cadge (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} cadge) wrote,@ 2006-12-11 19:51:00 |
|
Hatching in the first turn of the interval!
Here's the log of last night's Hatching, occuring in the autumn of the first turn of the 10th Interval.
15 candidates; 8 dragons; 2 hours - do we even need the spam warning? I d/c twice, but as far as I know, I'm not missing any poses.
Logfile from HT Pyrene.
Sunday 10 December 2006
Pyrene shrugs at J'lal. "The candidates have been in a tizzy all day." She stretches and peers at her dragon who is sleepily staring into space. "Hurry up, Cadge. I'd love to sleep in a cold weyr tonight."
Cadgwith turns at the sound of her rider's voice and considers the eggs with interest. She must be feeling obliging today, because her eyes brighten and she starts humming, a sound quickly picked up by hundreds of other dragons within the Weyr.
Cadgwith senses that she rushes tsunami-like in her delight. << They're ready! The Hatching! Come see! >>
Ghraith appears to be in accord with the clutch dam as he, too, picks up the bass thrum that reverberates through the Weyr. He rises, shifting back on his haunches, an anticipatory gleam swirling into his gaze.
J'lal clears his throat, brows lifting, as he watches first one, then the other, dragon begin to thrum. "Well, it's about time. I suspect we won't be getting any water now, though."
Beast of Gevaudan Egg gives an abrupt shake as if startled by the sudden humming. What, now?
Sweet as Honey Egg trembles gently, run through with the shock of a shiver.
Pyrene gives a little wriggle of delight as it kicks in, grabbing J'lal's arm as she moves to the side of the Sands. "Good luck darling," she calls to her dragon. "They'll be beautiful!" Of course!
J'lal is just in time to crook his arm and offer it to Pyrene as she preemptively grabs at it. He takes a long look at Cadgwith, then smiles at the goldrider beside him. "Of course they will."
Dark Side of the Moon Egg twitches.
Cheyanna [& everybody else] steps from shadows to sand, joining the eggs.
Come Reap Harvest Moon Egg shifts where it sits set apart, mucking up the relative smoothness of the surrounding sand.
Beast of Gevaudan Egg rocks sulkily. Just ten more minutes, ma, pleeease?
Alternately nervous, excited, and blase, the candidates come onto the sands behind Cr'ash, a sea of white robes bobbing against the hot sands. Though their eyes flicker to the eggs, to the stands -- a few hands lift to wave at familiar faces -- they proceed mainly towards the clutchparents. Coming to a shuffling halt, they bow as one towards Cadgwith and Ghraith, gold and bronze guardians of the clutch.
Pyrene inclines her head in acceptance of the bow. "I give them a 9," she murmurs as an aside to J'lal. "Synchronisation was pretty damned good."
Cadgwith hums with furious pride, snorting joyfully at her eggs and the candidates. Good thing she's not sick.
The head of the column breaks apart -- Cr'ash toward the rest of the assistant weyrlingmasters on the edges of the Sands, Siannen toward Pyrene and J'lal with a large and sweating waterbladder and two tall glasses. These are delivered, and then she disappears again.
Beast of Gevaudan Egg scatters sand with an emphatic shake, easing itself from the divot in the sand where it lurks. As telltale cracks chase their way across its shadowy shape, it struggles against inevitable destruction, writhing and bucking in place. Finally, it stills, mere moments before a foot pops from its confines, then another, a snout, a tail, which eventually solidify into a rather solid dragon: Not Leo Enough Brown Dragonet.
Not Leo Enough Brown Dragonet
Ruggedly rotund is the best descriptor for this shadow-cast brown: raw power coils beneath a meaty physique, a short neck and limbs and a long torso emphasizing the breadth of his shoulders and haunches. The bitter orange of burnt sienna ripples across the sepia gloom of his broad figure in brindled waves. Lightening against the stretch of a small paunch and the underside of his long but solid tail, sienna turns to charcoal-striped umber in the spars and sails of his expansive wings. His large, round head features a blunt muzzle, tiny headknobs and a face of wide planes and prominent curves in cheek and brow. His paws, dainty in comparison, are tipped with ebony.
Sweet as Honey Egg rocks anxiously, with an almost rhythmic sway.
Khalylai rises from her bow with a look of uncertainty - perhaps for the first time since being at the Reaches. Nissa's hand clutched tight, the young woman flashes a beam to Micail and Cameron - and those others directly in her near proximity. "We're here," she announces. (Well... duh.) Is it any surprise that 'here' is none-too-comfortable? The young woman's dancing already on bare toes. Second degree burns, here we come... "One already?" she exclaims, eyebrows arching reflexively.
I'anex trails in late, taking position by other weylingmaster types and straightening his shoulders promptly. His eyes flick toward the first dragonet, marking.
Cameron is certainly nervous, all legs and arms and those legs nothing but gelatin really. Is the poor boy going to faint? It would be fitting. The baby of the candidates. He swallows nervously and looks around, almost helplessly. Oh look. A dragon. Help?
Cheyanna, for her part, is wary more than edgy, with a subdued caution directed towards the eggs piled up. And just in time: as the first shatters, the guard-candidate jumps and skitters back a step, into Meerak.
Jillriel grips Cailyn's hand with sooome force. Oops. Too tight. Releasing the hand, the brown dragonet is then eyed her heart /thumps/. "Cailyn!" is squeeked as her hand is grabbed once again.
"Hmm?" J'lal asks, having missed the statement as he watches the candidates, mulling over the possibilities and the marks he has placed thereupon. "Yes. Very nice." At least his dragon was paying attention.
Meerak straightens up out of the bow with a certain alacrity: the better to shuffle his feet, toeing barefoot at the sand with a quick shuffle. "It's not so bad," he says of the heat, for all that he is quick not to settle too long on either foot -- and then an egg cracks. He startles with an unmanly yelp, bumping into Cheyanna in turn. He gives her a sheepish look.
Iliad won't hold any hands. He's too manly for that, or something. Or maybe it's because he's too busy scrubbing at the back of his neck with one hand while the other clutches the cloth of his robe. Nervous much? You might say.
Nissa lets Khalylai lead her to wherever is appropriate; at least there are plenty of candidates around them. She too shuffles on the sand, her bare feet warming uncomfortably. "I wish I'd found my sandals..." she moans again, and then gives a little jump as the brown breaks shell. "Oooh!"
"Shards, these dragons aren't wasting any time," is murmured to Jillriel. "Ow. Be gentle," Cailyn scolds, loosening her grip on the her buddy. "Just breathe, okay? Keep breathing." If only Cailyn could follow her own advice.
Xayna follows the people in front of her onto the sands and after the bow follows them to make the usual semi-circle around the edge. Her right hand reaches out and grabs Stitch, grabbing it tightly. She gives him a grin and then reaches out to her left, ending up grabbing Lairae's hand. A smile is given to her as well, before the beast egg hatches. /Her/ egg. Well, it isn't anymore. A look over the brown gets a soft ooo from her, and she shuffles her feet from the heat.
Micail is indeed shuffly. He doesn't really have anything to do with his hands like some of the others, but he moves along anyway. Where to? Somewhere near Airam. Airam seems like a safe person to stand with. Gack! They didn't even get a chance to breathe before one campe popping out of there!
Jaryyd raises from his bow to see a brown emerge from an egg and he stares transfixed. Thoughts whirl around in his head and it's eveident in his stare that not all the glows are open upstairs. He does jump back though, as if afraid to get trampled by the little beasty.
Airam sucks in a deep breath during his rise from a bow as he looks around the sands and up into the galleries. Okay, time of truth. Oh yes, he's nervous. And when did his heart beat get so loud? He steps back half a foot as the first egg hatches and watches the baby dragon warily.
To Feed the Hunger Egg rocks, its motion erratic and unpredictable.
Lairae fidgets desperately with her hands when she rises from the bow, but manages to stand still once she's found a spot. Mostly still. She shifts onto the balls of her feet, very cleary ready to move quickly out of the way. She jumps when her hand is grabbed, but manages a wan smile for Xayna. She looks uncomfortable at being tied down to two people, but doesn't pull free.
Cheyanna whirls to stare at Meerak as contact is made, letting a solid two seconds tick by before recognition settles into place for her. "Sorry," she says belatedly. "I -- sorry." She turns to glance back at the eggs, specifically the rocking Hunger Egg. "Oh, Faranth," she says. "/That/ one's starting."
Stitch looks toward NIssa and whispers "Ye can take mine." he says, slipping them off with one hand as the other is siezed by Xayna. Offering them toward her or to the next person to pass down, he lightly steps from foot to foot, the perspiration on the bottoms of his feet making the hot sand cling.
Not Leo Enough Brown Dragonet stretches, blinking with puzzled interest at the surroundings and just scrunching his belly on the Sands to get a feel for this new world. Warm and scratchy... It'll do. He pauses for a long moment, forelegs out and butt in the air, apparently poised for a rush. And then he gets up and plods unhurriedly towards the White Line of Intrigue.
Jillriel breathes as her buddy tells her to. "Yeah, that helps." Cailyn is then eyed as she inches a teensy bit closer. "Handsome brown, eh?"
Khalylai is enough to unman Iliad, you see. She lunges for his hand, attempting to snag it. "Iliad, you have to protect us," she announces, angling herself slightly behind the guard-candidate. She flashes Nissa a bright, bright beam. "This is outrageous." They're starting - already! She dismisses the brown, eyeballing the other eggs cautiously.
Dark Side of the Moon Egg rotates just an aota and then stops.
Ryan brings his torso up from the bow, blinking. Attention is focused on the eggs and---oh look, one hatched already. Gulping, it's plain he's nervous, but everyone else is too. Turning his head to whoever may be next to him in the semi-circle of candidates, he offers a weak grin.
Meerak dips his shoulders, apology accepted quick enough. "Yeah, sure," he says, words pitter-pattering in a nervous rush of syllables as he settles next to Cheyanna. "Whatever." He follows her gaze with a wary turn of his head, eyes widening. He backs away. "Bet you that one comes bursting out and claws someone. Half a mark. Well -- quarter mark."
Lairae 's nails are probably digging into Xayna's palm as she focuses on the rocking Hunger egg. "Got to be careful of that one," she mutters under her breath. To who, it's hard to tell.
Xayna takes in a deep breath as the first hatchling comes towards them, unvoluntarily taking a step back. Quickly she steps back in line and takes her eyes off the brown only long enough to look around at the others and the eggs. "Good luck Stitch, Lairae." Her voice is like a squeaky mouse in her nervousness.
Come Reap Harvest Moon Egg rocks and jerks, its gold-hued shell shivering tremorously.
Uh-oh.. Here it comes. Jar stares at the little brown, hoping that if it charged, it didn't charge his way. Unless it intended to pick him...which he thought doubtfull... and plausible at the same time. "WOw,..." he whispers, edging towards some of the other candidates.
Iliad's hand is grabbed. Lovely. But Khaly's hand is not released once contact is made. If anything, he squeezes it while chewing on his tongue through his teeth. "If one tries to maul me, I'm /so/ sacrificing you, by the way." Surely Iliad can pick her up enough to throw her in the way, right?
Micail chews on his bottom lip a little bit. Feet shift then, and he moves, looking at the moving eggs before his gaze turns right back around to that roaming brown. The boy is tense, really, after all those lovely lessons about how to avoid dragon-maulings. Duck? Run?
"Very handsome." The line of fellow candidates is eyed, with Cailyn mentally trying to figure out who he'll go to. There are too many eggs moving at once, so her eyes are constantly jerking around, nervous little twitches.
Nissa lets go of Khalylai's hand in order to grab at Stitch's shoes. They're a bit big for her, but by balancing precariously on one heated foot in turn, she manages to slip them on. "Thank you, thank you very much," she hisses to the harper-candidate, then glances rather guiltily at Khalylai's still bare feet before taking the other girl's hand again.
Airam turns from the dragon to eye the other candidates and their reactions, and then back to the brown again as it moves. "This was faster than I thought it would be." He comments to the other candidates closest to him. He offers a smile to Meerak but doesn't wait to see if the other boy got it. He moves foward just a little bit to get a better view, but still stays far back.
Cameron takes a deep breath and squares his shoulders. Getting his equilibrium back as he watches the dragon and then others eggs that rock. He moves in closer to Micail "Hope you got that nap in earlier. Too late now. Even moreso if you Impress."
"Eight," Cheyanna counters. "I'm going to lose too much money today anyway." She follows Meerak back a step or two, cautiously. "Uh, if it charges us, you don't mind me flinging you in front of me, right?" she says. She looks back to the brown now, wary and ready to dive out of the way.
Sweet as Honey Egg quakes nervously.
Khalylai is now ensconced between two, and that comforts her. She squeezes Iliad's hand, regardless of the fact that he carries the deadly cootilus naturalis virus. "Nissa, you suck," she states, but her voice is surprisingly cheerful. And feet dance! "You just -try- sacrificing me, Iliad. I could so take you."
Not Leo Enough Brown Dragonet wriggles his shoulders, getting into the feel of this walking thing--if it wasn't for those durned wings flopping all over the place. Patiently he continues forward until he reaches the first few candidates. One paw snakes out experimentally, lashing at a nearby lad, claws unsheathed. Fortunately, the lad dances out of the way in time. The brown has already moved on, sniffing and snorting and occasionally squawking as he heads determinedly down the line.
Meerak gives Cheyanna a /betrayed/ look. "You're the guard! You should be flinging yourself in front of it. Protecting people, like," he says expansively, gesturing with a nervous twitch to edge out the wave of hands, a wave that turns to a salute aimed in Airam's direction, smile caught and returned, if with a slightly puzzled frown.
Stitch gives Xayna's hand a comforting squeeze, even though the palms of his small hands are sweaty and clamy. "Should have brought some rolls...coulda kept em warm with melted butter..." Stitch tries to keep his mind off his absolute terror by thinking of food.
Dark Side of the Moon Egg casts aside its cloak of mystery, revealing the majestic mountains and steep crevasses that pock a surface heretofore hidden beneath the sand. This marvel is not long to last, however, as a myriad of cracks begin to mar its surface, sending flecks of shell scattering to the floor. Finally, with one last shudder, shell gives way, disintegrating, to reveal a hardly mysterious, but no less majestic I'm Too Sexy Pavo Bronze Dragonet.
I'm Too Sexy Pavo Bronze Dragonet
The virescent shimmer of honeyed gold hints in verdant copper lend a certain royal allure to this bronze. Elegance delineates the slender musculature of long limbs and frame, from the perfect posture in the proud arch of his neck and shoulders to the whip-flick of his tail. A charmer's face has he, the intimation of an inviting smile in the dark mask of hooded eyes, his mouth curling at the corners of a blunt, broad muzzle. His true glory, however, lies in the expanse of his wings and the hypnotic scintillation of color found within his sails.
Jaryyd steels himself. He'd get nowere in this hatching by running away, if he must get clawed, or trampled, then so be it. He stands his ground and watches as the dragonette nearly misses a lad with his claws. Jar whistles at the close encounter and looks over to Micail. "Bit vicious isn't he?"
"You can have them if I Impress," Nissa tells Khalylai, although she sounds very unsure of the whole idea as that brown comes around. She glances around Khaly to Iliad as the bronze hatches, looking rather hopeful.
"Shut up," Lairae says in Stitch's direction, lashing out without thinking in her nervousness. She noticed that brown's swipe, and her hand spasms in Xayna's again, as she considers whether to disentangle herself.
Micail makes a noise as one of those paws go striking for candie-feet. That's..not a good sign. "Watch your legs.." He offers to those around him, if somewhat quietly. Maybe it won't be too much help. But Jaryyd does get a quick nod as he's spoken to. "Yeah..yeah he-oh! Another one."
Airam moves a short distance across the ground to Micail and Cameron's side, managing to keep his eyes both on the newly hatched brown and his target. He leans foward and asks, "You scared?" Airam is, not that he'd admit it, and not that it's too hard to figure by yourself. He turns to look at the now hatched bronze, "Wow."
Ryan inhales deeply, eyes looking to the wandering dragonet for a moment before looking at the others around him to see hwo they're fairing. Gulp. Another's hatched. Eyes stay on that one for a moment to before he looks down, silently. Feet scuff against the sand, but he doesn't stir enough of it for anyone to complain.
"Guards learn how to use distraction techniques!" Cheyanna replies. "Any tool at your disposal, right?" She shifts again, back out of the way of the brown's approach. As the next egg shatters, she wrenches her eyes over. "Bronze!" she says. "That's one. One more and I'm up a quarter mark!" Her feet move lightly on the sands, bare and burning.
Khalylai grins to Nissa. "Okay." She does make a noise at the new dragonet, however. "Er.. he looks, ah, girly." A critical look. "Vain. Ah-- what's the word I'm looking for?" Beat. "Narcissitc."
Jillriel nods toward the newly hatched bronze dragonet. "Hey, look over there." Feeling a bit more confident now, Cailyn's hand is released for the moment while she stares at the hatchlings. Eee.
Iliad disregards what Khaly has to say as a finger waggles in the direction of the bronze. "Look! Looklooklook!" Whatever anxiety he might've had is replaced with anxiousness. "Gotta be mine, gotta be mine." If he chants this, it'll come true, right?
Xayna winces as Lairae's nails dig into her palm but she takes a deep breath and bears it. Another breath is taken as the brown takes a swipe at a boy. She squeezes both hands, but lets go of Lairae's. The pain is getting to her, that and she needs the extra movement so she can continue to shuffle her feet. "Hot sand..." Sand got into her sandal and now she tries desperately to kick it out.
Stitch emits a pfffft. "Just tryin t'keep my thoughts on something pleasant, otherwise I'm gonna start runnin round like a crazed wherry."
Jaryyd snaps his head round when the next hatchling errupts and is awed by the bronze. He's definately letting himself get swept away by the feelings and emotions running through him. And right now they are simply all in awe. The sweat on his brow thickens, but he seems not to notice at all.
Cameron eyes the newest hatchling and blinks "Wow." he admits quietly "Yeah, I'm kinda scared. They look big, even this little." he murmurs "But that one just looks. I dunno. He's just weird."
Meerak's gaze skips over to the latest, following Cheyanna's call. He wrinkles his nose, bare feet shuffling a tapping dance over the hot sands. "I forgot to put down any bets on what would hatch," he says, admitting to disappointment with terrible sadness. He watches back and forth, gaze skittering here and there. He curses under his breath. "This isn't anything at all like when we pretended to be dragons and hatched!"
As yet another dragon breaks out of its shell, Cailyn's eyes flicker between the two dragons, making sure to know where they are at all times. Perhaps that demonstration wasn't such a bad thing afterall. With Jillriel no longer attached, Cate takes up wringing her hands to try and relieve the inner stress.
I'm Too Sexy Pavo Bronze Dragonet shakes the gooey remains of shell from his figure, annoyed disdain apparent in the set of his shoulders. Finally immaculate, he poses, as any good bronze should, his predatory gaze sweeping the line of white, dismissing the vast majority in the first instant.
Micail throws a look up at Airam quickly, eyes again darting toward the dragonets. "Y..yeah. A bit--a lot. /Yes./" Gah. Fingers drop to grab at his robe a little bit. It helps with those sweaty palms and all.
I'anex humphs back in his throat at the bronze's arrival. "It's a /pretty/ one," he says with a certain removed disdain that can only be his (duller) dragon's influence.
Nissa looks the bronze over again, and then at Iliad. "He's very handsome," she comments, although of course that could be taken any which way. "It /could/ be yours, Iliad..."
"I, uh, put an eighth of a mark on someone dying," Cheyanna confesses, her voice very low. "It occurs to me now that might have been... a bad idea. Ill-wishing." She adds, "I've got a mark down on stuff, all told."
Khalylai makes a disparagate noise as to Iliad impressing pretty-boy bronze. "Somehow, I just think that would be an overload of vainglory." Her smile to Iliad, however, is joking.
Jillriel can't make up her mind -- to hold hands, or not to hold hands? With that in mind, Cailyn's arm is grabbed as the bronze ambles closer. "How often do candidates get.. mauled?" Scared? Perhaps. Just at that thought. Cough.
Airam shivers a little before forcing his fear down and taking several deep breaths. His own sweaty palms are already burried deep in his white robes, twisting the thick fabric harshly. "Don't be," He says to Micail and Cam, eyes still focused on the dragonets, "Just, if they rush us...move." This is more for his own benefit then theirs.
Jaryyd laughs when he hears Nissa's comment and looks over at the girl. "One that pretty is going to be vain, as well it should be!" He smiles and turns back to watch brown and bronze sniff our their lifemates. Secretely he hopes one of them picks him, but he doesn't voice that hope. Best not to jynx himself.
The bronze hatching catches Xayna's attention for a moment, but the hot sand in her sandal is more important right now. Another moment and she ends up taking it off to shake it out, putting her sandal back on quickly. Stitch's hand is dropped as she does this so as to better balance. Once on her two feet again, she looks up to see the bronze posing and then her eyes return to the brown.
Not Leo Enough Brown Dragonet follows his nose and the stench of sweat to reach one particular girl. The candidates to either side of her are ignored as he stares instead with great curiosity at her foot, which is kicking so enticingly. A little wriggle of his brindled rump, and he pounces forward, clamping both forepaws down on it. He scratches himself with his eagerness and in confusion, blinks up at Xayna. Need a little help here.
Meerak gives that a laugh all out of proportion to the actual humor of the situation. "On someone dying. You should've just put it on someone getting hurt. Did you see that brown--" His chin jerks, indicating the first. "--nearly take a swipe out of someone? And he's just the first! I should've taken the time to find my sandals, then I could've gone and dodge faster. Feet seem to stick and sink all barefoot."
Not Leo Enough Brown Dragonet turns his jewel faceted eyes toward Xayna, and steps forward.
Stitch puffs his cheeks. "It might be me. I never thought of being short as a disadvantage till I realised how hot it is so close to the ground..." he shifts one shoulder up to wipe his forehead, his long wavy curls soaked and sticking to the sides of his neck. "Oh goodness! Xayna!" he's either glad she impressed or glad she let go of his hand so he can wipe it on his robe. A sort of chittery laugh escapes his throat. "COngratulations! Don't forget to write!"
Cameron coughs a little "Move, yeah. Good idea. And hope that predatory instints don't kick in and they chase us?" His eyes watch the dragons and the he blinks. Oh my. "Xayna impressed." He swallows. Now he's even more nervous about Impressing.
"Could be, should be--" Iliad pauses, licking his lips. And to Khaly, he just pokes his tongue out. "Wouldn't you like that?" She might just die from the overdose. "Well hey!" he then hollars out, chin-nodding towards Xayna before using entwined hand to point. "Look! Xayna! Sweet! And she's alive!" Which is always a good thing.
"If you don't stop, I'm going to maul /you/," is Cailyn's reply to Jillriel, eyes narrowing in on her buddy. Her fingers work to release the death grasp Jillriel has on her in favor of a looser one. As Xayna gets the brown, Cailyn lets out a cheer. "Good job!"
"Xayna, Xayna!" Nissa squeals, bobbing up and down - still on the end of Khaly's arm - as she gestures with her free hand towards the newly impressed woman. "Xayna!"
If Xayna doesn't think to drop it, Lairae pulls her hand away. "Congratulations," she says softly, and shifts back to her balls of the feet ready to move stance a little farther away.
Micail eyes Airam for a moment. "I'd planned on it. I don't..really want to get trampled or some such thing." And..where'd that brown go? Oh! There. "Xayna!"
I'anex leaves off staring after the bronze with mild (mild) dislike to run his eyes back over to the first, the brown. "There we go. Excellent, Xayna!"
Jillriel chin-nods toward Xayna and the brown hatchling. "Ooh! Look!" Side stepping to regain some of her balance, her grip on her buddy's arm is loosened tremendously. There.
Khalylai points, sorta, with the hand that's grasping Iliad's. He had the idea before her. "Xayna!" It's more a squeak, and less a dignified statement. "I would just -love- that," she drawls toIliad. "I always saw her on brown," she states, with the satisfied tone of a bet won.
"I think they're too busy for a chase. Matter of fact, if we were chased it'd probably mean we Impressed them." Airam watches as the brown approaches Xayna and casts a wide smile at the girl who drug him to her flit hatching. He's glad for her.
Xayna acks as in putting her foot down the brown hatchling pounces out at it. A look down at him as he looks up at her. A moment passes and then a tear falls down one cheek.
"Luileeuth... Yes Luileeuth, we'll go get that milk and meat." She helps him to his feet, running her hands gently over his head before giving a smile to Stitch and the others. Slowly she walks with him towards the entrance where those that can help await.
Meerak flinches, closing an eye as the brown dragon pounces at Xayna. He squints with the other to see if she's dead -- and finding her not only allive, but calling out an long ol' name and getting lots of congratulations, he exhales. "I thought you just won your bet," he admits to Cheyanna.
To Feed the Hunger Egg splits down the middle, the ghastly horrors emblazoned in pattern over its shell cracking and shattering into nothing but shards. Leaping from the wreck of her eerie prison, the Squeeful Dolphin Green Dragonet shakes out her egg-wet wings and stumbles on her very first step.
Squeeful Dolphin Green Dragonet
Oh, the glory of her silver-green hide, sleek and shining over a dancer's long-limbed frame. Teal's capricious splash crashes pell-mell against rounded headknobs and along her neck's delphine arch. Ever-widening, ever-changing, ripples of that bright-dark hue spread in playfully undulating patterns across pale haunches and down the slender sweep of her tail. Wings' spread is elegant and evenly proportioned, shimmering green touched in moonlight and struck with occasional hints of starshine.
"No one was taking bets on getting hurt," Cheyanna mutters in reply. "Someone bet on /five/ deaths. That's awful!" As the brown closes in on Xayna, Cheyanna starts forward, clearly certain for an instant that the candidate is getting mauled. "Xay--! Oh. Xayna! Xayna!" Horror is transformed to delight, and she claps.
Come Reap Harvest Moon Egg quakes with a jolt bearing near enough force to tip itself over, but pendulums back nominally upright.
Ryan moves to peer over at Xayna, a bit wide-eyed. "Congratualtions!" is called over from his place. Moving gaze back to the sand, they still manage to trail after the new pair as they move off to the side.
I'm Too Sexy Pavo Bronze Dragonet is pretty, isn't he? He stretches the impressive span of his wings, still damp from his confinement in all that goo, then sets off to greet his adoring fans, head held high, a strut in his step.
"GO XAYNA!" is shouted by Jaryyd as he keeps one eye on the bronze...just in case. He fidgits a little, first by clasping and unclasping his hands and second by swinging his arms back and forth. But he's stopped by the emergance of the green. His nose wrinkles a little and an audible groan is soon muffled. He was hoping for more dragonettes of the shiny variety.
Crying for the Moon Egg trembles lightly, just testing out the idea of movement.
Micail has attention diverted again. Really, so much is /happening/ at once. Another egg splits, and he turns to look, watching the green before he gives another quick look toward the approaching bronze. He does, however, inch himself a little bit closer to Airam. "They're coming out /everywhere/."
Pyrene looks hugely approving at the first impression. "Xayna! She did it!" She beams proudly at J'lal. "I asked her to Stand, you know. A lovely brown, too. I expect good things of them." Pyrene is nothing if not unbiased.
"Wow. This is really going by fast." Nevermind that only one candidate's impressed so far, at least that Iliad's taken observance of. "Where'd the bronze go?" Eyes quickly glance in either direction, a glimmer of green catching his sight before he once against uses entwined fingers to point towards the newest hatched. "Look. A green, too." If Khaly hasn't noticed it for herself.
Nissa looks after Xayna. "Leel... Lilee..." She gives up, and shrugs. "He's a nice brown," she does say approvingly before catching sight of the green and giving a little excited shiver. "She's pretty, Khalylai... do you think she'd like you?"
"Ooooh, a green." Cailyn points her buddy towards the dragon, grinning in delight. "Finally a female. I'd laugh if it went to a guy, since the first male went to a girl." Irony is funny.
Meerak happy-feets edgily, kicking off top layers of sand in an attempt to find cooler sand beneath. "Five deaths. That seems like a lot, right? I mean -- right? It is? So there were bad odds, weren't there? How many people /usually/ die?" he asks Cheyanna, eying the green like she's a killer.
"Congratulations!" And I'anex is now speaking to Xayna more directly as he waves her over. "To the side, to the side. Everything great? Of course it is," I'anex rattles off cheerfully. A green to watch, now.
Cameron stares at the green as she hatches and the Weyrwomans words come back to him. He shakes his head a little. She would know. Wouldn't she? He gulps and watches. Absently shifting feet as the heat comes through the sands. "She's kinda pretty though."
Khalylai dances on burnt toes. "She's pretty," she remarks of the newest green, gaze studying the pale sweeps of hide. "She reminds me of water," is replied to Nissa, and also to Iliad. Speaking of Iliad-- "Yes, where -did- that bronze go?" Neck cranes, here and there, keeping a careful eye on the newest green.
"None," Cheyanna says. "Well, usually." She shifts her weight forward and back, remaining on guard. "But these are evil, right? I mean... you never know. Better to stay... alert. Ready for anything."
Squeeful Dolphin Green Dragonet stumbles, /fumbles/, then catches herself with out-thrown wings, flinging goo in a wide and splattery arc as she regains her balance. A joyful bugle sounds, then transmutes itself into a creel of hunger and dismay. She sets her head down, tucks her wings in, and begins her search with another faltering step.
Xayna smiles at I'anex as he waves her over and can only nod, babbling on something insensibly. "Yes, food. We'll get food and then a nap." She'll definately need a nap after this.
Jillriel looks in the direction that she's pointed it. "Ooh, green. Very nice and, yeah, that'd be funny." Grin. "She's awful shiny, huh?"
Now that the Hunger egg has hatched, Lairae's eyes end up glued to the green that emerges. She draws in a ragged breath and jumps when the dragon moves, but a frown settles into her expression. It doesn't seem to be acting evilly. Belatedly, she remembers to track the bronze also.
Em-Oh-Oh-En Egg wiggles and rolls around a bit, then stops. Patience is a virtue.
"I noticed." Airam answers Micail dryly, eyes now focused on the pretty green. "I'm glad Xayna Impressed, she's nice." If anyone asks later, he didn't say that. He winces as the green calls out and starts to move half a step backawrds again before forcing himself to stay put.
"Green." Ryan says to no one in particular. Just talking for the sake of talking.
Cadgwith gives a low foghorn call to the green, appreciating the splatter of goo. It's good when the kids know how to make an entrance.
Come Reap Harvest Moon Egg begins to rock more forcefully, spraying sand.
Jaryyd can't help but laugh at the green's antics. "Look at how cute she is!" he bellows, as a father would bellow over a first of his daughter's. He looks around and catches Airam's last comment. "Aye, Xayna deserved it. She'll make a good rider!"
"Shiny, yes, but possibly evil. That was the /evil/ egg. Don't look at it. Maybe if we don't look at it, it won't come over here." Wishful thinking, perhaps, but Cailyn focuses her attention on the other rocking eggs, the grasp on Jillriel becoming tighter.
"Hey, they don't seem that bad once they're out of the eggs, huh?" Knock on wood. If only there were some around. Micail? --oh, he's just looked at. Ah hah. "Watch him impress the bronze," Iliad asides to Khaly, giving anothing chin nod, but this time in the younger man's direction.
Stitch hops from foot to foot, making an awful face as he feels his legs sweating, pretty much feeling as though he were melting. "Augh...aye, she is a cute little lass...I hope she's nicer outside the egg than she was inside. Then again, if I were trapped inside and egg and people were touching me, I might be inclined to be a bit grumpy too."
I'm Too Sexy Pavo Bronze Dragonet stops once more, now that he's a bit closer, to study the males of the bunch, chin tilted high as though he doesn't expect much. He poses again, shifting a wing -- look at that blingbling, ladies! Something catches his eye, his gaze turning towards a young guard. With a prance in his step, he closes the distance and looms over Ryan as if to say, am I not impressive enough for you?
I'm Too Sexy Pavo Bronze Dragonet turns his jewel faceted eyes toward Ryan, and steps forward.
Nissa follows Iliad's chin nod towards Micail - and then swings her head around so fast that she winces, to watch the bronze take to Ryan instead. "Ryan!"
Cadgwith also approves of the spray of sand from Harvest Moon Egg. A bit premature entrance wise, but it doesn't hurt to warm up the crowd.
Micail smiles for a moment, but just nods. "Yeah, she is." An arm comes up then, wiping at some of the gathering sweat from his brow. He blinks in time to see that bronze looming toward Ryan, and just stares a moment before it becomes apparant what's happened. "Oh..congratulations, Ryan!"
"Oh!" Cheyanna cries out as the bronze advances on (who else?) a guard. "Ryan! Go, Ryan!" She claps her hands together over her head, fist into open palm. "Yeah!"
Jillriel's arm starts to tingle as Cailyn grips a little tighter. However, that doesn't seem to bother her since her attention is completely focused on Ryan and the little bronze. "Congrats!" is shouted to the young lad.
Jaryyd shouts for Ryan, taking his small sting of dissapointment in stride, there were other hatchlings still. And maybe, just maybe, this wasn't his time. "WOO! RYAN!"
Khalylai bounces. "Ryan!" He was one of the cool ones! Bounce-bounce. The young woman glues her eyes on the latest green, wary of evil surges from this particular batch of eggs, and squeezes the hands she holds again. "I guess that one wasn't meant for you," she teases Iliad. "Nissa... bets on the next one hatched?"
Stitch pats his hands together in a wet clap. "Congratulations!" hopping up and down in congratulations gives him a chance to put an inch or two between him and the sand.
Cameron just watches the dragons Impressing. "So far no deaths." he murmurs as he looks over in a certain direction. Gruesome that kind of betting. 'Another one down." he murmurs as he shifts some more, if anything to keep from fainting by having knees lock up. That would be embarassing. He closes his eyes a little as he takes a breath "Warn me if something this way comes."
Ryan is rendered speechless. Blinking at the dragonet before him he blinks, mouth opened before finally he stumbles with getting words out. "Ao-Aoja-Aojadinth!" Now beaming proudly, he awkwardly steps out of place to move with the little bronze off to the side near Xayna.
Airam nods absently at Jaryyd as the other agrees and watches closely as the bronze makes his way to Ryan. "That's two." He says with a slight smile at the guard candidate. He didn't know him all that well, but this is a special occasion. "Okay, now for the green."
Come Reap Harvest Moon Egg shudders in its gravid swell; it rocks; it quakes; and opens up, splitting to pieces in the pangs of labor to spill forth its contents, raining shards of gold-hued shell in a scattered arc. Thus is revealed the Enthroned Cassiopeia Gold Dragonet.
Enthroned Cassiopeia Gold Dragonet
A stark elegance is drawn in lean and weathered lines of once malleable, once molten, gold. Smooth and mellow amber sweeps back her wings, only to be burnt brown at the straining spars. The beaten curve of her neckridges is likewise tarnished, and the prominent leg-bones seem to bruise the hide that covers them. The delicate hammering of her face is buffed with soft brown on the headknobs and the upsweep of eyeridges. Beneath, an old gaze shadows her eyes with wisdom and quiet dignity.
"Hmmmm," I'anex draws the syllable out leisurely. "/This/ might be entertaining. Over here, over here!" But they know the drill. I'anex exists to make wide gestures, mostly-- "Ahah!" His gaze goes right /there/. On the gold.
Nissa is sorrowful as she leans around Khalylai to tell Iliad, "I thought he might be yours, I'm sorry..." She checks over at where the green moves - and before she can reply to Khalylai, out pops the gold. "Oh!"
"Yay! Congrats Ryan!" Cailyn cheers, grinning as she makes yet another aside to Jillriel, "A real handsome bronze. He'll make a good rider." As the gold emerges, the grip only gets tighter.
Meerak calls out the obligatory congratulatory-type sounds, which promptly faded into a snickering laugh. "Hahah, even /he/ had trouble with that name," he says, watching as it goes on before his attention is turned by noise in the stands and on the sands, all attention briefly drawn by the appearance of gold. "Huh."
"Or not." Well then. "Congrats, Ryan!" Iliad hollars over, momentarily distracted by the impression made. The frown only lasts a moment though before the other eggs are eyed skeptically. There's no telling what's to come, afterall. "Guess not," is idly offered in Khaly's direction, without so much as a look towards her. Nissa gets a look though, a crooked grin, and a quick shrug before "Heeey. Gold. Look," comes out.
Jillriel suddenly gasps and yanks Cailyn's arm when the gold hatchling is spotted. "Ooh, isn't /she/ gorgeous.." Oops. "Sorry. Sudden impulse." Eh heh. Grip is then loosened on the girl's arm right afterward.
And with one metallic impressed, another arrives on the scene; Cheyanna turns to look back at her. "Wow," she says in uneasy commentary. "The, uh, golds can sometimes be especially dangerous," she mentions to Meerak.
Jaryyd was about to shout for Ryan again but is held in silence as the gold blur errupts from her shell. /KNOWING/ that this one was definately not his he grins and gives a thumbs up to the girls in the group. "Good luck ladies!"
Another Impression without any deaths, and Lairae manages something close to a smile in Ryan's direction. The emergence of the gold finally takes her wary attention away from the green, and this time she flicks glances to the female candidates.
Micail is still smiling for Ryan when his gaze finally tears away from the pair. Popping of another egg moves his eyes toward it, blinking quickly. That's..definately a gold. Yes. "Wow..." Well what else can one say about that?
Pyrene suddenly stands a little straighter, her nails deathgripping into J'lal. "There! She's pretty, isn't she?" she asks, questioning, hopeful. Cadgwith is less impressed, merely giving the baby gold a happy snort before turning her attention back to that green (who is probably a truer daughter to her).
Squeeful Dolphin Green Dragonet creels, cries, and lunges toward the first line of candidates. Khalylai is inspected, then dismissed with an awkward sideways step. She lifts her head, cranes it from side to side, then turns away with a skittering, scampering lunge. No grace on the ground, and as she turns away she stumbles again. Tail whips around for balance, and catches Nissa behind the knees as she moves on.
Khalylai blinks at the gold's emergence. "Wow," is her word of the day; that is all. No more, no less. "She is beautiful." She's wary of the green more than the gold right this instant, however; and the other eggs are not disregarded, either. She's nearly leaning on Iliad, now. "I think I may pass out," she carefully articulates. That's said to Nissa, for the record. The-- "Nissa!" she squeals. Speaking of evil dragonets. "Nissa, are you okay?" !!
Cameron is watching Ryan as well and then the gold hatches. "Well, that's one I don't have to worry about taking a keen interest in me." he notes as his eyes go back towards the green just as she's heading for Khaly. Deep intake of breath. And then passing her by and then Nissa gets it from behind "Is she okay!?"
Meerak eyes the little gold with sudden suspicion at Cheyanna's words. "Oh? They can be--?" Nissa's whapped! Everyone who put money on people dying leeeans forward, and so does Meerak. "The green's the one from that one egg, too!" Killer! He was right!
Whacked in the knees, Nissa looses her balance nearly dragging Khalylai with her... her upper body swings violently as she lets go of the other girl's hand and falls awkwardly, banging her face on her own knees as she does. "OW!" Stricken, she lies on the sand for a moment - but a very brief one, as it's far too hot down there.
Jillriel squints a bit as she watches Nissa get smacked behind the knees by the clumsy green dragonet. Did that just happen? "Faranth! I hope she's alright." That didn't look good at all, poor girl. She ought to be bruised after that little love tap.
Micail gasps sharply as that tail thwacks into Nissa. Squeak. "Nissa!" She's okay, right? Let's hope so... Mph. "That can't be good.." Time to keep a better eye on that swatty green.
Enthroned Cassiopeia Gold Dragonet lifts her head, lifting her feet and placing them with solemn care as she steps away from the jagged remnant of her egg. She unfurls her wings slowly in a wide, wet, glistening arc and slants her head to the side, running her jewel-faceted gaze over the potentials.
"I told you that thing was evil." The attack the green did on Nissa, as minor as it may be in the grand scheme of things, is eyed, Cailyn keeping her eyes on the candidate to make sure she's okay. The other wandering dragons are ignored for the time being.
J'lal refrains from grimacing as his gaze follows the gold, the green apparently as beneath his notice as she isn't Ghraith's. "Yes. She's lovely. Both of them are lovely. All of them are lovely. How many are there now, anyways?"
Cheyanna jerks her head over to Nissa, too, startled. "Get her out of the way!" she says, alarm clear in her voice: it does not, however, seem like a disembowling is coming next. Cheyanna spares another look for the gold, uneasy.
Airam smiles as the next egg hatches and a beautiful gold meets the world. "She's very pretty." He says with a nod to Micail, shifting his weight onto another leg as his stiff posture is starting to make him ache a bit. He turns around to look at all the girls in the candidate crowd. "I don't have a clue who will Impress her though." A hand raises to cover his mouth as the green gets Nissa and looks on worridly. "Does she need help?"
Jaryyd jumps to help Nissa after she fell. "You alright?" He asks, wanting to help in any way shape or form. His eyes are keen for the gold and green though, should they come round again.
Meerak rocks back on his heels, settling back into place. That is surely worry on his features, not disappointment! "Well, good," he says lamely when others go to help Nissa to her feet. "I don't see any blood, do you? She's probably okay. Watch out for that gold. /Someone/ has to get hurt, right?"
Lairae squeaks, though she wasn't the one hit, and then flushes at the mistake. "Nissa!" she calls, but softly, and then bites her lip, and shifts from foot to foot. She lets out a held breath when the girl gets back up.
"Oh geez!" Poor Nissa. Iliad winces and works to regain his own balance as Khaly's tugged, therefore causing a domino effect of sort. His posture's steady enough to offer his free hand in assistance, however. "Hey--you alright?" It's a generic question, but one of concern, nonetheless.
Khalylai is intent to Nissa's aid, ignoring the movement of potential mauling dragonets. That's Iliad's job as a guard, hellllllloooo... Plus, Nissa almost knocked her out, too. "Sweetie, are you okay?" Her voice is anxious, pulling Nissa upright as she can. "Can you walk? Do you need me to call for healers?" She has a level-head, at least.
Nissa scrambles to her feet with Khalylai and Jaryyd's assistance - but watch out nearby candidates, her nose is gushing blood all down her robe and others might get splattered. "I'm alright, I'm alright," she answers, tentatively wobbling her nose. "Nothing broken."
Stitch watches the gold and says "Quite a beauty, that's for certain." Maybe if Nissa impresses he can have his sandals back. The short Harper is feeling a bit faint, being so close to the ground. "Nissa, what are ye doing? Yer not supposed to knock yourself silly on your own knees!"
Pyrene winces at the show of blood on the other side of the Sands. She most certainly does not brag about having asked Nissa to Stand, merely making some hope-she's-all-right noises.
Jaryyd tears off a piece of his robe and offers it to Nissa for her bleeding nose. "Here, pinch and hold your head up." he smiles and presses a hand to the girl's lower back, should she need to fall again. "Are you sure you're alright?"
As the candidates move to help Nissa up, so does Cr'ash -- he's there in but a moment, pale eyes worried as he reaches her. But she's upright, and he has a cloth in one hand that's extended toward her nose with an short gesture. "I've got it," he tells his step-neice with a nod, and closes strong and competant hands over Nissa's shoulders. "I'm sorry. You need to get off the sands," he says with sympathy, "the dragonets are -- hungry. Young. Confused."
"It was the /dragon/," Lairae hisses to Stitch. "Don't blame /her/. Shouldn't you ask if she's all /right/ instead?" She chews on her lip again to stop further words stemming from displaced nervousness.
"Ouch." I'anex scratches his nose. "Dual ouch, really."
Meerak, er, brightens. "Oh, I /do/ see blood," he says, catching the splash of red on white when Nissa moves. "Too bad no one was taking bets on that. But she stills seems okay," he adds quickly, glancing over at Cheyanna for confirmation, just to show he's not a total jerk. "So it's the okay kind of blood."
Nissa takes the cloth from Jaryyd and dabs it to her nose, looking around a bit bewildered. As Cr'ash orders her off, her face crumples... but she lets him lead her away. Though not before kicking off Stitch's shoes in Khalylai's direction. She did promise.
Airam scowls a bit at the green dragonet, not that he really /expected/ it to turn around an apologize, then sighs. "She seems okay..." He says doubtfully, eyes on Nissa now instead of either the gold /or/ green as she leaves.
Khalylai is all furrowed eyebrows and worried eyes, but she acquiests to Cr'ash's request, gracefully attaching herself to Iliad, worried eyes focused on Nissa. She doesn't mind the fact that she -does- have blood on the front of her robe; instead, she just grips Iliad's hand and shivers. "Poor Nissa," she mourns. Ish. "Poor-ish girl" notably is beamed at, however, and she hops into twice-borrowed sandals. Blessed relief. "Where'd she go?" She queries Iliad, then, gazing for the mauling green.
Nissa escapes the earth-born heat and heads off the sands.
Here's the log of last night's Hatching, occuring in the autumn of the first turn of the 10th Interval.
15 candidates; 8 dragons; 2 hours - do we even need the spam warning? I d/c twice, but as far as I know, I'm not missing any poses.
Logfile from HT Pyrene.
Sunday 10 December 2006
Pyrene shrugs at J'lal. "The candidates have been in a tizzy all day." She stretches and peers at her dragon who is sleepily staring into space. "Hurry up, Cadge. I'd love to sleep in a cold weyr tonight."
Cadgwith turns at the sound of her rider's voice and considers the eggs with interest. She must be feeling obliging today, because her eyes brighten and she starts humming, a sound quickly picked up by hundreds of other dragons within the Weyr.
Ghraith appears to be in accord with the clutch dam as he, too, picks up the bass thrum that reverberates through the Weyr. He rises, shifting back on his haunches, an anticipatory gleam swirling into his gaze.
J'lal clears his throat, brows lifting, as he watches first one, then the other, dragon begin to thrum. "Well, it's about time. I suspect we won't be getting any water now, though."
Beast of Gevaudan Egg gives an abrupt shake as if startled by the sudden humming. What, now?
Sweet as Honey Egg trembles gently, run through with the shock of a shiver.
Pyrene gives a little wriggle of delight as it kicks in, grabbing J'lal's arm as she moves to the side of the Sands. "Good luck darling," she calls to her dragon. "They'll be beautiful!" Of course!
J'lal is just in time to crook his arm and offer it to Pyrene as she preemptively grabs at it. He takes a long look at Cadgwith, then smiles at the goldrider beside him. "Of course they will."
Dark Side of the Moon Egg twitches.
Cheyanna [& everybody else] steps from shadows to sand, joining the eggs.
Come Reap Harvest Moon Egg shifts where it sits set apart, mucking up the relative smoothness of the surrounding sand.
Beast of Gevaudan Egg rocks sulkily. Just ten more minutes, ma, pleeease?
Alternately nervous, excited, and blase, the candidates come onto the sands behind Cr'ash, a sea of white robes bobbing against the hot sands. Though their eyes flicker to the eggs, to the stands -- a few hands lift to wave at familiar faces -- they proceed mainly towards the clutchparents. Coming to a shuffling halt, they bow as one towards Cadgwith and Ghraith, gold and bronze guardians of the clutch.
Pyrene inclines her head in acceptance of the bow. "I give them a 9," she murmurs as an aside to J'lal. "Synchronisation was pretty damned good."
Cadgwith hums with furious pride, snorting joyfully at her eggs and the candidates. Good thing she's not sick.
The head of the column breaks apart -- Cr'ash toward the rest of the assistant weyrlingmasters on the edges of the Sands, Siannen toward Pyrene and J'lal with a large and sweating waterbladder and two tall glasses. These are delivered, and then she disappears again.
Beast of Gevaudan Egg scatters sand with an emphatic shake, easing itself from the divot in the sand where it lurks. As telltale cracks chase their way across its shadowy shape, it struggles against inevitable destruction, writhing and bucking in place. Finally, it stills, mere moments before a foot pops from its confines, then another, a snout, a tail, which eventually solidify into a rather solid dragon: Not Leo Enough Brown Dragonet.
Not Leo Enough Brown Dragonet
Ruggedly rotund is the best descriptor for this shadow-cast brown: raw power coils beneath a meaty physique, a short neck and limbs and a long torso emphasizing the breadth of his shoulders and haunches. The bitter orange of burnt sienna ripples across the sepia gloom of his broad figure in brindled waves. Lightening against the stretch of a small paunch and the underside of his long but solid tail, sienna turns to charcoal-striped umber in the spars and sails of his expansive wings. His large, round head features a blunt muzzle, tiny headknobs and a face of wide planes and prominent curves in cheek and brow. His paws, dainty in comparison, are tipped with ebony.
Sweet as Honey Egg rocks anxiously, with an almost rhythmic sway.
Khalylai rises from her bow with a look of uncertainty - perhaps for the first time since being at the Reaches. Nissa's hand clutched tight, the young woman flashes a beam to Micail and Cameron - and those others directly in her near proximity. "We're here," she announces. (Well... duh.) Is it any surprise that 'here' is none-too-comfortable? The young woman's dancing already on bare toes. Second degree burns, here we come... "One already?" she exclaims, eyebrows arching reflexively.
I'anex trails in late, taking position by other weylingmaster types and straightening his shoulders promptly. His eyes flick toward the first dragonet, marking.
Cameron is certainly nervous, all legs and arms and those legs nothing but gelatin really. Is the poor boy going to faint? It would be fitting. The baby of the candidates. He swallows nervously and looks around, almost helplessly. Oh look. A dragon. Help?
Cheyanna, for her part, is wary more than edgy, with a subdued caution directed towards the eggs piled up. And just in time: as the first shatters, the guard-candidate jumps and skitters back a step, into Meerak.
Jillriel grips Cailyn's hand with sooome force. Oops. Too tight. Releasing the hand, the brown dragonet is then eyed her heart /thumps/. "Cailyn!" is squeeked as her hand is grabbed once again.
"Hmm?" J'lal asks, having missed the statement as he watches the candidates, mulling over the possibilities and the marks he has placed thereupon. "Yes. Very nice." At least his dragon was paying attention.
Meerak straightens up out of the bow with a certain alacrity: the better to shuffle his feet, toeing barefoot at the sand with a quick shuffle. "It's not so bad," he says of the heat, for all that he is quick not to settle too long on either foot -- and then an egg cracks. He startles with an unmanly yelp, bumping into Cheyanna in turn. He gives her a sheepish look.
Iliad won't hold any hands. He's too manly for that, or something. Or maybe it's because he's too busy scrubbing at the back of his neck with one hand while the other clutches the cloth of his robe. Nervous much? You might say.
Nissa lets Khalylai lead her to wherever is appropriate; at least there are plenty of candidates around them. She too shuffles on the sand, her bare feet warming uncomfortably. "I wish I'd found my sandals..." she moans again, and then gives a little jump as the brown breaks shell. "Oooh!"
"Shards, these dragons aren't wasting any time," is murmured to Jillriel. "Ow. Be gentle," Cailyn scolds, loosening her grip on the her buddy. "Just breathe, okay? Keep breathing." If only Cailyn could follow her own advice.
Xayna follows the people in front of her onto the sands and after the bow follows them to make the usual semi-circle around the edge. Her right hand reaches out and grabs Stitch, grabbing it tightly. She gives him a grin and then reaches out to her left, ending up grabbing Lairae's hand. A smile is given to her as well, before the beast egg hatches. /Her/ egg. Well, it isn't anymore. A look over the brown gets a soft ooo from her, and she shuffles her feet from the heat.
Micail is indeed shuffly. He doesn't really have anything to do with his hands like some of the others, but he moves along anyway. Where to? Somewhere near Airam. Airam seems like a safe person to stand with. Gack! They didn't even get a chance to breathe before one campe popping out of there!
Jaryyd raises from his bow to see a brown emerge from an egg and he stares transfixed. Thoughts whirl around in his head and it's eveident in his stare that not all the glows are open upstairs. He does jump back though, as if afraid to get trampled by the little beasty.
Airam sucks in a deep breath during his rise from a bow as he looks around the sands and up into the galleries. Okay, time of truth. Oh yes, he's nervous. And when did his heart beat get so loud? He steps back half a foot as the first egg hatches and watches the baby dragon warily.
To Feed the Hunger Egg rocks, its motion erratic and unpredictable.
Lairae fidgets desperately with her hands when she rises from the bow, but manages to stand still once she's found a spot. Mostly still. She shifts onto the balls of her feet, very cleary ready to move quickly out of the way. She jumps when her hand is grabbed, but manages a wan smile for Xayna. She looks uncomfortable at being tied down to two people, but doesn't pull free.
Cheyanna whirls to stare at Meerak as contact is made, letting a solid two seconds tick by before recognition settles into place for her. "Sorry," she says belatedly. "I -- sorry." She turns to glance back at the eggs, specifically the rocking Hunger Egg. "Oh, Faranth," she says. "/That/ one's starting."
Stitch looks toward NIssa and whispers "Ye can take mine." he says, slipping them off with one hand as the other is siezed by Xayna. Offering them toward her or to the next person to pass down, he lightly steps from foot to foot, the perspiration on the bottoms of his feet making the hot sand cling.
Not Leo Enough Brown Dragonet stretches, blinking with puzzled interest at the surroundings and just scrunching his belly on the Sands to get a feel for this new world. Warm and scratchy... It'll do. He pauses for a long moment, forelegs out and butt in the air, apparently poised for a rush. And then he gets up and plods unhurriedly towards the White Line of Intrigue.
Jillriel breathes as her buddy tells her to. "Yeah, that helps." Cailyn is then eyed as she inches a teensy bit closer. "Handsome brown, eh?"
Khalylai is enough to unman Iliad, you see. She lunges for his hand, attempting to snag it. "Iliad, you have to protect us," she announces, angling herself slightly behind the guard-candidate. She flashes Nissa a bright, bright beam. "This is outrageous." They're starting - already! She dismisses the brown, eyeballing the other eggs cautiously.
Dark Side of the Moon Egg rotates just an aota and then stops.
Ryan brings his torso up from the bow, blinking. Attention is focused on the eggs and---oh look, one hatched already. Gulping, it's plain he's nervous, but everyone else is too. Turning his head to whoever may be next to him in the semi-circle of candidates, he offers a weak grin.
Meerak dips his shoulders, apology accepted quick enough. "Yeah, sure," he says, words pitter-pattering in a nervous rush of syllables as he settles next to Cheyanna. "Whatever." He follows her gaze with a wary turn of his head, eyes widening. He backs away. "Bet you that one comes bursting out and claws someone. Half a mark. Well -- quarter mark."
Lairae 's nails are probably digging into Xayna's palm as she focuses on the rocking Hunger egg. "Got to be careful of that one," she mutters under her breath. To who, it's hard to tell.
Xayna takes in a deep breath as the first hatchling comes towards them, unvoluntarily taking a step back. Quickly she steps back in line and takes her eyes off the brown only long enough to look around at the others and the eggs. "Good luck Stitch, Lairae." Her voice is like a squeaky mouse in her nervousness.
Come Reap Harvest Moon Egg rocks and jerks, its gold-hued shell shivering tremorously.
Uh-oh.. Here it comes. Jar stares at the little brown, hoping that if it charged, it didn't charge his way. Unless it intended to pick him...which he thought doubtfull... and plausible at the same time. "WOw,..." he whispers, edging towards some of the other candidates.
Iliad's hand is grabbed. Lovely. But Khaly's hand is not released once contact is made. If anything, he squeezes it while chewing on his tongue through his teeth. "If one tries to maul me, I'm /so/ sacrificing you, by the way." Surely Iliad can pick her up enough to throw her in the way, right?
Micail chews on his bottom lip a little bit. Feet shift then, and he moves, looking at the moving eggs before his gaze turns right back around to that roaming brown. The boy is tense, really, after all those lovely lessons about how to avoid dragon-maulings. Duck? Run?
"Very handsome." The line of fellow candidates is eyed, with Cailyn mentally trying to figure out who he'll go to. There are too many eggs moving at once, so her eyes are constantly jerking around, nervous little twitches.
Nissa lets go of Khalylai's hand in order to grab at Stitch's shoes. They're a bit big for her, but by balancing precariously on one heated foot in turn, she manages to slip them on. "Thank you, thank you very much," she hisses to the harper-candidate, then glances rather guiltily at Khalylai's still bare feet before taking the other girl's hand again.
Airam turns from the dragon to eye the other candidates and their reactions, and then back to the brown again as it moves. "This was faster than I thought it would be." He comments to the other candidates closest to him. He offers a smile to Meerak but doesn't wait to see if the other boy got it. He moves foward just a little bit to get a better view, but still stays far back.
Cameron takes a deep breath and squares his shoulders. Getting his equilibrium back as he watches the dragon and then others eggs that rock. He moves in closer to Micail "Hope you got that nap in earlier. Too late now. Even moreso if you Impress."
"Eight," Cheyanna counters. "I'm going to lose too much money today anyway." She follows Meerak back a step or two, cautiously. "Uh, if it charges us, you don't mind me flinging you in front of me, right?" she says. She looks back to the brown now, wary and ready to dive out of the way.
Sweet as Honey Egg quakes nervously.
Khalylai is now ensconced between two, and that comforts her. She squeezes Iliad's hand, regardless of the fact that he carries the deadly cootilus naturalis virus. "Nissa, you suck," she states, but her voice is surprisingly cheerful. And feet dance! "You just -try- sacrificing me, Iliad. I could so take you."
Not Leo Enough Brown Dragonet wriggles his shoulders, getting into the feel of this walking thing--if it wasn't for those durned wings flopping all over the place. Patiently he continues forward until he reaches the first few candidates. One paw snakes out experimentally, lashing at a nearby lad, claws unsheathed. Fortunately, the lad dances out of the way in time. The brown has already moved on, sniffing and snorting and occasionally squawking as he heads determinedly down the line.
Meerak gives Cheyanna a /betrayed/ look. "You're the guard! You should be flinging yourself in front of it. Protecting people, like," he says expansively, gesturing with a nervous twitch to edge out the wave of hands, a wave that turns to a salute aimed in Airam's direction, smile caught and returned, if with a slightly puzzled frown.
Stitch gives Xayna's hand a comforting squeeze, even though the palms of his small hands are sweaty and clamy. "Should have brought some rolls...coulda kept em warm with melted butter..." Stitch tries to keep his mind off his absolute terror by thinking of food.
Dark Side of the Moon Egg casts aside its cloak of mystery, revealing the majestic mountains and steep crevasses that pock a surface heretofore hidden beneath the sand. This marvel is not long to last, however, as a myriad of cracks begin to mar its surface, sending flecks of shell scattering to the floor. Finally, with one last shudder, shell gives way, disintegrating, to reveal a hardly mysterious, but no less majestic I'm Too Sexy Pavo Bronze Dragonet.
I'm Too Sexy Pavo Bronze Dragonet
The virescent shimmer of honeyed gold hints in verdant copper lend a certain royal allure to this bronze. Elegance delineates the slender musculature of long limbs and frame, from the perfect posture in the proud arch of his neck and shoulders to the whip-flick of his tail. A charmer's face has he, the intimation of an inviting smile in the dark mask of hooded eyes, his mouth curling at the corners of a blunt, broad muzzle. His true glory, however, lies in the expanse of his wings and the hypnotic scintillation of color found within his sails.
Jaryyd steels himself. He'd get nowere in this hatching by running away, if he must get clawed, or trampled, then so be it. He stands his ground and watches as the dragonette nearly misses a lad with his claws. Jar whistles at the close encounter and looks over to Micail. "Bit vicious isn't he?"
"You can have them if I Impress," Nissa tells Khalylai, although she sounds very unsure of the whole idea as that brown comes around. She glances around Khaly to Iliad as the bronze hatches, looking rather hopeful.
"Shut up," Lairae says in Stitch's direction, lashing out without thinking in her nervousness. She noticed that brown's swipe, and her hand spasms in Xayna's again, as she considers whether to disentangle herself.
Micail makes a noise as one of those paws go striking for candie-feet. That's..not a good sign. "Watch your legs.." He offers to those around him, if somewhat quietly. Maybe it won't be too much help. But Jaryyd does get a quick nod as he's spoken to. "Yeah..yeah he-oh! Another one."
Airam moves a short distance across the ground to Micail and Cameron's side, managing to keep his eyes both on the newly hatched brown and his target. He leans foward and asks, "You scared?" Airam is, not that he'd admit it, and not that it's too hard to figure by yourself. He turns to look at the now hatched bronze, "Wow."
Ryan inhales deeply, eyes looking to the wandering dragonet for a moment before looking at the others around him to see hwo they're fairing. Gulp. Another's hatched. Eyes stay on that one for a moment to before he looks down, silently. Feet scuff against the sand, but he doesn't stir enough of it for anyone to complain.
"Guards learn how to use distraction techniques!" Cheyanna replies. "Any tool at your disposal, right?" She shifts again, back out of the way of the brown's approach. As the next egg shatters, she wrenches her eyes over. "Bronze!" she says. "That's one. One more and I'm up a quarter mark!" Her feet move lightly on the sands, bare and burning.
Khalylai grins to Nissa. "Okay." She does make a noise at the new dragonet, however. "Er.. he looks, ah, girly." A critical look. "Vain. Ah-- what's the word I'm looking for?" Beat. "Narcissitc."
Jillriel nods toward the newly hatched bronze dragonet. "Hey, look over there." Feeling a bit more confident now, Cailyn's hand is released for the moment while she stares at the hatchlings. Eee.
Iliad disregards what Khaly has to say as a finger waggles in the direction of the bronze. "Look! Looklooklook!" Whatever anxiety he might've had is replaced with anxiousness. "Gotta be mine, gotta be mine." If he chants this, it'll come true, right?
Xayna winces as Lairae's nails dig into her palm but she takes a deep breath and bears it. Another breath is taken as the brown takes a swipe at a boy. She squeezes both hands, but lets go of Lairae's. The pain is getting to her, that and she needs the extra movement so she can continue to shuffle her feet. "Hot sand..." Sand got into her sandal and now she tries desperately to kick it out.
Stitch emits a pfffft. "Just tryin t'keep my thoughts on something pleasant, otherwise I'm gonna start runnin round like a crazed wherry."
Jaryyd snaps his head round when the next hatchling errupts and is awed by the bronze. He's definately letting himself get swept away by the feelings and emotions running through him. And right now they are simply all in awe. The sweat on his brow thickens, but he seems not to notice at all.
Cameron eyes the newest hatchling and blinks "Wow." he admits quietly "Yeah, I'm kinda scared. They look big, even this little." he murmurs "But that one just looks. I dunno. He's just weird."
Meerak's gaze skips over to the latest, following Cheyanna's call. He wrinkles his nose, bare feet shuffling a tapping dance over the hot sands. "I forgot to put down any bets on what would hatch," he says, admitting to disappointment with terrible sadness. He watches back and forth, gaze skittering here and there. He curses under his breath. "This isn't anything at all like when we pretended to be dragons and hatched!"
As yet another dragon breaks out of its shell, Cailyn's eyes flicker between the two dragons, making sure to know where they are at all times. Perhaps that demonstration wasn't such a bad thing afterall. With Jillriel no longer attached, Cate takes up wringing her hands to try and relieve the inner stress.
I'm Too Sexy Pavo Bronze Dragonet shakes the gooey remains of shell from his figure, annoyed disdain apparent in the set of his shoulders. Finally immaculate, he poses, as any good bronze should, his predatory gaze sweeping the line of white, dismissing the vast majority in the first instant.
Micail throws a look up at Airam quickly, eyes again darting toward the dragonets. "Y..yeah. A bit--a lot. /Yes./" Gah. Fingers drop to grab at his robe a little bit. It helps with those sweaty palms and all.
I'anex humphs back in his throat at the bronze's arrival. "It's a /pretty/ one," he says with a certain removed disdain that can only be his (duller) dragon's influence.
Nissa looks the bronze over again, and then at Iliad. "He's very handsome," she comments, although of course that could be taken any which way. "It /could/ be yours, Iliad..."
"I, uh, put an eighth of a mark on someone dying," Cheyanna confesses, her voice very low. "It occurs to me now that might have been... a bad idea. Ill-wishing." She adds, "I've got a mark down on stuff, all told."
Khalylai makes a disparagate noise as to Iliad impressing pretty-boy bronze. "Somehow, I just think that would be an overload of vainglory." Her smile to Iliad, however, is joking.
Jillriel can't make up her mind -- to hold hands, or not to hold hands? With that in mind, Cailyn's arm is grabbed as the bronze ambles closer. "How often do candidates get.. mauled?" Scared? Perhaps. Just at that thought. Cough.
Airam shivers a little before forcing his fear down and taking several deep breaths. His own sweaty palms are already burried deep in his white robes, twisting the thick fabric harshly. "Don't be," He says to Micail and Cam, eyes still focused on the dragonets, "Just, if they rush us...move." This is more for his own benefit then theirs.
Jaryyd laughs when he hears Nissa's comment and looks over at the girl. "One that pretty is going to be vain, as well it should be!" He smiles and turns back to watch brown and bronze sniff our their lifemates. Secretely he hopes one of them picks him, but he doesn't voice that hope. Best not to jynx himself.
The bronze hatching catches Xayna's attention for a moment, but the hot sand in her sandal is more important right now. Another moment and she ends up taking it off to shake it out, putting her sandal back on quickly. Stitch's hand is dropped as she does this so as to better balance. Once on her two feet again, she looks up to see the bronze posing and then her eyes return to the brown.
Not Leo Enough Brown Dragonet follows his nose and the stench of sweat to reach one particular girl. The candidates to either side of her are ignored as he stares instead with great curiosity at her foot, which is kicking so enticingly. A little wriggle of his brindled rump, and he pounces forward, clamping both forepaws down on it. He scratches himself with his eagerness and in confusion, blinks up at Xayna. Need a little help here.
Meerak gives that a laugh all out of proportion to the actual humor of the situation. "On someone dying. You should've just put it on someone getting hurt. Did you see that brown--" His chin jerks, indicating the first. "--nearly take a swipe out of someone? And he's just the first! I should've taken the time to find my sandals, then I could've gone and dodge faster. Feet seem to stick and sink all barefoot."
Not Leo Enough Brown Dragonet turns his jewel faceted eyes toward Xayna, and steps forward.
Stitch puffs his cheeks. "It might be me. I never thought of being short as a disadvantage till I realised how hot it is so close to the ground..." he shifts one shoulder up to wipe his forehead, his long wavy curls soaked and sticking to the sides of his neck. "Oh goodness! Xayna!" he's either glad she impressed or glad she let go of his hand so he can wipe it on his robe. A sort of chittery laugh escapes his throat. "COngratulations! Don't forget to write!"
Cameron coughs a little "Move, yeah. Good idea. And hope that predatory instints don't kick in and they chase us?" His eyes watch the dragons and the he blinks. Oh my. "Xayna impressed." He swallows. Now he's even more nervous about Impressing.
"Could be, should be--" Iliad pauses, licking his lips. And to Khaly, he just pokes his tongue out. "Wouldn't you like that?" She might just die from the overdose. "Well hey!" he then hollars out, chin-nodding towards Xayna before using entwined hand to point. "Look! Xayna! Sweet! And she's alive!" Which is always a good thing.
"If you don't stop, I'm going to maul /you/," is Cailyn's reply to Jillriel, eyes narrowing in on her buddy. Her fingers work to release the death grasp Jillriel has on her in favor of a looser one. As Xayna gets the brown, Cailyn lets out a cheer. "Good job!"
"Xayna, Xayna!" Nissa squeals, bobbing up and down - still on the end of Khaly's arm - as she gestures with her free hand towards the newly impressed woman. "Xayna!"
If Xayna doesn't think to drop it, Lairae pulls her hand away. "Congratulations," she says softly, and shifts back to her balls of the feet ready to move stance a little farther away.
Micail eyes Airam for a moment. "I'd planned on it. I don't..really want to get trampled or some such thing." And..where'd that brown go? Oh! There. "Xayna!"
I'anex leaves off staring after the bronze with mild (mild) dislike to run his eyes back over to the first, the brown. "There we go. Excellent, Xayna!"
Jillriel chin-nods toward Xayna and the brown hatchling. "Ooh! Look!" Side stepping to regain some of her balance, her grip on her buddy's arm is loosened tremendously. There.
Khalylai points, sorta, with the hand that's grasping Iliad's. He had the idea before her. "Xayna!" It's more a squeak, and less a dignified statement. "I would just -love- that," she drawls toIliad. "I always saw her on brown," she states, with the satisfied tone of a bet won.
"I think they're too busy for a chase. Matter of fact, if we were chased it'd probably mean we Impressed them." Airam watches as the brown approaches Xayna and casts a wide smile at the girl who drug him to her flit hatching. He's glad for her.
Xayna acks as in putting her foot down the brown hatchling pounces out at it. A look down at him as he looks up at her. A moment passes and then a tear falls down one cheek.
"Luileeuth... Yes Luileeuth, we'll go get that milk and meat." She helps him to his feet, running her hands gently over his head before giving a smile to Stitch and the others. Slowly she walks with him towards the entrance where those that can help await.
Meerak flinches, closing an eye as the brown dragon pounces at Xayna. He squints with the other to see if she's dead -- and finding her not only allive, but calling out an long ol' name and getting lots of congratulations, he exhales. "I thought you just won your bet," he admits to Cheyanna.
To Feed the Hunger Egg splits down the middle, the ghastly horrors emblazoned in pattern over its shell cracking and shattering into nothing but shards. Leaping from the wreck of her eerie prison, the Squeeful Dolphin Green Dragonet shakes out her egg-wet wings and stumbles on her very first step.
Squeeful Dolphin Green Dragonet
Oh, the glory of her silver-green hide, sleek and shining over a dancer's long-limbed frame. Teal's capricious splash crashes pell-mell against rounded headknobs and along her neck's delphine arch. Ever-widening, ever-changing, ripples of that bright-dark hue spread in playfully undulating patterns across pale haunches and down the slender sweep of her tail. Wings' spread is elegant and evenly proportioned, shimmering green touched in moonlight and struck with occasional hints of starshine.
"No one was taking bets on getting hurt," Cheyanna mutters in reply. "Someone bet on /five/ deaths. That's awful!" As the brown closes in on Xayna, Cheyanna starts forward, clearly certain for an instant that the candidate is getting mauled. "Xay--! Oh. Xayna! Xayna!" Horror is transformed to delight, and she claps.
Come Reap Harvest Moon Egg quakes with a jolt bearing near enough force to tip itself over, but pendulums back nominally upright.
Ryan moves to peer over at Xayna, a bit wide-eyed. "Congratualtions!" is called over from his place. Moving gaze back to the sand, they still manage to trail after the new pair as they move off to the side.
I'm Too Sexy Pavo Bronze Dragonet is pretty, isn't he? He stretches the impressive span of his wings, still damp from his confinement in all that goo, then sets off to greet his adoring fans, head held high, a strut in his step.
"GO XAYNA!" is shouted by Jaryyd as he keeps one eye on the bronze...just in case. He fidgits a little, first by clasping and unclasping his hands and second by swinging his arms back and forth. But he's stopped by the emergance of the green. His nose wrinkles a little and an audible groan is soon muffled. He was hoping for more dragonettes of the shiny variety.
Crying for the Moon Egg trembles lightly, just testing out the idea of movement.
Micail has attention diverted again. Really, so much is /happening/ at once. Another egg splits, and he turns to look, watching the green before he gives another quick look toward the approaching bronze. He does, however, inch himself a little bit closer to Airam. "They're coming out /everywhere/."
Pyrene looks hugely approving at the first impression. "Xayna! She did it!" She beams proudly at J'lal. "I asked her to Stand, you know. A lovely brown, too. I expect good things of them." Pyrene is nothing if not unbiased.
"Wow. This is really going by fast." Nevermind that only one candidate's impressed so far, at least that Iliad's taken observance of. "Where'd the bronze go?" Eyes quickly glance in either direction, a glimmer of green catching his sight before he once against uses entwined fingers to point towards the newest hatched. "Look. A green, too." If Khaly hasn't noticed it for herself.
Nissa looks after Xayna. "Leel... Lilee..." She gives up, and shrugs. "He's a nice brown," she does say approvingly before catching sight of the green and giving a little excited shiver. "She's pretty, Khalylai... do you think she'd like you?"
"Ooooh, a green." Cailyn points her buddy towards the dragon, grinning in delight. "Finally a female. I'd laugh if it went to a guy, since the first male went to a girl." Irony is funny.
Meerak happy-feets edgily, kicking off top layers of sand in an attempt to find cooler sand beneath. "Five deaths. That seems like a lot, right? I mean -- right? It is? So there were bad odds, weren't there? How many people /usually/ die?" he asks Cheyanna, eying the green like she's a killer.
"Congratulations!" And I'anex is now speaking to Xayna more directly as he waves her over. "To the side, to the side. Everything great? Of course it is," I'anex rattles off cheerfully. A green to watch, now.
Cameron stares at the green as she hatches and the Weyrwomans words come back to him. He shakes his head a little. She would know. Wouldn't she? He gulps and watches. Absently shifting feet as the heat comes through the sands. "She's kinda pretty though."
Khalylai dances on burnt toes. "She's pretty," she remarks of the newest green, gaze studying the pale sweeps of hide. "She reminds me of water," is replied to Nissa, and also to Iliad. Speaking of Iliad-- "Yes, where -did- that bronze go?" Neck cranes, here and there, keeping a careful eye on the newest green.
"None," Cheyanna says. "Well, usually." She shifts her weight forward and back, remaining on guard. "But these are evil, right? I mean... you never know. Better to stay... alert. Ready for anything."
Squeeful Dolphin Green Dragonet stumbles, /fumbles/, then catches herself with out-thrown wings, flinging goo in a wide and splattery arc as she regains her balance. A joyful bugle sounds, then transmutes itself into a creel of hunger and dismay. She sets her head down, tucks her wings in, and begins her search with another faltering step.
Xayna smiles at I'anex as he waves her over and can only nod, babbling on something insensibly. "Yes, food. We'll get food and then a nap." She'll definately need a nap after this.
Jillriel looks in the direction that she's pointed it. "Ooh, green. Very nice and, yeah, that'd be funny." Grin. "She's awful shiny, huh?"
Now that the Hunger egg has hatched, Lairae's eyes end up glued to the green that emerges. She draws in a ragged breath and jumps when the dragon moves, but a frown settles into her expression. It doesn't seem to be acting evilly. Belatedly, she remembers to track the bronze also.
Em-Oh-Oh-En Egg wiggles and rolls around a bit, then stops. Patience is a virtue.
"I noticed." Airam answers Micail dryly, eyes now focused on the pretty green. "I'm glad Xayna Impressed, she's nice." If anyone asks later, he didn't say that. He winces as the green calls out and starts to move half a step backawrds again before forcing himself to stay put.
"Green." Ryan says to no one in particular. Just talking for the sake of talking.
Cadgwith gives a low foghorn call to the green, appreciating the splatter of goo. It's good when the kids know how to make an entrance.
Come Reap Harvest Moon Egg begins to rock more forcefully, spraying sand.
Jaryyd can't help but laugh at the green's antics. "Look at how cute she is!" he bellows, as a father would bellow over a first of his daughter's. He looks around and catches Airam's last comment. "Aye, Xayna deserved it. She'll make a good rider!"
"Shiny, yes, but possibly evil. That was the /evil/ egg. Don't look at it. Maybe if we don't look at it, it won't come over here." Wishful thinking, perhaps, but Cailyn focuses her attention on the other rocking eggs, the grasp on Jillriel becoming tighter.
"Hey, they don't seem that bad once they're out of the eggs, huh?" Knock on wood. If only there were some around. Micail? --oh, he's just looked at. Ah hah. "Watch him impress the bronze," Iliad asides to Khaly, giving anothing chin nod, but this time in the younger man's direction.
Stitch hops from foot to foot, making an awful face as he feels his legs sweating, pretty much feeling as though he were melting. "Augh...aye, she is a cute little lass...I hope she's nicer outside the egg than she was inside. Then again, if I were trapped inside and egg and people were touching me, I might be inclined to be a bit grumpy too."
I'm Too Sexy Pavo Bronze Dragonet stops once more, now that he's a bit closer, to study the males of the bunch, chin tilted high as though he doesn't expect much. He poses again, shifting a wing -- look at that blingbling, ladies! Something catches his eye, his gaze turning towards a young guard. With a prance in his step, he closes the distance and looms over Ryan as if to say, am I not impressive enough for you?
I'm Too Sexy Pavo Bronze Dragonet turns his jewel faceted eyes toward Ryan, and steps forward.
Nissa follows Iliad's chin nod towards Micail - and then swings her head around so fast that she winces, to watch the bronze take to Ryan instead. "Ryan!"
Cadgwith also approves of the spray of sand from Harvest Moon Egg. A bit premature entrance wise, but it doesn't hurt to warm up the crowd.
Micail smiles for a moment, but just nods. "Yeah, she is." An arm comes up then, wiping at some of the gathering sweat from his brow. He blinks in time to see that bronze looming toward Ryan, and just stares a moment before it becomes apparant what's happened. "Oh..congratulations, Ryan!"
"Oh!" Cheyanna cries out as the bronze advances on (who else?) a guard. "Ryan! Go, Ryan!" She claps her hands together over her head, fist into open palm. "Yeah!"
Jillriel's arm starts to tingle as Cailyn grips a little tighter. However, that doesn't seem to bother her since her attention is completely focused on Ryan and the little bronze. "Congrats!" is shouted to the young lad.
Jaryyd shouts for Ryan, taking his small sting of dissapointment in stride, there were other hatchlings still. And maybe, just maybe, this wasn't his time. "WOO! RYAN!"
Khalylai bounces. "Ryan!" He was one of the cool ones! Bounce-bounce. The young woman glues her eyes on the latest green, wary of evil surges from this particular batch of eggs, and squeezes the hands she holds again. "I guess that one wasn't meant for you," she teases Iliad. "Nissa... bets on the next one hatched?"
Stitch pats his hands together in a wet clap. "Congratulations!" hopping up and down in congratulations gives him a chance to put an inch or two between him and the sand.
Cameron just watches the dragons Impressing. "So far no deaths." he murmurs as he looks over in a certain direction. Gruesome that kind of betting. 'Another one down." he murmurs as he shifts some more, if anything to keep from fainting by having knees lock up. That would be embarassing. He closes his eyes a little as he takes a breath "Warn me if something this way comes."
Ryan is rendered speechless. Blinking at the dragonet before him he blinks, mouth opened before finally he stumbles with getting words out. "Ao-Aoja-Aojadinth!" Now beaming proudly, he awkwardly steps out of place to move with the little bronze off to the side near Xayna.
Airam nods absently at Jaryyd as the other agrees and watches closely as the bronze makes his way to Ryan. "That's two." He says with a slight smile at the guard candidate. He didn't know him all that well, but this is a special occasion. "Okay, now for the green."
Come Reap Harvest Moon Egg shudders in its gravid swell; it rocks; it quakes; and opens up, splitting to pieces in the pangs of labor to spill forth its contents, raining shards of gold-hued shell in a scattered arc. Thus is revealed the Enthroned Cassiopeia Gold Dragonet.
Enthroned Cassiopeia Gold Dragonet
A stark elegance is drawn in lean and weathered lines of once malleable, once molten, gold. Smooth and mellow amber sweeps back her wings, only to be burnt brown at the straining spars. The beaten curve of her neckridges is likewise tarnished, and the prominent leg-bones seem to bruise the hide that covers them. The delicate hammering of her face is buffed with soft brown on the headknobs and the upsweep of eyeridges. Beneath, an old gaze shadows her eyes with wisdom and quiet dignity.
"Hmmmm," I'anex draws the syllable out leisurely. "/This/ might be entertaining. Over here, over here!" But they know the drill. I'anex exists to make wide gestures, mostly-- "Ahah!" His gaze goes right /there/. On the gold.
Nissa is sorrowful as she leans around Khalylai to tell Iliad, "I thought he might be yours, I'm sorry..." She checks over at where the green moves - and before she can reply to Khalylai, out pops the gold. "Oh!"
"Yay! Congrats Ryan!" Cailyn cheers, grinning as she makes yet another aside to Jillriel, "A real handsome bronze. He'll make a good rider." As the gold emerges, the grip only gets tighter.
Meerak calls out the obligatory congratulatory-type sounds, which promptly faded into a snickering laugh. "Hahah, even /he/ had trouble with that name," he says, watching as it goes on before his attention is turned by noise in the stands and on the sands, all attention briefly drawn by the appearance of gold. "Huh."
"Or not." Well then. "Congrats, Ryan!" Iliad hollars over, momentarily distracted by the impression made. The frown only lasts a moment though before the other eggs are eyed skeptically. There's no telling what's to come, afterall. "Guess not," is idly offered in Khaly's direction, without so much as a look towards her. Nissa gets a look though, a crooked grin, and a quick shrug before "Heeey. Gold. Look," comes out.
Jillriel suddenly gasps and yanks Cailyn's arm when the gold hatchling is spotted. "Ooh, isn't /she/ gorgeous.." Oops. "Sorry. Sudden impulse." Eh heh. Grip is then loosened on the girl's arm right afterward.
And with one metallic impressed, another arrives on the scene; Cheyanna turns to look back at her. "Wow," she says in uneasy commentary. "The, uh, golds can sometimes be especially dangerous," she mentions to Meerak.
Jaryyd was about to shout for Ryan again but is held in silence as the gold blur errupts from her shell. /KNOWING/ that this one was definately not his he grins and gives a thumbs up to the girls in the group. "Good luck ladies!"
Another Impression without any deaths, and Lairae manages something close to a smile in Ryan's direction. The emergence of the gold finally takes her wary attention away from the green, and this time she flicks glances to the female candidates.
Micail is still smiling for Ryan when his gaze finally tears away from the pair. Popping of another egg moves his eyes toward it, blinking quickly. That's..definately a gold. Yes. "Wow..." Well what else can one say about that?
Pyrene suddenly stands a little straighter, her nails deathgripping into J'lal. "There! She's pretty, isn't she?" she asks, questioning, hopeful. Cadgwith is less impressed, merely giving the baby gold a happy snort before turning her attention back to that green (who is probably a truer daughter to her).
Squeeful Dolphin Green Dragonet creels, cries, and lunges toward the first line of candidates. Khalylai is inspected, then dismissed with an awkward sideways step. She lifts her head, cranes it from side to side, then turns away with a skittering, scampering lunge. No grace on the ground, and as she turns away she stumbles again. Tail whips around for balance, and catches Nissa behind the knees as she moves on.
Khalylai blinks at the gold's emergence. "Wow," is her word of the day; that is all. No more, no less. "She is beautiful." She's wary of the green more than the gold right this instant, however; and the other eggs are not disregarded, either. She's nearly leaning on Iliad, now. "I think I may pass out," she carefully articulates. That's said to Nissa, for the record. The-- "Nissa!" she squeals. Speaking of evil dragonets. "Nissa, are you okay?" !!
Cameron is watching Ryan as well and then the gold hatches. "Well, that's one I don't have to worry about taking a keen interest in me." he notes as his eyes go back towards the green just as she's heading for Khaly. Deep intake of breath. And then passing her by and then Nissa gets it from behind "Is she okay!?"
Meerak eyes the little gold with sudden suspicion at Cheyanna's words. "Oh? They can be--?" Nissa's whapped! Everyone who put money on people dying leeeans forward, and so does Meerak. "The green's the one from that one egg, too!" Killer! He was right!
Whacked in the knees, Nissa looses her balance nearly dragging Khalylai with her... her upper body swings violently as she lets go of the other girl's hand and falls awkwardly, banging her face on her own knees as she does. "OW!" Stricken, she lies on the sand for a moment - but a very brief one, as it's far too hot down there.
Jillriel squints a bit as she watches Nissa get smacked behind the knees by the clumsy green dragonet. Did that just happen? "Faranth! I hope she's alright." That didn't look good at all, poor girl. She ought to be bruised after that little love tap.
Micail gasps sharply as that tail thwacks into Nissa. Squeak. "Nissa!" She's okay, right? Let's hope so... Mph. "That can't be good.." Time to keep a better eye on that swatty green.
Enthroned Cassiopeia Gold Dragonet lifts her head, lifting her feet and placing them with solemn care as she steps away from the jagged remnant of her egg. She unfurls her wings slowly in a wide, wet, glistening arc and slants her head to the side, running her jewel-faceted gaze over the potentials.
"I told you that thing was evil." The attack the green did on Nissa, as minor as it may be in the grand scheme of things, is eyed, Cailyn keeping her eyes on the candidate to make sure she's okay. The other wandering dragons are ignored for the time being.
J'lal refrains from grimacing as his gaze follows the gold, the green apparently as beneath his notice as she isn't Ghraith's. "Yes. She's lovely. Both of them are lovely. All of them are lovely. How many are there now, anyways?"
Cheyanna jerks her head over to Nissa, too, startled. "Get her out of the way!" she says, alarm clear in her voice: it does not, however, seem like a disembowling is coming next. Cheyanna spares another look for the gold, uneasy.
Airam smiles as the next egg hatches and a beautiful gold meets the world. "She's very pretty." He says with a nod to Micail, shifting his weight onto another leg as his stiff posture is starting to make him ache a bit. He turns around to look at all the girls in the candidate crowd. "I don't have a clue who will Impress her though." A hand raises to cover his mouth as the green gets Nissa and looks on worridly. "Does she need help?"
Jaryyd jumps to help Nissa after she fell. "You alright?" He asks, wanting to help in any way shape or form. His eyes are keen for the gold and green though, should they come round again.
Meerak rocks back on his heels, settling back into place. That is surely worry on his features, not disappointment! "Well, good," he says lamely when others go to help Nissa to her feet. "I don't see any blood, do you? She's probably okay. Watch out for that gold. /Someone/ has to get hurt, right?"
Lairae squeaks, though she wasn't the one hit, and then flushes at the mistake. "Nissa!" she calls, but softly, and then bites her lip, and shifts from foot to foot. She lets out a held breath when the girl gets back up.
"Oh geez!" Poor Nissa. Iliad winces and works to regain his own balance as Khaly's tugged, therefore causing a domino effect of sort. His posture's steady enough to offer his free hand in assistance, however. "Hey--you alright?" It's a generic question, but one of concern, nonetheless.
Khalylai is intent to Nissa's aid, ignoring the movement of potential mauling dragonets. That's Iliad's job as a guard, hellllllloooo... Plus, Nissa almost knocked her out, too. "Sweetie, are you okay?" Her voice is anxious, pulling Nissa upright as she can. "Can you walk? Do you need me to call for healers?" She has a level-head, at least.
Nissa scrambles to her feet with Khalylai and Jaryyd's assistance - but watch out nearby candidates, her nose is gushing blood all down her robe and others might get splattered. "I'm alright, I'm alright," she answers, tentatively wobbling her nose. "Nothing broken."
Stitch watches the gold and says "Quite a beauty, that's for certain." Maybe if Nissa impresses he can have his sandals back. The short Harper is feeling a bit faint, being so close to the ground. "Nissa, what are ye doing? Yer not supposed to knock yourself silly on your own knees!"
Pyrene winces at the show of blood on the other side of the Sands. She most certainly does not brag about having asked Nissa to Stand, merely making some hope-she's-all-right noises.
Jaryyd tears off a piece of his robe and offers it to Nissa for her bleeding nose. "Here, pinch and hold your head up." he smiles and presses a hand to the girl's lower back, should she need to fall again. "Are you sure you're alright?"
As the candidates move to help Nissa up, so does Cr'ash -- he's there in but a moment, pale eyes worried as he reaches her. But she's upright, and he has a cloth in one hand that's extended toward her nose with an short gesture. "I've got it," he tells his step-neice with a nod, and closes strong and competant hands over Nissa's shoulders. "I'm sorry. You need to get off the sands," he says with sympathy, "the dragonets are -- hungry. Young. Confused."
"It was the /dragon/," Lairae hisses to Stitch. "Don't blame /her/. Shouldn't you ask if she's all /right/ instead?" She chews on her lip again to stop further words stemming from displaced nervousness.
"Ouch." I'anex scratches his nose. "Dual ouch, really."
Meerak, er, brightens. "Oh, I /do/ see blood," he says, catching the splash of red on white when Nissa moves. "Too bad no one was taking bets on that. But she stills seems okay," he adds quickly, glancing over at Cheyanna for confirmation, just to show he's not a total jerk. "So it's the okay kind of blood."
Nissa takes the cloth from Jaryyd and dabs it to her nose, looking around a bit bewildered. As Cr'ash orders her off, her face crumples... but she lets him lead her away. Though not before kicking off Stitch's shoes in Khalylai's direction. She did promise.
Airam scowls a bit at the green dragonet, not that he really /expected/ it to turn around an apologize, then sighs. "She seems okay..." He says doubtfully, eyes on Nissa now instead of either the gold /or/ green as she leaves.
Khalylai is all furrowed eyebrows and worried eyes, but she acquiests to Cr'ash's request, gracefully attaching herself to Iliad, worried eyes focused on Nissa. She doesn't mind the fact that she -does- have blood on the front of her robe; instead, she just grips Iliad's hand and shivers. "Poor Nissa," she mourns. Ish. "Poor-ish girl" notably is beamed at, however, and she hops into twice-borrowed sandals. Blessed relief. "Where'd she go?" She queries Iliad, then, gazing for the mauling green.
Nissa escapes the earth-born heat and heads off the sands.
