Langley: 9 June 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.

You walk down the stairs, emerging into a corridor only lit by evenly spaced glowbaskets. As you walk down the corridor, one thing noticible is that there are no branching corridors off this corridor. You emerge on the Hatching Sands. There is no turning back now.
Dashir suddenly pulls to the right, straining to see around a candidate who's wandered a bit into his way. "Rhianwen! Lookit thar! Ta'ts onner my favorites tater rockin'!" he points to the bright orange egg, beaming proudly as it moves.
Wendelle grins at Langley. "Fashionably late, as usual, Langley?" He calls.
Almost as though protesting the storm above the second egg hatches. The Rippling Waters Egg shudders and shakes with every roll of thunder, with every crack of lightning. It's almost a surprise then, when the egg suddenly shatters with almost no sound at all. There's no triumphant entrance for this soft little blue, and he's so dark a shade of midnight as to almost be missed against Ista's black sands. Almost. He's only cowering there a moment before a thunderclap sends him hurtling toward the safest haven he can find. Little Triasa, of Nerat Hold.
Mouse decides to try something herself - she kicks away some of the sand, trying to get a flat and /cooler/ part to stand on. Of course this means she buries her toes in the hot sand; wincing, she gives it up as a lost cause and goes back to peeking around the edge of the circle. A particularly loud crack of thunder makes her wince.
Rhianwen giggles at Wendelle, nodding and then tries to look at where Dashir is pointing - but he's taller, and so can see better "Oh, where! I can't see it, Dashir!" she tells him, before smiling at Langley's arrival "oh, look! They found her."
Salva grins. "Triasa! Look! A Blue! She got a blue!" The storm is forgotten in her excitement.
A bead of sweat runs down Pulyn's face, and he drops Alaida's hand for a moment to brush it off, then returns his hand to it's previous position. "Another one," he whispers awefully.
Ekaterina squeaks as another dragonet finds a lifemate, half-spinning to watch the course of the last dragonet.
Kyrola doesn't twitch as another roll of thunder is heard, her eyes following a dark streak that's hard to pick out until... "Triasa!" she shouts. "Kaylira, did you see that?"
Crushed Orange Velvet Egg works itself free of the confining sand, bumping and rolling down the little hillock that was created just for it. The bounces seem timed to conincide with the rumbles of thunder above.
P'tod's grin is broad and he's nearly bouncing on his feet with excitement as he makes his way toward the second pair. "Congratulations, Triasa! Just come right this way, and we'll get him something to eat." He leads her off to the corner of the sands.
Natalee sighs and looks relieved, though her grip on Pulyn's hand doesn't loosen a bit. "The storm doesn't seem to be bothering them that much, at least."
"It's starting so fast!" Kaylira murmurs, a smile quickly appearing on her face as Triasa impresses. "He's a cute one, too! Do they all go so quickly...?"
Alaida jumps slightly at the thunder and winces a bit. Her knuckles go white as she grips Salva's and Pulyn's hands more tightly. She licks her lips, shivering a bit then winces, rocking still from foot to foot. She nods at Pulyn's words and murmurs. "I really wish that thunder would stop. I can stand the lightening. "
Jai's hair begins to frizz a bit more, her curls taking on an oddly translucent glow with the light from behind her. She tosses them over her shoulder and glowers, "Why's it have to be so hot in here!" She glances at Langley as the other girl arrives, snorting with sarcasm, "Figures she'd be late. I'd wager she was late to her own birth." Eyes widen and are caught as a nearby egg moves.
A loud bolt of lightning strikes somewhere outside the grounds. But immediately following is a loud crash of thunder.
Langley makes a face at Wendelle, of course, even as she sketches off her bows and scuttles over to find the reat of the candidates. "Shuttup, Wendelle," she says, stepping lightly with a wince for the Sands.
Wendelle lifts one foot off the sand, then the other, first broiling one set of toes, then those on the other foot. He's only going to be half baked by the end of this.
Khadira's eyes graze the semi-circle cooly... her attitude aloof. She pauses only briefly in her watching to congratulate the new impressees and goes right back to watching the candidates... who'll go next... who... she's perhaps thinking.
Wendelle sighs. "She spoke to me."
Dashir looks awed as the blue races towards the small girl it chooses, his lips drawing up into a huge, toothy grin. "Oy! Tat'er way Miss Triasa!" he shouts out. Then, he draws Rhianwen to a clearer spot, so she might see the eggs better. "Thar, see?"
Kyrola jumps instinctively, even if she's not afraid of storms per se. She wasn't looking /that/ way. She grimaces and lifts one sole off the sands. "I wish I had my boots," she grinds between her teeth before switching feet.
Sonya returns to the main sands, winceing at a loud clap of thunder. She spies Langley and actually heads that way, keeping one eye on the eggs and hatchlings at all times. "I didn't see you in the barracks, miss." she says softly when she reaches the late candidate.
Shoshana winces as the heat of the sands catches up with her. She jumps, and wrinkles her nose. Ouch. She starts shifting from foot to foot, to keep her feet cool and because she's nervous.
Alaida laughs softly at Langley's words, then gives a small squeak at the thunder. "Shards! " she exclaims softly.
Mouse not only flinches at the extra-loud crash - she nearly ducks and covers, but pops back up at the last minute. "Too loud - everything's too loud out here!"
Nitali hardly seems perturbed by booming thunder. Maybe she likes it? Or maybe she just can't focus on it. Flinches are caused, sure, when lightning flashes, but mainly she's trying to keep her feet from burning too much, with a lift of one here and the other there. An audible gulp, and she leans to the side a little to watch. Don't think she's movin' though. No way, no how.
Pulyn jumps a little at the thunder, and squeezes Alaida and Natalee's hands with a hard grip. "It's...so humid!" he says, blowing air up at his forehead to cool it.
Wendelle grins at Pylyn. "You cold take your robe -off.-" He suggests. "That would be cooler."
Rhianwen drags Wendelle after her, of course, unless he lets go of her hand - and beams as she sees it "Oh, yes! That one is pretty." she assures Dashir, bouncing a bit. "I didn't know that candidate, but she looks really happy" is noted of Triasa's impression - and then she's back to watching rocking eggs and giggling every time a clap of thunder bursts or a jagged streak of lightening illuminates the sands. "Oh, I do love a good storm!" is whispered to both her handholders.
With a sudden springing, the Luminous Starlit Green hatchling erupts from her egg and caroms out onto the sands. Head held upright, eyes sparkling almost fiercely and shaded slightly with orange, she turns this way and that with clear design. She is here for one purpose and one purpose alone: to find the One, to love and guard the One forevermore. Something on the edge of sight catches her attention and she takes off in that direction, steps oddly sure for one so recently out of the shell.
Salva squeezes Alaida's hand tighter. "Oh, I don't /like/ this!" She stops as the green hatches. "Look!"
Wendelle yeeeks as he's almost dragged off his feet.


Luminous Starlit Green Dragonet 

A wet sheen of remaining egg innards clings to this gleaming green's slender form. From nose to tail she is a single, long, sinuous curve of grace, surprising given her newness. Along the length of her hide, as if touched by a silvering ray of starlight, comet trails of jade are cast in relief against deeper emerald shimmers that shift and swirl dazzlingly as she moves. Lying closed against her back, folded wings seem to reflect a trace of malachite that continues in a daring curve downward along the tapering darkness of her tail.
Alaida giggles, blushing. "Wendelle, that isn't nice! " then she looks back to the eggs, watching the hatchlings with a nervous look in her eyes. She nods at Salva's words. "I see...She's pretty. "
Ekaterina stares at Wendelle, then quickly shakes her head and stares at the recent green. "Oh wow, look at her! She's so pretty! And -- wow, she certainly sees to know who she's going for."
Fluria flinches at the thunder herself, but stays diligently at Qirith's side. Watching with a tight face the events that unfold.
Natalee waves a rather ineffectual hand in front of Pulyn's face, then her own. "Hot, muggy, miserable." SHe grins as she watches the eggs. "Perfect."
Kyrola smiles as another dragonet is spilled to the sands. "Oh... wow," she says softly. "She's beautiful."
Pulyn gasps, and glances at Salva for a moment. "Oh, a green! She's beautiful!" he says, still jumping from foot to foot.
Khadira snickers at Wendelle's comment, managing an appropriately calculated but rather unfeeling, 'Ooooh' for the green before continuing her surveyance. Occasionally she jumps at the weather's antics but for the most part, seems to be taking it in stride...
Wendelle says "Ooooh, sweetie." Then he jumps as thunder crashes, looking like an alarmend runnerbeast."
Jai winces at the thunder, glancing out towards the bowl entrance. She shift uncomfortably, the combination of hot Sands and wet air making her more and more... well... wet. Perspiration drips down her back and forhead. She wipes at it irritably, rubbing her wrist over her face to keep the sweat out of her eyes. She glances at the dragonet and nods, "Very lovely green. Look at her."
Shoshana smiles at the green, "She's beautiful..." Then Shoshana is jumping from foot to foot again as she watches the green hatchling.
Nitali jumps, as if in unison with her fellows, when yet another Hatchling breaks shell. Well. At least she's pretty? "O-oh." That's about all she's got for now. Not very eloquent, no. Shift. Wince. Tremble. And thus the cycle progresses.
Mouse - slowly - peeks up at the dragpn as she straightens back up, no particularly loud blasts of thunder shattering her composure. Brushing off the front of her robe, she kicks her feet to knock the hot and sticky sand off them.
Kaylira scrubs one hand over her face, clearing away matted tendrils of blue-black hair that had stuck to moist cheeks. That hand pauses though, as the green dragonet hatches. "Oh... goodness!" That one won't go for a messy candidate, oh no. The girl pats down the sides of her robe, not that it does much good -- it only clings more. "Frump."
Dashir whistles at the newly hatched green, puffing up rather like a papa as he turns to beam down at Rhianwen. "See thar? didn' I tell yer et were screamin' wit attitude even outter ets shell?" he insists cheerfully. It seems he's had time to adjust to the situation, and now watches the progress of the eggs with simple curiosity.
Luminous Starlit Green Dragonet kicks the shards of the Crushed Orange egg out of her way. She has more important things to do than worry over *that* thing anymore. Her steps are indeed sure, and she heads unerringly towards one side of the white robed candidates. But what has attracted her attention? It's the shell of another egg! What is this alien thing? She gives a blaring call to it, as if demanding it come out as well.
Langley tries very hard to look like she's not nervous as she falls in somewhere near Jai, picking her path carefully and flashing a meek sort of smile at the other girl. "Bathing," she explains tersely, her feet never ceasing their constant movement even while she strains to look around.
A torrent of rain, a cascade of watery drops, and a crack of lighting brightens the sky. Then, in the seemingly dead silence, The Sigh of Sisal Egg seems to disentegrate, leaving a rather dainty look green-jaded lump on the sand. She peers up, blinking as water hits her eyes and lets out a pitiful croon, running away from the Thread babies that seem to hit her. She soons runs into the legs of one startled boy from Ista Seahold, causing him to topple over before their eyes meet, and T'tan gives the dragon a hug. "It's only water!"
Wendelle dances from foot to foot as he peers after the green. She's so cuuuuute!
Sonya stands right behind Langley now, eyes moving from her to Jai to the eggs and hatchlings.
Pulyn can't help but nervously snicker at the green as sweat beads up on his forehead. "Strange," he comments to Natalee, then smiles at T'tan, giving him a congradulatory nod.
Rhianwen giggles, nodding to Dashir's comment and watching the green's progress with fascination "She's so little - I mean, compared to the adult greens." She says, before wrinkling her nose at Wendelle 'I think he should keep his robe on, myself. I don't think the hatchlings would like it." she murmurs.
Salva oohs softly, still watching the green dragonet, but noticing the Impression as well. "Hurrah! Look!" Then she mutters, "C'mon little green, don't just stand there!"
Natalee tries to back away from the dragonet. "You know, they're much bigger than firelizards," she murmurs. "I didn't--I didn't think--" she stammers, then falls silent.
Sonya can't stay there though, people are impressing left and right. As T'tan calls out the name of the green she heads in that direction to herd the pair towards food.
Jai arches an eyebrow at Langley, "No excuse and you know it." Why is that girl standing so near to her anyway? She sighs and rolls her eyes, then looks back at the Hatchlings with interest as fellow Candidates Impress left and right.
Kyrola musters a watery grin as the one green bugles to that other egg, then the one goes to T'tan?
Langley glances back over her shoulder just long enough to flash a smile at Sonya, too. An encouraging one; at least, as encouraging as she can manage under the circumstances. It's hard to be encouraging while hopping around like that. "Excuse enough," she mutters, out of the side of her pensive mouth.
Wendelle grins at Langley. "I hope you got nice and clean?"
Mouse flinches at the thunder crack again, though not as much - she's adapting. Eventually, even she does that. Brushing her robe again, she peers around, looking at dragons she's missed go by.
For once, Avalle is relatively still--she's not fidgetting, not doing much of anything, just /standing/ for a very long time, watching, barely breathing. Rather than shifting from foot to foot quickly, as others might, she stands for awhile on just her left foot, the other tucked up off the sand. "Oh my, oh my," she murmurs, eyeing one of the recently Impressed.
Luminous Starlit Green Dragonet gets hit right on her egg-goop smeared snout with a big fat drop of water. Confused, she shakes her head, sending the remaining shards sticking to her flying. As she looks up, more drops patter down on her head. She squeals defiance, a thin sound against the crack of thunder, which drives her back towards the white-robed things. Anything to get away from this annoyance!
Shoshana grins a congratulatory grin for T'tan, waving and then turning her attention back to the green on the Sands. "Go on, little green..."
Dashir takes a moment to be concerned for the tumbled pair, but goes back to grinning his foolish grin as it comes out alright. "Ets amazin'.." he murmers to no one, shifting his footing so now the other sandle bears the brunt of the sands heat. His eyes are bright, cheeks dimpled boyishly, and for a moment he looks turns younger.
Turquoise Seaweed Egg gives a languid roll upon its right side, as if stretching out in seaweed glory, jiggling slightly as if the tangle the blue and green strands. Black sand flurries about it, rhythmically bursting into clouds of sand above the blue and green shaded orb--the diamond within the sands. Its numb, it shakes, it quails, it quakes--that's what this egg is doing, tonight. Beyond dodging the wind and rain of the tropical storm.
Ekaterina shifts from foot to foot, back and forth, pacing in place as she watches another quick Impression, then attention returns to that Luminous Starlit Green Dragonet, tracking its path.
Alaida grins, despite the thunder and her cringing at it when it booms. She watches the eggs, trying to keep her eyes on all the Impressions happening while she minces her feet back and forth. She finally, briefly, lets Salva's hand go to reach to her brow, wiping the dripping sweat. She blinks a few times to clear her eyes then rubs her hand on her clinging robe before retaking Salva's hand.
Qirith tilts her head to the side and gives a soothing croon to those hatching and frightened by the sounds of the storm.
Wendelle yeeks and leaps aside from the green's charge, letting go of Rhianwen's hand and falling on his bum.
Lyree takes three quick steps and yanks a bemused candidate out of the path of the clumsy dragonet approaching from the side. She gives the girl a quick reassuring hug, an admonition to pay attention to all the hatchlings, and sets her back on her feet.
Pulyn smiles at the green, and does a slow, dance-like shifting of his feet. "She's funny!"
Salva is torn between watching the rocking egg and the green hatchling. She huddles closer to Alaida. "Look, she doesn't like the rain...oh, dear."
Langley flings the end of her damp braid back over her shoulder in Wendelle's general direction, the gesture emphasized by the stuttering steps she can't stop taking. Edging a little, she makes her way toward Alaida and Salva in little, tiny steps, getting *away* from the darting green.
Kyrola points her free hand toward the green. "Finally!" she says to Kati with a grin. "I guess some're faster than others." With a hiss of displeasure, she changes feet again.
Nitali is all nice and tense now, thanks to all the elements compounding around her. Wonderful things, storms. Oh, and Hatchings. Yay, and all that. Hands ball into fists, then relax, then re-curl, over and over again. She's ready to duck or...jump. Whatever it takes. A near-whimper escapes, and more foot-shifting follows. Ew.
Rhianwen watches T'ten impress to another little green, and squeezes Dashir's hands, her eyes shining "Oh, isn't it? I didn't think it would be this wonderful. The little things don't looks scary at all - just frightened...but not dangerous." And boy, is that a relief.
As Wendelle releases Rhianwens hand, Dashir pulls her gently to one side and slightly behind him, avoiding the green calmly. "Oh I wouldn' go ser far as ter say tey arn't dangerous, Rhianwen. But aye.. ets er marvel." he agrees.
The Plenty of Pern egg spins, rolls, and cracks with a heavy thud into the Verdant Scaled egg, sending a blue and green tumbling out onto the sands atop one another. Both seem a little dazed, and stare at one another before rushing off in opposite directions and finding their lifemates.
Mouse just shifts her weight, watching more the sky then the dragons - or what she /could/ see if the ceiling wasn't in the way. As if that'll help her spot a thundercrack before she hears it.
Salva shrieks. "Look! Two at once! A blue and green. Look at them run!"
Wendelle scrambles back to his feet as the green darts past him. "Whew! That was close!"
Rhianwen peers from around Dashir, giggling at Wendelle's scrambling from behind her 'rock'. "Oh, dear. She was a bit wild, wasn't she?" She notes, watching the green run by with obvious delight.
Pulyn smirks at the new green and blue, then returns his attention to the first green. "I wonder who will get her?" he asks those around him, still doing his hot-foot dance.
Kyrola cranes her head one way, then the other, as the blue and green dart off in different directions. "They almost make my neck hurt," she says to Kati.
Rippled Sand Sepia Egg bumps violently to one side, with a sudden frenzy of purpose from within. The egg bumps, slams to the left. Then to the right. The hatchling inside this egg is possessed of a sudden and urgent need to be released!
Attention is certainly paid to those dragonets wandering the Sands--Avalle glances periodically around, keeping track of them and remaining out of the way. She seems more intrigued, though, by the rocking of the eggs. "What a way to come into the world," she muses.
Khadira takes a moment to yawn, her gaze seeming to catch on Whispers in the Dark... and darting back off in the next instant. "Silly things," she grumps, crossing her arms over her chest and only now starting to feel the heat. Just a bit, she leans from foot to foot.
Ekaterina nods quickly, tightening her hands around Kyrola's and Jai's. "Mine too, trying to watch them all at once."
Natalee takes a few deep breaths, still clenching Pulyn's hand. "Oh, this isn't what I expected, not really!" she whispers at Pulyn. "I thought it'd be sort of like a firelizard hatching, only with bigger firelizards," she adds.
Langley's attention is caught by Salva's shriek, and she lifts her chin as high as she can to see said blue and green at once. "They go fast," she says in a low tone, something of approval and dismay both coloring her voice. "Well, some of them, anyway," as the lingering green passes her field of vision.
Wendelle says "It is like a firelizard hatching... only we're the meat!"
Luminous Starlit Green Dragonet shrills unpleasantly. She isn't frightened. She's annoyed! There is something she is supposed to do here - as she moves, a wing is tripped over and she lands snout-first before a white-robed candidate from far Honshu. That's it! He's not the one, but she rights herself, and sets out on her quest, assured once more. She moves down the line of candidates. Not that one. Not that one. The one she wants is here somewhere though.
Salva eyes the rocking egg. "Oh, please hatch. C'mon, you can do it!"
Lyree jogs towards the blue pair, being closer, and leads them towards the corner where food and oil are waiting.
Alaida giggles softly. "Well, they knew where they wanted to go. " she comments, briefly looking at Langley with a grin before back to the eggs and the dragonets. She hmms softly, seeming to relax a bit as all else just watching. Occasionally she lets out a heavy breath as if she was holding her breath.
P'tod strides after the quick little green and her new lifemate, a reassuring smile fixed on his face. "That's right, just bring her right this way, the food's over here in the corner."
Jai tosses her sweat-dampened hair over her shoulder once again, "Just pick one and watch it." She points to the green, "Like that one there who... who... whose coming this way!" Her hair is taking on a frizzy quality that makes her look more like a walking mass of huge red curls with a white robe sticking out and some arms and legs coming from somewhere beneath.
Rhianwen wrinkles her nose at Wendelle again "Ew, that's disgusting. Oh! Look, Dashir. The poor thing fell. I suppose all babies are clumsy?" It's half question, half announcement of fact - and still her hand remains in his larger one as she peers from behind him.
Kyrola's track down toward some of the unhatched eggs, glancing over one, the Summer Evening egg, then back toward the hatched dragonets, a wary expression on her face.
Pulyn nods distractedly to Natalee, taking a peek at the Blue Hude-Wraith before turning back to the green, visibly panting from the heat, and from the nervousness.
Ekaterina bites at her lower lip, swallowing hard as she watches the Starlit green. "Jai," she says absently, "you look fine."
Sonya fidgets. She doesn't stand in one place long, walking slowly up and down behind the candidates. Eventually she stops behind everyone of them, pausing to look for Impressions and to just see where the hactchlings are on the sands.
Shoshana watches the green with mixed eyes. Hopeful but...something else. She sighs and follows it down the line of Candidates.
Nitali's gaze is really only on the Tempting Treat Egg now. She does so love that vividly pink ovoid. Pink. Mm. It's even enough to distract her. For a moment. Until another thunder-crash rings 'round the cavern. That gets her to at least jerk in surprise, yanked from her reverie. Green is eyed as it inspects...people, and a visible pout forms. Feet are given a distasteful look, what with sticky sand and all. Shift.
Wendelle scurries back towards Rhianwen. "Safety in numbers." He explains. "Don't you two dare impresss and leave me alone."
Langley meets Alaida's grin with a wan brief smile. "How can you be so calm?" she asks, her voice jarred by the constant shuffling of her feet. One glance at Jai and she smooths a protective hand down her damp, kempt braid. Contempt is fleeting, however, soon replaced by that pensive expression once more.
Kaylira wraps a tendril of hair about one finger, an idle gesture perhaps to keep her nerves down. "They're all so energetic, aren't they? Do you suppose it's from the storm? Shells, they'll run the weyrlings right into the ground." Her gaze follows the green, and she bends forward to watch her progress.
Jai growls at Ekaterina, frustrated with her hair, "I can't see anymore." Grumble. She pushes at her hair again and literally shovesit out of the way over her shoulders, away from her face.
Mouse looks over at Wendelle for a moment. "I didn't need to hear that," she mumbles, as she settles her robe so it stops sliding off her left shoulder. She mumbles to herself as she settles it, then looks up at again, eyes squinting as she deals with the headache that dragons and thunderbolts and who-knows-what-else cause starts to set in.
Turquoise Seaweed Egg wiggles, coming to no untimely end: once more into the sand, dear friends, once more, let it roll, and roll, and rock, and shake, never to be freed of the horrific burden of its shell. It is, in truth, fortune's fool. Topaz strands unfurl into the wake of blue and green, shuddering in oblique necessity. Ay me, sad moments seem long, indeed, especially when battered by winds from the storm beyond the grounds.
Dashir watches the eggs that bump and rock, his gaze bright as he squeezes Rhianwens hand. "Oh most wee ones gotter time o'et explorin' t'eir limbs.. " he notes almost absently, bobbing his head. With his free hand, he reaches to shove back a stray strand of hair behind his ear.
Qirith turns her head towards Tuoth and gives a high-pitched `EEEeeeEEEEee' of sound. Except she has better lungs for it now. But the sound is short lived as she turns back to the sands.
Hazel eyes cast back to the starlit green, and Avalle puts her foot down again, spending a minute standing on both before tucking the other one up. One hand tugs at her robe with some irritation. "I don't care how it looks... I just wish these were more comfortable. It's like trying to wear a sack with holes in it," she comments.
Salva takes a deep breath, trying to watch everything at once. For now she keeps an eye on the Starlit green. "Oh, look at her. So pretty."
Alaida murmurs, watching the eggs but replying to Langley's comment. "I'm far from calm, Langley. I feel like my heart would just bust out of my chest and flipflop on the sands. I"m trying to be calm because if I don't, I will cry at the thunder. " She shifts from foot to foot, every few seconds.
Pulyn visibly winces when he leaves one foot on the sand for too long. "Ow," he comments to noone in particular, focus still on that first green.
Ekaterina winces as Qirith bugles, stepping back just once away from the gold, hands tightening on Jai's and Ola's.
Tuoth emits his manly bronze rumble of comfort, one that gives way to an excited, yet dminished bugle. The bronze can't be scaring his babies like the thunder is.
Kaylira idly regards Avalle for a moment, a bemused smile on her lips. "You are wearing a sack with holes in it," she points out.
Langley blinks up at Qirith and her weird voice, both eyes narrowed as they pick out dam and sire quite easily. "I don't think that'd make the rest of us feel any better," she says as an aside to Alaida, swallowing all but visibly as her bright eyes track after the hatchlings.
Rippled Sand Sepia Egg rocks with a markedly increased tenacity, and bumps itself right out of its position in the sand, rolling slightly off to the right. Bump, slam! The egg goes rocking in circle, and cracks begin to form across its surface.
Rhianwen winces a bit as she spots Jai "Oh, the poor thing. She spends so much time on her hair, and this silly wetness is ruining it. Of course, I think she looks nice anyway, just as she is now. But she looks upset" It's a random comment - but then, Rhi herslef is rather random. "Do you think that little green will ever choose? She seems pickier then the others."
Sonya winces slightly at the sound from the queen. This time she's paused behind Rhianwen and Dashir. She steps on tiptoes to see over the tall candidates shoulder but still can't see. She steps to one side to peer at the eggs over Rhianwen's shoulder. ah, that's much better. She can see now.
Kyrola winces as the queen gives a high-pitched... noise. She turns her head toward the rest of the line for just a few moments, looking over her two partners, Kaylira on one side, and Ekaterina on the other.
Salva clings to Alaida. "Look! Another one's rocking!" She winces as thunder rumbles. "Hurry up, eggs!"
Shoshana bites down on her bottom lip as her eyes skip from egg to egg to beautiful hatchling, although, the hatchling takes up most of her attention.
Wendelle says "She'll pick Langley. Isn't it amazing how some people manage to look good even in a wet sack?" He comments to Rhianwen."
The sand around Patterned Oils Egg seems to sink down before the egg bursts from the occupant's frantic hammerings. The little blue gives his head a fierce shake before getting to his feet and rushing off to find his lifemate among the candidates.
Luminous Starlit Green Dragonet is moving past candidates at a frightening rate. Nope, nope, nope, nope. She's picky, this one! Finally, she starts to slow, before a small grouping of girls. Could it be one of these? She comes to a slow halt, head tilting up in turn, red eyes wheeling quickly. Come on, front and center! Which one of you is it?
Pulyn nibbles on his upper lip a little, averting his eyes to the rocking egg for a moment while sighing.
Natalee laughs at Salva's comment. "Yes, I do think it's odd," she says. "Some of them hatch and impress so quickly and others take forever."
Salva gasps. "A blue hatched! Look at him run!" She keeps an eye on the green. "Look! She stopped!"
Dashir isn't alone in his wincing, for indeed that's what he does when the Queen lets out her creel. "Oy.. T'at normal?" he asks with faint concern, looking over to Rhianwen and then directing his gaze to Sonya, whom he notices in turn.
Ekaterina waits, going very still as she watches the Starlit green stop in front of -- someone. "Who's she going for?..."
Jai looks carefully at the green, eyeing her suspiciously as she stops.
Langley pauses her stepping as just enough of Wendelle's comment makes its way toward her, her heels no doubt crisping as she tilts her head doubtfully. "I think I've been insulted," she has time to comment before the heat reminds her to step lively and the newly hatched blue reminds her not to let her attention waiver from the eggs.
Kyrola diverts her attention from the pretty green toward the blue. "Wow... I guess they were right when they said they'd impress fast. Except that one."
Rhianwen shakes her head at Wendelle "Really, now...Langley can't help it if she's naturally pretty" she notes, before she too senses teh presence behind her and smiles back at Sonya - and then it's back to watching the green "oh, look! She looks like she might choose one of those girls over there, Dashir.."
Sonya has stepped over to be able to see just in time to spy the blue racing then finding it's lifemate. Quickly she spares a crooked smile for Dashir and Rhianwen before moving over to the pair. "S'kay. We'll just get him some food. It's right this way."
Alaida gives a suddenly cry, shaking her hands from Pulyn and Salva for forcefully before she stumbles to the the Luminous Starlit Green. "Of course you are hungry, Devath. "If she's ever been happy, now is the time as everything else just melts out of her sights but the green.
Wendelle says "Well that's true..." His attention is torn away to follow the pretty green."
Salva shrieks with happiness. "Alaida! Oh, congratulations!" She jumps up and down, cheering.
Wendelle says "Awwwww... That's so sweet.""
Avalle makes an attempt to smooth the fabric over her hips, although it doesn't work very well. "I guess looking uniform is good, but couldn't they make us look uniform in something comfortable?" Her eyes widen as she catches Alaida's Impression. "Oh!"
Kyrola shouts, "Alaida!!! Is it Alaida?" she asks her taller colleagues. "Oh, /well/ done!"
Shoshana grins and nods, "Alaida and Devath! Congratulations!"
Jai's eyes widen at Alaida's Impression, "Well, go figure! A new greenrider." She fishes the hair tie out of her hidden spot inside her robe and pauses to watch the new pair while attempting to tame that massive head of hair that's sprung from her head.
Dashir stares in amazement as his gaze is directed towards the grouped girls, and suddenly his voice rises in a delighted bellow. "T'ater girl, Miss Alaida!" he cheers, raising one fist and punching it into the air.
Salva inches over and clings to Pulyn, now that Alaida's gone.
Mouse just stands, now more or less calm, more or less ready to face the world at large - and, of course, everything's gone on without her. She peers over at the little picky green - and then watches it stop being picky. She smiles, slightly, but doesn't appear to have the presence of mind to speak.
Ekaterina lets go of the others, hands coming to her mouth before she gives a piercing whistle. "ALAIDA!"
Pulyn gapes at Alaida for a moment, before smiling happily. "Good for you, Alaida!" he comments, probably more loudly than he should have, then takes Salva's hand carefully.
Langley takes two quick steps backward, blinking sideways at Alaida. "See what I get for looking away!" she exclaims, then claps both hands together, making a silly but elated spectacle. "It *is* Alaida," she's quick to call toward Kyrola, beaming for the other girl even if it's never going to be noticed.
"Oh!" Kaylira takes a step back as Alaida calls out Devath's name. "Congratulations, Alaida! She's gorgeous!"
Natalee cries, "Alaida! Good for you! Congratulations!" She smiles as Alaida leaves, and huddles closet to Pulyn and Salva.
Devath (For the Diva in 'The Fifth Element', whose sweet voice enraptures her audience and whose quiet wisdom soothes like the blue waters of the planet over which her performance takes place, though this lovely green also shares qualities drawn from the character Leeloo of the same film.) A Diva is also a talented vocalist, whose ability symbolizes the ultimate in vocal achievement. Divas are often strong and supremely confident in their abilities, qualities that your lifemate possesses in spades. looks rather smug as she croons to Alaida. Hers! She headbuts the girl, red eyes overlaid with blue heart's love. A tail curls about the girl's - her girl's - ankle.
With a wiggle and a waggle. With a crack and a snap. The shell of the Turquoise Seaweed egg falls in many pieces to the dark sands. At last leaving a dark shape, for a moment unrecognizable in color, the Frosted Darkness Blue Dragonet on the sands.
Wendelle says "Congratulations Alaida, you deserve her.""
Rhianwen squeals as she sees the green choose, and pulls away to clap her hands in delight and jump up and down - in typical Rhianwen fashion "Look, look, look!" She burbles, tugging on Dashir's arm "It's Alaida! Yay, Alaida!"


Frosted Darkness Blue Dragonet 

Crystalline structures spread angularly across this blue hatchling's stocky form, reflecting at their interstices with a frosted brilliance as though struck by a winter sun, while the broader, still-wet hide between seems to lie shadowed in the indigo darkness of dusk and ice. Flanks almost hidden beneath protective wingsails shimmer with the blue-black of permafrost deep below, and midnight, candescent melodies play joyously beneath the paler and more luminescent frozen cerulean of limbs and head. His wingsails are made brilliant with subtle, stark spears of palest blue, reminiscent of the most fragile icicles stabbing into cold winter winds, while frost-sharpened talons glitter against the Hatching Sand's obsidian depths.
Salva gasps as one of her favorite eggs hatches. "Look! A blue!"
R'vael steps foreward towards Alaida and Devath. "Congratulations," he offers warmly, beaming at the new pair. "Let me get you two off the sands," he requests, gesturing for them to follow.
Nitali's eyes all but slip from their sockets at Alaida's uttering of her new bond's name. "Alaida!" A hop, a clap of hands, and a bright beam fit to split her features spreads. Oh. Right. She has to be on the lookout. All activity halts, and again her hands clench around parts of her robe. But she can still beam. And she *does*. Another jerk follows the Hatching of the next...blue? and she draws in a deep breath. She can survive this. It'll be aaaaalright. Nevermind she's still 'hiding' behind Salva. Heh.
Khadira turns toward Alaida with shock on her face as word goes up that the girl impressed. Outright shock... so much so that she can barely stutter out, "C...congrats...." and then stare at the newly-impressed green.
Pulyn now shifts his attention to the Frosted Darkness Blue, eyes blinking furiously, obviously to get some sweat out of his eyes. "Oooh, that one's pretty as well..."
Kyrola hears another egg crack and turns her head. "Look, Kati! Another blue!"
Alaida laughs suddenly, wrapping her arms around Devath as tears come to her eyes. She looks up at R'vael and instantly says. "She's hungry. " She wobbles, much like Devath and follows the rider as if he will help her while leading her new lifemate.
Devath (For the Diva in 'The Fifth Element', whose sweet voice enraptures her audience and whose quiet wisdom soothes like the blue waters of the planet over which her performance takes place, though this lovely green also shares qualities drawn from the character Leeloo of the same film.) A Diva is also a talented vocalist, whose ability symbolizes the ultimate in vocal achievement. Divas are often strong and supremely confident in their abilities, qualities that your lifemate possesses in spades. looks rather smug as she croons to Alaida. Hers! She headbuts the girl, red eyes overlaid with blue heart's love. A tail curls about the girl's - her girl's - ankle.
Dashir laughs from somewhere deep in his belly, the sound resonating out of him as he nods happily down at the bouncing girl beside him. "aye! An looket thar!" He whistles long and low, his gaze appreciative of the freshly hatched blue. "E's er handsome lil feller." Another shift in the sands, the changing of sandle soles, and the big man watches the newest hatchling.
Jai looks away from Alaida back to the clutch as a number of other Hatchlings pop out. Her hands are still in her hair, fighting to tame the wild curls with a single hair tie. Sweat rolls down her cheeks as she works, probably very hot from the humidity, the Sands, and too much hair. Green eyes dart from Hatchling to Hatchling.
Ekaterina squeals, nodding slightly. "Oh, it's beautiful -- well, handsome." Immediately her hands shoot back to Jai's and Kyrola's.
Sleek and quiet, this little green seems almost disappointed to have hatched today, and pokes around her shell. that of the Blue-Hued Wraith Egg, as though it might offer respite from the huge thunderous claps that echo through the cavern. How disturbing! But try as she might, the shards don't make the storm go away and, well, they don't make that pain in her belly go away either. A resigned huff escapes her delicate muzzle as she plods determinedly toward a smaller group of white-robed things -- no crowds today, no no no! -- and the storm is soon forgotten in the gaze of Triassen of Crom.
Wendelle nods to Dashir, bouncing from foot to foot.
Shoshana's eyes are drawn away from Alaid and Devath and brought to the current blue. She smiles and tilts her head to the side in an abstract manner, "He's a handsome fella'."
Salva squeezes Pulyn's hand as tightly as possible. "So pretty...oh, they're all so pretty! look! Triassen Impressed!"
Langley sort of veers over toward Salva now that Alaida's been claimed for a higher purpose. "Quite a nice blue," she adds, nodding her approval so that her damp braid bounces a little. "But, then, aren't they all?" Perhaps a little whimsically, she keeps hot-footing it, trying not to rest her weight too long on either foot. "See? A nice green, too," as she nods toward Triassen.
Kaylira can't help but watch Alaida and her new lifemate totter off the sands, so she almost misses the newest hatchling, a blue. The candidates' comments around her force her attention back, and she absentmindedly wipes the palms of her hands against her robe. Right, hatching still going on. Check.
Pulyn gapes again at that Impression, and hesitantly says, "That was....my egg....oh well." He continues his little dance, wincing almost continuously now.
Kyrola can't help but see Triassen impress, and then her eyes wander once more toward the unhatched eggs then back to the blue still there. "Handsome can be beautiful, too," she notes, lifting her right foot completely off the sands for a few moments before switching.
Mouse pushes her leading fringe of hair out of her eyes, peering over at the blue for a moment with her head to her forehead, before letting it go to fall in her face again. Nothing to cut it with, nothing to hold it up with. Looking down at her feet, she walks a few steps away, as if this'll help cool them off.
Wendelle mutters. "Dang, I never would have picked him for a greenrider."
Alaida quickly, wobbly moves to a corner to start feeding Devath. Tears still stream down her cheeks in pure happiness.
Natalee gives Pulyn a quick hug. "It's ok," she whispers. "It was your egg, just not your dragon inside."
Salva hugs Pulyn. "S'ok. Can't tell from the egg what the dragon'll be." She keeps watching the blue and hopping from foot to foot.
Frosted Darkness Blue Dragonet recoils his small form upon the sand, a burst of lightning colouring him brilliant for a single moment in time. Rising, wobbling, he pushes to his feet, shakingly progressing upon the dark sand, his sticky form attracting the volcanic dust. Rather than concentrate on righting himself, he pushes towards the nearest group of candidates, warbling loudly, as if attempting to add life to the sands. The candidates in front of him look hopeful, but, with eyes whirling in less than immediate distress, there is nothing he can do but warble again, and scramble on.
Pulyn was about to say something, but was interrupted by the two hugs from the girls. "Oh - Well, thanks, you two," he says, a smile showing through his wince.
Langley looks over at Pulyn briefly, as if only just now sizing him up. "There's still a lot of eggs," she notes helpfully, gesturing to the sands mid-hop. "And nice dragonets, too," as she points out the newly Hatched blue. "Chin up." She flashes a quick, distracted smile.
Brushing a curl of hair out of her face, Avalle rests on both feet now, heels raised a bit to at least keep part of her feet off the hot sands. "How many have there been, now? Oh, I can't keep track. Everything's going so fast."
Dashir chuckles, giving Wendelle a side-long look, "T'ats why ter draggers pick em, I'er wagerin'." he comments playfully, turning to watch the blues progress a momement more before diverting his gaze to the eggs yet to hatch.
Wendelle holds his hands up and skitters to one side as the frosty blue scrambles past.
Wendelle says "Hey, you could be right!"
Jai ends up with a poufy runnertail on top of her head, tendrils of frizzy curls falling at her temples and clinging to her wet skin. She fans herself with one hand, wiping at the sweat on her brow with the other and shuffling from foot to foot.
Rhianwen lets out a gasp of breath once she's recovered from congratulating Triassen on impressing "Oh, Dashir - Wendelle, look at that blue! Isn't he lovely? But so much smaller than Pryth! I bet he's much easier to bathe." She grins up at the big trader candidate. "Don't you think?"
Ekaterina sighs as the Darkness Blue passes some more people, watching him intently now. "I wonder where he'll go -- he's so handsome, that one."
Khadira is nothing if not visibly shaken by Alaida's impression. For a good several seconds, she seems only half here, managing somehow to shake it off so she can protect herself if necessary. She does _see_ the blue, but isn't really acknowledging him as there must be quite a lot going on inside her head.
Kyrola musters a smile for the dark blue, rubbing her free hand against her robe, then grimacing as she realizes that the robe's not drier than her hand.
Nitali can do nothing but watch, and keep hsrself from getting *too* bloody uncomfortable. Hot Sands, *sticky* Sands, thunder, lightning, and the possible threat of a dragonet's talons and teeth. Mature dragons are different. The Hatchlings aren't quite...'tamed' yet. And she's heard and seen her share of horror stories. "G-goodness."
Rippled Sand Sepia gives another twitch to the right and then one to the left. The sound of cracking shell heralds the arrival of the next dragonet. But where -is- the newest hatched dragon?


Inferno's Remains Brown Dragonet 

Charcoaled tips make dull pockets of colour against deepest shades of brown, delving into ashy furrows against his hide; the aftermath of an inferno blazing darkening hues from head to tail tip. Muddy sienna galvanises itself against muscular flanks, streaked with grey limned notes, as ash pervades against extremities of dusk--whilst upon his limbs, oaken strains provide hope against the heat of trailing flames, a brilliance of fiery red speckling deeper towards the underneath of his belly. Wingsails flare with jutting cocoa, deepest hues darkening hope beyond all measure, whilst his head gains passage of poker blacks strained with flecks of silvered water; mud running down neckridges as the danger passes, and order is restored. Inferno's Remnants Brown Hatchling was inspired by bushfires, especially the burnt trees and landscape after they bushfire is finally put out. Bushfires are necessary to ensure that undergrowth is cut down, but the ravages of the inferno can be seen in the crumbling ash and blackened trees as long as years later.
Like waves rolling against a beach, this little blue cracks the shell of the Cinnamon Swirl Egg and rolls in a jumble of feet and wings and talons. Head over wings over tail he goes, until. *smack*! The dragonet's heads may be hard, but running snout-first into another egg -had- to have hurt! Dazedly the little guy looks around, eyes whirling dreamily as he focuses on the dim light of the glows on the walls. Then, sloshing about like water in a bucket, he weaves his way toward the candidates, stumbling over his feet or a wingtip or his tail -- how'd that get there? Gradually he seems to get his senses back, but that doesn't make a difference. he trips over his feet one last time, into the arms of Suraiya of Tillek. Somehow, it seems, she doesn't make his head spin so much as the rest of the world.
Salva gasps. "Where is it? It's gone....oh! A brown! And Suraiya has a blue! It's happening too fast!"
Wendelle says "Oh, Congratulations Suralya!" Wendelle bounces up and down in excitement."
Pulyn takes a quick look at the brown, but then gets diverted by Suraiya's Impression. "Good job," he calls over with a smile, then turns to Salva momentarily. "I agree, beside Alaida's green, they all go so quick!"
Inferno's Remains Brown Dragonet steps forth from the ruins of his egg. Staggers, really. His whirling, deeply reddened eyes gaze around the vast bowl. They widen. Oh my, so much out here. Long tail and awkward wings causing him to stumble as he steps forth from the ruins of his shell, he creels and then, as a thunderous crack sounds in the air, he stares upwards for an instant, transfixed. What was *THAT*?
Kyrola cranes her neck around. "Look, another brown! Suraiya?" she asks, leaning forward to peer around Kaylira. "Oh, yes... now if only it wasn't so shardin' humid in here..."
Ekaterina gasps as the Inferno Brown hatches, eyes widening in shock. "Oh Jai, Kyrola, look at /him/..."
Langley's steps naturally shift her a little, this time back toward Jai as she kicks a few of the hot grains off the tops of her feet. "That was two browns in a row," she says toward the other girl, her know-it-all best toward the other girl.
R'vael walks down to the far end of the Cavern.
Natalee frowns. "What was that? And it is happening so..." she trails off, twisting around, trying to keep track of all the hatchings.
Shoshana applaud audibly for Suraiya, but all her attention is now on the brown. "Impressive." She says, with another light grin.
Devath walks down to the far end of the Cavern.
Alaida walks down to the far end of the Cavern.
P'tod strides over to the Tillekian and her brown. "Congratulations, Suraiya," he says, resting a hand on her shoulder to guide her toward the corner of the sands. "That's a fine-looking brown, let's get him fed."
Salva fidgets constantly. "C'mon, you beautiful brown! It's only thunder!" This coming from the girl who's terrified of it!
Frosted Darkness Blue Dragonet has quickly gained the use of his limbs and tail, and now moves with far better ease, if not grace, as he crosses the sands, searching for that next group of candidates, as if searching for the one place where he can go home. Traipsing past a group, his warble is a moue of disapointment--for them, for himself, for one and all. Oh where, oh where can his lifemate be? No doubt its home, home on the sands.
Dashir blinks at the rapid succession of hatchings, the sands suddenly seeming to fill up despite their girth. "Hrr.. T'ar righ' fine, Rhianwen, righ' fine." he agrees, although he urges her with a light pull of his hand to step back a bit further. All the better to run if necessary.
Mouse spots what Jai's done and tries it herself - she pulls the hair out of her eyes and tries to tie it back. It looks a little silly when she's done, but at least it's gone - and she peers at the blue as it goes by without a sound.
Rhianwen gasps again - she's doing that a lot 'Oh, and look! Another brown. He's pretty too, don't you think, Dashir?" she tugs at the large candidates hand again insistently, even as she moves back a bit "Oh, really. Those dragons aren't coming anywhere near us, you know." Somewhat of a good/bad thing, perhaps.
Ekaterina turns again, watching the blue pass a group, watching it anxiously. "I hope they find their people soon..."
Jai is hot and bothered as it is, so her temper is on edge. She glances at Langley with a glower, "Brilliant of you. Look over there. I hear they call that color a blue." She rolls her eyes and sighs, somehow looking apologetic but not voicing the sentiment. Her own eyes go to the blue and don't leave him, one hand clinging to Ekaterina's, the other playing with a wet curl at the end of her runnertail.
Pulyn looks over at the blue again, and a smile crosses his face at it's warble. "Oh, he sounds so /cute/!" he exclaims, bouncing even more on the balls of his feet now.
Wendelle says "That's OK, Rhi, I'm sure you're lifemate is out there." He waves to the rapidly dimiinishing pile of eggs."
Qirith gives another hoot of sound herself. `EEeeeeeeeeeeeEEEE!' in welcome to the newest hatched, the brown and blue.
Khadira mutters contemplatively to herself, "Green... she impressed... green." Clearly still preoccupied by an earlier impression. Every so often, she checks the positions of the hatchlings to make sure they're not straight on a path to her...
Langley says, as snippy as she'll ever be, "Don't be snippy. We're *all* scorching out here." She shuffles her feet a little faster as if that might prove her point, her braid dropping over her shoulder once more as she blinks up at Qirith's newest weird sound. "Too much to try and see at once..."
Kyrola lets go of Kati's hand long enough to plug her ears, one eye scrunching closed, her teeth gritting.
Kaylira has to stiffle a giggle as the brown stands stock-still, staring upward. "This'll take a while, if he gets so distracted by noise," she says bemusedly. "C'mon brown, you'll hear it again. The rain won't feed your belly." Really she's talking to herself of course, but my, it does help to calm the nerves!
Dashir chuckles, blushing slightly as the tiny lady beside him assures /him/ of the obvious. "Well..aye.. but, yer ne'er know. Better ter be safe t'en sorry." He squeezes her hand briefly, looking up at the brown she indicates. A grunt of surprise and he nods, "Tey all seem perfect lil miniatures, don't tey? I wonner what Big'n'blue looked like right outter 'is shell.."
Ekaterina winces, covering her own ears and closing her eyes against the noise made by Qirith.
Natalee jumps when she hears Qirith and tries to duck behind Pulyn. "How many have hatched? And who? Oh, I can't keep track; all I remember is Alaida."
Inferno's Remains Brown Dragonet stares upwards with wide, unblinking, fascinated eyes. Wow! For a heartbeat or two, he forgets his hunger. His need. Overriding curiousity blocks out overriding need, but only for an instant. When the thunder fades, his slender neck lowers and he looks around him. Swinging head to the left, then to the right. An urgent need makes itself known, and the brown steps further from his ruined shell, heading unsteadily on woozy legs towards those people in white. He has a reason to be among them. There's someone there...
Shoshana shifts on her feet again, her eyes darting between the blue and the very impressive brown, them both having their good points. She spares a moment to look at her favorite eggs, before turning her attention to the Hatchlings once more.
Pulyn keeps his grip on Natalee's hand, and tries to keep her beside him. "Don't worry, ssh, Natalee!" he whispers, obviously Qirith's sound didn't affect his nervous state much.
Avalle watches the blue for a moment, then spares a quick glance towards the brown before looking over at the remaining eggs. "It's going to /quickly/, isn't it? Just one right after another, seems like."
One crack of thunder. Then two, then three, and everything on the hatching gounds remains unmoved. Then a bright and sudden series of lightning strikes flash through the sky, heralding the brown snout poking out through part of the Violet Fossil Egg . Another peck and soon the maw, then head is coming from the egg. Then it's wings shred the egg apart, freeing it's body onto the sands. With an unerring straight line, it heads right to O'lan, who announces himself as the luckiest person alive.
Salva watches the brown with hopeful eyes. Then she cheers. "O'lan! Oh, good for you!"
Mouse kicks a particularly offensive bit of sand off her foot, then flinches at Qirith's sound - but then, the trio of thunder cracks sets her to decided panic, and she scrambles back toward the group she'd left not that long ago.
Kyrola pulls her fingers out of her ears finally, then gives Kati her hand back automatically. "Now /wait/ a minute," she says a bit incredulously. "O'lan? I don't believe it!"
Langley dares to stand on her tippy-toes for the barest of seconds, watching one of the browns find his way toward the newly named O'lan. "Imagine if they all went that fast," she comments under her breath, doing a stupid little dance to cool her offended toes as much as scorching Sands allow.
Ekaterina cheers for O'lan, then turns back to watch the Inferno's Remains Brown. "He's so /handsome/," she announces again, then blinks. "Don't believe what, Ola?"
Rhianwen giggles "I bet he was just as tiny" she notes to Dashir, watching the progress of all the hatchings - which only serves to make her cross-eyed and dizzy "Oh, I wish they would stay still! I'm getting a bit mixed up trying to watch them all."
Pulyn snickers a little at O'lan's comments, but then calls out, "Nice job there, O'lan!" while waving his foot in the air behind him.
Frosted Darkness Blue Dragonet scrambles past a group of candidates, eyes whirling quickly, then more quickly still, as he pushes towards another clique of white-robed things. With the greatest of dignities, he leans his head up, eyeing a young girl from Nerat for a slow moment, then turns, dejected, moving away upon the blackest of black sands. He catches sight of the Inferno's Remnants Brown Hatchling, warbling towards his fellow hatchling, although he remains isolated.
Salva winces at the thunder. "I wish this was over! Look, the brown and the blue!"
Sonya moves over towards O'lan, leading the pair off the sands.
Hop. Hop. Hop. Green Globs of Gunk Egg leaps into the air with little jerking motions and rolls down the mound of sand it was balanced on, fetching up in a little hollow, where it twitches impotently back and forth a few times, then bursts apart. An eager, if clumsy, bronze tramples the shards all to dust in his hurry to get free and dash across the sand toward that skinny blond boy from Tillek. The lad drops to his knees, steadying himself with arms around the bronze's neck. He seems stunned by the realization, and the candidates nearby titter even as they step back out of the way to give the new dragonpair room.
Wendelle's eyes go wide as the brown dragonet approaches. "You want meeee? Oh, you don't want me? Alright." He sighs as the dragonet goes past him, straight to someone else.
Shoshana watches O'lan leave, murmuring a small prayer for him and his new dragonet.
Dashir grins widely, "Oh aye, wouldn't t'at me nice.. aller em ter stay still." he agrees playfully, nudging Rhianwen gently with his body before leading her a ways to the left - a better viewpoint to safely oggle the new hatchlings. "O'lan! Wonnerful!" he shouts out to the happy young man.
Jai shoots another glare at Langley and snorts, but doesn't respond with words at all. She shifts to the other foot again, eyes watching the goings on around her. She must be uncomfortable because she's quieted down.
Salva claps as another Impression occurs. "Look, I don't know his name...oooh." She is riveted to the dragonets, clinging to Pulyn's hand.
Pulyn snaps his head over to the bronze now, making his mouth into an 'o'. "A bronze," he whispers, making a face. "Yuk."
P'tod turns his head about rapidly to survey the sands. Spotting the bronze, he trots over, wiping hands on his trousers and then using them to wave the new pair over to the corner of the sands for food and oil.
Mouse /keeps/ moving, only stopping when she's directly behind Jai. Position assured, she peeks around, making sure nothing on the sands is either going to m ake a lot of noise, or run up and harm her. Her final position is about half-way between Jai and the person next to her, so she can see all right, and be seen as well.
Natalee laughs at Pulyn's comment. "A bronze," she states. "Beautiful," she tells him as she runs a finger through her soaked hair.
Inferno's Remains Brown Dragonet begins to pick up the pace, stepping towards the nearest cluster of candidates. He's getting the hang of moving this body of his. But his mind is busy, and if you watch those whirling eyes you can see just how busy. He looks here, he looks there, he looks everywhere around him. He trips on a wing, however, when a clap of lightning in the sky distracts him. Up goes his head for an instant, and he tumbles forward into a brown heap, emitting an indignant squeaking sound.
Frosted Darkness Blue Dragonet all but rushes towards a group of candidates, his eyes whirling fast--faster still!-- as he makes the progession. Drawing himself to a careful halt, he manages not to launch towards the candidate in question. At last! Ho, candidate.
While a blaze of lightning strikes the bowl outside, the light it casts through the enterance electrifies the Frosted Darkness Blue Dragonet's hide. As the brilliant light strikes him, so does he, too, appear to strike out with a claw in fear. At the last moment, however, that glistening claw pulls back, and soul meets soul as eyes meet eyes. Red turns to green as he stares up into the face of a very large man with honey-brown hair.
Kaylira's dark brows arch in surprise, and momentarily she forgets the humidity and the heat and the ugly clinging robe. "Oh, a bronze! And he went straight for him too, like he knew ahead of time." Pulyn's 'yuck' earns him a surprised glance.
Rhianwen is herded to a new spot, peering out from behind Dashir the protecting one from her new vantage point, trying to locate the hatchlings again "At least all this moving out of the way keeps my feet from getting too hot" she notes brightly, shifting them yet again. "Who do you think that blue will go to?"
Langley pulls a little on the end of her braid; not enough to muss it, of course, but enough to relieve some little bit of tension. "Oh, this is just *too* much," she says, trying to watch dragonets, eggs, and people all at the same time. "Who's over there with that blue?" she asks imperiously of Jai. (What good is she if not to help look around, after all.)
Salva watches with bated breath. "They've decided! Look! Oh, look!"
Kyrola watches the bronze and grins at his impression. Then the grin vanishes as the brown falls. "Oh dear!" she says with concern. Indecision wavers on her face, but then the blue seems to dart forward. "Look! Where'd he go? Who'd he go to?" she asks of the taller ones around her. "I can't seeeee."
Pulyn lets out a whoof of air at the other snickers, then turns to glance at the blue. "Oh, Salva. Who is it?"
Ekaterina shakes her head, straining to look as well. "I can't see /either/!"
D'shir gapes and points quickly at the bronze who's just impressed, "Lookit that! Er bronze!" he breaths, his eyes going round despite his best efforts to stay collected. Suddenly, he stops all together, his arm dropping slowly as he stares down at the Frosted Darkness Blue who stopped before him. "Eileryth.." he whispers, barely audible - then louder as the big man crouches quickly, lossening his hand from Rhianwens. "We'll go getcher somethin' ter eat! Sonya! Sonya Eileryth es hungry!" he bellows, arms going protectively about the blue, searching wildly for the weyrlingmaster.
Salva cheers wildly. "Dashir! Dashir, oh, congratulations! Look, didja see?" She yanks on Pulyn's arm in her excitement.
Jai peers around Ekaterina and Kyrola to see who the blue's gone to. She shakes her head, not looking at Langley as she responds to the girl, "I don't know... he's over there..." She arches her neck and takes a step forward with one foot to see around the others, "I think... I think... Yes, it's Dashir! His blue is Eileryth!"
Ekaterina shrieks, literally jumping for joy and whistling again. "D'SHIR! Ohhh, Eileryth, what a wonderful name!"
Wendelle grins. "Hey, congratulations Dashir!" He blinks in amazment. "Shards what a pretty blue..."
Pulyn shakes out his arm a little at Salva's tug, smiling happily. "Yay Dashir! Good job!" he calls, his smile turning to a slight wince again.
Avalle nearly jumps, herself, at the storm, and she takes a few deep breaths to relax. "You know... the sand doesn't feel quite as hot as before." Brows lift in surprise at that reflection. "Hmm. Oh--congratulations, Dashir," she calls over in the general direction of the new bluerider.
Rhianwen stumbles back as D'shir drops her hand, astonishment turning quickly to utter delight as she squeals "OH!!! Oh, he wanted you! Oh, congratulations!" she bounces, not mindful of that fact that she is now left without her shield and her companion. "Oh, he's lovely!!"
Kyrola blinks. "DASH!" she shouts loud enough to rattle things. "How wonderful!" Then, she turns again, and the brown... "Is it okay?" she wonders.
Lyree hurries towards Dashir and his blue, smiling brilliantly. "A lovely lifemate, indeed. This way..." And she heads towards the growing crowd of pairs in teh corner.
Natalee claps. "Dashir!!" she cries. "Good for you!" She waves her free hand at him.
Shoshana jump and down, "Dashir! Congrats to you and Eileryth." She smiles and waves, wtching the new dragonpair.
Flaming Sandstorm Egg gives a wrenching wiggle to the right and then to the left. A hop and a skip and a jerk. Much movement from this egg. Oh yes.
Tempting Treat Egg splits neatly into two halves and a green hatchling with gold-streaked wings steps out. She makes her way on weak and clumsy legs down the line of candidates, pausing finally before a short stocky fellow from Ista Sea Hold. "Oh, Coranath!" he shouts, tears flowing freely. "We'll always be together!" His pronouncement is punctuated by an ominous rumble of thunder, and Coranath hides her head against his stomach.
Lyree walks down to the far end of the Cavern.
D'shir walks down to the far end of the Cavern.
Langley nods satisfaction at Jai's response, actually stopping to smile at the other girl almost authentically. "Oh, good. And who just Impressed that green Coranath?" She perchoes on her toes again, squinting before she contents to shrug and say, "Some boy from the Sea Hold."
Nitali just watches in that silence she's seemed to master as the blue goes to...to...Dashir! "Oh!" Again she hops, and again she claps, and again she...stops. No need for all that. Ahem. But she's *still* beaming. Oh yes. And eyeing all those darting Hatchlings warily. Oh. Drat. Then that Tempting Treat egg is...taken. From her. "Aw. Nice." Whew. Maybe that was for the best. Shift-hop.
Salva swivels her head this way and that. "I don't have enough eyes!" she complains. "Who just Impressed? And look at that egg!"
Wendelle edges towards Rhianwen, his darting eyes saying - It's just you and me now, kid.
Sonya finishes herding yet another pair off the sands and returns, oil glistening on her own hands visibly now. Her eyes scan the candidates, looking for any more pairs. As the happy sounds of another impressed pair reachs her ears. She strains to see and suddenly she hears her own name being called out. But she's too late and she can only watch D'shir lead his new lifemate from the sands.
Khadira's attention is pulled toward D'shir now, and his new blue as they leave the sands, but this time, she seems not so surprised... or shocked. A sigh leaves her lips and she steps away from the group of candidates she was near. "Too crowded..." she complains, though there are certainly fewer in the semi-circle than before.
Pulyn grins through a wince as the other eggs crack open. "So many, so fast," he comments, hands shaking slightly.
Inferno's Remains Brown Dragonet staggers to all four feet. Eventually. Oof. He blinks his reddened, hunger-infused gaze about him. That funny sky thing distracted him /again/! Well, no distractions now. He steps towards the candidates with a sudden flurry of activity, arrowing towards one little crowd of candidates. Up close, he eyes them. There's one girl, and another, and a boy and...ooh. Who's this? He stares at one candidate intensely. He's found who he was looking for.
Eileryth walks down to the far end of the Cavern.
Jai shrugs at Langley, settling back to her spot on the Sands and looking at her, "Yeah, some boy." She twists that lock of hair around her finger, then untwists it as she looks the other girl up and down. With a nod she comments, "Your braid looks nice. Good idea." *gasp* Was Jai just nice to Langley?? The world must be ending.
Salva eyes the brown longingly. "Who do you want, little brown?"
Red eyes begin to slow in their swirling facets and change to green as the Inferno's Remains Brown Dragonet looks deep into Salva's eyes.
Rhianwen holds out her hand for Wendelle's, suddenly realizing she's standing there all alone - but she can't begrudge D'shir his blue...no, she's too happy for him. "I suppose I'll just have to watch out for my own hide now, huh Wendelle?" she notes brightly.
Lyree walks over from the far end of the Hatching Cavern.
Mouse pipes up to Jai, "Do you mind if I stand here?" Not that she's moving, even if she's told to. This is as good a place as any to peer ou t from. Her braid/whatever looks a little malformed, and she eyes the other braiders with a bit of envy.
P'tod grins and waggles his fingers to Sonya as she returns. "They're really going now," he remarks. "Oh, hey-- that brown impressed." He starts over toward the new pair.
Wendelle takes the hand and squeezes. "Sure will, you could impress any minute, so be careful!"
Sonya near dances in place, torn between wanting to go after Dashir...er D'shir and see his blue and staying here to help the other people that Impress. In the end she simply waits.
Salva stops dead and stares. "Uriketh? Oh, Uriketh!" She hugs the brown. "We'll get you fed right away!"
Langley smooths the ends of her braid again in a vain moment, saying sincerely, "Thank you. It took longer than I thought it would." That's all the lull she can spare for the moment, a whirlwind of peering later so she can see that the brown stopped by Salva. "Maybe I shouldn't have come over here, after all," she adds in a mumble.
Compost Heap Egg shivers suddenly, a ripple of sand letting go of it's smooth sides and tumbling down in a shower. A second shiver errupts and a web of cracks appear along the side.
Kyrola leans forward and gives Jai a /very/ odd look. "You okay?" she asks, then as another cry reaches her ears, she looks up just in time to see... "Salva?" A smile crosses her features, and then she sees another impressed pair that she'd missed earlier. "Way to go, Salva!"
Ekaterina squeals again, eyes widening in delight. "Salva! Salva and Uriketh! All right!!"
Pulyn gasps very loudly as the brown peers up at Salva. "Oh, Salva!" he exclaims, a huge beam on his face. "Great job, yay!"
Flaming Sandstorm Egg lurches again and looks to have thrown itself out of the sand that held it. Suddenly it begins to roll amidst the other eggs and actually towards the candidates! However it stops abruptly as another bit of sand catches it.
P'tod's grinning wide enough to split his face, almost, as he approaches Salva. "Well, well, well! A fellow brownrider. Very well done, Salva. Why don't you bring Uriketh right over here..."
Wendelle says "Dang, that one can't wait!""
Rhianwen giggles at Wendelle, then squeals again. "Oh, Salva! He's just wonderful! Congratulations." she cries effusively, her excitement for her good friend obvious. "Oh, look, Wendy! She got a brown. I /knew/ she'd impress! I just knew it!"
Wendelle points to the sandstone egg.
Uriketh bumps into Salva affectionately, but with a note of urgency. He creels. Food. Please?
Natalee cries, "Cangratulations, Salva!" before turning to Pulyn and smiling a bit sadly. "Our forsome has been halved," she tells him.
Jai blinks in suprise at Langley, "Who says? You can stand wherever you want." She blinks as Salva Impresses and she misses it, "Shards... I knew I'd miss something." To Mouse, she nods and smiles slightly, "Sure. It's becoming a really party in this spot, isn't it?"
Nitali should be happy she hasn't blown up yet. All this excitement can get a girl...well, over-excited. "Salva!" Uh-oh. In the middle of the next flurry of clapping, she realizes...her cover isn't there anymore. As in she's out in the open. Uh-oh. So it's over to Langley she edges. There! Safe. Or something. Shift. Beam. Jerk. "Oh..."
The thunder continues to sound outside and frighten the dragonets as they hatch. Then suddenly from the Cascade of the Weavercraft Egg bursts a little blue. With a sharp creel and screech he stumbles over himself and the sand. Trying to escape the sound that surrounds him. Finally he finds solace in a young girl by the name of Corda.
Shoshana smiles for the girl she was talking to earlier, "Congratulations Salva and Uriketh! Congrats! I wish you both luck!"
Kaylira brings one hand to her face as her eyes just threaten to well up on her. "Salva! He's perfect, he so is. Congratulations!"
Salva nods. "Right. C'mon, let's go feed you." She heads over to P'tod.
P'tod walks down to the far end of the Cavern.
Pulyn smiles right back to Natalee, obviously still happy. "Don't worry, that doesn't mean anything," he comments softly, then turns his attention back to the hatchlings and eggs.
Wendelle hears something from down the other end. "Was that Salva? Oh... nice."
Uriketh toddles at Salva's side towards P'tod. All is well, now that they are together. Even if he is /starvingly/ hungry.
Khadira offers mostly-silent congratulations to Salva and her brown, fully into her foot shuffle now as time has worn on. She takes a moment to eye the remaining eggs and takes a wary stance...
Langley glances across Jai toward Mouse, blinks, and assures, "I didn't mean that about *you*, of course. I didn't even see you there." Of course not; she's too busy trying to see everything else everywhere else to notice her own general vicinity much.
Salva walks down to the far end of the Cavern.
Natalee claps and cheers as Corda Impresses. "Oh, good for you!" she calls, before turning back to Pulyn and murmuring, "I hope not." Still, she looks worried.
Fools Gold Egg gives a few convulsive twitches, shaking off a fine dusting of black sand, before starting to rock with determination and authority.
Avalle claps a couple times for Salva, but then returns her attention to the rocking eggs, the sandstorm one in particular. She wipes off her forehead with her hand, then wipes the hand on her robe. "It's so /hot/ in here."
Uriketh walks down to the far end of the Cavern.
Mouse actually grins at that. "Oh no. I just meant I'm behind you two and I don't know if I should be." She shifts position in the sand, kicking up some new stuff instead of the hot sand she's been standing on for a few minutes now. Peering out between the bodies, she doesn't spot the Fools' Gold egg rock, so looks at the dragons that might be out and about, or just Hatching.
A pause in the storm above acts as the cue for the hatching of two eggs, the Summer Evening Egg and Flash of Lightning Egg, both flopping against each other before cracking into countless shards. The two green hatchlings stare at one another a moment, seeming to inspect the other to be sure all is right before turning their attention toward the candidates, like sisters at a Gather. Don't fidgit, mind the skirts -- er, tail. Who shall we dance with first? The larger, moss-green hatchling creels hungrily, impatiently striding forward, while the grassier of the two follows behind, less sure. These women know what they want though, and are soon paired with Ista's own Sebass and Timiara both of them traders.
Qirith gives a sudden rumble and her wings flutter up and down at her side. Sending the slightest breeze across the sands.
Kyrola whistles for Corda and then tries to rub her sweaty palms on her damp robe. To no effect, but it gives her something to do while she fidgets in place. She balances on one foot and puts the other's scorched sole on top of it. "Oh!" she says, startled, as her favorite egg hatches and impresses. A mildly disappointed look crosses her face.
Pulyn smiles to Qirith thankingly, basking in the slight breeze. He pants a few times, then brings his now-empty hand up to his face to fan it.
P'tod walks over from the far end of the Hatching Cavern.
Wendelle blinks right and left. Impression, Impression, Impression. "Shards!"
Compost Heap Egg shivers suddenly, a ripple of sand letting go of it's smooth sides and tumbling down in a shower. A second shiver errupts and a web of cracks appear along the side.
Sonya heads straight for Sebass and Timiara as they both impress. "Right this way you two."
Rhianwen goes back to watching the impressions, clapping occasionally for someone she knows, and even for those she doesn't, and sticking close to Wendelle. "I'm getting rather warm." she notes absently, watching a green impress to an unknown candidate.
P'tod rubs his hands together in delight, grinning at Sonya as she leads more weyrlings past him. "Semeth did it!" he boasts.
Langley almost looks relieved as the tail end of that breeze washes across her person, although relief is hard to maintain under these circumstances. "No, probably not," she says toward Mouse, making sure there's room for the other girl along the gapped semi-circle. "Sebass and Timiara at once? Hm."
Wendelle says "Has the lightening died down a bit?""
Flaming Sandstorm Egg rocks back and forth again. Wearing against the mound of black sand that keeps it from rolling along. No luck just yet. So the egg pauses and is still. As if gathering its strength for another attempt. There! With an almost violent shove the egg goes reeling over the obstacle and towards the Compost Heap Egg.
The sky immediately lights up with lightning and a huge BOOM resounds through the cavern!
A big bronze. It emerges from its hidding place in Tangle of Fire Egg . And this one thinks he's a lightning bolt of his own, strolling around the grounds like he was born in it. Wait, he was. So he struts right on by the girl candidates, right up to Owlen. Now O'len. And doesn't that boy just sing in that tenor voice for his new lifemate with a sudden surge of confidence. "Let's go find you some food!"
Sonya is all smiles as she returns to P'tod's side. "Pryth did too. He Searched Dash, ya know."
Ekaterina bites at her lower lip again, shifting side to side anxiously. She shoots Qirith a thankful glance, then JUMPS as that boom rips through the caverns. Oh dear. That one frightened even her.
Shoshana's robe sticks to her body, but she doesn't seem to mind, having eyes for the hatchlings eyes only. As more of the hatchlings go, she begins to get more and more nervous. Her eyes now have a touch of confusion as she watches everything, holding her breath.
Wendelle says "Hey, way to go Owlen!" He grins and waves."
Langley grins in Wendelle's general direction and asks, "Answer your question?" The flash of light and the glance are timed just properly to catch Owlen's Impression and she comments to herself, "Wouldn't have pegged that one." All of this amid her constant shuffling, of course.
Khadira jumps both feet clear off the sands... and arcs a brow at the confusion around her. "Too much lightening... and..." she pauses, "O'len? Wasn't there an O'lan earlier?"
Pulyn jumps, and eeks a little at the thunder. He's obviously quite uptight. "Good job, Owlen!" he calls over to him with a smile and a nod.
Fools Gold Egg pauses, as though gathering it's strength, this impression reinforced by the strong hop the egg gives next, actually clearing it's small berm of sand, and rolling to a stop in the next depression. It pauses again there, as though waiting, or thinking.
Kyrola clutches Kati's hand reflexively, probably too tightly, as she jumps three whole inches off the sands before sucking in a huge breath. "Jays," she murmurs, her free hand splayed over her racing heart. Then, "Owlen? Owlen impressed bronze??"
Kaylira jumps at the sudden noise, her breath catching in her throat, her hands clutching at her robe. It takes a moment to get past that one -- and shells, she doesn't frighten at storms, but that was loud enough to send a person deaf.
P'tod hadn't known, but his face lights up. "Oh! Did he? Well congrats to you and Pryth too, then. Oh, look! It's that fellow who sings-- let me." He strides over to usher O'len off the sands.
Mouse disappears at the thunder. Where'd she go? She's crouching in the sand, hands over her head - she was going to go /eventually/. That was eventually. Hesitantly, she stands up straight, flushed slightly in embarassment.
Natalee tries not to laugh as Owlen impresses. "Congratulations!" she screams, with genuine enthusiasm, though she has a hard time keeping her giggles under control.
Avalle goes stumbling at the last crack, catching her balance just soon enough to keep from sprawling entirely. "Oh! Oh, my." She brushes her hands against her hips, frowning. "As if it wasn't hard enough to relax, out here."
Autumn's Fading Leaves Egg abruptly shatters under the repeated blows from the snout of a brown whose body is the rich, dark color of the soil on Keroon's plains. The hatchling wriggles deftly free of the remains of his shell and takes one, two, three steps forward, opening his mouth to bugle-- but before he makes a sound, the sky outside lights up in a flash, followed immediately by a huge clap of thunder! The little brown squeals in fright and scurries forward, butting his head against the legs of the first boy he comes to. Tigin, now T'gin, cries out, his voice cracking with emotion.
Ekaterina nods quickly, clinging to both hands -- Jai's and Kyrola's -- before jerking her chin towards T'gin. "Look, and he got a brown!
Wendelle says "Hey, Tiggy impressed!"
Compost Heap Egg shivers again, knocking itself loose from its little mound of sand and rolling staight towards the Flaming Sandstorm Egg. With a great *WHACK* the eggs collide!
Rhianwen looks skyward as the thunder and lightening rips, the hatchlings momentarily losing their attraction. "Oh, that was a nice one!" she announces gleefully, before looking back down "Oh, lovely, O'len! T'gin" she joins in congratulating people.
Flaming Sandstorm Egg SMACKS into the Compost Heap Egg and then careens off again. Cracks obvious across its dusty surface. And as the din of thunder dies a bit there is the sound of shell crumbling under pressure.
With a last and horrible shudder the Compost Heap egg spills the contents of its shell. A small body amidst a lot of egg goop. For a moment the color of the dragon is obscured until it gives a mighty shake, sending goo flying, and the Silvered Moonlight Lagoon Blue Dragonet is revealed.
Wendelle grins at Rhianwen. "I had half a mark in him with the cook."
Sonya nods quickly to P'tod as he walks towards the bronze pair. Her attention is grabbed by yet another impression and she hurries to T'gin's side. "Very nice. Come this way."


Silvered Moonlight Lagoon Blue Dragonet 

Silvery-white ripples along indigo and blue-black hide. Faint traces of aquamarine swirl in little eddies of color across the back of his neck. Well muscled, though lithe, limbs hold him steady and sure. Reed-thin strips of blackish-brown curve up his haunches and end in tufts of white, like pussywillows growing at a ponds bank. The angular features of his head flow into a long neck and are dominated by strips of silver above each headnob. Overly large wings, compared to his body, hold aloft dark pools of blue lit by traces of white and gold. Like highlights upon a watery surface they glint and shift as he does. The spars that hold up the mainsails are dipped and spattered with bits of grass green and daisy yellow. Sharp and angular as his features are at his head, they slowly becomes softer edges and more subtle lines to end at the tip of his tail with its gently rounded spade.
Langley peers aslant at Mouse, blinking at the antics. "Just lightning," she says a bit drily, the shouting enough to let her peer back toward T'gin and his brown, squinting against beeds of perspiration rolling from her forehead.
Pulyn barely notices the Impression, he's concentrated on the new blue hatching. "Oh, wow," he quietly remarks. "I didn't think a blue would come out of /that/ egg!"
Kyrola turns her head as the brown impresses, then another blue. "oooo, he's beautiful," she says in a soft voice.
Nitali's frame, again, jerks with surprise as both those eggs crash against each other. "That was new." Indeed. In her turns of being spectator at Ista's Hatchings, it was. "Pretty," she breathes, though flushes immediately afterwards. Ahem. Hot. That's it. Feet shift, and sweaty palms are brushed roughly against the sides of her robe. Hum. "This needs to be over soon."
Jai glowers, "Augh, this weather!" She wipes the sweat off her brow again and sighs dramatically, "What I wouldn't give for a long soak in a cool bath right about now. Oh, look at that blue!" She points with her free hand, one being occupied by Ekaterina's grip.
Ekaterina nods quickly, admiring that Lagoon Blue from afar. "Oh he is, isn't he? Oh wow..."
The poor battered and beaten Fool's Gold Egg gives one final shudder. The many cracks finally giving that last inch. First one piece of shell falls away as the egg stills. Another comes after as egg-covered talons start pushing at the casing. With a final and violent push from the captive inside the egg collapses outwards revealing the Silkspun Harvest Moon Gold Dragonet


Silkspun Harvest Moon Dragonet 

Soft, gentle and simple is the color of autumn evening. That of gold not quite yet shining, but perfect even still. No sun or sunset prevails before it, flaunting its beauty as if all should stand in awe. A simple, silent and all more powerful shape arises. Full of grace and slipping through the darkness. Shadows dance within craters, but mar not the beautiful surface. 
Thus the orange-gold and quiet queen makes herself known. She is so alike Timor and Belior's unusual and serene instance in Autumn both in hide and spirit. Head held high, yet her steps are thought out and careful. Despite her size, she is as quiet as a falling leaf. A trail of darkened gold flows along her wingspars and gives added belief to her lunar similarity. Spread out at random points crater like marks flow across her body, large and small, but there is still that one true, soft and singular color. A gold that is a reflection, but no second, to that whose light it borrows. There have been some before who hold Rukbat's glory in their hide, but she is content and all the more lovely for her softer shade. Let there be no mistake, she is a queen, she is strong and hers will be a long and adventurous life.
Langley starts to say something after Jai, even opening her mouth, her expression betraying the likelihood of a snippy remark. But she lets it pass, taken with watching the blue as her head tilts to one side.
Wendelle ooooooooohs softly at the gold. "Oh that's pretty."
Shoshana's mouth gapes open as she watches the new blue, "He's beautiful..." She murmurs, barely audible. For a moment she is lost in the coloring of the blue, with a distracted smile on her lips. Then her eyes are drawn away by the gold hatchling, "Wondrous..." Is said about her, her eyes flicking between both, unsure of which to watch.
Mystic Tangle of Green Egg bursts into tiny bits and a chubby blue waddles forth to inspect the candidates. He pauses for a long moment, head swinging back and forth between two sisters from Gar Hold. Finally his tail curls about the legs of the elder girl. Jagged streaks of lightning zigzag across the sky once, twice, thrice, and the younger sister bursts into tears just as the answering thunder booms through the cavern.
Flaming Sandstorm Egg continues to roll and careen. Finally coming to a staggered rest before a small group of candidates. It shudders. It shivers. It begins to hatch...
Kyrola blinksblinksblinks. "Look! Wait... didn't they say... wait... wasn't it that /other/ egg?" she asks, casting a look toward Kati, uncertain.
Silvered Moonlight Lagoon Blue Dragonet peers at himself before doing another else. He just blinks and inspects his wet hide with startled curiousity. Eventually he realizes he's not alone and those blinking easy sweep across the sands in total shock. He spreads his little wings and lets out a bright bugle. I am here!
Natalee jumps. "Gold!" she cries. "Oh, she's very beautiful," she whispers, clutching at Pulyn's hand.
Ekaterina comes to a complete and total stop, not even noticing her feet getting burnt as she watches the gold hatch. "Oh... Ola, Jai, look... /Look/."
Mouse watches /that/, at least. "That's the wrong egg!" she points out, unhelpfully. "Does this mean there are /two/ gold dragonets? I'm confused." She's still moving, peering out between bodies and over shoulders.
Pulyn averts his eyes for a moment to smile at the new gold, then turns back to the blue. "Aww...listen to him," he says, mouth open in awe.
Khadira hasn't involved herself much in this hatching. In fact, she rather seems to be doing everything in her power to distance herself from it. "Please, let it be over..." she whispers, though no one is likely to hear her. Neither gold nor blue nor Flaming Sandstorm egg attracts her attention overmuch as she crosses her arms over her chest.
Snap crackle pop goes the eggshell. Or is that eggshells? For three eggs, The Weavercraft, Cool Blue Waters and Pale Winter's Wonder Egg , all crack and open up at once. A brown, green, and blue wobble around, looking at eachother and the surrounding chaos of eggshells on the sands. Then, as one, all three look at their clutch parents, then to the humans. Now don't -they- all look silly, shivering and wet. But to each his own, and slowly the trio pairs off with three candidates standing hand in hand, crooning and butting at their legs until they each pair with their lifemates. And in a neat, single file column, they stroll out, flicking their tails to each side in unison.
Jai ooohs at that, "There she is." All she has to do now is wait. She smooths her hand over her robe and fusses with her hair a bit.
Langley smirks, naturally, though a quick wince ruins the effect. "Oh, yes. *Jai* look," she comments after Ekaterina, then blinks. At Mouse. At the gold. "Or... maybe the other one's just a really big, gold-colored egg?"
Natalee looks at Mouse. "THere are -two-?" she asks. "How can there be two? Or is the other one--"
Fluria gapes and her eyes go wide. "QIRITH!" She yells, but it is drowned out by thunder. The queen gives her own bugle of welcome to her golden daughter. "You sneaky little..." The Weyrwoman looks furious for a moment and then quite amused.
There is a momentary pause in the Flaming Sandstorm Egg's rocking. Punctuated, if one can hear above the thunder, by the sound of cracking shell. But that doesn't seem to be enough. It takes the force of another egg, the Dark Swirls Egg, to completely shatter the shell. Leaving a momentarily bewildered Dark-Hearted Garden Treasure Green Dragonet curled in the remainder of her egg.
Rhianwen giggles at Wendelle "You bet on the outcome? Oh, that's naughty!" she notes, watching the newly hatched blue. "Oh, look. He's pretty! And...Ooooh! So is she!" She spots the gold and goes silent in awe, than laughs. "I think she knows it, too." She murmurs. "But she should. She's beautiful." This last said decisively "She reminds me of Jai." is also noted. "Regal and sure of herself." She looks across to smile at her friend.
Wendelle says "Hey, who cares what egg it came from, it's a Gold!""
Ekaterina just shakes her head, still unmoving. "And it didn't even come from the egg we all thought t'would be!"


Dark-Hearted Garden Treasure Green Dragonet 

Hidden beyond harsh stone and foreboding walls is a wealth of green, a garden once loved, but now abandoned to wilderness as verdant fingers stretch out to invade the hide of this garden green hatchling. Leaves range across her flanks like an emerald and olive cloak, a myriad of shapes--triumvirate, lobular, and pointed-- forming a mask of illusion that is echoed in the ridges of neck and tail. Vines wrap securely around limbs as though they were trees in a secluded glade, hindlegs donned with violet berries and blossoms that hint at orange-hues, while light filters vaguely through the shadowed panorama of her belly, the allure of dappled sunlight apparent. Jade and juniper highlight pinions and wingbones touched with cadmium and vermilion, the vivid coloration contrasting sharply with the gentle autumn hues of the sails, the kaleidoscopic patterns reminiscent of a canopy viewed from beneath, the play of shadow and light providing a vista of innocent and child-like beauty.
Nitali would really rather there not be so much going on. Really. The gold's arrival doesn't help much. "Great." A mild glare is sent towards Qirith, and one eyebrow quirks upwards. Shardin' secretive queens. Hmph. She isn't watching this. Nope. Not the blue, not the gold, not the green. Surprises. At a Hatching. Not Good.
P'tod looks from this side to that, and stands indecisively for a moment as Candidates seem to be impressing right and left now. After a moments' hesitation, he moves briskly to the brown, green, and blue trio and directs them off the sands.
Mouse holds her hands open as she shrugs toward Langley and Natalee. "How would I know? I said maybe! I wasn't good at this last time either."
Tuoth lets out a bright bugle of his own as the gold pops out of the egg.
Pulyn now flips to the newly hatched green, beaming with joy. "Oh, goody, another green!" he squeaks, prancing on the sands more rapidly now.
Silkspun Harvest Moon Dragonet seems in no great hurry, aside from shedding the last traces of her shell, and gives herself a thorough inspection, thoughtfully shaking her wings out to dry, and even flicking her tongue out to dislodge some black grains clinging to her tail. That accomoplished, she judges herself presentable, and turns her intense attention to this noisy, chaotic world she's entered.
Jai glares at Langley, "You know, there are times when I wonder about you." A pause, "Lots of times." With he nose in the air, she turns away from Langley and looks at the Hatchlings again. The blue catches her eye, then the gold again.
Dark-Hearted Garden Treasure Green Dragonet continues to wiggle for a moment, not noticing that her shell has indeed broken and she is free. Only when the next crash of thunder sounds does she jerk to her feet with a `SCRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIEEEEE!' of surprise and indignance. Look whose already taking after mommy! SCREEEEEE! REEEE!
Langley shakes her head just a touch, settling the braid back between her shoulder-blades with even that minute gesture. "Oh, just stand there and look pretty and hope you attract her," she says to Jai, pointing toward the gold as if everyone's eyes weren't already riveted thereon.
Wendelle winces at the high pitched scream. "Steady, darling, steady." He murmurs.
Kyrola sighs softly. "Give it a rest, Jai," she says, and then grimaces as the green makes worse noises than her dam did. Her eyes track across the blue, green, and gold, then back to the blue.
Ekaterina winces, releasing hands to cover her ears with her own, looking away from the Treasure Green. "Gah, loud enough for ya?"
Rhianwen tugs at Wendelle's hand "Look, Wendy! Isn't that a pretty green? Just the colors you like, too.." she notes, her eyes turning away from the gold - perhaps she is too bright for Rhi. "But that blue is still rather nice too" is pondered. "Really, there hasn't been an ugly one in the bunch." Imagine that.
Brackish mud. Honestly, that's the only way to describe the dragon that just rolled from the Whispers in the Dark Egg. He's got a lot going for him -- long of leg, sturdy and stable on his feet, he even regards the white-robed line of candidates with extreme care and thoughtfulness -- for a hungry dragon, that is. But alas, his color doesn't help him much. if his weyrling doesn't watch out, he'll get lost in the nearest mud puddle. There's one candidate who doesn't much care though, and that's Mataeo of Ista SeaHold. He's got such adoration plastered all over his face he'd probably laugh at himself if given a mirror. "Of course.! I love you too. Yes, we'll get you some food straight away!"
Pulyn snaps his mouth shut, and keeps a straight face as that green screeches. "Oh, the poor thing! The thunder scared it!"
Wendelle says "Yes, it's odd that, isn't it. There was that chubby blue, but he was cute.""
Silvered Moonlight Lagoon Blue Dragonet tries to trot forward, head held high as he surveys the ugly white things in front of him. He does manage a few paces before a weak leg gives out and he tumbles foreward. For a fleeting moment shades of fear and anger enter his whirling eyes. He struggles to his feet again and bugles his frustation at the ground. That's right, more dragonet noise.
Avalle lets out a little surprised noise of her own. "Oh... what's in the other egg, then?" She casts a little glance towards the Liquid Lightning Egg. "Very odd. Strange." The green catches her attention, then. "That's very interesting coloration."
P'tod winces as the green erupts into screeching, but he doesn't bother covering his ears. "My goodness! That's a loud one. C'mon, M'teo, right this way to get some food for him."
Wendelle says "I bet it's a huuuuuuuge bronze.""
Qirith opens her mouth to answer the young green, but a very sudden cutting movement from Fluria's hand keeps that particular sound from occuring.
Jai turns to Langley and snorts, "Why don't you go bury your head in the Sand and..." She blinks, jaw dropping at Kyrola, "Me?! What about her?!" She snorts and folds her arms across her chest, then sniffs indignantly and moves away from Langley, Ekaterina, and the others. Put yourself out of range of those who are targets. Yes. Now she stands alone near the end of the group.
Mouse winces at the screaming, sidestepping to be behind - Langley, this time. "Has it shut up yet?"
Nitali *wasn't* watching, that is. Until the green's shriek penetrates even her assumed ignorance. She won't wince. Won't. Aw, there it is. A wince, and a visible cringe, and she takes a few mild steps back from all those dragons. Of course, it's hard not to watch something that...loud. "Poop." Indeed. A glance over her shoulder at the Galleries is shot, and another cringe results. "Ugh." Right.
Natalee looks around the sands. "There's a blue and gold and a green wandering around," she mutters. "Anything else?"
Silkspun Harvest Moon Dragonet freezes abruptly as her bery first crash of thunder rolls through the cavern, amplifying and drowning out the other bedlam all at once. Reds swirl into her jewelled eyes briefly, then she snorts, as the dismay of the hatchlings around her reminds her she's a Queen, not to be frighting at noises. She looks around her again, then bugles imperiously, apparently displeased by something.
Langley's probably not keeping track, but she still says, "There's another one from the Sea Hold," as Mataeo Impresses. She tries not to wince at the green, although her expression does sour a little at that particular utterance. "Oh, just be quiet, Jai. What? Oh, I think she has." The last to Mouse, offering what's meant to be a reassuring smile. "Although now the gold's taking up the riot."
Ekaterina suddenly giggles, pressing a now-freed hand to her mouth. "Look, look, she's not afraid of the storm!" She being the gold, of course.
Wendelle grins at Rhianwen. "Are you ready to Impress Gold?" He asks in a whisper.
Kyrola sighs again. "Jai, Jai, Jai," she mutters and then squeezes Kati's hand again. More dragon noise makes her look back toward the noisy blue.
Wind hurls raindrops to rattle like tiny pebbles outside of the cavern, and the Dark Swirls Egg explodes outward, sending egg goo flying all over a short, brown-haired Istan girl who was standing too near. She's so busy wiping at her face and spitting flakes of shell out of her mouth that she doesn't notice at first the creamy klah-colored brown hatchling making straight for her. He gives her an enthusiastic headbutt that sends her tumbling onto her bottom. "Ouch! Oh! Molderth!!" she says, her voice shifting through the spectrum from startlement to glee.
Khadira's eyes aren't rivetted on much, actually. She does see the hatchlings and she does see the dam and sire and teh candidates around her... but she keeps staring at the sands entrance as though willing it closer.
Dark-Hearted Garden Treasure Green Dragonet struggles to her feet not stopping to take a single breath. Finally! She is on her feet and...oh pink things behind her. Staring at her. She pauses and turns towards them and her sounds stop for a moment. Oh yes, admire her! There is a flick of her tail which sends egg-goo flying at them. But what does she care? With a careful step she begins on her journey, distracted momentarilly by her bugling blue brother. Which gets her started once again. A demanding REEEEIIIIIIEEEeeeEEeee! ScrEEEEEEeeee!
Sonya moves quickly to the side of the girl who impresses Molderth. "Are you ok? Right this way..."
Wendelle arks as he's covered with egg goo! He's been gooed!
Rhianwen blinks at Wendelle in astonishment. "Me?" she laughs then, shaking her hair so vigorously that damp tendrils of black escape her braid "You /are/ silly, Wendy.....Oh, but she doesn't seem to mind the storm....Oh! That is a noisy green, isn't it?" She covers her ears. "The thunder sounds nicer."
Wendelle says "Ooooh yuck." He tries to scrape some of the goo off."
Shoshana covers her ear, "Oi..." is muttered, but she watches the hatchlings. There's not much else to do.
Ekaterina winces again, staring at the Treasure Green. "Oh /won't/ that one stop creeling? My ears are throbbing!"
Pulyn winces slightly at the screel. "She's almost louder than the blue!" he comments to Natalee, while staring intently at that green.
Mouse winces again, but at least she steps back around. "I suppose I have to put up with it," she says grumpily, squinting to get rid of the headache again. "That /is/ disgusting," she says, spotting the goo go flying.
Another roll of thunder sounds through the grounds. Vaguely shaking the stone and sand with its force.
"I hope for the Weyrlings' sakes she doesn't take up the habit of doing that at night," Kaylira murmurs, her clear gaze watching the green shriek. "They'll have to feed her all the time just to keep her quiet."
Jai is off by herself now and can't hear them anyway. She smooths what she can of her hair back away from her face and adjusts her robe once again. A glance at the others and she sighs, then tosses her runnertail over her shoulder and waits for her prize to come to her.
Kyrola jiggles a finger in her left ear, her right hand held by Ekaterina. "I hope they'll stop soon," she says a bit plaintively. "I'm starting to get a headache."
Natalee holds Pulyn's hand even tighter, if that's possible. "Maybe she's yours," she grins. "Then what?"
Langley puts a hand to her forehead briefly, smoothing across to wipe away those droplets of sweat that glisten there. "This is certainly a *vocal* clutch," she comments, her eyes straying toward Qirith as she speaks.
P'tod overhears Kaylira's comment as he returns once more from the corner, and grins at her. "That's about how it is anyhow, for the first few weeks." He gives the line of candidates a critical look, and gestures at a group of boys. "Move on down and fill that hole in, please."
Khadira manages to stop fidgeting and peers around with some sort of real composure, perhaps reminding herself that she's here to _not_ impress. And she calms quite a bit, putting on a more confident smirk and crossing her arms, actively peering about to see who'll impress who.
Silkspun Harvest Moon Dragonet gives voice to another clear, soprano bugle, designed to center attention where it properly belongs: on her. This is followed by a somewhat less dignified hissing at a blue and a green who continue to be noisy. And whatever are those silly girls waiting for? Do they expect her to go chasing after them like a common brown?
Silvered Moonlight Lagoon Blue Dragonet turns to look at his loud green sister, tilting his head at her. He seems satisfied and bugles brightly at her before turning to a group of candidates. The roar of thunder above stops him in his tracks and he looks at the sky to answer boldly back with a brilliant trumpet. Very noise group this is.
Wendelle gives Rhianwen a gentle push towards the gold. "Go get her, tiger."
Yet another brown comes exploding out his shell, the Spilled Wine Egg, immediately creeling with hunger, and these extremely poor conditions. Who was dim enough to have him come from his shell in -this- stuff? How dare they insult a great brown such as himself. But alas, there is only one way out of this, and that is to get himself a lifemate. And his disdainful gaze goes over the candidates, seeming to give a soft whuffle of approval at the very last one, and waddling on over in the dragonet way, and slipping neatly right on to his side. That last candidate freezes in place, leaving another boy to charge forward, sitting the brown up and giving him a scritch on the eyeridge. The scritch that leads to a different choice for the dragon, because this one cares. "Yes yes you'll get the best food from me!" A'lerick shouts.
Pulyn squeezes Natalee's hand tighter, too, to the point of his hand turning white. "I don't know, I ddon't know," he murmers, bouncing from foot to foot again.
Langley tosses her chin a little to indicate the gold and starts once more to say something, her gaze drifting across Jai. "Oh, nevermind," she relents, tossing her head as she dismisses the notion to glance about at the other hatchlings. "Lots of browns," she adds as if thoughtfully.
Ekaterina isn't watching anything else -- no, why would she be? Her eyes are firmly focused on the Silkspun Harvest Moon Dragonet. Nevermind that her hands are shaking. "She's /so/ pretty..."
Rhianwen has to agree with the gold that the noise is atrocious - she still covers her ears, turning to scowl at Wendelle "Oh, stop it! I tell you, she'd much rather have Jai or Langley or one of the others. Not me. You'd best watch it, or you'll end up impressing that noisy green, and never have any peace." She smiles at the little thing "She's pretty, though. So's that blue. Where'd he go?" Head twists, looking for him.
Mouse spots P'tod clearing the area over there, and comes out to take Jai's former space, visible once again. Other then that - nothing besides a comment to Langley. "Is that bad?"
Kyrola's eys wander through the clutch, smiling toward the new brown and his swift impression, then toward the green, gold, and blue. Of course, being a girl, her eyes track back to the gold, but the blue gets his fair share of attention, too.
Nitali's hands only clench tighter around her robe as more shrieking follows, and bugling, and rumbling, and other sorts of general noise seems to only get worse by the passing moment. "Oh, for Faranth's sake." An eyeroll, and both eyebrows furrow deeply. "After this I'm gonna go find 'Mina." Why? Who knows? This is 'Ali, here. The gold is, at least, given a grateful look. Soprano trills are better then screeches any day.
Wendelle giggles. "Oh go on, you'd make a lovely gold rider."
Dark-Hearted Garden Treasure Green Dragonet tilts her head up at the cieling as well and gives voice to her own annoyed cry at such an intrusion. Upon -her- moment no less! The green begins to rush across the sands now. Actually heading towards her blue brother. Intent on doing...something. Screaming match perhaps? But a flutter of red causes her to stop in her tracks. Where was it? She turns, searching, and gives a dissapoint CRREEEeeeeeiii! So pitiful...so...noisy.
Liquid Lightning Egg shivers once and goes still. As if that was a single, a few moments later, the egg shakes more vigorously and rolls away from another egg. It goes still again before giving a sudden jerky wobble.
Natalee looks at the Liquid Lightning Egg. "Well, we'll finally get to see what's inside, I guess," she mutters. Her hand is beginning to hurt, but she would rather live with the pain than let go of Pulyn's hand.
Sonya is quick to go to the newly impressed pair, leading them off much like she's lead off the other pairs.
Qirith bends her head down towards her golden daughter and gives an encouraging and sweet croon. Go on then.
Avalle allows a glance over at the gold, but then her eye catches the movements of the Liquid Lightning Egg. "Oh... I wonder. Maybe it'll be a green," she murmurs hopefully.
Khadira waves a small hand in front of her as if warding off the dragonets. Nope, none for her, thank you. She gazes around the ever-diminishing circle and sighs out a smile. "Almost right..." she says with a hint of humor.
Pulyn's hand shakes in Natalee's, and his lip quivers slightly. "Gosh, so nnoisy!" he exclaims, looking from the green to the blue to the gold, then back to the green again.
Langley makes a face, creasing the end of her nose at the green's sounds. "Oh, someone go Impress her and get that over with," she says a bit testily, shuffling her feet as if she might just follow her own advice. She doesn't go anywhere, though, just keeps stirring in the sands.
Shoshana rubs her head, letting her ears suffer the green's torture. "I'm starting to get a headache too," she mutters. She tilts her head to the ceiling, but immediately remember to keep her eyes on the hatchlings.
Ekaterina squeezes Kyrola's hand tightly, almost glaring in the direction of the green. /Loud/.
Dark-Hearted Garden Treasure Green Dragonet turns her head at a voice nearby and another flutter of red. And her sounds stop. Paying no attention to any but the one she is focused on now the green darts forward. Expecting people to get OUT of her way.
Natalee nods breathlessly. "Yes..." she murmurs to Pulyn, looking both terrified and amazed.
Jai shifts to the other foot, pushing irritably at her hair that's escaping it's tie despite her efforts to make the best of it. She watches the dragonets, then just sighs. A glance, not at her fellow Candidates, but towards the stands as she seems to look for someone up there.
Silkspun Harvest Moon Dragonet stares in disbelief at the squalling, charging green, and quite indigantly dives in front of her, starting the screaming match rather sooner than the green had intended. And being larger, she's got better lungs for it, too. Naturally, the tones are sweet and pure. But very, very loud. They can even be heard over the latest rumble of thunder.
Wendelle yeeks and leaps to one side! Green coming through.
Silvered Moonlight Lagoon Blue Dragonet lets out a wuffle, obviously annoyed with all these distractions. The color of hunger grows brighter in his faceted eyes and he begin his search more seriously. Her tries to races forward, but stops. No, that one isn't right. How about... this one! He turns to look over at that girl who keeps messing with her hair.
Kaylira dodges as the green darts forward, lifting her robe a bit to be sure she doesn't tangle in it. "She's a fast one, lookout!" Hands set firmly on her hips, she watches the green to see who had gotten her in such a rush.
Kyrola yelps softly and gently tugs on her Kati-held hand, as if to remind the other that it can hurt, too. "Soon," she murmurs. "We'll be out of here soon. And that one," she comments, pointing her free thumb toward the new queen, "She at least can make on-key noises."
Quite suddenly the Silvered Moonlight Lagoon Blue Dragonet pulls up. Rearing on his hind legs he swings around with those extra long wings of his flared. As he lands the black sand sprays out around him and he gives a loud and piercing `EEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeee' of delight. Red eyes turn to green as he looks up into Jai's face.
Liquid Lightning Egg wobbles in an awkward-looking manner, a few cracks appearing in the shell toward one end. The egg pauses in complete stillness again, its occupant perhaps taking a rest. Suddenly, a small bit of shell from one end flies through the air away from the body of the egg.
Rhianwen just rolls her eyes at Wendelle, but skitters out of the way, just in case. If the dragonets start fighting, she wants no part of it. She pauses once safely out of the way, catching her breath. "Oh....are they supposed to do that?"
Dark-Hearted Garden Treasure Green Dragonet stops up short as the queen screams in her face! The thing sucks in a breath and squalls right back, wings flaring up and out as she suddenly rears and twists. What is going to happen now? She was almost there!
Wendelle blinks at the green and gold and blue.
Langley says in very much the same way, "Oh, someone Impress them *both*, please." She makes another face, gesturing with one hand toward the gold and the green and then stopping to blink at the girl next to her. "Blue? Jai and... blue? Oh, my!"
Colorful Flashes in the Dark Egg jerks a few times and a jagged split appears near one end, quickly spreading into a multitude of tiny cracks. The shell finally fragments and parts, and a magnificent cornflower blue hatchling bellows the announcement of his arrival into the ranks of Ista's weyrlings. He tries to start forward and tumbles head over heels, still bellowing and bleating more like a herdbeast than a dragon. He ends up tangled about the legs of a broad-shouldered young man named Jerald from a Keroonian cothold.
Wendelle says "Hey, with this clutch, anything could happen." He winks at Rhianwen."
Pulyn cringes back, and calls out to Jai, "Well done, Jai! He's very handsome!"
Ekaterina goes stock still again, then stares. "JAAAAI! Jai, Jai, JAI!" Beam. Beam. "That's my cousin," she announces, proudly.
Natalee watches the gold and gives a little giggle. "Oh, the poor thing!" she cries. She looks at Jai, notes the impression, and turns back silently and biting her lip.
Mouse just /stands/, wordlessly, in the middle of the crowd - and then flinches at all the noise. This time, though, she doesn't go down or hide; she stays standing and watching though still squinting.
Senses desert you, leaving you stranded in a garden long since abandoned, a strange compliment to the sands which dominated your thoughts just moments ago. Gradually, they return: at first it is the gentle sound of running water; then a creak of old iron hinges as the doors to your mind swing open. Rose petals brush gently at first, and then, once accompanied by honeysuckle, become almost overwhelming. Limbs no longer obey your thoughts, they have become like roots, dug deep into the sand beneath your feet. But, wait, your heart no longer beats alone, a disturbance to this tranquility is evident in the perception of another - clinging like a vine to your oak, tangling thoughts with your own. 

Though at first only a whisper, the Dark-Hearted Garden Treasure Green Dragonet's mental touch quickly strengthens. In a voice dearer to you than your own, << I am Ardenth, Langley, and I am very *hunger*! >>
Jai's jaw drops as the blue comes her way, then actually speaks to her... in her head? She looks at him and becomes lost in his eyes, "Ibrith?" Gold? What gold? We don need no stinkin gold! "Ibrith!" She puts her hands on either side of the blue's sweet face and laughs.
Khadira's face is a bit triumphant as Jai impresses the blue. She breathes another sigh as another dragon is gone from the sands and safely away from her. Hopping from foot to foot is beginning to seem less like a chore to her and more like a dance. She even offers a "Congrats Jai!" to the girl...and it sounds congenial.
Shoshana cheers for Jai, "Congrats! He's a very beautiful dragon," She says, "Ibrith," she sighs and smiles.
P'tod tears his wide-eyed gaze from the bickering dragonets and shakes his head, clucking with worry. "Ah, Jerald," he says, spotting the young mand and the blue. "Congratulations. Bring him right this way."
Kyrola lets loose a smile for Jai. "Way to go!" she says, finally letting a grin free. "But what about the queen and green?" she asks, her eyes going to the others, and then, "Jerald?" Then, the green's scream makes her teeth grit again, her lips peeled back in mild pain.
Rhianwen squeals and jumps up and down, clapping her hands in delight for /both/ of her friends "Oh, I knew he'd choose someone wonderful! And that loud green is perfect for Langley! They both speak their mind! Did you see, Wendy? did you, did you?" she's excited, can you tell?
Pulyn keeps his gaze on the green, then turns to glance at Langley. "Oh, it fits you /so/ well, Langley!" he calls, smiling slightly.
You sense Ardenth Oh Langley! Sweet Langley! There you are! You didn't come when I called! Why didn't you come? I was looking for you and you didn't come!
Avalle takes a few steps back, just trying to stay carefully out of the way. Getting run over is a bad thing; she at least wants to escape this hatching unscathed, whether she leaves with a dragon or not. "I don't see why they don't just /choose/..." Well, then the blue and green do. "Good for you, Jai, Langley!"
Wendelle grins at Langley and waves. "Yes I saw! I saw!" He assures Rhianwen. "And I was certain she'd get gold!"
Langley gasps. Yes, gasps. Not at all a kempt sound that escapes her as she reels back several steps away from the little green. "You're... you're... Ardenth?" She blinks several times then, crouching beside the dragonet. "I didn't *hear* you! Oh, I'm so very sorry, dear! I'll feed you and it will be better!"
Nitali no doubt has a pretty well-developed headache too, now. It's inevitable. "Way to go, Jai!" she manages to call, offering a single clap of palms. Then...Langley. "Woo!" Yay. Woohoo. Ow. A wince follows, and she shifts again. "A chair. I'll find a chair first." Changed her mind, did she? Heh. "Owie." Indeed. "Nice names." Of course. She's really just muttering at herself now.
Silkspun Harvest Moon Dragonet settles back to her demure self as that green finally quiets down, and she goes back to examining everything in her vicinity. A vicinity that does not, unfortunately, include many eligible girls. Don't they want her? Doesn't her lifemate, at least, want her? Why are they staying away? This time a gentle, questioning croon comes out.
Sonya stops as she sees the blue before Jai. She beams. "Congradulations Jai. Ibrith is his name? Wonderful." she says as she reaches Jai's side. "Now just follow me..." she blinks, turning slightly as the green seems to stop nearby. "Right this way...follow me.
Wendelle pushes Rhianwen again. "Go on..."
Khadira adds in a second bit of congratulations to Langley, all in very good spirits now. "Just a few more..." she reassures herself, and winces at the remaining few eggs.
Baker's Tasty Treat Egg splinters into eighth-mark size shards and a green with apple-colored hide stands blinking in surprise at all there is to be seen in this world outside the shell. Slowly she works her wataered head around, taking in all that she can see. The crowd. The Big Ones. The small pink looking things on -her- sands. Her sandy wing. Hey! Her wing can't be sandy! She tries brushing it off with her snout, but to no success. She cries petulantly for someone to clean her up! And only those pink things look like they can manage, so she charges over towards the nearest blob and immediately bumps her head into the young ladies stomach. A few seconds, one hand goes out to sweep the mud off her wing. "You'll always be clean Tryketh!" Erisel cheers.
Jai laughs, her eyes shining, "Of course I'm perfect! And so are you, my sweet boy." She runs her fingers over his eyeridges, unable to tear her gaze away. She blinks at her name, then looks at the Weyrlingmaster and beams, "Ibrith! Yes, of course. We'll go this way."
Jai walks down to the far end of the Cavern.
Mouse looks over at the Harvest Moon, and looks tempted to move forward - but all her teachings and all her trainings tell her to stay back. So instead what she does is make sure she's within reach, staying at the front of the line - and peering at Langley with a real smile before back.
Sonya turnss, spares a look to Langley and leads Jai and her blue off the sands.
Sonya walks down to the far end of the Cavern.
Two Stones and an Ocean Egg shivers in place visibly, making most of the sand that was piled around it slide down.
Ibrith walks down to the far end of the Cavern.
Ardenth rubs herself up against Langley and gives a much softer `IiiieeEeee' of sound. A happy noise as her wings flutters. Oh, and that hair gets her attention. Mouth opening to try and get a mouthful.
Liquid Lightning Egg wobbles continuously now, more small sections of egg falling from the shell in a hard snow that litters the black sand in the immediate area. Larger cracks start to appear along the shell of the egg, but there is no sign of a dragonet yet.
Ekaterina tears herself away from the Impressions after cheering for Langley as well, going back to the Silkspun Harvest Moon Dragonet. "Maybe... Maybe all us girls should step forward," she says -- but barely loud enough to be heard.
Pulyn looks over at the newest impression, his continuous smile beginning to fade as he notes the rapidly decreasing pile of eggs. "Oh, I hope, I hope," he mutters to himself, chewing on the nails of his free hand.
Rhianwen is pushed again, and stumbles just a bit, turning to glare at Wendelle "Really! I wish you'd stop that. It's bad enough, being out here all wet and hot without being nudged to and fro" is protested, though her gaze does go to the gold. "Poor thing - they just all left her, didn't they?" she points out. "But I'm sure she knows who she wants...she'll be okay."
P'tod hurries over to Langley, nearly tripping over a bit of eggshell; he winces at the misstep and his "Congratulations, Langley," is accompanied by a grimace that may or may not be related to her impression. "Ardenth, you said? Lovely coloring. Food's right this way." He starts briskly off for the corner, gesturing for Langley and her green to follow.
Kyrola crinkles her brow. "Awww," she lets out involuntarily. "She looks so sad." The hatching and impression of the baker's egg is given due notice. She also takes one of those involuntary steps forward, but Kati's holding her hand, and that takes away from her desire to step ahead. "There's an idea. C'mon." She tugs on Kati's hand. "Just a few steps."
Wendelle says "It couldn't hurt to just wander up and say hi casually." He suggests."
Fluria glances over at S'ris and gives him a flutter of a smile. She starts to say something, but her attention is drawn back to those hatching. And she manages to catch Jai and Langley's impression...with a bit of a moan.
Natalee nods frantically at Pulyn. "Yes, yes, you will!" she murmurs. She takes a few steps forward, but doesn't let go of Pulyn's hand.
Ekaterina nods and takes those few steps forward, looking over at Rhianwen as well.
Langley actually looks like she might let the green take that mouthful, only snatching her hair back out of the way at the last possible moment. "Not a good way to get started, my darling little Ardenth. Here. Stand up right and pretty. There's a darling. We have to follow P'tod." She doesn't even have the presence of mind to make that name into a sneer.
Shoshana glances and takes a tiny step forward, choosing to be more near the back. She smiles at the gold and encourges her on with small murmuerings.
You sense Ardenth I am so hungry though! And it is so red and *hungeR* looking! Oh please can't I eat it?
Khadira settles back in a comfortable posture, eyeing the eggs and the gold and back and forth. With a tad bit of annoyance, she mutters, "Get on with it," at the new queen.
P'tod walks down to the far end of the Cavern.
You walk to the far end of the Hatching Cavern.
Sonya steps to the side, letting R'vael show them the food. "Just great, just great. Lots of wonderful pairs being made out there." she looks over the weyrlings already here, sparing-of course-a look for Dash...D'shir and Eileryth. "I'd better get back out there." with a crooked smile she passes P'tod and Langley.
Ardenth walks to one side of the Cavern, towards you.
Sonya walks over to the main part of the Hatching Cavern.
P'tod ushers Langley and Ardenth over, limping just a bit. "There's tubs of food right there, let her eat until she's full, and then you'll oil her. Any questions, ask R'vael, okay?" He points out the greenrider with a wave of his hand.
D'shir is kneeling by Eileryth, lost to anyone else as he gazes at his lifemate, chunks of meat being offered with care.
R'vael smiles brightly at Langley, "And who is this?" he asks of the little green. "Just feed her a peice of meet at a time. Make sure she chews," he directs Langley.
Ardenth comes trotting in after Langley. She looks ever so pleased with herself and gives another `ReeeeeeiiIIiiii!' of pleasure. The sound is less harsh now, and more of a sing-song that might come from a songbird.
Eileryth nuzzles up against D'shir once more, warbling with delight as he chews carefully.
Jai blinks and looks over at her blue with a concerned gaze, "You want to eat this??" She sighs, looking at the meat with disdain once more, then scoops a bowlfull out and heads to sit near D'shir, "Come over here then and I'll feed you." She crinkles her nose in distasted at the raw meat.
Langley says certainly, despite that quaver in her voice, "There are much better things for you to eat, my darling darling. There's..." She follows P'tod's gesture, her eyes narrowed slightly as they land on the meat. "...lots of good food." Her expression falters but she's not going to show as much to the green. "Ardenth! Isn't she the loveliest green *ever*?" (Don't anyone dare say no!)
P'tod walks over to the main part of the Hatching Cavern.
Ibrith opens his mouth wide for Jai. He holds his wings out, fluttering a bit in his excitement at being fed.
Alaida grins as she watches others arrive even as she moves to stand next to Devath. She caresses her gently, running her fingers lightly over her soft green hide. She keeps her arms wrapped around her shoulders and neck, constantly hugging.
Jai pinches a single hunk of meat between her fingers and drops it into Ibrith's gaping mouth, "There. Is that good?"
Ardenth turns her head to follow the movement and as she does spots Jai and Ibrith. She surges towards Ibrith's meat with an excited twitter, before pulling herself short. She practically bounces in place as she looks towards Langley, excited to get on with this eating thing!
You sense Ardenth :croons happily. << Oh yes! it looks ever so good. Won't you please feed it to me? >>
Salva starts humming to herself as she oils Uriketh. She waves to Jai and Langley as they enter, but she is focused on her brown.
Langley hurries a few ungainly steps to keep track of the dragonet, looking altogether unlike her perfect ladyship for the moment. "Of course," she tells Ardenth, a flicker in her exuberance. This is going to be so gross... Swallowing, she bends down and collects the first handful of the gooey, slimy, raw, gross, disgusting, meat. "Open, darling."
Uriketh watches the new arrivals very, very curiously. His eyes widen. Ooh! ooh! He looks up at his Salva, and then over at Ardenth. What's /that/?
D'shir beams at Eileryth, chuckling quietly as he murmers again, "Es this onner t'em tings I shouldn't ask? If yer kin hear -all- o'me t'oughts?" He winks playfully at his blue, offering up another gobbet of meat as the last one slides down Eileryths throat. "Ah, don't matter none anner'ow.. I'd jus' as soon tell yer aller em if yer couldn't." He finally notes, laughing cheerfully. As Jai approaches, he actually looks away for a moment towards her, offering a huge grin of delight. "Good job, thar Jai! Great an' grand.." But by now, his attention's turned back to /his/ blue, and it's uncertain if he means Jai's being chosen is great and grand, or simply -his- Eileryth.
R'vael smiles widely at Langley, "Of course. I've never met an ugly dragon. Of course, non are quiet so nice as mine..." He teases lightly, "Make sure they eat slowly and when they start to itch, just coat 'em in oil."
Salva smiles. "That's a blue. What's his name, Jai?"
Devath croons quietly to Alaida, nosing into the pail for another gobbet of meat. It seems to be more of habit, or perhaps to see what she can get away with, rather than any real hunger. She glistens with oil, and is not above getting it all over Alaida's robe as she leans into the caresses.
Ibrith gulps down the offered peice, not even pretending to chew. He open his maw again, waiting for the next one.
Jai smiles at Salva as she drops more meat into her lifemate's mouth, "Ibrith." She fairly beams at her fellow... Weyrling, "Can you believe it?"
Ardenth opens her mouth very very wide and stares up at Langley. Expectantly.
Salva grins. "No." she replies simply. "Lovely name. This is Uriketh." she beams, oiling the brown's head.
R'vael glances scoldingly at Jai and Ibrith, "Are you chewing over there? Do you want him to choke?"
Uriketh puffs out his chest merrily. He knows his own name. He then looks down at his feet, and blinks, and then up at Salva. Curiously.
Langley is rather picky about this whole process, trying to spare her hands as much as she possibly can as she drops dainty morsels into Ardenth's maw. "Not so wide, darling! You'll choke and then where would I be?" She wrinkles up her nose at the thought, glancing across the little niche for the first time, little peeps she can allow herself between gloating over Ardenth.
Jai blinks in suprise at her dragon, "Will I have some of your meat? No, no, love. You eat this and I'll wait until some cooked meat comes around. Oh, and please chew. Don't swallow it whole." She gives him another hunk and nods to Salva, "Uriketh. He's wonderful! He looks like he'll be really big."
Alaida giggles softly. "Love, you aren't hungry. No more meat for now. " She doesn't seem to care of the oil and blood all over her robe.
You sense Ardenth says, << It *smell* good, Langley. Oh do hurry up! I am so *hunger* >>
D'shir lifts his brows and ahh's in understanding at Eileryth, his grin unfaultering. "An tat's ter way et should be." he grunts happily, giving the blue hide a firm pat before offering up another blood-slicked gobbet. He eyes it uncertainly, "Yer tummer still achin', or yer need some oil? Slick gets righ' furious if he dont get oiled real often.. mebbe we ought ter do t'at, huh? Whadder yer t'ink?"
Sonya walks to one side of the Cavern, towards you.
Salva grins. "It's oil. Does it feel nice? Are you itchy anywhere?"
Kyrola walks to one side of the Cavern, towards you.
Uriketh lifts a wing and looks sorrowful. Under one wing is a dry patch. He croons sadly.
Zaith walks to one side of the Cavern, towards you.
Sonya returns with yet another weylring. This time it's Kyrola and...the One and only Gold of the clutch. "Kyrola and Zaith." she introduces to R'vael. "And she is very hungry." she adds.
Langley says pedantically, "I *can't* go quicker, my silly darling. You'll choke, you know." She's still being carefully selective about this process, doling out the pieces off the ends of her fingers and wincing every time she has to view all that gusy, nasty blood. "Eat slowly." She mimes chewing for Ardenth's benefit.
Salva waves to Kyrola, then turns back to Uriketh. "Oh, poor thing. We'll fix that right away!" She slathers oil on the patch.
Jai arches an eyebrow at her new lifemate, "You don't know what chewing is? Uhm..." She glances about at the others with some embarassment at having to demonstrate, "It's like this." Slowly she opens her jaw, revealing her teeth, and demonstrates how to masticate food.
R'vael turns to beam at the newest queen. "Congratulations!" he exclaims, "Come on over this way." He heads towards the nearest bucket of meat. "Just feed her a piece at a time and make sure she chews."
Alaida shakes her head. "You can practice later, love, when you are hungry again. "
Ardenth closes her mouth a little but doesn't close it all the way. Just stares up at langley for a long moment. Finally she swallows it whole...
Kyrola comes in with a /dazed/ look on her face. "Come on," she says to Zaith. "We'll have to get you something to eat. And don't gulp... and chew... oh /jays/."
Uriketh almost falls over with relief, that feels so nice. But, he steadies himself because he sees...oooh. OOH! He nudges his rider urgently while his gaze stays on Zaith. What is /that/!?
Sonya takes some time to pause and stand still before going back to the sands. She watches the weyrlings with bright eyes.
Salva laughs. "/That/, my dear, is a gold. Congrats, Kyrola, what's her name?"
D'shir sucks in his breath as the gold and Kyrola are brought in, his grin going /huge/ as he motions with the gobbet of meat towards the pair, flinging a bit of blood about. "Look thar, Eileryth! Miss Kyrola's got ter gold!" Raising his voice a bit, he calls over, "Wonnerful Miss Kyrola! Ter wonnerful!" Back to his lifemate, he quickly assures. "Not ser much as yerself, t'o.. a'course."
Devath huffs faintly, but isn't ready to argue. She butts her head against Alaida again, and then peeps at the other hatchlings from the shelter of her Girl.
Ibrith takes the offered meat and begins opening and closing his mouth with the meat inside. Well, almost inside. The half chewed meat slips out the side and hits the ground with a splat. Ibrith looks up at Jai as though she might just be crazy.
Zaith moves decidedly faster as the smell of meat gets stronger, and her jaws are already open to accept the first offering, which better be quick.
Pause taken, Sonya leaves once again.
Sonya walks over to the main part of the Hatching Cavern.
Uriketh peers at the gold. Closely. He rolls that sandy piece of meat towards her curiously. Here, you can have this one. I made a mess of it.
You sense Ardenth seems pleased. << That was good! But I want more! Lots more! Please Langley? >>
Eileryth dodges the blood flying off the gobbet of meat in his lifemate's hand, eyes whirling as he stares towards Kyrola and Zaith. With an exageratedly smooth movement, he raises one wingsail, flapping it carefully, a dark warble escaping his mouth towards both gold and weyrling. Yes, D'shar. He sees.
Langley starts to facepalm, but catches herself just before the bloody fingers reach her forehead. "You're not doing it quite right, dearest. Chew a bunch. Here." She lightly sets the next piece on the end of the green's maw, then mimics chewing as a flash of gold goes by, leading her to glance at Ibrith and Jai. "I suppose you could be doing much worse, dearest," she adds with a smirk as she watches Ardenth intently.
Jai shakes her head, offering another piece to her dragon, "No, in your *back* teeth, Ibrith. In your back teeth. Chew it there."
Salva scolds, "Uriketh! She wants nice meat, not sandy stuff!"
Uriketh blinks owlishly at Salva.
Salva shakes her head. "Did you want to eat it?"
Alaida smiles, hugging Devath softly then starts rubbing her eyeridges softly. She goes silent now while she stands there, allowing Devath to shelter behind her.
Ibrith tries this whole chewing thing again. This time in the back, like Jai said. It takes him a moment of concentration and he just keeps chewing and chewing and chewing...
Jai explains to her dragon, finding patience she didn't know she had and deftly ignoring Langley by being absorbed in her own lifemate, "You have to chew so you don't get some of that meat lodged in your throat. That would hurt you very badly."
Zaith is waiting for her wonderful, her perfect, her darling lifemate to supply why she needs, though her intense gaze does note the presence of the others, and the sandy offering nearby.
Uriketh reluctantly looks over at the sandy icky meat. Well, maybe he /was/ trying to pass it off.
D'shir blinks at the flipped wingsail, and he turns to Jai excitedly, "Did yer see t'at?! He kin wave! Oh ain't he jus ter darn smart!" He puffs up proudly, chest expanding against his already tight robe as like to rip it open, but promptly blinks again as he views the fallen meat. "Er.. Mebbe Eileryth 'er kin show im 'ow.. " He looks up to his lifemate, offering a bit of meat so he might demonstrate the art of chewing.
Devath leans into Alaida, yawning widely. She still has meat stuck in her back teeth. Evidently, she was a bit enthusiastic about that chewing.
Ardenth watches Langley's movements thoughtfully and then very slowly starts to mimic it with the newest piece of meat. Chewwwwwww. Chewwwww. Swallow. There is a thoughtful look to her eyes and then she chirps happily and the mouth opens again.
Salva smiles. "See? Why would she want to eat it if you didn't? Here, you can have some fresh meat if you're still hungry."
Kyrola moves after Zaith as quickly as possible. "Take it slowly. Watch how the others do it..."
You sense Ardenth << MORE! >>
Jai hms at D'shir and grins, "Oh, of course he's smart! Only a smart dragon would have mated with someone who so willingly lends out their clothing." She winks at him and turns her attention back to Ibrith.
P'tod walks to one side of the Cavern, towards you.
Alaida suddenly yawns. "Oh my. You're tired. It wouldn't be too long, my love. We'll get you to a place to lie down and sleep. You gotta hold on a bit. "
Uriketh perks up. Hungry. Ye! He puts his face on Salva's robe. If it wasn't totally ruined it sure is now.
P'tod limps over and sits down, pulling off his boot. "Shards, I turned my ankle," he mutters.
Langley literally claps her hands, neverminding the smear of blood she gets on her palms for that effort. "Oh, wonderful! I knew you could figure it out. Now. More." She smirks over that particular word, offering out another dainty morsel to the little green. "You're the smartest of them all," she adds in a personal and smug undertone toward Ardenth.
R'vael looks over to Alaida and Devath, "Don't worry, I think they're running out of eggs. We should be able to head back to the barracks soon."
Salva pats Uriketh with one hand and feeds him with the other. "Ooh, sorry about that P'tod."
Ibrith just keeps chewing the same pice, watching Jai closely, waiting for something.
Ardenth opens her mouth and daintily closes her teeth around the next piece. Chewing much more confidently now, tail swishing happy back and forth behind her, before she swallows. Then the mouth is open again and she says loud enough for everyone to hear, << MORE! >>
Uriketh senses his rider's mood, and turns to look at P'tod's ankle. He squints.
P'tod grimaces a bit, poking at his ankle with his fingers. "I'll be okay. Not sprained," he pronounces with evident relief.
Salva winces. "Wow, Langley, has she got a voice."
Jai watches Ibrith as he continues to chew and chew, waiting for him to finish so he can get the next piece, "Swallow the meat, love, once you've chewed it up. Swallow it." She swallows as a demonstration.
Langley blinks several times at her green, glancing around the room for a furtive moment. "Okay!" she says enthusiastically, startled to say the least. "She's, uhm, exuberant," she adds a little weakly toward Salva, smiling crookedly.
Alaida nods to R'vael and smiles in relief. "Thank you, Sir. " then she looks over at P'tod. She looks to Devath. "He said it won't be long. Just hang on, my sweet. " then smiles gently. "I oiled your hide. It's itchy because you are drying and growing already. " She gives a small squeak even as tears appear in her eyes yet again and hugs Devath. "Yes, we willl be together forever. "
Salva smiles adoringly at Uriketh. "Well, those two," she points to P'tod and R'vael, "Are adults here to keep us from messing up. Everyone else here are friends of mine."
Ibrith swallows almost before Jai has finished telling him to. His mouth is already open for the next piece. The colors of hunger have started to fade from his eyes, but a new, more aggitated shade begins to appear.
Uriketh looks at each tiny dragon his own size in turn. Peer. Peer. Hrm. He watches Ibrith eat curiously. Another green?
Ardenth leans in to bump her head lovingly against Langley's legs and once again expresses her feelings. << *Love* >> Of course there are no words, just the emotion. But it is blazingly brilliant as she opens her mouth again for more food.
Jai drops another bit of meat into Ibrith's mouth and then rubs her hand over his neck as he eats that piece, still in wonder over the whole thing.
D'shir looks roundly at his lifemate, frowning and hastily reaching out to stroke his neck soothingly. "Ter now, I'er gone an' upset yer.. Sheesh, yer'd t'ink I know ow t'at feels, on ter spot like t'at." The big man looks truely saddened as he tries to comfort the somewhat affronted Eileryth. "I know yer smart, you know yer smart, an' t'ats all what needs said." He nods sharply, as if this settles the matter, and clams up otherwise.
Salva nods. "Yes, you're so smart! She's green, too!"
Kyrola helps get Zaith the first bits of meat. "C'mon, /chew/. You know, use those teeth. Like mine, see?" She points to her own teeth and mimes a chewing motion.
Eileryth allows his eyes to whirl a soft green-blue, a croon escaping from within towards D'shir, his one and only. Yes, that's better. He twitches, first his left forearm, then his right, then lets out a below. Eek?
Langley beams her delight upon the small green, dutifully holding out a slightly larger lump of meat on the ends of her fingers. "Here. Keep your head up, darling, or I can't feed you properly." Not that she really cares about the mussed robe; it's not a permanent fixture in her wardrobe, after all.
D'shir jumps up and looks like he just might slaughter whatever caused his lifemate to bellow as such, his arms protectively encircling his head as he yelps, "Eileryth! Whass ter matter?!" Oy, it's hard being clueless.
Alaida doesn't look a rather mess with oil and blood all over the front of her robe, but she doesn't seem to care while she stands there.
Uriketh twitches as Eileryth makes a funny sound. He turns his sinuous neck and oggles Eileryth, who he hadn't noticed before> He croons at his clutchbrother curiously.
Salva soothes Uriketh. "What's wrong, Dashir?" She sounds mildly alarmed.
Devath croons softly to Alaida, awkwardly lifting a forelimb to the girl.
Eileryth nudges his nose towards Uriketh, whilst wiggling his limbs, as if trying to get to some frightful pain. Warble--hello!
R'vael heads quickly to D'shir's side, "What's wrong?" he asks, tight with concern. "Is everything alright? Ask him what hurts."
Dashir lets out a wuff of air, shaking his head and patting the blue one he cradles with relief. "Es t'at what cotcher bottered? Well tat's why tey got oil.. yer jus' 'old on er moment. Wheres ter oil?" This last is called generally.
Ardenth lifts her head again to Langley and croons sweetly before her mouth opens again. Food! Yes, this is a good thing. And of course her tail is beating back and forth, a bit carelessly, very quickly. CRASH! What was that? Oh, just some oil. Back to the food!
Mara walks to one side of the Cavern, towards you.
Sonya walks to one side of the Cavern, towards you.
D'shir shakes his head, "He didn' know what itchin' were, Sar. Jus' needs ter oil I'er t'inkin'."
Salva looks up and waves. "Mara! Congrats!" She looks lovingly down at Uriketh. "Still hungry? Or itchy?"
Verceth walks to one side of the Cavern, towards you.
Alaida smiles and quickly pulls up. "Oh! Definitely, my love. " She moves over to the oil bucket to pick up the paddle and begins to slather on oil on Devathoffered forelimb
Jai smiles fondly at Ibrith, running her fingers gently under his chin, "Of course we'll have fun. I'll teach you to swim and sail and we'll fly all over everywhere and go to every Gather and shop!"
You sense Ardenth says << Is this better? I'm sorry. I just wanted you to know how much I *love* you. Because I do. And I am very *hungeR* still. >>
R'vael frowns a bit, trying to figure out what D'shir is saying, but he catches 'oil' and gestures towards the vat. Just use the paddles and slather it on." He turns to Sonya and Mara, smiling widely at the new dragonet.
Uriketh twitches his tail. Then he lifts one leg. Then, he falls over with a yelp. He /was/ trying to demonstrate his itch, instead he just made a mess and fell over. He makes an annoyed sound.
Langley starts forward as if she might right the spilled oil, but is entirely too late to be of any sort of use. "Oh, darling! We're going to have to work a bit on your grace," she says with a shake of her head, holding out the meat and watching the greasy puddle spread out behind her lifemate. "Of course you do. Of course you are. Chew properly!"
Sonya arrives with another weyrling, Mouse and Green Verceth. She introduces them as 'Mara and Verceth. "Just go over there, R'vael will help you feed her" she says warmly.
Kyrola looks up between feeding bits of meat into Zaith's gaping maw. "Mara!" she says with delight, seeing the new arrival.
Devath gives another sigh of relief, watching the process rather closely this time. She tilts her head back up to Alaida again, cocking it to one side.
Jai sets the bowl aside urgently and calls out to R'vael, "He's got an itch! How do I get rid of a dragon itch!?" The alarm in her voice echos the itches of her poor little blue.
Ardenth has no care for the spilled oil, even as it seeps a bit about her feet. What care has she for it? But she is chewing and eating quickly now.
You sense Ardenth Grace? But Langley, I meant to do that...
Salva laughs! "Poor Uriketh. You'll grow into yourself, eventually." She slathers oil on the tail and leg indicated.
R'vael smiles, "Mara huh? And Vercath. Just come on over here. You need to feed her just one piece at a time and make sure she's chewing. Go nice and slow."
Sonya stays for a few minutes, helping out the weyrlings with feed and then oiling them as needed.
Mara nods. Looking down at Verceth, she says quietly, "We need to go over there and see him for food." She starts to lead the way, walking backwards to make sure Verceth is keeping up.
D'shir gives Eileryth another comforting pat, then strides quickly over to the vat with a bare nod of gratitude for R'vaels instructions. On his way, he passes Sonya, and a huge grin lights his face. "Got sommat fer Pryth ter meet." he whispers quickly, scooping up a paddle of oil and returning quickly to his lifemates side. "A'righ'.. les get t'at thar itch!" he states cheerfully, slathering a great gob of the stuff across the twitching forlimbs.
Alaida smiles, making sure she gets every inch of Devath's forearm. "Oil is this. " and she dips a finger into the bucket to show the drippy stuff. "This drippy stuff is oil. " and she rubs the oil between a clawed toe.
R'vael can barely keep from laughing at Jai. "Now Jai, is that any way to stay calm and help him? You're gonna have to nail that head to your shoulders." He moves a small vat of oil towards the itchy blue. "Here's your remedy."
Uriketh clambers to his feet with as much dignity as a clutzy gangly little baby can manage. He looks over at the newest arrival, another green. He tries to make a sound at her, and just squawks!
Zaith gratefully and hungrily accepts the meat, chewing at least once per hunk, her eyes half-lidded in delight at this wonderful feeling, and the love of her lifemate.
A briefly bewildered look spreads across Langley's face as she holds out another bleeding chunk of meat. "Oh," she says, none to brightly. "I don't think you should have, though. We'll work on all that later," she adds dismissively, shooing O'lan (or is that O'len) away from the spill with a flicker of her red-stained fingers.
Eileryth warbles softly, all but purring at the oil's advance upon his hide, his limbs slowly smoothing down to a stop as a result. Much better.
Sonya chuckles at D'shir, whispering back to him. "Pryth bugled the loudest for you, when Eileryth found ya." she grins and then leaves again.
Sonya walks over to the main part of the Hatching Cavern.
Kyrola beams stupidly. "That's great," she says to Zaith tenderly. "Now maybe try to chew twice each time, hmm?" Her eyes look out toward where someone else should be coming in. A slight frown tugs at her lips, but it's quickly wiped away as she looks down into those eyes.
Devath walks over to the main part of the Hatching Cavern.
Jai ohs and smiles at R'vael, "I'm sorry. I just... well he just... it itches." She moves to the oil and gets enough out to smear on her dragon's hide, "Better, Ibrith? Where else does it itch?"
Salva watches Uriketh contentedly. "What are you doing, silly? Do you need anything else?"
Devath walks to one side of the Cavern, towards you.
Alaida smiles as Devath returns to her side.
You sense Ardenth << But it feels so good! It's soft, almost like your touch. And I eat at the same time! So *two* good things! That is gooder yes? >>
Ibrith shudders his shoulder, but the shades of ease have infiltrated into his eyes and he lets out a deep rumbling croon.
Mara scratches the top of Verceth's head as she walks. "Okay. We'll get you fed, all right? I know I never liked being hungry - how much do I give her?" she pipes up, looking around.
Uriketh tries to indicate the food bowl, and merely pushes it so that it nearly falls.
Zaith obediently starts chomping each gobbet twice, and the occasional one even three times as the vast edge of hunger finally starts to be blunted. Her eyes remain busy, primarily soaking in her lifemate's every feature, every gesture, but finding time to detail the other around her as well.
Salva smiles and hug Uriketh. "Yes, and I'm so happy! They're all your brothers and sisters, and the noise is a storm. I hate storms, but I was so excited about you I forgot about it!"
D'shir works the oil diligently into Eileryth's hide, marveling over the depth and play of color he finds there - surprised anew at his good fortune. Still, he doesn't make a fuss over it, although his grin only goes wider and he pauses a moment to steal a small, greasy hug when he works it up about the hatchlings neck. His cheek shines grotesquely as he pulls back and itches a few more spots. "Annerwhere else? Sommat special yer wantin' me ter scratch fer yer?" he asks tenderly.
Salva squeaks and catches the food bucket. "Careful!"
U'lyn walks to one side of the Cavern, towards you.
Langley says without thinking, "I guess that is gooder, yes." Pause. "Better. Anyway. The *point* is that you shouldn't knock over oil. It makes a mess." She nods firmly as she puts another tidbit to Ardenth's mouth. "You're looking a bit fat around the middle," she comments, grinning at the green's belly. "I like you that way!"
R'vael appears at Mara's side, "Just a chunk at a time. Go slow and remind her to chew," he urges.
Kyrola reaches out, almost as if afraid to dispel the sight in front of her. "You're the best," she says to Zaith, "Just the best. Now try four times on the chewing, hmm?"
Sonya walks to one side of the Cavern, towards you.
Salva looks up. "Pulyn! Oh, congrats!" She smiles at Uriketh. "Yes, I'll explain everything later!"
Alaida giggles with a permenant smile on her face. "Yep. You'll get more oil on you. "
Eileryth nudges his headknobs towards D'shir, letting out a soft warble of delight at the sensation of headknob against robe. This, he likes.
Sonya leads in another blue. "U'lyn and Ondeth!" she announces.
Ardenth immediately stops chewing and dips her head down and around to look at her stomach. It is indeed round! Perhaps that is why she is not hungry anymore? Perhaps she should stop eating then? Yes, that seems a good idea. *ptoi* The half-chewed chunk is spit out onto the oily floor around her.
U'lyn walks in with a /huge/ beam on his face, and waves enthusiastically to everyone. "Hello again!" he calls, and jumps off the ground a little.
You sense Ardenth << I *itch* now. You will fix that too, yes? You are good at fixing things. Even if you do not come when I call. But we can work on that, yes we can. >>
Mara actually grins at something Verceth tells her. "I know you're hungry - see? Food," she says, taking the food. "Shiny? I don't - Oh! What you were pushing around! I have shinys in my press," she promises. "They're yours too now..."
Uriketh watches the new arrivals, since they're pouring in busily. Another of those blue dragonets! He croons at U'lyn's blue buddy!
Langley looks at the chunk, the oil, the green, and her expression is obviously torn between laughing and crying. "Oh, Ardenth, Ardenth. What *have* you gotten me into?" she settles for asking with a shake of her head. "How about we work on your itching first?" Is Langley, of all people, being tentative?
Jai puts more oil on Ibrith's skin, "It's sweetoil. See? It smells nice and it keeps your skin moist and supple. Better that than itchies. I think you're itching now because your skin is drying out from the egg stuff..." She looks over at R'vael for confirmation.
Zaith continues to munch happily, getting in four chews most of the time, since her glorious Kyrola thinks it's important. Suddenly the chewing stops, and her hide starts to twitch. First a small twitch, near her left shoulder. Then a large patch on her neck. Finally she reaches around to nibble at the offending itch on her tail, blood from the unswallowed chunk of meat in her mouth trailing across the sand, and then her hide, before it falls out as she nibbles.
Salva giggles. "Look, that's my friend Pulyn...wait. What are you called now, Pulyn?"
Ondeth walks to one side of the Cavern, towards you.
U'lyn giggles with glee and calls out, "U'lyn, Salva!"
Salva grins and tells Uriketh. "that's U'lyn, and his dragon!"
Sonya steps back out,.
Sonya walks over to the main part of the Hatching Cavern.
R'vael nods as he moves towards Jai, "Yes, that's right and he's also growing." He turns to see who might need help.
Verceth opens her mouth widely in an expectant manner as Mara gets the food, aparently waiting for her lifemate to feed her. She croons rather excitedly as the mention of shiny, spreading her wings and almost bouncing in place.
Kyrola quickly looks toward Zaith's shoulder, her own hand unconsciously going to her own shoulder, trying to scratch. Of course, this isn't one of those scratches she could get with a long pole or branch. "Oil?" she asks, looking up and around for it.
Ardenth looks down at her mess and back up at Langley with what could be an innocent expression. But after a moment she bumps her head against Langley's hand with a croon.
You sense Ardenth << I have found you! That is what I have gotten you into! We will be together forever now. And we will be ever so happy. You will make me feel gooder and I will make you better. Yes? YES! >>
Zaith is slowly turning in a circle now, chasing a patch of tail that remains stubbornly out of reach, pulled away by her own self as she tries to step forward to reach it. Fortunately it doens't occur to her that this might look silly.
Uriketh looks closely at U'lyn, rider of that blue that just came in back there. Hrmmmmmmmmm. He turns his head back to Salva.
Alaida yawns suddenly, again even as Devath puts her forearm down and nuzzles her arm and cheek. Devath gives a great yawn, showing her sharp teeth with pieces of meat still caught between her teeth. She croons softly, her eyes starting to droop. "Oh, hang on, my sweet. It won't be much longer. " and she supports her lifemate firmly.
A testament to how little Langley cares for the robe, she quickly swipes her bloody fingers over the thing, streaking them across her hips. "*Yes*!" she says with a vehement nod at the green as she collects a fresh bit of oil. "Gooder and better and best and all those lovely things. Oh, this is going to make you quite pretty, darling. Quite pretty!"
Kyrola covers her mouth, eyes wide at the sight of her lifemate... chasing her own tail.
D'shir laughs as he finds himself butted repeatedly as Eileryth rubs his headknobs against his robe. A bright wave is sent to Pulyn, but soon the mans attention is focused once more on his lifemate. Nodding, he gently soothes those eyeridges with careful strokes of his thumbs, "Aye. We'll both sleep fer er bit.. I could use some rest m'self." he agrees, unable to stifle the yawn that suddenly parts his lips since both his hands are quite busy. Smacking his lips, he looks about, "Kin we take er name, Sar?" he asks of R'vael, a little bleery in the eye as his own weariness is intensified.
Mara starts to feed Verceth, of course - but slowly! "Make sure to chew. If you choke, I'll have to reach in and push it out, and you don't want me to do it." What? It works if you can't hit them on the back, and Mara's not precisely sure what part of the back she'd hit on a dragon.
Salva chokes, at Uriketh and at Zaith. "Um. He's a boy. See, D'shir isn't...rounded...either."
Uriketh pokes his head at D'shir, examining him closely.
You sense Ardenth << Pretty? Pretty like you? Prettyest? Oh do say it will make me prettyest, Langley! Prettyest even then Zaith! She screamed in my face, you know! How *rude*! >>
U'lyn makes his way towards where the food apprears to be, beconing to Ondeth as he goes. "I know you're hungry, come here, and I'll feed you!"
D'shir blinks down hazily at Uriketh, affording him an easy grin. "Oy thar." he murmers through another yawn.
R'vael smiles, "Soon D'shir. I know they're getting tired. Hopefully we'll be in the barracks in no time at all."
Ardenth looks quite pleased by that thought and her bottom begins waggling excitedly as does her tail. In fact she begins to bounce very slightly in place with her enthusiasm and begins to croon.
Eileryth peers at Uriketh, warbling towards the brown as he flicks his wings, twisting away from D'shir to watch the brown. This one is mine, but we can share?
Langley glances over her shoulder at Kyrola and Zaith, giving another firm, braid-bouncing nod. "How rude! We'll show them what for!" She smears the oil on her hands rather carelessly and reaches to do the same to Ardenth's. "The prettiest ever. Prettiest than Zaith and Devath and all the others. Prettiest."
Verceth takes the meat eagerly and chews quite conscientously until the food must be mashed into tiny little bits. After a long time, the green gives a piteous croon and opens her mouth again, almost like a baby bird waiting for the worm.
Zaith gets mildly frantic, and finally gives up on the offending patch in favor of another on her leg, which she can reach.
Alaida blinks and looks over at the others. "Oh.. Uh.. " and now she begins to introduce everyone to Devath, who probably finally asked who everyone was here. She pauses, then giggles suddenly, smiling. "Sister is someone related to you that is a female." She pauses again then nods. "Yep, they are. And those are your clutch brothers. "
Ondeth follows after U'lyn, coming up behind him to give him a nudge.
Salva looks like she's going to start laughing. "Oh, /shards/! How d'you explain the difference between boys and girls to a dragon?"
Mara hands over some more food. To Salva: "I don't. You do. Verceth hasn't asked."
Uriketh spins around, and nearly falls over at the nudge. AUGH! He ends up nose to nose with Ondeth, peering across his nose at the smaller blue. He creels a greeting in a little squeaky voice.
D'shir blinks down at his lifemate, chuckling. "Er now.. e'don't want me, none, Eileryth. E' got 'is own." he assures, mirth and pleasure spark in his eyes though.
U'lyn chuckles happily to Ondeth, and pulls out a chunk of meat, holding it towards him, but then pauses. "Hold on - my father said there's something special you have to do, Ondeth...I can't remember, though..."
Salva makes faces at Mara. "You're a lot of help! R'vael? Help?"
Ardenth looks ever so pleased by that and sits down now to be oiled. Head held high and at a haughty angle. Every bit of her body poised and waiting.
Kyrola yeeps. "Careful there, love," she says quickly. She fetches some oil. "C'mon, don't bite it... here." She slathers the oil all over the offensive spots, presumably using her own itchy spots to guess where.
R'vael turns to Salva, "What's the problem?" he asks with a good-natured grin.
Sonya walks to one side of the Cavern, towards you.
Mara obediently forks over more meat once it's chewed. "Here you go. You don't have to chew /quite/ that much. But a few times each. Now? I don't have them now and I'm giving you food so I can't get it."
Rhianwen walks to one side of the Cavern, towards you.
Salva points to Uriketh. "he wants to know the difference between boys and girls." she says plaintitively.
Winseth walks to one side of the Cavern, towards you.
Zaith siiiiighs deeply as relief finds all those nasty, nasty itches, and the trailing edges of hunger reassert themselves. She also has attention to spare for the pairs around her again.
Langley looks like she might burst with pride at any moment now as she takes to applying the oil in a nice sheen to Ardenth. "That's what I like to see! Prettiest ever!" A sort of mimic of the green's posture shows in Langley's own even as she bends toward that perfect neck. "Show me where it itches most, darling?"
Sonya introduces, her smile lighting up her eyes. "Rhianwen and Green Winseth!"
Winseth follows Rhianwen at such close quarters that her wing knocks against the girl's legs, and she creels indignantly. That's not supposed to happen!
Salva looks up and beams at Rhi. "Rhi! Congrats!"
U'lyn looks up from the piece of meat, and beams at Rhi. "Good job, Rhi!"
Lyree walks to one side of the Cavern, towards you.
Rhianwen is all concern at Winseth's creel "Oh, it's alright....I don't mind at all - but you didn't hurt yourself, did you?" is asked anxiously. She reaches out to touch the pretty green head again, still amazed and fascinated and totally adoring.
Kyrola looks over Zaith's head and smiles. "Rhianwen, way to go," she says, and her eyes look around at the others as she hands another piece of meat to Zaith. "Oh... that means sort of like you and the greens versus the bronzes, browns, and blues. They're boys, you're girls."
Ondeth makes a hungry creel mixed with surprise and greeting as he encounters Uriketh, then looks back to U'lyn and gazes with hunger apperant as the meat is almost in reach.
Devath leans against Alaida and yawns again with her inner eyelids closing. She gives a small warble, almost as if pleeding. Alaida looks up, a worried look in her eyes. "How much longer. She can barely stand. " There is that tone that suggests all she is thinking about is Devath.
R'vael frowns and then shrugs, "Tell him there are lost of differences. Tell him girls are green. There's plenty of time to explain the rest." He looks up as Sonya and Rhianwen arrive. "Winseth, beautiful name. Beautiful girl! How're they doing out there? Almost finished? We've got some tired dragonets."
Zaith considers this information carefully as she chews (five times or more!) on the current piece of beast.
U'lyn shrugs, sits down on his feet, and happily gives the meat to Ondeth. "There you go, eat up you wonderful dragon!" he exclaims.
Jai smiles at Ibrith, "More food? Of course." She picks up the bowl and offers him some more meat.
Salva beams at R'vael. "Thanks! Good explaination!" She turns to Uriketh. "U'lyn and D'shir are boys, like bronzes, blues, and browns. I'm a girl, like greens and golds."
Kyrola then says, "And of course girls are better," with a grin.
D'shir lets out a bellow of delight as he spots Rhianwen entering into the cavern, waving merrily to her. "T'ater way, Rhi!" he calls, although it ends off in a long yawn. He eyes his lifemate, "How yer 'oldin' up thar?" he murmers, stroking the long, blue body.
P'tod looks up and beams at Rhianwen from where he's sitting on the ground, massaging his bare ankle. "Rhi! I knew you'd do it!"
Sonya nods, watching Lyree lead in the last. "All gone." she says softly. She sits where she stands, tired herself.
Uriketh gives the blue Ondeth a chirpy little hello. But when the blue turns away, his interest is back on his own rider, naturally! HE listens, and croons softly. ooh. You can almost see understanding in his eyes.
Verceth chews somewhat uncertainly, what's a few times? The green croons a bit and moves to butt her head at Mara before swallowing in one big gulp.
Rhianwen giggles, looking relieved. "oh, yes. Sonya, she's so hungry! What do I feed her?" is called out immediately upon being reminded of that need "And those are all the other dragons, Winseth - like you. They just hatched today too....aren't they all just wonderful?" She notes, than laughs 'And this is my cousin P'tod. He rides a really nice brown..."
Salva smiles. "You're so smart!" she squeals. Again.
Zaith is still actively examing her surroundings as she waits for answers, primarily now the newest arrivals.
Mara oofs, slightly. "Four times," she says, holding up four fingers with her right hand while finding another piece of food with her left. "Okay? Four. That's a few."
Langley is quite liberal with the oil, and Ardenth seems to relish it! "No, dearling. Sit *still*. That was such a pretty posture you had earlier." She lightly rearranges the muzzle to that proud tilt and smears the oil down along the curvy neck. There's a great deal of noise, mostly little bubbles of elation, from Ardenth all this while.
Ondeth nearly chokes on the meat as he gulps it down so fast in his haste to make his hunger go away.
Sonya stands again to show Rhianwen where the food is. "Here you go. Feed her slowly." she winces as she hears a particular bellow. Her hand goes absently to her throat, again a glimpse of a green stone is seen right there at the hollow of her throat,.
Kyrola blushes a /deep/ red. "There is a way," she says. "But I'll tell you about it later, okay?"
U'lyn gasps in suprise, and immediatly clutches for Ondeth. He cries out to Sonya, "Why's he choking on the meat!"
Salva looks alarmed. "He needs to chew, U'lyn!"
Uriketh swings his head away from Salva. A new development? He regards Ondeth concernedly.
Sonya whirls to face Ondeth. "Chew, make him chew. give him smaller pieces, U'lyn.
Langley says to U'lyn as if she were suddenly the expert on such matters, "Tell him to chew. Show him how. That works very well." She sits back, admiring the effect of glistening oil on her green even as Ardenth squirms for more. "But you *are* the prettiest already."
Jai smiles at Ibrith, "Yes, I'm a girl. No, I can't be green or gold because I'm not a dragon. I'm a human." She pauses, then says, "I could even be red if you think about it. Golden red?"
Rhianwen takes the food from Sonya and begins to feed it to Winseth, and slowly too. "now don't choke, because they you wouldn't not be hungry, you'd be hungry with a stuck throat." she warns, then giggles at the mental imagine in her mind "Oh, yes! /He's/ a brown too, but he's a little brown. P'tod's brown is all grown up" And she strives to send an image of immensity, frowning in concentration "See the difference?"
Kyrola crouches next to Zaith. "Shhhh, love, it's okay. It's just a storm. Nothing to be worried about, just respectful of."
U'lyn makes an 'o' with his mouth towards Salva, then to Sonya, still clutching Ondeth. He then backs off, and grabs another piece of meat, thinking. "Alright, Ondeth. You've gotta chew, like this." He points at his mouth as he makes a chewing motion. "Do that many times, ok?"
Verceth after accepting the new meat, she leans her head against Mara and turns to watch Ondeth with a solemn expression. She chews once quite deliberately, then twice, then the third time and the final time.
Winseth snatches the meat from Rhianwen's hand, chomping it greedily and gulping it down nearly whole, warbling for more! more! almost before the first is gone.
Alaida leans against Devath as much as the other leans against her. Both yawn at the same time with Devath giving a tired warble and Alaida whimpering in worry. "Almost, my sweet. Almost. "
R'vael gestures to Salva with his thumb, "We've got a real Weyrlingmaster here," he jokes to Sonya, wiping a bit of oil off his face. "There should be more food and oil in the barracks. I have a feeling a few of these littel guys are gonna fall asleep right here."
Ardenth does it again. Just a quick flash from her, enough for the whole room to get a nice imprint of just how *good* being oiled is. "She likes to share," says Langley with a bit of a duck though she doesn't dare stop these oily ministrations.
Salva blinks. "What? Uh-uh. Not me."
Rhianwen looks at Winseth chidingly "eat slowly...I'll feed you until you are nice and full, but really - I'd be awfully sad if you started choking.." she explains, holding out more meat for the little green. "That would be just horrible!"
Sonya chuckles, glancing to Salva. "Oh sure, after my job already." she nods to R'vael. "We'll let these last few guys eat then we'll all head to the barracks, kay?"
Mara hands over another piece and frowns as Verceth speaks. "No, it's not good. Choking is when you have food stuck in your throat. Then you can't eat anymore until it's gone." She leaves breathing out of it. "I don't know what part's the right part and I don't think it would be good to hit him until it came out."
Winseth croons apologetically and bumps her muzzle against Rhianwen's hand, then takes another piece of meat, chewing it more slowly this time.
Rhianwen can't help but giggle, however. "And of course you will grow up. Everyone grows up eventually. Except me. I get older, but I don't seem to /grow/. But you don't worry about that, because you are going to be nice and big and strong." She reassures the green.
Jai puts a hand on Ibrith's head and caresses him fondly, "I'm SO ready to get to the barracks and rest. Is there a bath there or nearby, Weyrlingmaster?" She looks hopeful.
Zaith relaxes as hunger and itch both recede, now simply nibbling at offerings of food and pointing out small holdout itches that need attention and oil. Jewel-facets shimmer in blues and greens.
U'lyn smiles at Ondeth, and keeps the meat poised just infront of him.
Salva nods in agreement with Jai. "Bed. Bed is good. Right, Uriketh?"
Uriketh blinks his eyelids. Slowly. Bed sounds good, whatever it is.
D'shir wobbles on his feet, his weariness close to overwhelming as his lifemate begins to slump against him. Still, he holds him up, and nods along with the rest. "I'er tinkin bed es er real good idear.." he agrees.
D'shir watches as Eileryth wanders a short distance away.
Salva giggles. "Bed is a place to sleep. You don't sleep in your egg, anymore."
Ondeth watches closely at the lesson in chewing takes the cunk of meat this time chewing it, tenitivly at first then with more authority as he get's the idea.
Langley puts a protective hand on Ardenth's headknobs, the oil beading down toward the green's jawhinge so that Ardenth just *has* to squirm with pleasure. "They have to walk all the way there?" She gives the green a pensive glance.
Rhianwen just flushes at Winseth's words in her head, silvery eyes glowing. "Oh! But you have to grow up! If you don't, we can't do fun things together. Like, you wouldn't be able to catch your own food, or fight thread, or /fly/. I really want to fly, Winseth, so please grow up?"
Alaida giggles suddenly and rubs her fingers against Devath's eyeridges. "He's a brown. " then she pauses, blinking. "Uh.. that's brown. " and she points over to one of the browns. Devath gives a tired warble, her eyes whirling slowly, tiredly, but contently. She giggles. "It's a colour. So is blue. That's blue. "
U'lyn chuckles at his blue, and gives him a good rub on his headknobs. "I knew you'd be able to do it, Ondeth! You're the best!" he exclaims, looking lost in Ondeth's gaze.
Jai cringes as Ibrith rubs his bloody maw on her, still red from his meal, "Iew, Ibrith!" She sighs and looks down at her pristeen white garment, "They don't wear them because their dragons are much, much older. I'll dress like them soon enough, I'm sure." She takes a cloth and wipes the bloody juice from his face with a crinkle of her nose.
Sonya moves around, helping out each impressed pair to feed or to oil their lifemates.
Winseth warbles agreeably, and flutters her damp but rapidly drying wings-- hrm. It seems there's something wrong with one of them. She stops eating and twists her head about to look.
Langley grins as she catches sight of Jai's face, looking almost *too* pleased about the girl's discomfort. "You'll never do that, will you now?" She lifts her chin as she puts the finishing touches on the glistening sheen of oil, glancing along wingbones much to Ardenth's delight. "Right. Because your the goodest of them all."
Salva leans against the wall, smiling contentedly. "I think /I/ need food, too. And juice. Those sands were /hot/."
Uriketh in turn leans against Salva, crooning, looking up at her adoringly.
Rhianwen continues to feed Winseth - up until the time she begins to complain of her wing. "Oh, dear! Did you hurt yourself? It itches? Well, that's because you've started growing already!" she laughs, turning to Sonya "Weyrlingmaster, ma'am.....where do I get the oil? She's itchy."
Jai glances over at Langley, "Goodest? Missed that last Harper class growing up, didn't you?" She tsks lightly as she smiles down at Ibrith, "Yes, love, best. The word she's looking for is 'best'."
Verceth walks over to the main part of the Hatching Cavern.
Salva reaches over and scratches Uriketh's eyeridges. "My Uriketh." she murmurs sleepily.
Winseth snorts and stretches her neck out, trying to nip at her itchy wing.
Kyrola watches as Zaith wanders a short distance away.
Mara lets Verceth finish up the food. "Hmm? Oh. No - oil? Oil we can do. If you don't want more food." She frowns after a moment, though she's fishing for oil by now. "Um, ma'am," she says to Sonya, "do I /have/ to see my parents tonight? Da didn't want me to be at the Weyr and I don't think he'll like this very much."
Alaida giggles, explaining everything and anything, down to trying to explain what sand is to Devath. After awhile though, the tiny green leans against her, yawning again. "We are so tired. When can we go lie down? " she asks while supporting Devath again.
Ardenth turns her muzzle toward Jai, peering at the girl and then issuing a horrid creech. "Yes, that's the way I feel too," says Langley, tossing her chin away from the new bluerider. "If she wants to be the goodest, you aren't going to stop her."
Alaida does look rather a complete mess with her white robe bloody and oily
U'lyn takes another piece of meat, and offers it over towards Ondeth. "Of course you can have more!"
Sonya indicates where the oil is for Rhianwen. "Once that is finished we should start heading for the barracks soon.
Ondeth takes this piece of the meat and chews it carefully, before swallowing it as well.
Winseth screeches impatiently and scrabbles her feet against the sand, waving her wings back and forth.
D'shir cradles the blue Eileryth close to him.. at first meerly looping his arms about his neck, then slowly crouching down as the hatchling begins to slide to one side, and finally landing on his bottom with the blue bulk sprawled out half in his lap. His blink is surprised, but he meerly continues to sooth the hide, and stares up at Jai, who's nearest to him. "I'er wonnerin' ow I'er gonner get up ergain.. " he comments with faint amuzement.
U'lyn smiles almost paternally towards Ondeth, then eyes the oil. "Are you itchy, Ondeth? Or just hungry?"
Salva jerks awake and eyes Winseth. "Erm. Another exuberant one."
Sonya clears her throat to get everyone's attention. She waits to speak untill all eyes are on her.
A sated, glittering Ardenth reclines on her haunches for now, looking around the cavern with a tilt of her perfect, perfect muzzle whilst Langley attempts to wipe some of the oil off her hands onto her robe. The perfect time to look expectantly at Sonya.
Rhianwen gets the oil from a helper and slathers it on Wisneth's ring. "There....does that help?" she asks, before doing the other, making sure they are drenched before rubbing it into the soft skin. "Really, there's no help for it. You can't stop the growing, you know." She encourages the little green. "Oh, you want everything at once, don't you! here...if they've stopped itching, have some more meat."
Salva watches Sonya, still scratching Uriketh's eyeridges.
U'lyn turns his glance to Sonya, ocassionally looking back towards Ondeth.
Well, if the bugling was any indication to start something, Devath lifts her own voice in responce with it pealing out loudly and ringing clearly despite her being tired. Shows what good lungs is on her!
Winseth twists her head to this side and that to watch as Rhianwen oils her wings.
Sonya clears her throat again. "Don't let them go to sleep.." she looks around. Wincing at Devath. "Get them up, we need to get them to the barracks now."
Mara looks up - but she doesn't stop oiling.
Winseth then snatches another piece of meat and wolfs it down, her forked tongue snaking out to lick her muzzle.
U'lyn pulls another piece of meat out, and passes it over to Ondeth, while a helper passes him some oil. "Alright, Ondeth, anything you want!" he exclaims.
Salva smiles at Uriketh. "Okay, up we go. We're going to the barracks, now. You can sleep there."
Rhianwen giggles, then tries to hush a bit as Sonya gets their attention. She whispers "She's getting the oil off her hands. We don't need it like you dragons do" is explained, holding out some more meat "Here..eat. We'll fill your belly then put more oil on you. That's what makes you not itch."
Alaida giggles, hugging Devath. "Yes you do have a good voice. A beautiful voice also. " She instantly helps her up to help her back to the barracks. "It's almost soon now and you can sleep then. "
Kyrola lifts her head as Zaith lets out a belch and then starts trying to stop that golden tail from getting out of her sight.
D'shir swings his gaze around to rest, gladly, on Sonya - his smile curling his lips and denting his cheeks. Suddenly, though, he blushes and stares down, amazed at the blue in his lap. "Well if yer awake ernough ter wonner about /t'at/ yer awake ernough ter get up!" he notes drolly down to Eileryth, who, with a soft wuff, raises off the big mans lap. Dashir too clambers to his feet, although staying close to his hatchling.
Sonya waits a few more moment and turns on her heel to stride out.
Lyree has partially disconnected.
Uriketh looks over at the others, curiously. He's watching them with a sort of befuddled, sleepy curiousity. He croons at /his/ Salva. Her idea sounds goo dto him.
Sonya walks over to the main part of the Hatching Cavern.
Devath walks over to the main part of the Hatching Cavern.
D'shir walks over to the main part of the Hatching Cavern.
Alaida walks over to the main part of the Hatching Cavern.
Salva walks over to the main part of the Hatching Cavern.
Mara follows Sonya after a moment, getting Verceth back into action.
In her own sweet time, Ardenth stands up, testing her little wings for the first time. "We *have* to follow. If anyone can walk that far, darling, *you* can. We'll show those *other* dragons how to do it properly, won't we?" A flip of the braid over her shoulder, a flip of Ardenth's tail, and the two follow after Sonya.
Verceth walks over to the main part of the Hatching Cavern.
You walk over to the main part of the Hatching Cavern.