Kestrel
Wingrider
kestct[M:821]
Posts: 374
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Post by Kestrel on Sept 9, 2012 3:17:53 GMT -5
It didn’t take Vrell long to decide that Dita was her kind of guy. Many of the candidates, not to mention the spectators, looked spooked and apprehensive about the hatching thanks to its declined into violence, and Vrell couldn’t really blame them. But even though it had gotten pretty bad, Vrell didn’t want to let it get her down, and she was glad to see someone else had the same idea. “She sure is!” she said, grinning back at him. “Pretty cool too, if you ask me. Showing that mean little black wher. Her and that green both.”
She was starting to be worried for Pailu’s safety as the black seemed intent on gnawing on her fist, and the bigger threat—the full grown green clutchmother—approached to intervene. But the green had so far seemed to have a good demeanor, evidenced by her own intervention with the black earlier, and that hadn’t changed in her dealings with Pailu. Vrell cast the black a last little glare as he rocketed off into the thick of the candidates. But she resolved to ignore him for now—she was more interested in the green and orange wherets, preferring as she did to focus on the positives.
Dita proved to be a distraction, though—albeit a pleasant one. He was one of those people who Vrell just couldn’t help being around without it bringing a smile to her face, she could tell. “Sounds great! I don’t really know anybody around here. I’m pretty new. Congratulations about your sister!” Her eyes couldn’t stay off the sands for too long, and she found her field of vision gravitating back out that way. She noticed the black with a girl not too far away, which in itself wasn’t unusual—he’d been terrorizing just about everyone he could get his claws on, after all. But this time he wasn’t attacking. Or not anymore, anyway. Maybe he’d impressed? She sure hoped so. “Nice to meet you guys!” she said, angling her head so she could both talk to them while also keeping a bit of the sands in view. “I’m Vrell, apprentice harper! We’ll definitely have to talk more. Uh…when I’m not so distracted,” she said, flashing them a sheepish smile before fully turning back out to the sands. “Whers, you know.”
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Cathaline
Lady Holder
cathct[M:50]
Posts: 3,279
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Post by Cathaline on Sept 9, 2012 5:52:06 GMT -5
The blue missed all the drama, because he was a little preoccupied. The inhabitant of the white egg had been struggling for some time now, and he successfully freed her with a single blow, but she didn't take it at all well. Fortunately, unlike Abrask, she didn't attack her much larger brother. The green spilled onto the sands, panting a bit. She was very small, light-hued with a yellowish underbelly and similar circular markings on her body. She stared up at the blue with large eyes, hugely offended, but mostly resentful toward herself. Of course she'd been too weak to escape her egg in time without his help, and of course he would show up to free her right when she was about to make progress. She was quite sure that if he'd just left her alone a little longer, she would have...somehow...gotten stronger. After snubbing him with a catty comment, she turned back to her egg. She was starving, and she had to eat really quickly now in order to get bigger. Obviously, her metamorphosis in the shell had been interrupted, but maybe there was some power in the shell itself...without further ado, she swallowed several shards of egg before making a face. Ugh, that was gross. That was not for eating. The sweet green watched carefully until the black Impressed, then happily gave Yusk a headbutt of approval before turning to Pailu, who received an adoring lick. What a strong person, and when her wher came along, things would be great! But the sweet green was not that wher, and she next whisked off to give her mummy a hug. Kalesk stared down at the first of her spawn to willingly interact with her, and gave her a pat with a paw that was nearly as big as she was. By this time, the hungry green had made her way toward the front of the nest. The ache in her belly was dragging her toward the candidates, but by this time she had already sampled sand and a small rock. The blue followed her all the way, grousing and lamenting, but she snapped at him. Not interested, thanks. But oh, what was this? She came across the severed toe lying in the sand. This had to be food. Oh no! Oh no! The sweeter green raced over and tackled her smaller sister, tumbling end over end with her and squeaking up a storm. Not for eating! Not for eating! The hungry green wrestled halfheartedly, but finally went limp. If she couldn't win this fight, she wasn't going to bother trying, and she glowered at her sister with resentment as the sweet green went to fetch the toe and drop it in front of Oddinya, tail wagging in the sand. Here you go! Just in case it was still needed! Speaking of winning, the orange took off as soon as the parameters of the race were agreed upon. Where her brother was all stocky, boulder-like muscle, she was a rather delicate little wher, and she was very determined to win. With an impressive turn of speed, she circled the little clutch with its presumptive dud and shells scattered on the sand and headed back. Just for show, she wove playfully through the candidates before nudging into Cilia. She'd won! She did it! She won! She waited for Cilisk to get back and twined happily around him. Friends forever, because she had proven she was superior. And she would never, ever let him forget that fact, either. But just to show that she was also the best in personality, she decided that despite having won, she would do what she had promised to do if she lost. It helped that she already knew who The One was. The problem was, The One was distracted! This wasn't fair, and she leaned heavily into Vrell's legs, staring up at her with big, loyal eyes. Vrell no talk other people![/i] she cried, but the look-at-me whine came with genuine misery and loneliness. Vresk did not like being neglected, why was Vrell talking through everything with people who didn't matter? Only Vresk mattered. Only Vrell mattered. Vresk hungry. Vresk win, Vrell see? Vrell see Vresk win? Vresk win again if Vrell no see.[/i] But for the moment, her desire to be the best was sated. She just wanted to eat and curl up with her new soulmate, and tell Vrell all about how great they were going to be together as long as Vrell did exactly as she was told. VRESK THE CHARMANDER, IMPRESSED TO VRELL (EE781D)
Vresk is...a handful, there can be no doubt of that. She’s a complicated wher, okay? On the one hand, she is clingy and needy, will wilt with any perceived neglect, and is intensely loyal; she genuinely believes Vrell is the best handler of all time. On the other, this does not prevent her from being disparaging at times. She knows Vrell has room to grow, and she’s not about to let her stagnate. She’s definitely not above giving Vrell a nip or shove to bring her into line. She is vain and a little narrow-minded, a total elitist who doesn’t appear to care about anything that does not directly impact herself or her handler. One minute she’s so desperate for love and attention that she can be almost sweet; the next, she’s a huge bully. And that’s just her relationship with Vrell - with others, she is emotional, forceful, stubborn, and fussy. She is incredibly competitive, yet has a ladylike notion that it would be wrong to fight with those significantly weaker than she; while she will haughtily refuse to be provoked into doing more than cuffing a tiny interloper to get them off her back, she will happily seek out browns, reds, and sometimes even kings to butt heads or race with. Although her superiority complex and other personality flaws make her hard to get along with, even with people who are not Vrell she is capable of being mild-mannered or sweet, as long as they worship her properly first. She can even be flirtatious to the right males - meaning the ones she can beat in a fight, but who aren’t sore losers about it. Yeah...she’s complicated. But at the end of the night, she will snuggle right up to Vrell and remind her that they are the best ever.
There can be no mistaking Vresk’s strength. Stocky and muscular, she possesses a particularly long, whiplike tail as well as powerful legs and claws. For the most part, she is a uniform shade of orange; however, this blends into creamy patches on her feet and ankles, and there are darker, flame-like streaks along her tail.
Meanwhile, the hungry wher complained her way over to the candidates. She watched with mounting irritation as Cilisk and soon-to-be-Vresk took part in a race. A speedy little green like her could've won that race, but of course nobody thought to invite her. Her blue brother was still dogging her heels trying to convince her to join his team, but she finally turned and gave him a smack in the nose that surprised even herself. Usually she would never dare to assault somebody bigger than she was, but since she knew her brother wouldn't attack a fellow wher under his own power... With him finally dealt with, she made her way to the candidates. She took a bite out of Tius's robe; Dita found himself once more relieved of his sandal, but unlike Impask, who merely hid it, the hungry green chewed it up and finally decided it contained no nutrients and he could have it back. Then she came across Pailu, sitting in the sand, and lapped at the blood dripping from her ear. Clarity! Her irritation faded into something resembling glee, and she curled delightedly into Pailu's lap. Pailu know food?[/i] she asked eagerly, staring up at the girl with huge eyes. Pailu no scare of nothing? Pailusk love.[/i] However, she proceeded to discover the girl's many wounds, and made a tsking, clicking noise, scrambling right back out of her lap and nosing at her. Silly bad Pailu! Need clean, be better, be strong! Pailusk need eat. Where go?[/i] PAILUSK THE CATERPIE, IMPRESSED TO PAILU (95C368)
Pailusk is a vulnerable, easily-startled little green; though bursting with all the emotion and energy of her color, her tiny size and insecurities keep her from being any kind of assertive. She is keenly aware of her own weakness and adjusts her behavior accordingly. This is not to say that she totally lacks a green’s snappishness; she can be quite quarrelsome if provoked, and she is not always kind, especially to those few who are smaller than she is. She is highly resentful of the position she’s in, and she constantly tries to toughen herself up, maintaining a firm notion that eating will make her bigger and stronger. She’s a true food connoisseur, willing to try absolutely anything once despite her actual dietary needs. When it comes to Pailu, she is bossy and maternal, demanding that her handler take good care of herself; she believes in Pailu totally, and will not stand for her depressive episodes. Pailu will never have to be alone again, that’s for sure. Pailusk’s own worth is a much sorer subject with her. She’s convinced that someday she will undergo a metamorphosis into a bigger, better creature capable of great and awe-inspiring deeds; Pailu will have a tough job ahead trying to convince her that she is beautiful and valuable just the way she is.
Pailusk is a light shade of green, with a more yellowish underbelly and like-colored circular markings on her body. She has large eyes for a wher and has a strong preference for staying inside, where she can be sure it will remain dark and cozy. On the small side for a green, she’s also slimmer and weaker than most whers, but there is nothing preventing her from putting on muscle to make up for this.
While the two of them were Impressing, the sweet green had moved on from Oddinya. For now, she ignored the remaining candidates as she loped off into the stands. Unlike the horror that her siblings had brought, however, she was here to help and to heal. Kisses and hugs for everyone! Dask and Kisk both got glomped, and then she pressed her head to Kire's belly. Was that an egg in there? How exciting! The large, pale blue egg had responded to Burlesk's tapping, but its inhabitant had gathered herself up first. The shell cracked open, and a clearly-feminine little blue - no, cyan, of course - emerged. She was sky-colored, long and lanky, and when she unfurled her wings, they were quite impressive for a wher. She held that pose as she surveyed the candidates with a regal, haughty air.
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Azhdarchid
Jr. Weyrwoman
azhct[M:-1490]
Totes.
Posts: 1,627
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Post by Azhdarchid on Sept 9, 2012 11:35:30 GMT -5
The blood on his legs dried, even if the wounds themselves were still glistening. The demon was finally trussed up in the pacifying bond of lifelong partnership. And another green had hatched, who Tussbuul watched with purposeful interest. No offense to Losk, but it was the boys who were causing all the trouble this hatching. That one fitful green had struck out early, shackling herself-
Why did he keep thinking of the bond as imprisonment? Maybe because he could see what the whers were like without it. Feral, no action mitigated by its potential consequences. He had always thought of the whers as animals, but trained ones. He would have to ask Lonet if Losk had nibbled on anyone before he came to her.
He counted the remaining intact eggs, save the one the blue had examined and passed by. Judging by his activity with the spiny new green, he would have busted the egg if anything had been stirring within. One, two, three...there was a smaller gray one he had almost missed, save that its partner abruptly exploded to reveal another blue. He guessed it was a blue. It was Losk-colored, though not quite as portly (sorry Losk). Maybe he was suffering for his comparison of every wheret to his bumpy new friend, but he had no other tacks to take. He was fumbling and new.
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Gray
Wingrider
grayct[M:-350]
Posts: 870
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Post by Gray on Sept 9, 2012 16:19:09 GMT -5
Dita smiled at Pailu. Well, she was a bit chewed on but that wasn't too bad. And the black seemed Not-Dead, which was also important. “Crazy? Nah, I don' think so Pailu. Passionate? Probably. You didn' wanna see anyone else hurt.” He didn't mind his help being brushed off, as long as no one else was hurt too bad. And the black went off to impress, which was good for all. Dita felt he could relax a bit, so he sat on the hot sands. He'd continue to sit until he got too warm, until then though, it was pleasant. Both Vrell and Pailu seemed like good girls.
He watched as another green hatched. Greens were nice. Besides that first one, they had been fairly good. This one was.. Well odd. Yes odd. He decided that it must be pretty hungry after it ate some eggshell. Dita knew from experience that eggshells did not taste good. Quietly, he watched this very hungry green. Hopefully, it would impress soon, then it could eat it's fill.
Plus she was having none of this blue's talk, which was good. That blue was trouble. Not as troublesome as Abrask, or as Burlesk. But trouble none the less. Then she went for the toe. Even Dita was a little grossed out by that. But then again, it was a human toe, he made a bit of a face at the green, but thankfully the motherly green stopped her. Then the orange was running around, being followed by the big bronze. Wasn't he hungry yet?
Dita chuckled a bit as the orange darted around. “Wow she's quick. I don' fancy bein' one of th' boys that'll have to chase her someday.” Luckily, the Whers did all that themselves. They had the stamina to do so. Then quick as a whip she was heading towards them. Was this wher his? Or perhaps it was Oddinya's. Or Vrell's or Pailu's. There were several of them clustered around there.
No, not his, but Vrell's! Dita stood and clapped softly for her. “Congrats lass! Quick and pretty. She'll be a sight to see when she's all grown up.” He beamed at the girl and her new wher. He was glad Vrell impressed, and there were still whers and eggs on the sands. He scootched away a bit, wanting to give the girl and her orange some space, standing a bit closer to Pailu now.
Now the spotty green was heading their way. She looked to Dita like some kind of bug. A cute bug. A hungry bug. He hoped she didn't try taking a chunk out of him. At the moment she was too busy smacking her brother, which made Dita smile. He really was just a giant bother! Then the chewing started. First was Tius's robes, and Dita laughed. But then it was his turn, the moment he noticed she was after his sandal, he lifted his foot and shook it loose for her. No way was he losing a toe. He watched her chew it, then spit it out with increasing amusement. Dita didn't retrieve his sandal once it was returned though. No. It had been through enough. He'd just deal with one foot being rather warm.
Then it was Pailu's turn, and miracles of miracles she impressed. Dita watched in awe. “Shards and shells I'm a good luck charm!” Both girls he had stood near impressed. One after the other too! He was like a lodestone! But instead of metal he attracted whers. “Well now Pailu looks like you've got a little lass of your own. She'll keep you out of trouble, I'm sure of it.” With that, he moved to stand closer to Oddinya. “Let's see iffin' I can work my magic on you.”
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Ondine
Jr. Weyrleader
ondct[M:-155]
Posts: 436
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Post by Ondine on Sept 9, 2012 16:23:25 GMT -5
Shino felt rather than saw Damask stop moving, as the Wher...abruptly stopped enjoying what she was doing. Oh no, was her question bad? Did it bring up horrible memories? Now she felt guilty and nervous, and that was all before she looked over at a smile even she knew was fake. And listened. Damask had killed her best friend and several Whers?! That was terrible! The hatching wasn't a good memory for her, just a bunch of sadness...
Shino looked over at Damali as her eyes began to shine with tears, both because she was horrified that she had brought up such a bad memory and because of the subject itself. Her mouth quivered. Really, she should have been more tactful, especially because this was a Red Handler. Everyone knew that a Red was violent, whether they were dragon or wher! And there she went, poking her head into things that she knew nothing about, and bringing up bad memories, and making Damask feel bad about herself, and, and, AND....
The little apprentice looked over at Damali, fidgeting, unsure of whether or not it would be okay to get up and give the Handler a hug. She had obviously hated that time! But maybe it wasn't proper. Maybe...maybe she just didn't know. She looked over at Damask. Maybe the Red was the one that needed the hug? She just didn't know. She looked back over at Damali, eyes big and bright with almost-tears, mouth trembling as much from nearly crying as from nervousness and guilt, and then back over at her Wher. And back. And forth. She fidgeted again. Oh no, she didn't know what to do, and maybe she was just making things worse.
“I-I-I'm sorry!” She finally blurted out. Her fingers started to move again on Damask, looking for places where she still itched. See, this was why she didn't open her mouth. Because every time she did, she got herself in trouble somehow. “I didn't mean to-to bring up bad memories. You're right, this is a great hatching.” She was even less practiced as the Handler in faking her expression, and her fake smile wobbled and threatened to crash down at any time, but it was there! Mostly. Kinda. She really was interested in the Orange, but right now, she just felt to guilty to really enjoy it.
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Boo
Jr. Weyrwoman
booct[M:-425]
Shirath: THOSE aren't spirit fingers... THESE ARE SPIRIT FINGERS!!!
Posts: 1,917
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Post by Boo on Sept 9, 2012 17:13:41 GMT -5
MINE ALL MINE! For the majority of the hatching, the green had been sitting there relatively quietly but with something of a grumpy expression on her maw. Her eyes, certainly, had been swirling red with rage as she watched the hatching. When the green and black had come into the Stands Yalesk had done all she could to hiss at them and indicate her displeasure. MY STANDS THEY ARE BAD. Yet it was only the whers she seemed to care about being in her stands now. This was unusual. The whers were supposed to stay on the sands. They weren’t supposed to be here.
Yalesk hissed her anger and stomped her feet as she watched yet another green come into the stands. She hated them for doing the wrong thing. ARE… Are SILLY wher. Stay sands! GO BACK! Not be stands. As the little wher ran around the area, Yalesk continued stomping her little feet. She was not much larger than the hatchlings themselves and truly wasn’t very much bigger than the orange on the sands at the moment.
Yalenia, for her part, was finding the introduction of these colours very interesting. It was certainly an exciting hatching. Although she wasn’t laughing at anything she did find some of the antics amusing and couldn’t help but be grimly amused by Yalesk’s reaction to what was happening. “Calm down there my dear. They will not come near us.”
For as far as she was aware, the whers seemed to be going near the unbonded. No. Because Yalenia mine. My Yalenia, my space, my stands.
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Chek
Weyrlingmaster
chekct[M:-15]
I'm so magical I vomit rainbows
Posts: 1,091
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Post by Chek on Sept 9, 2012 19:27:21 GMT -5
Near Tussbuul, Tius shot the other man what could be interpreted as a bemused look, then nodded, “Exciting. That could describe it.”
Ein was leaning so she could watch the newest drama related to the little black wher when people around her started moving – and then pain in her leg. She looked down, the black looked back up.
“Oh.” Something – someone - was trickling in beside her brain, settling in for the long haul – a long shaky breath was her initial response. That was nothing like she'd been told it would feel like. Still, though, she had no time to muse on it – there was a disobedient child to deal with. Ein had, if nothing else, a lot of practice with disobedient children.
Slipping her soft cord belt off, she quickly tied a loop in one end, then ran the length through the loop until she had a small lasso. Burlesk, watching, grunted impatiently. Was she done doing her stupid two-legs things yet? He was, as he'd mentioned, hungry. Feeding time, ding ding ding? He considered biting her leg again to illustrate the point, but found himself oddly reluctant to do so.
Ein at that point, slipped the loop over his muzzle and pulled it tight, leaning down to pull it down and tie another loop around his neck – leaving herself holding a makeshift muzzle and leash. “Punishment level one, sweety. You have to be on a leash while everyone else is not. We'll see if you can earn no-leash privileges back, hm?”
So stunned was he by the quick actions of his new handler, Burlesk didn't react until after the leash was on and secure, finally uttering a disbelieving, ...Serious?
Ein patted his head and nodded.
Burlesk lost his shit, rearing up and twisting his head, clawing at the cord to try and tear it loose, but Ein kept just enough tension on it to keep him from getting a grip on the cord. Really, to her, it was like breaking a runner to harness for the first time – just on a very, very small scale. A few more seconds of fighting had Burlesk laying in the sand, panting, and trying to rub the muzzle off in the sand. Shortly, even that stopped.
“Are you done with your tantrum?” Ein asked him gently, leaning over him. After few moments of stubbornness, he reluctantly heaved a sigh, looking away. “Oh, don't be like that. You've more than earned this.” She scooped him up off the sand with minimal difficulty and hauled him off towards the feeding buckets. The little black realized that picking this human might have been a bad idea.
Tius looked down in interest as the light green chewed a hole in his robe, but she moved on, so he shrugged it off.
Odd, now with the bleeding under control, looked around in time to see the little green bringing her toe back to her. She picked it up out of the sand after the wheret had moved on – it was mangled, sandy, bitten and covered in wher drool. Absolutely useless.
There was an orange wher, right there. It was Impressing her fellow one-eyed candidate – excellent. And then another green was going for the girl-who-tackled whers. And the man who she recalled had offered assistance was still around as well? Hm. Certainly busy in her part of the sands – Odd couldn't help but think she should have stayed in her workshop today after all.
She tossed the toe towards the tackle-girl – Pailu? and her new wher. “She can have that – I won't be needing it.” And then, grabbing Dita's shoulder without invitation, she levered herself up out of the hot sand.
Back in the stands, Damali looked away from the ongoing hatching drama after she recollected her dignity, just in time to meet Shino's outburst and big teary eyes. Oh no.
She ruffled a hand in Shino's hair, “Don't be like that, now. It's fine, you didn't mean it. You, less small girl! Cuddle the smaller girl.” Damali shoved Dizzy at Shino, and Dizzy obediently squished Shino to her chest, eyeing the redhandler with concern.
She wasn't quite sure what in the world was going on here.
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Cathaline
Lady Holder
cathct[M:50]
Posts: 3,279
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Post by Cathaline on Sept 9, 2012 20:01:25 GMT -5
The blue slunk away with his tail between his legs. Poor Burlesk, dragged off to a life of humiliation and misery. He had less sympathy for Vresk and Pailusk, neither of whom had given his vision the time of day, but still. He headed for the dark egg at the back of the clutch and gave it a kick, but it responded with a resounding nothing. Also dead inside, and he hung his head. This left two eggs to hatch, and at last, one of them did. The milky gray egg beside the cyan cracked, and another green emerged blinking into the dim light. She was a deep sea green, serpentine, with small, pale wings - quite the contrast to her icy sister. She gave the cyan a shy greeting, but her attention was more quickly captured by the blue’s approach. Had she been a human, her eyes would have narrowed; as it was, they slowly shifted toward red. She was an empathetic creature, and it wasn’t hard for her to tell that her brother was trouble with a capital T. She might not have been present for his gang’s activities, but she suspected him, and as soon as he dared to suggest that they should go bully some more humans, she went mad. Well, not mad, precisely. The opposite of mad, in fact, though it would not appear so to any who were watching her. She acted with cold rationality and icy rage. The blue was dangerous, he’d made that clear; one look at the small group of bloody candidates told her that. She bared her teeth, gathering herself, and then she sprang. The blue gave a roar of dismay as his sister made a very real attempt to rip out his throat. Only his larger size prevented her, but she inflicted wound after wound, apparently quite unstoppable. Kalesk, of course, had long since proven that she would not interfere in her children’s spats until one was at death’s door; the cyan not only disapproved, she was incredibly uncomfortable, and deliberately moved away, looking anywhere but at the fight. It just didn’t seem like a fair fight, though. The blue thought it wasn’t right to fight another wher. That, and she was totally unstoppable. He screamed and screamed, and she tore and sliced, methodical in her actions. Obviously he was going to go wild. He would be a danger to her, to the Weyr, to everyone here. She could not allow this to happen, and so she struck, preemptively. But at last, their gold mother stepped in once again. She picked her tiny green daughter up in her mouth and carried her forcibly to the other side of the nest to cool down. The blue laid there for just a little while, panting and dripping ichor everywhere. But at last, he struggled to his feet. So far, his plans weren’t working well at all, but he really felt this last assault was the outside of enough. He hadn’t even done anything to her, she’d just sensed that he was some kind of enemy! Which was ridiculous. He was an enemy to no wher. In the meantime, the final living egg, brown with tan stripes, cracked open under the sheer power of its occupant. A second blue emerged; he was a dark, smoky shade, with a few paler streaks along his limbs. He was positively enormous, bulging with muscles, and he inhaled deeply, puffing his chest out. Oh, it was nice to have room! What had he been thinking, waiting so long to hatch? Definitely better out here. Spotting his brother, he trotted over and nosed at the wounded blue, giving a bugle of concern. The paler blue really ought to think about bonding! And also, he should really work out, and then maybe he wouldn’t be so very small. Not that being small was a bad thing! Everyone here was positively obsessed with bonding. Time to get out of here, and the pale blue took his injured body miserably off toward the exit, ignoring his brother utterly. First, he made one last pass through the candidates. A disheartened nip here, an attempt to stomp on Tius’s toes there...at last, he bumped into Andru’s legs and flopped down at his feet, resting his head in his paws. When he spoke, it was in a surprisingly mild, sweet tone, if a bit sulky. Ask try so hard, all run away be humanpets,[/i] he sighed. Andrusk be Ask partner?[/i] He didn’t really understand why Andru looked like a human, but he could feel that the man had a wher’s soul, whatever that meant. Work together, be good, make good life for all whers.[/i] It was such a simple dream that he had...and it was just a pity that it came with a desire to push humans around. Rolling onto his back with a grunt of pain, he stared up at Andru in almost meek submission. Andru was his partner in crime now. Not his handler, because whers couldn’t handle other whers, but nobody needed to know that. They would undermine the system from within...as soon as Ask got some bandages and some food. ASK THE SQUIRTLE, IMPRESSED TO ANDRU (8BCEEB)
Ask is surprisingly mild-mannered for a wher, at least on the surface: he is loyal, devoted to his handler, and will be easy to train. Apart from his poor memory, one might be deceived into believing he has no faults at all. However, his pleasant facade hides some much darker urges. Ask gets along easily with most whers, but with the exception of Andru - who is clearly an honorary wher born into the wrong body - Ask has a deep-seated distrust of humans and is convinced, despite any evidence to the contrary, that whers would be far better off without them. He continually attempts to mold his fellow whers, especially the more simple-minded ones, into wher gangs meant to cause trouble to unauthorised humans; if given any opportunity, he will cheerfully bolt off into the wild unknown to try to meet his human-free brethren and befriend them. In Ask’s ideal world, whers have their own civilization (with Andru welcomed and adored, of course). However, so long as he is compelled to be a guard, he will do his duty without too much of a fuss...but only because he more or less comprehends that this means he might get to bully or beat up a human intruder once in awhile.
Ask is a pale shade of blue with a darker hue on his back; this area appears shell-like due to being unusually ridged and hard, impervious to damage that could severely injure a lesser wher. He is on the small side for a blue, but makes up for his size with a long tail and strong jaw. His limbs are not as stumpy as many other whers, making him something of a natural swimmer, able to use his small wings to assist in propelling him through the water.
The green watched with piercing red eyes until her brother Impressed, then relaxed as suddenly as she’d become angry. The threat was dealt with. His handler would see to it that he caused no more trouble, and now it was her turn, right, Mama? She was not a bad egg; she simply would not allow threats to pass unnoticed. Kalesk understood, she really did. Of all her children, she shared the most with the serpentine green, though perhaps she only believed this because her daughter was so empathetic. Gently, she lowered the green to the sand, and the wheret snaked off to the candidates. In part, her desire to Impress came from the fact that she really was horribly shy; she didn’t like everyone looking at her like this. Unlike many of her siblings, she felt no need to show off her personality to those who would not be Hers. Her movement was unerring, and only her choice’s injury kept her from coiling around his legs like a snake. Hello, Tusk’s,[/i] she said, her voice gentle and chiming. Never again would he dare to think of whers as animals. She was a people, just like he was. Poor wounded Tussbuul, who would now have to walk all the way over to the feeding area; she gave him love and serenity to get him through it. She would get him through everything. His life was only just beginning, with her by his side. TUSK THE DRAGONAIR, IMPRESSED TO TUSSBUUL (238E68)
Tusk takes the emotional nature greens are known for to extremes; she is highly empathetic, having a powerful communion with her handler and the ability, if she so chooses, to mentally soothe even others with a sort of gentle aura. In good times she is kind-hearted, helpful, and compassionate; she loves to play hide and seek, though she prefers to do the hiding. She’s unusually shy for a wher and rather elusive, though she makes friends easily when she tries. Her personal preference for solitude definitely does not extend to Tussbuul, however; she is very protective and very loyal, more than willing to tenderly prod him into social interaction as one of many methods of helping him heal. She will never be a bully, but she can be very firm and quite stubborn when she believes she knows best - and when it comes to Tuss, she definitely knows best. There is no room in her worldview for his flaws, his fragility, or his guilt: he is a great man, the best man anywhere, and he will never again be allowed to forget it. She wants to be useful, and she takes her responsibilities quite seriously, abhorring idleness and laziness in others. But this is not to say that she comes without edges. She is fearless, though not reckless, and has no problem informing absolutely anyone if she thinks they are not doing their best, though she does it so sweetly that one would hope the criticism would not result in a fight. But if it did? Well, then, look out, because for all these good qualities, she is still very much a wher and a green to boot. As empathetic as she is, she is easily able to discern danger and suspicious behaviour; she has zero tolerance for such things, and threats will be dealt with in a towering, unstoppable rage. Her better nature is completely consumed if she, Tussbuul, or her Weyr comes under attack, and it would take a strong mind indeed to be able to bring her anger under control before it burns itself out. In such a state, there’s almost nothing she can’t do.
Tusk is a deep sea green. She is fairly long-bodied, though still stocky like all whers, with an exceptionally long, serpentine tail. She makes up for this feature with smaller-than-average wings - they will still bear her weight if they must, but she'll never do more than skim the ground. Her belly is a very pale shade, nearly white, and she has the same color on her wings.
The cyan finally fluttered her wings. She was totally discomfited by the fight that had broken out, and by the evidence of past aggression on the remaining candidates. She barely even wanted to approach them, with all that blood and gore displayed on their bodies and the sands beneath them. It was intensely frustrating, really, that hatching so late had left her with such a mess. The slim pickings did not bother her at all - obviously the ones chosen by her siblings had been less than worthy of her. But they were so ill-used, and it made her sick. She didn’t know who to be more disgusted with, the whers who had done this damage or the humans who had been too dimwitted to get out of their way. Obviously, she had no understanding of hatching etiquette - or rather, hatching etiquette did not quite jive with her own personal brand. Surely it was more polite not to bleed all over whers who were not your whers. At last, she made her move, stalking toward the group of candidates to have a look at them, though she didn’t expect to find much. Her goal was to locate a handler, but she was willing to take her time about it. As it happened, however, she did not have to look far at all. Her first glance dismissed her future handler as the worst-mauled of the lot, but that didn’t matter in the end. Here was a like-minded individual - flawed, but nothing she couldn’t gently wring out of Hers. The cyan settled directly in front of Oddinya and looked up at her, waiting politely for the appropriate blood bond to be made. Where others might have seen an icy statue, however, there was much more than simple affection underlying her formal words. Oddisk choose you, Oddinya. Oddinya is best handler. Bad choice throw away toe. Oddisk choice better.[/i] ODDISK THE ARTICUNO, IMPRESSED TO ODDINYA (CCFFFF)
Outwardly, Oddisk is an ice queen, reserved and formal of manner. She is easily discomfited by rudeness or aggression, refusing to be drawn into competitions or fights; she is largely passive. Anyone who doesn’t bother to look beneath the surface is likely to find her and Oddinya a very prickly pair indeed, because Oddisk doesn’t show her underlying tenderness and peacefulness to just anyone. Her haughtiness covers a fear of losing those she cares for, and her politeness an anxiety of pushing others away. She truly just wants to love and be loved, but it’s tough when she finds herself so baffled by the hordes of people who don’t understand where she’s coming from. As a goal-setter and hard worker, Oddisk is generally very patient, though she can become frustrated at times - especially if she perceives someone else as making her job harder or preventing her from reaching said goals. In Oddinya, she perceives a fellow perfectionist; though she approves of her handler’s ambitions, she highly dislikes the woman’s attitude, and fixing it will take two forms. First, no one ever goes near Oddinya’s blind side again, or they face the wrath of an avalanche. And second, Oddinya definitely needs to learn how to be nice.
Oddisk is mainly a sky blue, with a paler shade on her underbelly that darkens to deep cyan along her tail. Large and lanky, her body is for the most part unremarkable for her species and color; the true difference between her and her fellows is her wings. Though of course they are still vestigial and she could never possibly match even a young dragon in flight, these limbs are very large, and she wishes she could use them properly. She’s very proud of her appearance, and takes great pleasure in making sure she always shows to perfection.
In the meantime, the minty green heard a child in distress and acted with haste! She romped through the stands until she could leap into Shino’s lap with a coo, licking the girl’s cheek. What was there to sound so sad about? Everything was good! Everything was happy! She looked from Dizzy to Damali with big wher eyes. Why wasn’t anybody up here in the stands happy? Was it because of mean old Burlesk? Ooh, that bad wher. Bad, bad wher. The smoky blue watched the three Impressions and flexed his chest muscles a bit, very proud of his siblings. Soon it would be his turn, but first he had to exercise a little bit. Work up an appetite, you know.
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Gray
Wingrider
grayct[M:-350]
Posts: 870
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Post by Gray on Sept 9, 2012 20:34:35 GMT -5
He didn't mind being used to pull the girl up. He didn’t touch her, not wanting to aggravate her injury or any others she might had sustained, but let her pull herself up. “Much better now?” He asked, tilting his head some. This girl had gone through hell and back, so he would concentrate. He'd use his powers for good! By the end of this hatching, this girl would impress. And impress to a wher that wouldn't bite off her toes. So he closed his eyes and wished. Wished that this girl would find a wher. He wished that all the violence would stop an that the rest of the night would be a dream.
When he opened his eyes he was greeted to the sight of a newly hatched green attacking the blue. Oh. That. Blue. Frowning, Dita narrowed his eyes at the pair, wincing as the blue's shrieks filled the air. No, he did not like this. That green though, she was going for the kill. He winced again and wrinkled his nose as she was about to go for the final blow. But Kalesk intervened. “Wow. Quite th' clutch.” He frowned again. No, not in a good way either. For every good wher, there seemed to be one to make up for it. But that final note did get the blue to finally go towards the candidates. He just hoped they wouldn't be attacked yet again.
But they didn't. Dripping ichor, Dita guessed the little guy didn't have any fight left in him. That thought was verified by the blue's collapse at a candidate’s feet. Aww. Now Dita felt a bit bad. The little guy was just feisty. Hopefully the lad could get him all patched up and calmed down.
One down. More to go. Now that the blue was gone, the snakey green didn't seem as upset. In fact, she seemed calm. Maybe she just wasn't fond of being woke up. Dita could agree with that sentiment. Before he got a good look at her though, she slipped over to impress one of the older men among them. Good. Good good good. That left three. He had noticed the bulky, smokey blue earlier, but hadn't really noticed him until now.
Three, that was good odds. Sort of. That wing-y blue was pretty, all pale and icy. It didn't seem very interested in them, or maybe it was just standoffish? It was looking at them. Judging them. He wondered if it was weighing their potential, which made him wonder, what exactly was potential? Potential to do what? He wondered if he had potential. He was sure he did somewhere.
Then it was heading right at them. Stalking, what was with all this stalking and slipping? If he was a wher he'd have a happy bounce to his step! But he couldn't really just tell them to walk in a less menacing manor. Back to the blue though. It stopped right in front of the toe-bite girl. And it stayed there. It just. Sat still like a lovely blue statue.
YES.
Score yet another one for Dita. He was like a Wher Matchmaker. “He's a one handsome wher. Congratulations lass.”
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Cathaline
Lady Holder
cathct[M:50]
Posts: 3,279
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Post by Cathaline on Sept 9, 2012 21:28:16 GMT -5
Edison was very, very gentle as he carried Tesla over to the feeding area, but a certain amount of jostling was unavoidable. He deposited her carefully on one of the bedrolls laid out to cover the sand, watching like a hawk as Ondine started in on her. Not that he distrusted the girl in the least, but that was his sister, after all. "Give ya a hand?" he asked. Even if it was just a literal hand holding something, he wanted to be of use.
Esk, meanwhile, was criticising away in his head. Mostly he found it comforting, her familiar, lilting tone. Dosk was all talk - way too much talk - and no action. Impask she dubbed creepy. Abesk was heartily disparaged for being brightly colored. Edison didn't take many of her judgments as being fully-formed, though; most of them would probably hold when she actually held conversations with these whers, but some of them would become her friends. Possibly for exactly the reasons she was currently enumerating as why they were terrible.
---
Mysk led Mya to a secluded corner of the feeding area, since she was not in need of serious medical attention like, apparently, most of their wherling class. He settled into her lap, and once he'd eaten his fill, he suggested, Mya see? Mysk eyes see.[/i]
Mya bit her lip. She wanted to try this, but it was overwhelming enough "seeing" Mysk's thoughts and memories, vague as they were. It was the first time she'd ever known what color meant; between that and having someone else sharing her headspace, it was a lot to take in. It was perfect, and she'd never felt more like she belonged in her entire life, but...
Let me see.[/i] She slid into his headspace and peeked through his multifaceted eyes, taking it all in, but it just made her head ache something fierce, and she went reeling back into her own mind. She would get used to this in time and they would be wonderful on patrol together, she was determined, but...well, maybe it would be different if she'd been struck blind during her life, but she'd never had a chance to have that sense. In some ways, right now, she was better off without it. The two of them had a lot to learn and a lot to do without her falling over her own feet learning how not to be blind. Mya could be blind and still be awesome.
Mysk licked her cheek and peacefully watched more of his siblings filter in, stiffening at Burlesk's entrance. Leashed and cowed as he was, he was still scary, and Mysk immediately went back to imitating an egg in Mya's lap.
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Kestrel
Wingrider
kestct[M:821]
Posts: 374
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Post by Kestrel on Sept 9, 2012 22:40:32 GMT -5
Vrell’s face lit up as she actually managed to spot an egg as it hatched this time—the troublesome blue had forced it open, spilling a cute little green on the sands. Most of the greens of this clutch had seemed like nice whers so far, so she had hope for his one. But…wait, what was she doing? Was she really trying to eat her shell? Vrell just watched, looking puzzled. She was pretty sure whers didn’t do that. None of the others had. None of the others had eaten sand, either. Or rocks. And while others had certainly been violent, none had actually tried to eat someone’s toe.
Gross! Vrell hoped the other half-blind candidate hadn’t seen what almost became of her lost appendage, even if the sweet little green did intervene with her hungry clutchsibling just in the nick of time. She couldn’t help slightly making a face as it was returned to them, set down all too close to her, standing next to Oddinya as she was, but she didn’t say anything. It was up to the other girl what she wanted to do with it, after all. Vrell resolved to look away, and the twin streaks of orange and bronze caught her eye, proving to be a great distraction from the toe fiasco. Shells, those little whers could be fast!
She smiled as she watched the orange wher clearly come in ahead of her brother, and was glad to see that they still seemed to be getting along great. It was cute how close those two were, like they’d known each other even before they’d hatched. Who knows, maybe they did—like how she’d heard twins were really close, except maybe closer, because whers and dragons were telepathic. That was a funny thought—all of them sitting around in their eggs for sevendays at a time, with nothing to do but chat with each other as they grew. Okay, that probably wasn’t exactly how it worked…but it would be cool if it was.
Vrell subconsciously stood up a little straighter as the orange came their way, just as she had when any wher (well…other than the black, whose intentions had so obviously not been friendly) approached her. Quite a few had by now come up, looked her over, and moved on, though, so while she felt the same flare of excitement again, she tried to prepare herself for the more likely outcome. But this time the wher didn’t move on, and nothing could have prepared her for the reality of the orange speaking into her mind—words and emotions entwining into her consciousness in a way similar to and yet so different from the other times she’d heard a wher’s real voice. Because Vresk wasn’t just talking to her—they were bonding, and this wasn’t Yusk, or the blue wher from her hold—it was Vresk. Vrell, Vresk. Two of a pair. Complete.
But even as she felt a rush of joy as she realized she now had a wher partner of her very own, that joy was fading fast into alarm as her beautiful new wher’s emotions seeped into her, and they were not happy ones. What had she done wrong? Oh this wasn’t good—only just now a wherhandler, and she was already messing up! Vrell sat down cross-legged on the sands, pulling the little orange wher into her lap and holding her head with both hands as she peered down into those big whirling eyes with concern. Oh, why are you so upset? I’m sorry for talking to them during the hatching; I kind of thought we weren’t supposed to do that, but it’s just so hard when people are being friendly or need help!
Vresk was not terribly appeased, responding with something like a mental sniffle as she sadly pushed her nose into her handler’s stomach. Vrell talk other people, no watch Vresk. Vresk win race, beat Cilisk bronze—big bronze—so all two-legs, all wher, so Vrellknow Vresk is best wher, best wher ever, and Vrell no see. No watch. Vrell too busy watch Vresk![/color]
Vrell was convinced that if whers could cry, her robe would be wet from Vresk’s tears of misery by now. Vrell sighed, running her hand over the top of the newborn wher’s head and scratching at the tiny headknobs. She put on a smile, tilting her head a bit. But I did see you win! You were great—I’ve never seen any other wher move as fast as you did, you know. You didn’t just win, you were way ahead of that bronze. Such praise, and given quite earnestly, began to perk the orange back up a bit. Vrell really watch? Vrell no miss it while talk people? People not best like Vresk and Vrell?[/color]
Of course not. You know what else I didn’t miss? Vresk pulled her head out of Vrell’s robe, peering up at her with growing interest. You showing that mean little black who’s REALLY in charge around here! It was about time someone was brave enough to put him in his place. That was awesome, and I saw every second of it! It was clear enough already that the orange had a weak spot for praise, and Vrell could sense her distress waning. Vresk turned, pressing her side against Vrell like a little feline might. Of course, Vresk best. Not let bad wher hurt mean people, even if other people not best like Vrell and Vresk.[/color]
Vresk’s smile broadened, the new wherhandler satisfied with the way she’d turned things around. Now that she had Vresk feeling better, Vrell figured it was safe to pull out her belt knife, nicking her finger before Vresk could object. She held out the bleeding hand to Vresk, who looked at it with worry and certainly no intention of licking it. Why Vrell hurt hand-toes? Vresk no want Vrell hurt![/color]
Oh, don’t worry, it doesn’t really hurt! You have to lick it—you know, with your tongue. It’s important—it’ll make our bond really strong, so we can be the best wherhandler pair ever! Vresk snorted. Already best,[/color] she said matter-of-factually, but she liked the sound of what Vrell said, and taking another sniff of the red liquid, she could sort of see the wisdom in it, somehow. She licked the droplets up, and looked back to Vrell, quite pleased with herself. Food now?[/color] she said, all the more conscious of her hunger now that her unhappiness had faded. You got it, Vrell said, nudging the wher carefully away from her stomach so she could stand up.
Vrell had been so absorbed in tending to Vresk that she had entirely missed the sequence of events leading to both Pailu and Oddinya impressing, and looked between the cyan and green whers with surprise. She opened her mouth to offer congratulations, but was reminded instantly of her hungry, only recently-placated wher, and figured it best not to risk upsetting her again. “I’ll talk to you guys later, nice meeting you!” she hurriedly said to them, giving them an apologetic smile and gesturing down at her wher with an incline of her head to hopefully get the reason across. She hurried off toward the prepared meat without a second thought, and a glance down at the orange trotting along beside her sparked a whole new burst of pride and happiness. She was finally a wherhandler. It was a big responsibility, sure, but it was one Vrell had been looking forward to for a very long time.
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Azhdarchid
Jr. Weyrwoman
azhct[M:-1490]
Totes.
Posts: 1,627
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Post by Azhdarchid on Sept 10, 2012 11:52:23 GMT -5
Tusk coiled her long body together as her enormous opalescent eyes glittered up at Tussbuul. After a moment of non-reaction from her old miner, she lifted her head just a few inches off the Sands. He was just staring at her the way a fish goggled at the fisherman who'd hooked him. That was fine. She used the time to start tightening the necessary connections between them. Something stopped her, and her head shrank back into her loops of serpentine flesh as the blood on her beloved's legs suddenly took on an appealing scent. But the contact she had made in the interim jolted Tuss out of his stupor, and he turned himself toward the conglomeration of healers and feed buckets. Tusk's slender snout probed back up through the air as the man's back turned to her, inner lids fluttering in a dainty flush of confusion: even if he did not want her, he was still going to be hers. Her facets rolled toward the slow, purposeful wave of his hand at her. "Come on," Tuss exclaimed breathlessly, and Tusk felt more than saw his grin, more concerned with watching his red-spattered feet move off toward their destination. She uncoiled and slinked after him at speed, one leg or another occasionally tripping in the silky sand, but her overall motion never slowing. She was so fast, in fact, that she would zip up to a position just to the right of and behind her man and bunch her body up till another weary step took place. Occasionally a drop of blood dripped onto the sand in Tussbuul's wake. Tusk's head dipped to follow each one as she scuttled over it, but she never touched any in the erratic, sinking trail of ruby beads. As they neared the healers, she raised her head in a silent alarm that Tussbuul did not notice, and at the next necessary pause in his limp, Tusk latched onto the bottom of his cane and wound her way up, then reached over for the back of his robe from there. Tussbuul made what he thought would be a brief visit with Lonet. He didn't want to interrupt her, but, but- "I got one!" he cheered in a bedside whisper, about the extent of his respect for Lonet's current patient. The new handler waved his cane at Tusk's spot by his feet. "I got- where'd she go?" Tussbuul craned his head to either side at the wherless sand beneath him, then thumped his cane around gracelessly in an effort to look behind him. Tusk wasn't there either, though there was a very interesting tattoo printed in green on the back of his robe that got displayed to the healers' camp in the process. "Ahhh," Tussbuul groaned in plaintive horror. "No one should move. She resembles a tunnelsnake, so if anyone should mistake her..." Breaking out in a cold sweat, he twisted back toward Lonet and the others, only to feel a warm nose plant itself against his cheek. Tussbuul jumped nearly out of his skin, turning his face toward the disturbance only to see Tusk's eyes whirling and her own wedge-shaped head rearing back from his with a sympathetic " eek!" He made to pet her and ended up covering her head and neck entirely with his hand. He contracted his fingers anyway, rubbing them into her soft, heavy body, delighted anew to feel out the solidity of her. The only further disturbance came when he pulled back his hand and noticed some old blood smudged on his thumb. Immediately Tusk flashed out the yellowy-green forks of her tongue and dabbed in the stain, then slurped the appendage back up. Tussbuul raised his eyebrows, but a sudden sense of relief quelled any comment. Tusk peered past him at the healers, then retracted her head and ducked it behind his neck, her nose and the sliver of one shiny eye narrowly protruding back into view over the other shoulder. Tussbuul dragged his cane inward just so he could stay balanced while he wrung his hands together. "I- she's hungry. I should feed her," he babbled. Tusk's snout bumped against the back of his head as she noticed the human property of hair for the first time. She oozed her forebody up onto the top of his head, though most of her was still hidden behind him. She sniffed at the gray strands, then kneaded the stubby field with her tiny foreclaws. Tussbuul nodded, apparently to himself, and shuffled off to where the meat was waiting for him and his. So excited."Me too!" Tussbuul cried. Then he realized both his enthusiasm and his volume, and lowered his voice. "Oh...you were talking about me, weren't you?" Love. Tusk kissed her nose to the top of his ear. Mine. Always love. Good.
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Post by tiger on Sept 10, 2012 11:54:53 GMT -5
Pulling her hand away, Pailu sighed at the amount of blood coming away from her ear. Ugh. Seriously, how could such a small part of the body bleed so much? It seemed disproportionate to the cook.
She leaned her head back against the wall of the cavern, eyes drifting over in time to see the flouncy orange bond to the girl she'd spoken to upon entering the cavern. Well, good for her. The first impression Vrell had made, while distracted, seemed good. Pailu made a mental note to get to know the other girl - the new Orangehandler - better later. Perhaps when she had free time from Wherling chores, or something. Eventually, everyone wound up in the dining hall anyway.
Feeling a weird sensation against her bloodied ear, Pailu turned her head. Expecting to see someone with a wet cloth, she was VERY startled to see one of the smaller green whers so close. The cook went rigid for a moment, until the hammer of realization swung down and clonked her inner monologue. Which had suddenly become a dialogue! Pailu watched, dumbfounded, as the green crawled into her lap.
Pailu no scare of nothing? Pailusk love.[/b][/color]
The cook blinked, unable to help the giant, goofy grin that slowly crept on her lips. Her hands moved to hold the little greens face. And then she slipped out of her lap again. A bit of confusion registered on Pailu's features, but then eased as Pailusk spoke again, inside her head.
Silly bad Pailu! Need clean, be better, be strong! Pailusk need eat. Where go?[/i][/b]
"Oh, food! Right! I think we go over there. Where they are." Pailu glanced over to where the other bonded wherlings were hovering. There was food.
Pailusk looked over and seemed to grunt in understanding. We go? Pailusk big hunger. Eat, make stronger. Become big![/i][/b] The green began nudging her chosen multiple times. With a laugh, Pailu leaned to the side, feigning being knocked over by the force of the green's insistance. "Yes! Yes. We go! You wanna ride on my shoulder or something?"
The green went stock still, considering her handler for a moment. There was a slight narrowing of her eyes as she studied Pailu. No. Pailusk no need. Is not.. what word.[/i][/b]
"Not dignified?"
Yes. That word. Ride is not dig-knee-fried. We go! Now now![/i][/b]
With a chuckle, Pailu rose to her feet and carefully picked a path that'd keep the green close. As they joined the other wherlings at the feeding area, the cook knelt and began pulling apart meat strips as if it were second nature. Pailusk's little jaws snapped at the pieces and the cook had to urge her to CHEW. Good grief.
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Cathaline
Lady Holder
cathct[M:50]
Posts: 3,279
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Post by Cathaline on Sept 10, 2012 13:51:14 GMT -5
One by one, the newly-Impressed cemented their bonds and made their often-straggling way toward the feeding area. It was going to be a very large wherling class, that was for sure; the ranks of the candidates were more than decimated. All of the women were gone, and the smoky blue found himself faced with three men - Rhys, Tius, and Dita. They were all excellent specimens in one way or another, and he trundled over to Tius to give him a sniff. This bloke was a real prize, that was for sure! The blue flopped onto his back. Unlike many of his siblings who had done similar flips, he hardly had wings to worry about, but he still managed not to crush them. Wriggling closer, he grasped at the one-handed man with his paws. It was both amusing and rather horrifying to Kalenna as she watched the blue's attempt to bench press a fully-grown adult male; he was a strong little guy, but he was still only a hatchling! Fortunately, he gave up in time with a snuffle, embarrassed. Okay, now he could not select any of them. They would never be able to grasp his true might after witnessing that display. He put a comforting paw on Tius's knee and strutted off to the stands. She was there. He knew she was there, and he knew she needed him; he could smell success on the air, and it smelled a lot like...blood. The blue licked a tendril of it from poor Naanell's arm, looking up at her, and became absolutely certain. She needed a protector, by golly! Clearly this song she was writing in her head was dangerous, and she needed muscle at her side. He was the muscle, obviously. She was the brains of the outfit. She might not be expecting this, but... Naanell![/i] he barked. No be scare of Naanesk, is no bad egg! Naanesk protect from bad eggs. Help Naanell be mighty! Come, Naanesk carry Naanell to feed.[/i] He offered his wee little back without a trace of irony. Clearly he could do this, because he was the strongest wher ever. NAANESK THE MACHOP, IMPRESSED TO NAANELL (6A6688)
For Naanesk, the name of the game is self-improvement; since he doesn’t care much about mental acuity, his focus is entirely on his physical strength. He is an incredibly hard worker, always eager to improve his abilities - his musculature, his firebreathing, his swimming, his digging, anything he can find that he likes to do. His major failure (apart from his near-inability to get his bulky body off the ground in flight, even for a second) is with agility and dexterity; fortunately, most of the time he doesn’t care about flexibility either, though he will become frustrated if tangled up in a minute task. He will attempt to push this obsession with exercise and strength onto Naanell, but he will also push her toward success in general. He believes wholeheartedly in his handler, though his confident support can be rather stubborn and bullheaded at times. He might not properly understand Harpercraft, but by golly, if Naanell likes all that, he will do his very best to offer his assistance. He’s bound to become a fixture in the creche as well; though obviously their duty as guards is really important to him, he joyfully believes in the possibility of having the best of both worlds. Though Naanell’s bound to receive the brunt of his taskmaster-esque personality, he will always be willing to butt in and lend a paw - or his simple-minded advice - if he spots someone in need of assistance. Failure is definitely not an option in his world, not for anybody.
Naanesk is a particularly fine specimen of his color, at the very largest end of the scale. He is incredibly powerful and strong, with bulging muscles. Every gift comes with a price, however; his wings are especially small, giving him extremely limited flight capability even for a wher, and he has a rather stumpy tail as well. For the most part, he is a dark, smoky shade of blue, with a few paler streaks along his limbs.
This left his green sister in Shino's lap, crooning a lullaby to the precious, sad baby with her head pressed to the girl's heart. But no trace of a bond appeared; the green had somebody else in mind already! She finished her song and suddenly realized that she was the only one left. Ooh, she was late! She chirped an apology to the ladies, glomped Damask from behind, and then zipped back down to the sands so fast that she tumbled end over end and landed in a heap at Dita's feet. Well, that was a lucky coincidence! She loooooved him. He had been so kind and supportive to absolutely everybody, just like she wanted to be! She wagged her whole body as she stared up at him, and then reared up on her hind legs so she could hug him round the knees. Dita was not a baby, but she didn't want to mother her handler. He was warm and cuddly and had a colorful mind, just like she did. Disk sorry take a long time find her Dita![/i] she warbled. Babies crying. Oh, no, baby crying over there! Hurry![/i] Despite the hunger in her belly and the extreme importance of her new lifemate, Ask was hurt! She dropped back to all fours and went scrambling back to the remains of her eggshell. Dita Dita! Hurry! Get Disk eggie for Ask![/i] Clearly if they shoved Ask back in her lovely safety egg, everything would be okay. DISK THE BULBASAUR, IMPRESSED TO DITA (75C6A6)
At first, Disk seems to possess few of the typical traits of a green wher. She is gentle and well-behaved, generally docile, and strongly loyal to friends and family. She’s even more than happy to sing lullabies to babies of any species, with whom she has a small obsession. Once she’s decided someone is her friend, they are hers for life; she is quick to forgive, and of course even quicker to forget. She is very drawn to warmth, a naturally cuddly creature, and even loves light despite her photophobic inability to handle it; if her eyes are shielded, she will enjoy basking in the sun. She is an accomplished flirt, preferring to play it bashful and coy. Though a green’s aggressiveness is usually missing, she is as emotional and empathetic as many of her color, and her tender heart masks an intense territorial streak. She has a very short fuse with those she does not consider her own, and will act as a solid bodyguard for Dita, completely unafraid of any threat - no matter how large. His passivity will never be able to get him in too much trouble with his Disk on the job! She might have no problem butting heads with an enemy, but her instinct leads her toward protection rather than violence, and she will tend to kidnap and hide away her things and her loved ones if she feels there is any danger.
The majority of Disk’s body is a minty shade of green, spotted with darker patches; a more medium hue covers her back. She is actually quite large, at the extreme end of her color, but her body appears short and stout in comparison with a long, vinelike tail.
That was it, then. It had been apparent for some time that the remaining two eggs were duds, and Kalesk went to roll the large steely one over to the dark one so she could quietly mourn before destroying them. Kalenna could sense her gold's desire to be alone for now; she left the wher to it and headed for the remaining candidates. Shaking their hands, she said softly, "I thank you for standing for the clutches. There will be a feast later this evening for the new wherlings, and you are most welcome to attend. Chores and lessons are cancelled for the night, and if you have business in Crescent Hold, you have permission to leave the Weyr tomorrow as long as you return by dusk." Unless, of course, they decided not to continue with the program, but hopefully they would. There had been just as many lovely whers as vicious ones. With that, she headed to the feeding area to supervise. "If you are severely injured, you are excused to the infirmary, of course," she said. "There will be a feast in a candlemark for those healthy enough to attend; kindly bring your new wherets, even if they are asleep, which many of them will be. I give you all my heartiest congratulations. Wherlingmaster Lyrnn will address you further." Kalenna had a particular smile for Tesla and Abetzi, standing for so long and finally bonded, and offered Burleinherjar a handshake, given the little hellion she'd Impressed; each other new pair received a personal congratulations beyond that before she finally went to her own lifemate. Kalesk rocked back on her heels and said, Happy.[/i] Despite the eggs that would never hatch, she had fifteen children. They would all be assets to the program, and she was proud of them. Yes, even Ask and Abrask. And at last, after all those days sharing the sands, she trotted over to give little Yusk a regal nuzzle of motherly solidarity. Yusk had turned out to be a good mother too. They could blame Slosk for the bad egg.
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Gray
Wingrider
grayct[M:-350]
Posts: 870
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Post by Gray on Sept 10, 2012 15:02:54 GMT -5
Everything was lovely now. There were two more eggs, and two whers. Though he suspected those eggs were duds. He had not seen even the slightest shiver from them the entire time. Sad, but it happened. Kalesk did have many babies. More babies than he would have guessed. The Weyr needed the new blood, especially after their former queen died. She was a good Wher. The green mom too. Yusk was good. Dita didn't fault them for their children, children would be children. And wher children were like.. Tiny.. Bitey.. Monsters. Some of them. Some were good. Like the white and Dosk. That orange seemed nice too althought a bit over dramatic.
But that blue. That blue was a good blue. He wasn't attacking, and he wasn't harming. He just came up to look at them. Dita looked down at the little muscle beast. He was a pretty color too. Nice and dark compared to those like blues like Dosk. He was a powerful little thing though, and when he tried to pick up Tius, Dita laughed. He laughed so hard he had to hold his sides. It was cute! Precious! He was such a strong little guy, and awesome, strong little guy. Dita would give him all the respect for trying, even if he did fail. Unfortunately, the blue didn't seem to take the failure well and left them. For the stands. What was with the stands, did they have treats up there for them? First the brown, and now both the blue and the green were up there.
Well no point in worrying. He smiled at Tius and stretched a bit. He was starting to feel a bit tired. After tonight he'd sleep well. Another glance to the stands told him that yes, the blue had found his. And was... Offering the girl a ride? Well then that was amazing. Part of his hoped the girl would accept, because that would probably be the cutest and funniest thing ever.
He'd have to tell Dota. Because obviously she would be too busy feeding her wher to see it. Yes, he'd have all kinds of stories for her, about this hatching, about the brown that helped him, and about that black. He wondered if the green had impressed. Looking to the stands, he searched for Shino. The green had been on her lap, but finally spotted her racing down to the sands.
“Careful lass, you don' wan' to hurt yourself.” He chuckled to the small heap at his feet. She was a sweet thing, wasn't she? She was just so wiggly! As she reared up to hug him he felt something. At first he though his mind had wandered to his sister. It was the same feeling he felt as a child, and still felt now. All warm and motherly. Like someone cared a lot about him. All compassion and heart. But Dota was aaaaalll the way over there where they were to feed the whers. Looking down, he felt something just click at the back of his head when his eyes met the green's.
Disk sorry take a long time find her Dita!
Disk! Dita knelt down and hugged the green. Disk. His Disk. The biggest grin crossed his lips. This was awesome! He could feel her there in his head, he could feel her sudden panic before she even said anything.
Babies crying. Oh, no, baby crying over there! Hurry! And like that she was running off. Well. If Disk was concerned, so was he! He jumped up, all action! Disk and he would fix what was wrong! He followed her quickly to the nest with out question. Maybe one of the 'duds' wasn't one, and needed their help? But no. That wasn't it. Dita Dita! Hurry! Get Disk eggie for Ask! Ask. Ask. He looked around and spotted the paler blue. That must be Ask, because he looked like the only sad one. Dropping to the sands, he helped her gather up egg shells. When Disk felt they had enough, she scrambled quickly to Ask and started to place the shells around him. Ask no cry. Disk bring eggie. Eggie safe, good eggie. Dita followed and looked to the blue, then to the eggshells in his hand, and started following his wher's example. Only pausing a moment to look up to Andru with a quick smile. No, this wasn't weird at all.
–
It was over so quickly, or at least, it felt quick to Bif. The boy kicked the sand a bit, looking back to those left standing. Oh no. Tius was still there. He looked to Bifrosk, then to Tius. He had impressed while his uncle hadn't. He wasn't even meant to. Bifrosk yawned and moved close to Bif's not-swinging leg. Bif no sad. He rested his head against his handler's leg, blinking slowly. “I hope he isn't mad.” He didn't think Tius would be mad. Upset maybe. Sad, probably. But not mad. But it was the only emotion he could name for the time being. He was happy. So happy that he impressed Bifrosk. It felt like a part of him he didn't know was missing had returned. But he felt bad for being so happy when others were so sad.
Come. We see. Make smile. Bifrosk help. The sands were clear now, he didn't mind going out there since his siblings ahd all impressed. Plus he was full, his stomach dragging slightly on the ground as he waddled to the edge of their little 'camp'. Bif come. Show Bif not mad. And then Bifrosk was off, checking every few moments to make sure Bif was actually following. The wher would not let him lag too far behind, no Bif must see his Tiusman was not mad. Eventually the brown just stopped and stared for a moment. Bif ask. Not mad Bif? The wher tilted his head a bit, still staring at Tius.
Bif winced a bit. Ok, he wasn't allowed to hide. “I'm sorry you didn't impress, Uncle. Hopefully one of the reds will run, or a green and you will get another opportunity soon.” Bifrosk nudged Tius' leg softly and spoke to him. Help Bif. Learn. Find good egg.
Bifrokolnir nodded quickly. “Yeah! Help me with Bifrosk. I'll tell you all about my lessons and then you'll be a super handler. No wher will be able to just walk by you, they will all want to impress to you! Because you'll know so much!” Bifrosk good plan. Bifrosk help.[/i]
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Boo
Jr. Weyrwoman
booct[M:-425]
Shirath: THOSE aren't spirit fingers... THESE ARE SPIRIT FINGERS!!!
Posts: 1,917
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Post by Boo on Sept 10, 2012 17:26:19 GMT -5
As the green came near her, Kire braced herself just a little but Kisk’s waggling tail told her that this wher was not as angry as the black had been. Therefore, when it came and laid its head on her belly she brimmed with happiness and pride. She could almost feel the creature’s love and as Kisk followed the green, she reached out to pet the black on his knobbly little head. Kisk am good wher!
Naanell hadn’t been watching the hatching much, too interested or perhaps worried about what had happened to her. Perhaps it had been the shock and surprise or perhaps it had been something else. She did not understand the significance of an orange on the sands. Yet. The appearance of the subqueen made it into the refrains of her song. The sounds running through her head. It was something that soothed the young harper’s mind. Some colour returned to her face and Naanell managed to straighten up, stand a little taller. She felt a little better now that the pain had subsided some but certainly thought she would have to find a healer soon.
She looked out onto the sands and noticed a couple of things. First that there seemed to be no movement from the last two unhatched eggs and this brought a much sadder, quieter refrain into the young woman’s mind. Although she was now quite scared of the creatures, she could understand the pain of a loss such as the gold was feeling now. The green wher had also lost a child this night. Suddenly a sound made her look around and before she could react, she felt something touch her hand.
With surprise, Naanell pulled her hand away abruptly and then moved to get away from the creature that had approached but she could feel something in her mind. Something unwelcome but there nonetheless. Snaking tendrils of emotions that were not hers. A desire to do push ups. Naanell backed away in fear as something else entered her mind. A voice. Naanell!
The call made her stop abruptly, hand clutched to her chest no doubt putting blood on her clothes. Her expression was surprised now as she processed the voice in her mind. She’d only heard one voice in her head before now… It had been an unwelcome surprise then too. No be scare of Naanesk, is no bad egg! Naanesk protect from bad eggs. Help Naanell be mighty! Come, Naanesk carry Naanell to feed.
For a while, the harper was silent as she stared at the wher. When it became clear that he was not about to attack her she did relax if only slightly. “What do I do… O’wen why is it here. It’s talking to me.” ’It’ be Naanesk. Naanesk be here protect Naanell. Carry Naanell and be strong for Naanell. ‘It’ be he and blue. Strongest blue ever. “… He’s a blue…”
Naanell stepped to hold her brother as something of a shield between the two of them as she surveyed and watched the blue. Still, the tiny creature stood there with his back to her, preparing himself to have her sit on him and ride him over to food. That was another thing Naanell suddenly really wanted. She was so hungry… What she wouldn’t give for a big hunk of raw, uncooked wherry right now. Anything really.
Come. Naanesk carry Naanell to feed. Naanesk strong. Can carry Naanell. Naanesk’s Naanell “Woah. I can’t have a wher. I’m a harper.” Wher harper. No matter. Why laugh?
Naanell shook her head. “But there are more people on the Sands that would be better. Look at that strong man down there! I am going to be a master harper. No matter what.” At that mention, Naanell drew herself up taller, standing proudly. She would be a master harper… She didn’t know what this wher meant but she was starting to see that there was no getting rid of him. Naanesk no understand. Naanell need strong wher to protect from bad eggs. Protect from all bad. Naanesk here. Be here for Naanell. Now. Come be carry by Naanesk
Hesitantly, Naanell stepped out from behind her brother and walked slowly to the blue wher who waggled his body as if to say ‘climb on.’ A frown crossed Naanell’s face. “But… I’m going to be a harper…” She looked up and around a question on her face and then turned to look back at O’wen. Did this mean she couldn’t complete her studies? Determination formed on her face. No. She would complete her studies whether anyone here liked it or not. This just meant she had a… large companion to join her. For this wher seemed very large indeed. “Ok.”
Naanell walked past the blue who barked at her and then stared at her intently. Carry. Naanesk carry. “Umm…” Naanell looked around, “I don’t know that that’s a good idea.” Why not? Naanesk strong. Awkwardly, Naanell stooped and placed a hand on the blue’s back, grimacing as the texture of the hide touched her skin. She had written on this thing before and suddenly Naanell felt horrified. Dizzy even from bending whilst also still bleeding slightly. Yet together they started walking over to the feeding buckets where Naanell stood and stepped back unsure of what she should do. Again, she looked for O’wen. He would know what to do.
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Lan
Weyrlingmaster
lanct[M:-1025]
Nomming ALL the kidpets!
Posts: 1,266
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Post by Lan on Sept 11, 2012 23:49:34 GMT -5
Tesla was rigid in Edison's arms and grimaced with every jostle, but she was grateful for her help. She didn't think she would have been able to make it all the way over to the healer's camp on her own. Finally he stopped moving and she allowed what muscles she still had control over to relax a bit before Edison began the trek of setting her down. She whimpered softly as she finally made it to the bed roll. As much as she could she tried to keep her eyes on Edison. She had no knowledge of who was treating her. All she wanted was for this to be over.
Tessk lied down next to Tesla's head and cooed soft, comforting sounds. Tesla be okay. Okay? Tessk here. Tessk never leaving ever. Tesla reached up and covered Tessk's forepaw with her hand and smiled her best until a new wave of pain wracked her body. She groaned and cringed. A familiar voice reached her ear, though, and suddenly she felt her fact grow red from more than just the heat of the sands. Tessk picked up on the confusing feeling and her head tilted. Tesla... like? It wasn't the fondness of a friend, though. It was something more. Clearly Tesla and Ondine should be closer friends! She would have to do something about this. For now, though, Tesla needed her by her side during this trying time.
"This is Tessk. She... She's Tessk," Tesla responded in a near inaudible voice, trying to focus on something other than the terrible pains on her back, shoulder, and leg.
Nearby Dota half-smiled at Tedaon and nodded. Dosk was a bit more vocal, though. Yes! Heal Dosk's yes! Be heal Dosk's. Dosk soooo worried, Dosk is. See Dosk worried! Dosk squirmed on the ground, writhing and twisting this way and that. Of course, there was some truth to Dosk's words. She was worried about Hers. She didn't like that Dota was injured. Not one bit. Truth made for an excellent inspiration for acting, though. She wasn't about to pass up such an excellent opportunity. Looking up with sad eyes she blinked at Tedaon and whimpered softly.
Darryl shrugged off Kire's suggestion to go get help. He was find. It was just a flesh wound. Besides, after all this chaos there were people who needed the attendance of the healer's more. "I'll go t'the Infirmary after," he promised her as he adjusted his grip on his knife. For the moment it seemed like they would be troubled no more, but a green approached them. Darryl prepared for the worst. But the worst didn't happen. Dask stood a little straighter as she appreciated the attention that the mint green showed her and the fact that his wher seemed to think it was okay made Darryl double-think jumping to conclusions. Even so, he couldn't help but be on edge when the green listened at Kire's tummy. But he felt a warm presence from the creature and she seemed to be telling him without words that she meant no harm. As he watched her leave he reached over to grab Kire's hand. "Huh," he thought aloud.
Lonet finished her work and was about to move on to the next thing when she saw Tussbuul approach her. She smiled at him, happy for him despite the chaos that was currently around her. "I... see that?" The healer raised an eyebrow and looked around. Tussbuul seemed worried about it too and started turning around, and only then did Lonet see a green tunnelsnake-shaped wher clutching to the back of Tussbuul's robe. She grinned and waited for him to discover where his friend had got to before she chuckled softly. But there was little time for chitchat. She had to get back to her duties and he had to take care of Tusk and... His leg! "Okay, sweetheart. But I want you to see a healer before you leave the sands, you hear me!" It wasn't a request. She then turned back to see who next needed her help.
Andru had been left on the sands by his new friend, Mya, but that was fine. She had found her partner and maybe now he might find his. Meanwhile, though, he felt a little lonely. It seemed like the blue gang leader was starting to feel lonely, too. More and more wherlets starting leaving the sands and the blue began to wander haphazardly, or so it appeared to Andru. After a while the blue knocked into his legs and Andru stared down at him as he rolled over onto his back.
Ask try so hard, all run away be humanpets. Andrusk be Ask partner? Andru tilted his head and smiled in amusement. So... this wher thought he was a wher too? It took much willpower to keep from laughing. Work together, be good, make good life for all whers. Well, it appeared as if Ask was his now. And he rather liked this little critter, now that he thought about it. Devlishly clever, for sure, but surprising easy to relate to. Andru drew his knife and cut a small nick on his left thumb, then held it out for Ask to lick from. "Sure thing," he told Ask in a pleasant voice, "let's get food first, though. And I think ya might need a healer, brother."
Just as Ask began licking at the blood on Andru's thumb, Dita and Disk headed over. Ask cheered up a bit, glad to see his favorite sister. He cooed at her and let her begin placing shells around him. However, once he saw Dita, he righted himself and growled. Humanpet! There was despair mixed equally with anger in his voice. No two-leg! No be here! Ask and Andrusk no like! He looked between Disk and Dita, contemplating for a moment, then made another decision. He sat in his circle of egg shells and grunted, Greensister stay. Two-leg leave. Okay? Ask moved to Disk's side and sat next to her, between her and Dita. Disk was HIS sister. Not Dita's little pet.
Andru, meanwhile, didn't really mind Dita's company. The fact that the other man found nothing wrong or weird with randomly carrying eggshells and placing them in front of another person's wher did more to endear him to Andru than anything else. Andru smiled back and nodded. "Thanks, dude. But... I think maybe we should probably get off the sands." He looked at where the gold Kalesk had started the mother's ritual of getting rid of dud eggs and then glanced back at Dita.
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Gray
Wingrider
grayct[M:-350]
Posts: 870
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Post by Gray on Sept 12, 2012 1:15:08 GMT -5
Disk waggled happily as her brother perked up. He was happy! If he was happy Disk was happy. She nudged a few shells, getting them just right. It had to be just right, or else Ask would not be happy. But her brother's mood turned. She took a small step back and looked to wher he was. Her Dita, did he not like her Dita? She thought that since he had founr His, Ask would not mind so much. She was wrong.
Dita paused too. Oh that did not look good. Hesitantly, he sat down the last of the eggs. Oh this didn't look too good. Disk sprung into action though. Carefully she curled her tail around her brother. Is Disk's Dita! Is Ditask! Ditask good. No bad, good! Ask did not like two-legs. Disk would have to remember that. She liked her brother, but she also liked her Dita. This would work, surely it would!
“Oh, yeah we should.” He hadn't forgot about food, but making Disk happy was so much more important. He also noticed Andru's bleeding thumb. Oh! He had to do that too! There was so much to remember. “Let's go an' get them fed. I'm sure yours is as hungry as Disk is.” Disk was hungry, still she did not want to leave Ask. Though he was seeming much better. Uncurling her tail, she rubbed her cheek against Ask, much like a cat a d trotted over to Dita. Disk eat. Babies happy. No cry. Dita no cry. With that she grabbed a hold of Dita's pant leg in her mouth and started to tug. “Oh. Guess she had th' same idea.” He laughed a bit and scooped Disk up easily. Ask come! Eat! Fill belly, No cry, no sad. With that said, she curled happily in his arms like a little princes, watching over the sands for anyone who needed her.
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Chek
Weyrlingmaster
chekct[M:-15]
I'm so magical I vomit rainbows
Posts: 1,091
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Post by Chek on Sept 12, 2012 14:46:48 GMT -5
Caught in the middle of the most bizarre group hug she’d ever encountered, Dizzy simply realized that things were just going to be really weird and accepted things, getting a pat in on the affectionate green before she headed off, presumably to Impress.
“Are Dalibor hatchings usually this weird?” She asked, almost plaintively.
“Yep!”
Yes.
Odd, on her feet now, looked away from her forlorn toe when she was drawn from her thoughts - Oddisk choose you, Oddinya. Oddinya is best handler. Bad choice throw away toe. Oddisk choice better.
“I hardly see how throwing away something I have no use for any longer is a bad choice,” she crouched down, getting low enough to look her (yes, and wasn’t that a surprise?) primly sitting wher in the eye. Slicing a finger open on her knife, Odd help out the bleeding digit for the cyan, who daintily licked the digit until the wound stopped bleeding.
Not know useless – might need, now never have. Oddisk know better. Like food. Need food now, then sleep. Proper order.
“Oddisk know better, hm? Well. I suppose food and sleep are next on the agenda. Shall we?” Dita’s voice, congratulating her stopped her dead. A blue? Really?
“She’s cyan, not blue.” She called back to him in the most “I can’t believe you didn’t realize that are you dumb?” voice she could manage with Oddisk vibrating with disapproval by her leg.
Need work, Oddinya. Lots work. Polite better. The cyan took a few leading steps away, wings spread prettily, falling in on Odd’s blind side – and Odd realized that she had a bizarre sort of vision again on that side. Far too low, for one thing, but it kept her from bumping into someone she otherwise would have as she made her way past the healers and to the feeding buckets.
Crouching down next to a pile of fresh meat, she slid the first strip into Oddisk’s waiting mouth, “I suppose this could work out after all.”
A few yards away, Burlesk was definitely humiliated. The muzzle aspect of his makeshift leash was off, but his first attempt to snap at one of the other new handlers was rewarded with punishment level two – Ein had pulled a ribbon from her pocket – a pink ribbon – and tied it around one of his headknobs.
Needless to say, he was reluctantly, but obediently, putting only food in his mouth – his handler had another ribbon in her pocket, after all. One was bad enough.
Finally, the last wheret left the sands beside their new handlers – Tius stretched out, popping his back and smiled over at the group – only to blink when Bif and his brown appeared in front of him, babbling on. Tius was amused, but finally he held out his good hand to interrupt. “Bifronkolnir. All is well, I was not expecting to Impress this hatching – though I am pleased that you did.” Tius clapped his hand onto Bif’s shoulder, “Now the question is: what do we tell your parents, as you will not now be returning to your craft with them.”
At that point, Dizzy, having made her escape from fellow apprentice and weird redhandler, jumped off the edge of the stands and landed on her father’s shoulders, scrambling into the standard piggy-back ride position, “Bif! Bif! You Impressed! What’s his name?”
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