Countdown [Carolin/Open]

[kyrillion]

The eggs were due to hatch any day now, and the Weyr was tense with an undercurrent of anticipation and excitement. And it wasn't just the Candidates; everyone Remiel had encountered lately had seemed to be in a lighter mood, save for those few that were already agonizing over the big event. He remembered his first Hatching even now - the intense curiosity and nervousness that had made him feel sick to his stomach. But he'd long since learned to tamp down on that odd mixture of emotions, both good and bad, and simply enjoy the jumpy nerves of the newer Candidates. It was like watching a much younger version of himself - and, in all honesty, he could still identify with how they felt. Time had merely made him better at hiding it.

There was no telling when it would start, and so activities were more or less on hold - at least for the non-dragon-riding portion of the weyr. Few of the Candidates wanted to bother with chores, when at any moment they might hear that tell-tale hum. The kitchen ladies were frantic, and already preparing food for the feast, though there was only so much they could do beforehand. Remiel had seen his brother running about more than once - making last-minute arrangements, trying to calm stressed-out Candidates, and checking on his own dragon's eggs on the Sands. Duareth had hardly left Nikianeth's side in a sevenday. Things were happening, or about to happen, and everyone knew it. All it came down to now was waiting.

Which, incidentally, was precisely what Remiel was currently engaged with. Sitting on the shore of the lake, he was enjoying the mild breeze that had ruffled up his usually neatly-kept hair. The late afternoon sunshine cast the bowl in a tangerine light, turning the waves golden and the shadows dark blue. He had strategically positioned himself so that he had a prime view of the entrance to the Hatching grounds - as if sitting and staring at the place would make the eggs hatch faster, or that he'd somehow get a heads-up before anyone else. He knew it was ridiculous, but he could hardly convince himself to do anything else. Not much else seemed to matter, really, in light of the impending Hatching.

In the meantime, he had gathered himself a little collection of rocks. Every few minutes or so he'd be seized by an impulse to skip one, watching as it hopped it's way merrily across the surface of the lake - five, ten, sometimes twelve times before it at last sank below the surface. He had felt for some time that his life was somehow in limbo, like he was waiting for something big, something that would change him and his future and give him some sort of plan. It was at times like this that he was comforted by the knowledge that, for a little while at least, he wasn't the only one. He couldn't help but wonder what the rest of his peers were doing to distract themselves; everyone's nerves were sure to be shot, and everyone dealt with it in different ways. This, for him - the view and the stone-skipping - was a relaxing way to bide the time. Leaning back in the cool grass, propped up on his elbows, he settled in for a quiet evening.

[carolin]

Carolin was as excited as anyone in the weyr. Hatchings were a marvelous time, and it always seemed to end so fast. She was looking forward to the hatching. She loved to watch them. The little dragons were so cute. She wished at times she could impress, but she knew her place. She helped in the kitchen and lower caverns, and she had the whole Weyr of dragons to watch grow. It was such a lovely thing to do. Watching the dragonetts growing up was such a joy. They were almost clumsy when they first hatched, and grew into much more elegant creatures.

Carolin stretched as she finished up with her chores. She was trying to stay out of the kitchens. Everyone was making things and it was crowded. She had been sweeping and making things nice. She decided it would be best to go out for a walk. They wouldn't miss her for to long and she needed some fresh air.

She carefully made her way through a few candidates that were jabbering nervously. It had to be their first time. She smiled and headed over to the lake. It looked less crowded there. The sun felt warm against her skin. It made her feel a little drowsy. She shook her head as she walked. The Weyr just felt like it was buzzing with life and activity. It was nice.

As she approached the lake she noticed the man throwing rocks. "That's impressive. I can not even get mine to skip more then once." She smiled as she walked over to stand near him. "I am sorry for intruding."

[Nia]

If Engrye was excited for the Hatching, she sure wasn't showing it. The redhead was being her usual, emotionless self and merely rolling her eyes when she passed by the girls chattering excitedly in the Barracks or even the group of masculine guys debating about who would Impress a King. She didn't care about that. Of course, though, even the usually cold and strong girl was feeling the nerves, she was just a master at keeping her emotions from spreading to her face. She was very nervous on the inside, though. There wasn't anyone here to try and make her write an apology letter for making them not Impress, so for the first time she wasn't worried about that, or even people to antagonize her.

So the nervousness was purely from the Hatching. Would she Impress here, at this new Weyr? She'd already made a few enemies, but surprisingly she'd made a lot more friends. Well, if someone like her could make lasting friendships, that was. She was a loner at heart, she really was, but... maybe that could change. Pff, she thought with a wry smirk as she walked out towards the lake, fat chance of that ever happening. It might, but she just... kind of enjoyed the fighting, the debates, the making people angry. It was something to do, at least. And it was the only thing Engrye was really good at, showing off her wit. Not that she'd ever act smug about it, always keeping her carefully calm expression. That mistake where she'd let her anger show still bothered the red-head, but she wasn't about to let something like that happen again.

Lately, since she'd read nearly everything worth reading, Engrye had taken to walking around the Weyrbowl and Lake, exploring and finding new, quiet little places to relax in. Being nervous about the Hatching was an odd feeling and she decided that she really did not like it. She felt like she was shaking on the inside, and the anxiety was making her sick. She needed to find something else to do, something else to keep her mind off the Hatching and just allow it to come naturally. If there was one thing Engrye hated (she hated a lot of things... but this in particular) it was surprises... and the Hatching never failed to get a surprised squeak out of her.

But enough about that, Engrye was wandering aimlessly, heading on a very loose course towards the Weyr Lake. As she walked, she noticed that in her direct line of sight there were two people. A boy, skipping rocks, and a girl that had approached him. She couldn't see their knots from this far, but she could only assume they weren't dragonriders due to the lack of a dragon around. As she came closer, she saw she was right. While she didn't know either of the two by name, she'd seen them at Candidate lessons and the knots on their shoulder were more than enough to tell her they were fellow Candidates. Well, she'd already acted like she was approaching them, she might as well continue. The red-haired girl walked towards the two, lifting her hand in a half-wave, but not giving them a friendly smile, just a less cold version of her usual stare.

"Not bad," she commented, "Mind if I borrow one of these?" she asked in her airy voice, picking up a rock regardless of how the boy felt about it and skipping it across the lake herself. It went about eight skips before dropping into the lake. A bit of companionship would be nice, she figured. As long as she wasn't getting too dependant on it.

[/size]

[Birdy]

Paralee walked along the side of the lake, her arms spread out as she tried to keep her balance. What was she balancing on? Well were the earth met the water, it was quite difficult. It wasn’t helping that she wasn’t really looking, her head was skyward, watching the dragons overhead.

It was an odd sight to see.

One wrong step and Paralee fel,l floundering to the ground. She quickly jumped up, brushed off the dirt and looked around. Had anyone…? Nope it seemed no one had seen. Shrugging she headed along the shoreline, looking for something else to do. It didn’t take her very long, she spied a trio of people farther down the shore.

As she made her way around the lake, she tried to make out the people. Knowing the size of the weyr it was highly doubtful that she knew them but there were no dragons nearby so… maybe they were candidates! Upon closer inspection (helped by her walking closer) she found that she DID know one of the people there.

“Remiel! Remiel!” she called, quickening her pace then breaking into a run. A she neared the boy she stopped to catch her breath. Grinning at the girls there, Paralee sat down next to Remiel. Right next to him. Maybe a bit close, but not TOO close. She waved. “Nice to see you again Remiel! I see you finally got away from the evil kitchen staff!” she said with a giggle.

[purnip]

Cabin fever of the worst kind; the moment Lyam stepped outside he could literally feel the color in his skin returning. He shunted out as much of the stress in his mind over the coming Hatching to the best of his abilities, but this was no task he could undertake on his lonesome. He needed to talk to someone, even if it was Tylar of all people. His spirits dampened as he headed for the usual watering hole of the weyr, where so far he had been lucky enough at all times to have bumped into someone. The halls were unusually empty, likely due to the anticipation the residents shared for the humming of dragons and the hatching of eggs on the Sands. No, he needed to put that out of his mind. Barely...

Suede was with His, fluttering by him with great impatience. He didn't mind offering his own existence to His as a crutch, mostly because he took pride in supporting Lyam. He was however, nearly as anxious only by osmosis. He too wished to chatter with strangers and be excited with them as well. Perhaps they could bring His some comfort in the process. The Blue flit flew ahead and up into the open sky. His aviation skills were becoming well refined due to the loads of practice, and so he was graceful for once. He spiraled back down without further delay, planting himself on top of Remiel's pile of stones. He picked one up with his small maw and contemplated how he could skip the stone like the boy. He tried to toss it, but of course, it sunk into the water the moment it made contact with the surface. His eyes went orange for a moment as he noted the failure, but he simply mustered up the patience to give it another try. If a human could do it, perhaps he could as well.

Lyam suddenly realized, once he caught up to his flighty friend, why the halls were so empty. Out here alone there were four other Candidates. He recognized all of them, but had only spoken to one of them for longer than a few seconds. That would be Engrye. As for the others, he knew them only in passing. So he couldn't have bumped into a more pleasantly sized group of people. He wandered among them, glancing at Suede's actions with slight amusement. He knew the flit was just being cute for the sake of it. He didn't know who to speak to first out of the bunch, but due to the patterns of other Candidates, Remiel seemed to be the most popular pick. Judging by his comfort here, he was probably the first of the arrivals.

Once he was among the bunch, he decided speaking to the lot of them was the best bet. It'd cover every base he was sure, and the question was quite applicable for the situation. "So I'm not the only one who's getting cabin fever all of a sudden?" He spoke this aloud, not by much, as if he was merely saying this to himself. His hands slid into his pockets as he strode towards the edge of the lake, looking out at it for a moment as the second stone Suede just threw also promptly sunk into the depths. Lyam bent to pick up a stray stone and thought up a call of attention to his Blue. The flit's eyes made contact with his and he hovered over the water in anticipation. Lyam then tossed the stone, and after skipping just once, Suede dived at it and scooped it up while it was just off the water. The boy let out a small chuckle as the flit returned and dropped the stone on the pile. He then chirped a greeting up to Engrye and Paralee. His eyes then sparked with a cool blue as he observed Carolin. The Blue much wanted to meet her.

[Kila]

Were you this excited for my Hatching, MineOwn? Eccolath asked curiously, watching Hers practically dance around their weyr. She was excited herself, but Sol’s liveliness made the whole situation an extremity. The two often fed off of one another. Even more! she exclaimed, jumping onto her bed and throwing out her arms. How could I not be? And if I’d known I was going to impress you? I would’ve been fit to explode! She leapt back down to the ground and ran over to Eccolath, hugging her muzzle tightly. I love you! I wonder if the candidates for this hatching are as excited as I was… I bet so! I don’t even really know any of them! Let’s go find some! Eccolath barked, fluttering her wings. Ok!

The two burst forth from their weyr into the Weyrbowl, acting with a scrap of the dignity one might expect a proud, new rider to display. Find some, Ecco! Use your super Cyan skills! she sang. Eccolath did so with little trouble, spotting a small group by the edge of the lake. There! Eccolath bugled and dove down towards them. Sol jumped off as soon as Eccolath touched the ground, landing right beside them. ”Hello!” she cried, waving and walking over. ”Eccolath tells me you all are Candidates so I guess it must be true. I’m Sol? Are you excited!?” It wasn’t the most eloquent introduction, but the young Rider was seized with excitement. Hopefully she was among people just as eager as her. Eccolath predicted her enthusiasm would be catching.

[fidelli]

A flock was not a safe thing to have - and it was. For example, Tonii, brand new to the Weyr and knowing no one except for her search rider, it was a good thing she had the small group to keep her sane. Streak, the Purple that was ever the boss, was her constant companion along with the grumpy black Shine and the baby pink Silk - it meant she was never lonely, and she was never without want for company.

The non safe part thing about them was Soft and Sleek - the Blue and Brown troublemakers. She had chased them from the kitchens, had to return at least four bags stolen, and pay back the meat that they had stolen. And mind you, the shy young woman was not very good at any of these things. So, in an effort to keep them occupied, she was outside with them. Streak was flying overhead, keeping an eye on Soft, Sleek, and Silk, while the two troublemakers played with the baby. Shine - the grumpy thing - was curled around her neck and pretending to not know them, but Tonii was laughing, enjoying her only friends.

Of course, here comes the non safe part. Streak and Soft, the Blue and Purple, had been with her for ten turns. In this time, Streak had become clever and well trained. Soft, however, had learned one trick. Fetch. If something was thrown, he would retrieve it - something she asked for, he would go find it. He was a terrier when it came to things like that, never giving up until he forgot. So, as Silk suddenly squeaked because the Blue she had been about to tag shot away, Tonii looked after him.

He was hard to see against the sky, the same brilliant blue color - but she could pick out the white he had, the clouds on his hide. It helped that he was diving into the nearby lake, splashing into the water with a decent amount of noise - and where ever Soft would go, Sleek was soon to follow. The Brown, a seal colored creature who adored water, splashed in after - Soft came back first, holding triumphantly in his mouth... The stone that they had thrown into the water. Over to the group of people gathered a little way away - that Tonii had not seen because she was not paying attention - the Blue strutted, going to the rock thrower - a boy, and offered it to him. Sleek, never to be outdone, promptly scuttled up to Engrye and stuck his nose in her ear.

Tonii, worried now, hastened over to the small group - still too many people for her taste, and shook her head. Her quiet voice did not carry, but she hoped that someone would listen. "Oh, I'm sorry. I really am - please don't mind Soft, sir. Sleek, come away from her." Regardless, the pair did nothing of the sort, Soft quite eager to continue in this game of fetch and Sleek determined to tangle himself in her hair. It was, of course, this moment that Silk decided to spy the Blue, and leap into the air with a pleased chirup, the young Pink eager to make friends but held back by Shine - who was now paying attention and eyeing the new male, while Streak landed on her shoulder, worried about her.

With the same worried expression, she ducked her head and did not meet anyone's eyes. "Oh, just shoo them away, I'm sorry." A Rider, and candidates - oh, she did not want to get in trouble!

[kyrillion]

Remiel was distracted from his reverie by Carolin's comment, and he started in surprise; he hadn't been paying much attention to his surroundings, and he hadn't seen her until she was right next to him - and even then, only when she'd announced her presence. Blinking up at her for a moment, he offered her a belated grin. "No trouble at all." He beckoned her over, happy for once to have some company; the distraction would be a welcome relief. "I used to be rubbish at it, myself. Been here at Dalibor for years, though - I've had lots of practice." He smiled faintly, reaching for another stone - but someone else beat him to it.

Mind if I borrow one of these? Another Candidate? She must be; he recognized Engrye, if only faintly. "Sure thing." Another grin, and a nonchalant shrug. He watched with a keen eye as she tossed it at the lake, and counted the eight skips before gravity finally won out. "Not bad." He commented with a congratulatory nod. Turning back, he regarded both girls with a winning smile and a laid-back air. "Remiel." He offered at last. "I'm sure we've all met before at lessons, but I'm afraid if I ever knew either of your names, I've forgotten them." His expression turned sheepish which, knowing him, was likely contrived, though meant at least to be endearing. But then a very real smile transformed his face and lit up his eyes. He knew that voice...

He turned just in time to see Paralee slide to a stop beside him, and he threw an arm over her shoulder in a rare show of camaraderie - a friendly gesture, but no longer with the flirty undertone of their first meeting. There was a touch of flirtatiousness, sure - but that was more a show, to see the reactions of the group of Candidates that seemed to be congregating at the lake. He had no doubt she'd be able to tell the difference. "Hey, good to see you." He gave her a wink - again, more as a reference to their dining hall-cleaning escapade than anything else. "I did! Had to sneak out, too. I'm tellin' ya, those ladies are out to get me..." His grin turned mirthful, now - he did so love his silly conspiracy theories. He wondered if he could get anyone here to actually buy into them...

He was about to reach for a stone when, again, someone beat him to it - a firelizard, this time, and when he recovered from his initial surprise he smiled at the little critter. "Hey there. You want to have a try?" And it seemed he did; Remiel watched, amused, as he began to try and skip the stones, himself. "You'll have to put a bit more muscle behind your throws there, my friend. It'll only skip if you can get it moving fast enough." Lyam caught up with his firelizard, then, and Remiel was surprised to see yet another Candidate join the group. What was this, a party? No one had bothered to give him the memo... "Apparently." He said in response to the other boy's question. Though he was friendly enough towards him, his words and smile were a bit more formal and guarded than they had been with the girls.

A flash of blue caught his eye, and his gaze settled on the latest arrival - not a blue at all, but a cyan. He waved a cheery greeting to the new rider; he didn't know her well, but he'd of course seen her around. And just about everyone in the Weyr new Eccolath. "Hey there! I guess congratulations are in order; must be nice to be official riders." He decided to hold off on answering her question - he was excited, sure. But as long as he didn't acknowledge the fact, he could continue pretending that he wasn't.

Another blue firelizard demanded his attention, then, and another genuine smile escaped. He accepted the rock he'd retrieved with a grateful nod of the head. "Why thank you. You must have quite an eye, to fetch this off the bottom of the lake." He reached out to scratch the little critter's eye ridges, but before he could throw the rock for him again, Tonii had caught up with the group. Being addressed as 'sir' set off a funny feeling of pleasant surprise and pride in him; that was something he could get used to. Not that it really ever happened. Quashing his ego, which was desperately trying to inflate, he shook his head dismissively. "No need to 'sir' me. And he's no trouble at all, don't worry. Come join the party!" He supposed one could call it a party, now - it was a good-sized group.

The usually somewhat broody boy was feeling much more cheery and optimistic than usual, courtesy of the festive air, which itself was courtesy of the Impending Hatching. He didn't usually have reason to be quite this social, or even friendly - but he was well aware that, for one reason or another, everyone gathered was looking for a distraction. He felt rather like the ringleader, since everyone had sort of congregated around him. He was up for the responsibility, for once - and he was determined that they were all going to have some fun.