be after me all the time!" She frantically feeds the firelizards, but there are three of them and only two hands. Finally, she gets them all satisfied, just in time to have her breat taken away by the gold.
Spoiled Brat Green Hatchling stalks around, wondering who is worthy of /her/.
Kyrola's little green is already asleep by now. Hesitantly, she asks, "Can I try again?" flicking her gaze toward Natalee and her three. There is still some meat left over from feeding the first green.
Alaida shrugs and smiles to Langley. "Suit yourself. " then she continues making small "roads" of meat to her larger pile. She glances over at the eggs, smiling. "So many! " then she quickly makes more "roads" of meat before taking two juicy pieces to wiggle.
Langley moves to nudge Alaida with the toe of her sandal, nodding toward the imperious little green. "Go for that one. Nevermind the gold. Everyone's going to want her." So full of suggestions!
"Well, if you want one you sho-" Oh! Goodness. Too many...too many. And now a gold? Yeesh! How's Nitali supposed to keep up with them all? She leans forward, and swipes up *one* of the three wherry strips. Then, she squints her eyes shut, extends said wherry, and wiggles madly. "Maybe if I keep my eyes...closed, they can't Impress to me?" Maybe? Wiggle. "I still think you should try, Langley," she tosses up towards her fellow Candidate.
Pulyn smiles softly as the little gold comes out. Looking to Gephy for confirmation first, he squats down again, grabbing some more meat, and wiggling it. "Wow, you're a nice gold!" Pulling out his gold plushy from his pocket, he calls out "Here, theres some meat for you as well, if you want? And other 'lizards to play with?..." while putting the plushy down infront of him.
Alaida giggles at Langley's words and looks at the gold. She picks up another piece of wherry and dangles it, wiggling, wiggling, wiggling with a bit of succulant juices dripping off.
With a (barely) tolerant smile, Langley looks to Nitali and says simply, "I still think you should stop pestering me. Go after that gold, then you'll have a nice metallic pair and won't that be just scrumptuous? Though plenty of competition." She watches all the people riveted on that gold, clucking her tongue as if in chide.
Kyrola shrugs one of her shoulders and smiles. Leaning forward, carefully cradling her green, she reaches out with one of her hands, a large bloody piece of herdbeast in her fingers. She gives Langley a passing look. "No wonder people said bad things about her," she can be heard to mutter.
Tiny may be the first word to come to mind when looking at this girl. She is certainly shorter than average, each feature done up in smaller variations of the norm. Her body is slender, like a whip or willow reed, with small hips and shoulders. Her face is not exactly heart-shaped, but there is a certain sort of thinness, with her high-set cheekbones and pointed chin. Her hair is a glossy shade of brown or red, depending on the light and how much sun she's had, the strands mingling in highlights and shadows, darting around in curls and gentle waves as well. Her eyes are either green or brown, one of those shades that is hard to pin down, even by close observers. Her hands are delicate, suited for fine work, and there are no calluses on them. Her lips are pale in color, just like her creamy skin, a few freckles marring the skin around her nose. To those who ask, she might reveal she is 16 Turns, 9 months, and 12 days old.

It may seem odd to see such a small girl wearing adult clothes. A long skirt covers her legs demurely, the fabric a pretty shade of light russet brown. Bright red thread has traced a rocky abstract border to the hem, and her wide brown belt, more decorative than functional, sports the same sort of border, the thread almost like little bits of lava peeking up out of brown earth. A dusty pair of matching brown boots keeps her feet safe. Her blouse is of white linen, clean, one of those off-both-shoulders kinds that helps keep the wearer cool in the warm summer days. The sleeves of the blouse are poufy, leaving her tanned arms bare to more sun. She has an Ista Weyr candidate's knot affixed to her blouse, and there is a hand-made leather thong around her throat, a bit of pretty but misshapen blue glass tied up in it, dangling like a pendant over her small breasts.
Natalee looks at the gold, then back at her three, her obvious desire for the gold hatchling warring with the knowledge that she already has three ravenous beasts to feed. She strokes the head of the brown, who is now dozing on her lap as she watches every move if the gold.
Chicken Broth Gold Hatchling gazes shyly around the circle with her new eyes. The Spoiled Brat Green looks around and seems to have found someone, wellwellwell...she stalks towards Langey.
Spoiled Brat Green Hatchling stumbles towards Langley.
Nitali actually manages to look surprised with both eyes squinted tightly shut. The girl's gifts never end. And, if she weren't trying so hard to offer food without Impressing, she might actually offer Langley wide, pained eyes. But no. "Fine," she snaps, bluntly, and continues to wiggle her wherry like mad. In no particular direction does it dance. In a green's path, maybe? Or maybe the brown's? The gold's, even? Her hand's veering around, so...it's hard to tell. Catch it if you can!
Langley tosses her chin a little, flouncing that red hair just slightly with the effect. "At least they say things about me at all." She hmphs haughtily, adding a mutter of her own - about plain little girls who are just jealous. "Don't you think you've got enough now, Nata - I don't have any food!" That last insistently as she bats at the green attached to her sandal. "And you can't eat *that*!"
Frosted Apple Green Hatchling looks around and finds meet in her path...hm. strange, yummy looking, but strange.
Alaida laughs and quickly hands Langley some meat. "Here! feed here quickly! "
Kyrola bursts out laughing, she can't help it! Her eyes dancing with delight, she watches Langley and the green, and her own green squawks in protest until Kyrola can stop giggling and tend to her. Mollified once more, the green falls asleep, while the candidate continues to try and attract new gold hatchling's attention with her bloody meat. It slips out of her fingers, but a quick dart retrieves it before it falls to the ground.
Gephy croons carefully at the gold, as does Lanthia, almost as if inviting her over to play. Pulyn keeps the meat held out, trying to seem as unintimidating as possible. "Look at this meat, it looks pretty good, doesn't it? I'll give it to you, if you want. You don't even have to get too close, maybe I could throw it to you?.." Of course, he doesn't just yet.
Frosted Apple Green Hatchling stumbles towards Nitali.
Natalee watches the gold hatchling intently, pausing only to send Langley a rather ridiculous, "No!" Her eyes trail the gold as her hands rest on the the green and the brown, absentmindedly stroking their heads.
Alaida giggles again. "You two are made for eachother. Feed her, Langley! " then she glances back to the others, smiling as she picks up a few other pieces of meat to dangle to those hatchling roaming around.
Shaking her head, Langley carefully bends down to scoop up the green, shaking her head at Alaida's offerings. "No. She'll just have to learn." Perfunctorily, she takes the bowl with the remaining scraps of meat and dumps the firelizard into it. An irritable little screech precedes a thorough gobbling. "Not funny. Not funny at all," she berates the firelizard.
Nitali's hand continues to jerk, almost spasmodically, in every direction, dried meat crazily twitching at first one spot, then another, whilst Nitali's eyes remain shut. But then, another startled, "Eek!" erupts, and she finds that her meat is...snagged. From her fingertips. Eyes cautiously open, and the green culprit practically hops into her lap. "No!" 'Ali all-but-wails, eyebrows furrowing. Bah. "*Fine*." Sheesh. "You, my cute little friend, are Latira." Right. And *that* strip of wherry is expended upon newly-Impressed green, while the remaining *two* sit ignored at Nitali's feet. Literally. There for the taking. She's *done* with this whole 'feed the poor 'lizards' campaign.
Alaida murmurs softly as she looks at the gold. "What's wrong, little one? You shy? It's alright. " and she lowers herself a bit more, trying not to look so intimidating, though with her small size, that is difficult to do. She holds out her hand with the meat in it.
Kyrola shifts the little green one once more. "Careful there," she murmurs as she tries to keep the meat from slipping out of her hand again.
Chicken Broth Gold Hatchling twists her head this way and that, shyly testing out her feet and her wings, peering around, somewhat frightened by all the faces.
Pulyn actually lies down on the ground, face pointed towards the gold, and holds out the meat, close to the ground. He wiggles it ever so slightly, and quietly calls out. "Here you go. You don't even have to get near me, if you want. I'll drop the meat here, just show me that you want it..."
Standing over the bowl and tapping a sandalled foot, Langley watches as the firelizard all but gorges herself, tearing into the strips voraciously so that the girl has to cringe a little. "Behave," she says as if she expects the green to understand, peering back toward the others and muttering under her breath. "Apparently, meat is not a necessity for Impressing these particular lizards."
Electric Ribbon Egg cracks open, and a Pitiful Golden-Bronze Hatchling tumbles out.
Just as this tiny hatchling tumbles into the world, he lets out a pitiful cry with his thoughts and feelings instantly aware to others. His dark, glistening hide dries in the air, showing a purely golden-bronze hide that shimmers in the light. His color seems to look like what would happen to a large drop of golden-bronze paint when it falls and slides over something rounded and smooth; the patterns on the hide have some darker some lighter 'drips' sliding every which way across his back. He wings only droop slightly and look so transparent that they are easily seen though. What is striking is when he moves, he almost seems to wave with his dark hide on top giving a rippling effect toward his lighter belly. His eyes whirl a deep red, showing his hunger as he searches for that one piece of food that would sedate his hunger.
Alaida finally moves to lie on her belly, making herself as little and unintimdating as possible. She clicks her tongue softly, holding out her hand, now lying with palm up and offers it to the gold. With her other hand, she picks up a piece of meat to dangle toward the others ther.e
The tiny green firelizard on Kyrola's bare arm wakes up and sleepily croons to the little gold, then as her new owner moves, the little green hisses and digs into the Istan girl's arm. With a small yelp, Kyrola sits back. "Okay, okay," she murmurs, shifting back a little bit, out of the main press of people. The bit of herdbeast now rests on her knee as she tends to the green first, a finger stroking the new one's little eyeridges. "It'll be okay," she croons softly.
"There," says Langley, pointing as she nudges the green back into the bowl with her foot. "There's a bronze for you, Alaida," she contributes, bending down to more carefully place the firelizard back amid the scraps. "Forget the gold. Everyone wants her. You'll all be wrestling for her in a moment. Wiggle at that bronze."
Chicken Broth Gold Hatchling wobbles a bit as she takes her first steps but soon gets the hang of it and she sees one, unimposing person, who doesn't appear so big as all the rest and she steps shyly towards the girl, reaching down, nibbling on the meat she holds.
Chicken Broth Gold Hatchling stumbles towards Alaida.
Natalee looks disappointed as the gold goes to Alaida. "Awww," she murmurs sadly. "Just that and a bronze and I would have had a complete set. They would have matched my plushy collection."
"Hah! Yea, Alaida!" Nitali would probably pump a fist into the air, but she has two hatchlings in her lap, and only two hands. That, in her mind, means no free hands. Which is why, when the gold ends up choosing Alaida, all she can do is just cry out what she did, and send a smug look Langley's way. "Hah. You were saying?" Take *that* you doubters of good meat and hungry 'lizards, you! Anyway. Both green and bronze are tended to with watchful affection, whilst those two wherry strips remain on the ground.
Pulyn sighs, careful to not let anyone else hear, as he sees the gold stumble towards Alaida. Forcing himself to smile, he shifts his belly-down position towards the bronze, while Gephy and Lanthia climb up onto his shoulders, crooning. "What about you, little bronze? Would you like some nice, juicy meat?" Gesturing to Lanthia, he adds, "There's a green here that I'm sure would be glad to meet you..."
Alaida smiles gently, watching the tiny gold feed from her hand and when she finally gets a bit more comfortable being close, she gently moves her closer. She clicks her tongue softly, gently. "There you go, girl. " and she feeds her more pieces of meat. Her other hand hasn't moved from being outstretched but now she puts the meat at the end of the meat roads she made.
Crouching, Langley insists, "Stay in that bowl!" For her efforts, she gets a demanding squawk, a little muffled by a mouthful of meat but it's the idea that counts. "Well, you can't blame me for pointing it out. Everyone *did* want that gold. And I really thought Alaida had a penchant for bronzes." She shrugs.
Pitiful Golden-Bronze Hatchling looks around, creels sadly, wings draggin g on the ground, looks awful pitiful.
Kyrola leans over and remakrs to Natalee, "There's still a bronze there," once she's done soothing her green, and she once more gets back into the fray, once more holding up a squishy bit of herdbeast. She pauses and sniffs at it, wrinkling her nose. She then gets a fresh bit of 'beast and then goes 'awwwwwww' at the bronze. "Poor thing," she says, tearing the bit of meat into a smaller size. "How about this?"
Alaida looks up at the creeling and whimpers softly. She picks up a piece of meat and wiggles it out while with the other hand she feeds her new friend, who is now nuzzling and gobbling as much as she can.
Pulyn smiles sadly at the bronze, while Lanthia croons comfortingly towards him. "Oh, poor thing! Do you want some help?" Slowly, he gets up to a squatting position, getting a fresh piece of meat into his hands. "I could help you with your wing, if you want..."
Natalee can't help giggling at the bronze. "Oh, it looks so -sad!-" she cries. Then she begins actively recruiting it into her fair. "C'mon, little bronze! I need a bronze to complete my set.," she says as she dangles a piece of meat in front of him.
Hmph. Aw. Awwwww. "Poor bronzie," Nitali can be heard whispering, eyes narrowing in...sympathy? Hmm. "Well...well fine. Alright. Here. But...just *take* it, alright?" And one of the two wherry strips remaing is swiped up, torn rapidly into mini-pieces -- all while she attempts to fend her two little ones away from the preparations -- and then scattered to the ground. Nevermind that the end result are meat trails that lead every which way. To Pulyn, to Natalee, to Kyrola. Even a sloppy one to herself. Then she scoots away, and offers the very last strip to her two charges. There. "All gone."
Alaida looks over at the brown and furrows her eyebrows in confusing. She shifts her hand to wiggle a piece of meat at him as if trying to tell him to please come and eat something.
"You realize what a mess you've made of yourself, I hope?" says Langley with a frown at the lizard, who now lounges sonorously amid the bloody stains of leftover meat. "I should have done like Sonya and ran away," she mutters, carefully removing the firelizard from the bowl, turning up her nose at the mess, and dunking the thing unceremoniously into the pool. A second or two later, there's a garbled squawking, a gleaming green, and a satisfied candidate returning to watch.
Pitiful Golden-Bronze Hatchling walks around and spies a girl, a girl who might feed him. He walks towards her.
Pitiful Golden-Bronze Hatchling stumbles towards Kyrola.
Oh. Good. Nitali needn't worry any more about Hatchlings. Though the meat trails are still around. She, unfortunately, hasn't noticed the one leading to her. If she did, though, you can bet she'd attempt to clear it. "Let's see...I suppose I should use that scented oil 'Mina let me have. I actually have something to use it on now." Beam.
Kyrola seems startled, to be sure. With infinite car, she gently picks up the tiny bronze firelizard and immediately looks to his poor wing. "Careful there, don't flap it about... here, eat this." The little green croons appreciatively, but snaps up an errant bit of meat.
Sunset-Kissed Brown Hatchling looks around, sees what the bronze did, follows him.
Sunset-Kissed Brown Hatchling stumbles towards Kyrola.
Unquenchable Allegresse Egg cracks open, and a Starry Night Blue Hatchling tumbles out.
This tiny blue is deep navy on his head and tail, the very color of the midnight sky, though the area that surrounds his eyes is a gleaming sapphire. Towards the middle of his body, the shade darkens to almost a true black, though his belly is a lighter, silver tinged blue, like the moon over the ocean on a winter night. This shade graduates into a brilliant indigo when it reaches his forelimbs and claws. His hind legs are a rich cobalt, and his wings are royal blue at the edges, but lighter in the center where the skin is stretched thinner. The deep blue of his hide is flecked with tiny spots of radiant silver, lending him the illusion of the sky on a particularly starry night. All in all, this firelizard radiates a dark velveteen softness. His eyes are deep and dark, and look as if the infinity of the universe is contained within their swirling mists, giving him the appearance of a wise and ethereal creature.
Deceptively Ordinary Egg cracks open, and a The True Bronze's Bronze Hatchling tumbles out.
Bedazzling is this one, with a perplexing and cryptic pattern to his shimmering, vibrant hide of pulsating bronze, coiled among richer hues of brown and gold, flowing smoothly as water across stone, sliding in an enchanted movement, effortless as the wind itself. From the tips of his over-sized wings, down swirls a mad rush of darkened onyx, swirled across the bronze hues that should stand dominant on this male; upon his lithe back and neck, the darkness is present, in thick tufts that flow down to drip tauntingly into the solid pools of bronzes and browns. Tumbling from the heavy ebony hues are long strands of vibrant ochre, luminescent against the darker tones, and branching off one another in puzzling patterns, before fading away about his stomach and haunches, leaving his hide shimmering with flecks of silver, prior not even noticeable. From nose tip to tail spade, this bronze is like the thunder head, with the mammoth billows of charcoal and the streaks of silver and gold.
Metallic Twist Egg cracks open, and a Deepest Mahogany Brown Hatchling tumbles out.
There is a shade of brown that the woodcrafters like to get. It's not quite a purple sort of varnish. Yet it also isn't a straightforward red. It is mahogany, a deep shade of brown that coats this small brown firelizard as if he'd been dunked in wood varnish and left out to dry. His wings are a bit small for his body, but he manages himself well enough in flight. However, his head is always turning to view the latest interesting thing.
Pulyn sighs pitifully again at the bronze stumbles towards Kyrola, but then ofers her a genuine smile before turning to the one hatching left - the brown. "Hey there, little guy," he says, while gently wiggling the meat infront of him, the juices dripping down onto the ground. "There's some nice meat here, if you want? Lots of 'lizard friends as well, they're all nice..." He wiggles the meat a little more, and then sighs as the brown goes towards her as well, getting up until he spots the other bronze. "Oh! You're a cutie as well! Would you like this meat? None of the others, besides Gephy here, wanted it."
Holding the green against her belly much to its chagrin, Langley peers over the heads of those still around the eggs amid a litany of imperious screeches. "I though that's all there were," she comments, creasing her up her nose a little and shaking the finger the firelizard decided to bite. "I'm not giving you any more advice, Alaida," she resolves, "though I think that bronze sure is handsome. Look at that chest. And those shoulders."
Kyrola gleeps as suddenly the little brown is in on it. "Oh my... oh my goodness..." She gives a dazed look to the others. "Here, some for you, too..." She gathers up the brown and quickly tries to get away from the center of the group. "No more..."
Natalee lets the brown perch on her shoulder as she digs up the rest of the meat from the bowl. She waves it at the next bronze, going after it as aggressively as she did the first. "Oooh, ooh, over here," she calls to the bronze.
Alaida finally moves to sit down, putting her new friend in her lap to nap once she's had her fill of meat. She picks up a new piece of meat from her pile and leans forward, dangling, wiggling, wiggling, wiggling the meat. She grins at Langley's words while she glances from the two browns then to the blue and bronze. "Wow. So many at once. " and she grabs some more meat to wiggling its bloody juice to the ground.
Nitali is still blissfully ignorant of the fact that she might get more trouble from more Hatchlings. Attention is intently fixated on bronze, green...and the other Hatchlings that appear, one at a time. "Wow. They're...popping out fast." Indeed. La-dee-dah. "Hi there, blueling," she croons blue-wards. Aw. Ain't he handsome. "Get 'im, Nat," she whispers Natalee-wards. Bronzes are nice if they're the keys to a complete collection, yes.
The True Bronze's Bronze Hatchling looks up at Pulyn and his meat, as if saying 'oh, really? for me?'
The True Bronze's Bronze Hatchling stumbles towards Pulyn.
Pulyn gently picks up the bronze, and starts feeding him, grinning all the while, of course, as he goes to sit down at his previous rock.
Alaida grins. "Well, he knew what he wanted. " and she continues dangling the meat at the brown and blue.
Starry Night Blue Hatchling gazes around, looks rather sleepy and he reaches out with his claws for the nearest meat falling for Alaida.
Starry Night Blue Hatchling stumbles towards Alaida.
Impending Maturity Egg cracks open, and a Twilit Cirrus Spiraled Blue Hatchling tumbles out.
Soft summer breezes whisper across the sunset of an oceanic blue hide beset with lazy spirals of twilit cirrus, feathering languidly over the reflective expanse of translucent wingsails. Water runnels of cool cerulean wander - unchecked and harmonious - down the long line of muzzle and neckridges, tinged with faintest hues of strawberry or lime where they greet the salted paleness of a powder-dusted belly. More sinuous than bulky, his *is* liquid grace - cool and soothing in motion as flickers of fruited shades co-mingle with the iced sky of a tropical evening, the advent of a leisurely midnight evidenced in the freckles of blue-frosted stars that twinkle to outline the spade of his tail and the curve of pristine talons. Strewn haphazardly from one end to the other, crystalline fragments of opaque silver dance along his spine, glittering in even the most wan luminescence and lending an even more sinuous edge to his already breezy movements.
Langley grins down at Alaida and comments, "So did that one, apparently. Ow! Stoppit!" She shakes her finger again, finally relenting to the green settle on her palm and preen properly. "How many've you got so far?" she asks toward Nitali.
And this leaves...two to worry about. Excellent. Definitely good for Nitali. She finally notices the bits and scraps of meat in front of her, and she extends one forefinger to, slowly, push one after the other towards both brown and newly-hatched blue. "Here, guys," she murmurs, eyebrows furrowed. Not too close. Meep. "Two," is absently called to Langley, the beginnings of a beam appearing. Those are bright, those beams.
Alaida smiles down at the blue, offering him meat. "Well, hello there. " and she begins to quickly feed him once his hunger overtakes him despite his sleepiness. She looks over at the new arrivals and the brown left over. She tries to continue feeding while offering them juicy meat at the same time and she is quickly making the meat supply, in the bowl she got, gone.
"Oh, well," says Langley, shrugging a shoulder as much to keep the firelizard from climbing up to perch there as to make use of the gesture. "If Natalee's any gauge, you can still afford at least one more."
Alaida giggles then ouchies. "Hey. The meat, not my finger. " She looks up at Langley and giggles again. "Can we imagine what the quarters are going to sound like with all these new mouths? "
Natalee sighs as the bronze goes to Pulyn. "I guess that's it for my collection," she grins. She takes the last few pieces of meat in her bowl and offers them to Alaida. "Here...It looks like you need them more." She rubs the green affectionately on the belly, before giggling at Langley.
Langley rolls her eyes skyward and remarks, "And I thought it was bad with just the snoring! We'll be swamped." she gives a gusty sigh, shaking her head at the concept and then promptly removing a mouthful of hair from the green who's curled up against her neck, apparently there to doze. "I really pity whoever sleeps next to you, Natalee," she adds with a smirk.
Kyrola seems a bit pressed to keep the two boys from creeling, stuffing their guts with any little bit of meat. Looking up at the others helplessly, she says, "Won't they yell at us for this?"
Twilit Cirrus Spiraled Blue Hatchling looks around, rather bouncing for joy to be out of that shell! He scrambles around across the sand, trips on a shoe. Bites said shoe. Said shoe's owner would be Langley.
Deepest Mahogany Brown Hatchling creels, thinks everyone's forgotten he exists.
"We'll just tell them we're practicing in case we Impress," says Langley with a practical nod and then a backward skitter as the blue seems aimed for her. "You're doing it wrong! Look! Nitali there has meat. Mmm, meat. Go toward her. Shoo, shoo."
Alaida reaches over to the offered meat from Natalee and smiles. "Thank you. I.. " then she stops when she watches the blue topple on Langley's show and laughs! "Oh no, Langley! Another mouth! " then she takes the meat and holds it out, wiggling it at the creeling. "I"m here. "
Natalee hears Langley and cries, "Hey! I'm sure they won't make any trouble. See? They're all sleeping." She looks at Kyrola and grins, saying, "I'm sure everyone will be fine with this," with a wicked grin.
"At least one? Well...alright then." Fine, right? Nitali scoots forward, to her previous position, and continues to nudge bits of meat at the 'lizards still un-Impressed. Or, make that *the* 'lizard still un-Impressed. Another smug expression takes her features, and she snickers quietly, right before inching closer to the little brownie. "Here ya go, kiddo," she whispers. Watch out, hatchling. You're being closed in upon. Inchinchinch.
Rhianwen emerges from the greenery in the direction of the beach.
Twilit Cirrus Spiraled Blue Hatchling croons and is gotten off of Langleys boot and he walks away crooning pitiously.
Alaida glances over at Langley and the blue. SHe pouts a bit even as she continues to dangle the bloody meat to the tiny brown, trying to get him to understand that it is for him if he wants it. "Awww! Langley, he's hungry. You can't be that cold-blooded! "
Natalee shakes her head at Langley. "Aw, Langley, that was -mean.- The poor little lizard." She waves at Rhianwen, saying, "Join the fun!"
"Aw! Langley!" Bad Langley. Bad! Nitali's sympathetic look is donned again, and she starts to pluck the bits of meat from the ground, dropping them into her other open palm. That done, and once enough has been gathered, Candidate extends handful of meat and leans forward until a wince results in the stress put on back and arm muscles. But she's willing to make sacrifices! Sure! "Here, little'n," she croons. Hey. He's hungry. He needs food. Croon.
S'ris emerges from the greenery in the direction of the beach.
Alaida reaches out with her other hand, now that the blue in her lap is drifting off with a full tummy and holds some meat out to the blue. "You poor thing. Langley was just mean to you. "
"Well! I don't even have anything to feed it!" insists Langley, scooting away and fingering her sandal much to the upset of the tiny green on her shoulder. "At least it's smart enough to go looking somewhere else." She bats dismissive fingers at the rejected blue. "One of you guys can feed it."
Twilit Cirrus Spiraled Blue Hatchling falls on Rhianwen's boot.
Twilit Cirrus Spiraled Blue Hatchling stumbles towards Rhianwen.
Kyrola looks up as she hears a footstep, and a sleeping green, and two nearly-sated boys, one brown, one bronze, look up and chirrup sleepily.
Alaida shakes her head, then smiles. "He likes tripping on shoes. There's a new home. " then she looks up at Langley. "I hope you thaw out before the dragon Hatching. " then she turns to look back at the brown, wiggling her meat at him, letting the juices fall to the ground in an enticing way.
Oh. Well. "Woo! 'Wen!" Yay for new-coming Candidates and their shoes! "Feed him!" is called next, whilst Nitali's free hand waves around at the gathered people and meat bowls supplied by the drudges. Then the brown is attended to, while her own bronze and green slumber on in her lap. "Here," she offers, just as gently as before. Dried wherry bits, in Candidate hand. Best delicacy on all of Pern. Hah! Croon.
Langley points at Rhianwen with a triumphant, "Hah! You see? There's someone who'll feed him." There's a snicker under her breath that sounds decidedly like, 'sucker!'. "I'm thawed. I just don't want another big-mouthed firelizard waiting for me to shove gross, raw meat into its face following me around all the time."
Deepest Mahogany Brown Hatchling looks around, creels, very pitiuful, is very hungry.
Alaida clicks her tongue at the brown as she wiggles the meat out at him. "Hey. It's right there. " She hunches herself, trying to make herself small again.
Rhianwen takes the food Nitali offers with a smile, scooping up the firelizard and remaining sp
S'ris just, eyes the candidates around the scene, making sure to, well, stay well away from the group. He already has one useless lizard, no need for another. No no no. Stay away, and he shall be safe.
speechless in doing so.....
Nitali can understand hunger. Poor little brown guy's been sittin' out here while the hub-bub's been going on. "Aw. Hush, sweetness. Look at all the food!" See? Alaida has some! And so does 'Ali! And so does...well, not Langley. 'Wen has some! Look! Handful is extended ever more in a stretch. He better appreciate this.
Natalee looks around. "One more?" she asks. "Oh, the brown." SHe looks at each of the candidates in turn and asks, "Well, who has what?" Just then, she notices the brown and sighs. "Who does he want now?"
Langley glances back over her shoulder, earning yet another screech for the motion. (This is what she has to look forward to, sigh.) "Oh, don't think you're safe just because you're way back there, sir. Especially not if you have tasty shoes. I'm sure Rhianwen and I can vouch for that."
Natalee notices S'ris and uh-ohs. "Uh, you won't mind if we keep all these little things in the candidate quarters, will you?" she asks him nervously.
Kyrola mutters, "I hope not... we can't keep them anywhere else..."
"Certainly aren't keeping them in my weyr," S'ris mutters back, then smiles. "And you certainly won't be slacking off in your chores to take care of them. Now, I hope you guys aren't swamped in these things.."
Langley's position: Candidate, Ista Weyr // Former Infirmary Assistant, Ista Weyr // Former Candidate, High Reaches "Oh, I've just got the one," Langley is quick to assure, though she doesn't sound very pleased, even about just the one. "There's still one left, I think. Maybe he's just been waiting for someone with a flouncy knot?" she suggests, peering over heads toward the lone brown lizard.
Kyrola looks a bit helpless. "I've got three... oh jays..."
Deepest Mahogany Brown Hatchling hears a deeper, more masculin voice, twists his little head around, wanders to S'ris, completely unnoticed until he's latched ahold of theWeyrleader's boot.
Natalee cries, "I only have three! Well, three new ones, anyway. And I didn't mean to get all of them, they just...came. But we have to feed them. And oil them. And do lots of other stuff." She notices the brown at that moment and starts to snicker.
Alaida smiles and watches the brown while she holds the meat in her hand, ready to offer it to him if S'ris rejects the little guy like Langley rejected the tiny blue. "Here, Sir. " and she offers up some meat to him.
Langley smirks at Alaida, a mirth dancing in those bright blue eyes though she says not a word. (For once.)
"I only have the two," Nitali replies Weyrleader-wards, gaze tracking and stalking the little brown 'lizard as he heads on over to...S'ris? "Er." Riiight. "Be very still," she advises, gaze still locked on the brownie. Just in case a repeat performance of before takes place. She'll be *ready*, see.
S'ris looks down and blinks. Then does the most intelligible thing he can think of. Picks up his leg and starts shakingit to try and wiggle it off. "I can appreciate your impeccable tastes little guy, but my last firelizard is scared of the world..." Talk about useless.
Deepest Mahogany Brown Hatchling latches on tightly to S'ris boot hanging on with everything he's got.
Deepest Mahogany Brown Hatchling stumbles towards S'ris.
Alaida whimpers. "Oh shards. Sir! Please feed the poor thing!
S'ris -sighs- at it all, then freezes his leg in mid-air. "Some gimme some meat!" Not like he can exactly, hop over there.
Alaida offers up some bloody meat to S'ris.
Kyrola may be nearest, and fortunately, her trio left some... leftovers. "Here, sir," she says, politely offering.
Natalee starts -laughing- as she watches the determined brown. She, too, slides her bowl of meat over, still shaking.
In that *way* she's got, Langley grins at S'ris and says, "I told you so." She's not going to offer any meat, of course, just sit back and gloat about her inexhaustible knack for always being right.
Skylyn smiles around contented, "C'mon Galadryl. Let's go home."
Skylyn smiles as Galadryl flies over and lands on her shoulder.
S'ris sighs and grumbles and mutters, picking up the meat and dangling it above the creelign brown. "Come on, you only get meat if you get off my leg!" So then he just drops the piece on the ground besides him to get the widdle lizard off, and then kneels down and starts feeding slowly. Sucha practiced motion too. "Yeah yeah, this one better not between away from everything!"
Alaida finally sits up and stretches, then picks up a tiny blue and gold from her lap to her arms. She looks over at Fierai, who flits over and lands on her pet's shoulder to look down at the new editions to the family and chirples softly.
Natalee looks around. "So who got what? I have a green, a blue, and a brown."
Langley replies with a whimsical sigh, "I have a living terror of a green." She pokes the firelizard on her shoulder, who had been dozing contentedly but awakens to squawk imperiously at the girl.
Kyrola finally gets her trio settled. "I'll have to think about that too," she says with a grin to her teammate. "And this was supposed to be a /rest/ day," she adds with a pout.
Natalee sighs. "Five," she mutters. "Now I have to feed five." She looks down at her green and frowns at it. "This one is going to be very happy, with two blue and two browns to look after her."
Alaida grins and looks over at Kyrola. "This /is/ a rest day. "
"I think I'll call her... ohh, Glamour. That suits." Langley frowns at the firelizard, just to make sure the creature realizes she's not getting fond of her, or anything. "Call them Gold and Blue, Alaida. I bet no one's ever used those names before."
S'ris laughs softly at them all as he scoops up the brown lizard, stuffing him up to his maw. "Yes, a good lesson, no such thing as rest days, so get used to it. Besides, this will be good practice for oiling and such."
Alaida laughs then groans. "And with the hatching so... " and she blinks. "Oh shards! The egg I won! That's going to be hatching soon. " Now she whimpers softly. "We are all goign to be so busy with caring for these mouths and with the Hatching coming up soon... "
Natalee hmmms at her lizards. "I wonder," she says slowly. "If the colors are sort of a prophecy. For the real hatching, I mean."
Tallying up on her fingers, Langley says, "What does that make? Thirteen or fourteen new firelizards living in the barracks? The other candidates are going to kill us. Especially you, Natalee." There's a tease in her voice as she grins at that candidate in particular. "Oh, and Alaida too, it seems."
Kyrola points at Alaida and can't help but giggle. "Hey, let's go see if there are any creme puffs left."
Natalee turns her nose up in the air at Langley's comment. "I'll be fine, I'm sure," she says haughtily. "After all, -I- wasn't the one who just stuffed her firelizard in a bowl."
S'ris looks up, quirking his eyebrows and grinning. "You stuffed your lizard into a -bowl-?" he asks over at natalee and Langley.
Alaida wrinkles her nose and looks down at the two in her arms. She looks up at Natalee's words then nods to S'ris. "She tossed her into a bowl to feed her, then refused to let her get out.
Langley, who would never turn up her nose but certainly has tossing her chin down to a science, notes patently, "Well, it worked, didn't it? Look. She's fat and happy and that's the point." She rolls her eyes over to settle upon S'ris and says, "I didn't *stuff* her in there. I put her in a bowl full of raw meat. It's not like she got hurt or anything."
Natalee continues sweetly, "I fed each one of my new hatchlings by hand, like they're -supposed- to be fed. I didn't just jam them into a bowl filled with meat and let them fend for themselves and dump them into the waterfall when they got dirty from all that scrounging."
Alaida returns down the path to the beach.
Kyrola finally pads out to get herself some of those creme puffs before they're all gone.
Kyrola returns down the path to the beach.
S'ris chuckles at the candidate and moves his own fat lizard up onto his shoulder and settles it down comfortably. "Well, I'll be down later, I have to go tuck this guy away somewhere."
Tossing her chin once more, Langley starts down the path on her way out. "Yeah, and now I'm going to go dump her in a vat of oil and see if she can swim." With a flare of red hair, she turns and trots off, jarring the green with each step.
You return to the black expanse of the beach.