Peep (Flitts Hatchin'!)

[wirevix]

Grescan had been trying to do this very carefully. He had to get the eggs out of Sweep's little cranny, and he'd managed to lure her away for once, getting her attention over to the Stands where she was busily tearing at the offering of tough dried meat he'd tempted her with. She always seemed to enjoy it dried because she could tear and tug and practically wrestle with it, shaking her head back and forth angrily.

So, while his firelizard had her vicious fun with her food, he carefully withdrew one egg after another from within the niche, hoping he didn't get dive-bombed by Sweep. Or that Bronze that was presumably the father of the clutch, he'd been hanging about a lot too. But he really needed to get the eggs out, as he suspected they were going to hatch pretty soon.

Sweep didn't realize what he was doing until he'd gotten out the last egg. He set them down on the sands carefully, and then there was an orange blur and a squealing, angry mother firelizard batting about his head, punishing him with a shrill scolding for moving her eggs while she was away.

Grescan just caught her as best he could, holding onto her carefully until she quit flailing about madly. Then he set her down beside her eggs and she puffed and preened herself, highly offended with his rude behavior.

And then he heard the soft popping sound of a firelizard tapping the inside of its eggshell. That was the only warning he needed to know what was going to happen--hatching time! He better get a move on!

He motored on out of the Hatching Sands, carefully still because he didn't want to get anywhere near Kalith and possibly upset the Copper, sure she was already irritated enough at him for having his firelizard share her Sands. Bad timing, that, but it wasn't like he'd done it on purpose.

He just hurried on out to let people know to get in there if they wanted a chance at the firelizard eggs.

[Admin]

Everywhere that I go,
Ain't the same as befo',
People I used to know
Just don't know me no more.

Afzal glowered when that boy bonded to Sweep moved the eggs, but didn't attack. First, because he knew that the boy was bonded to the orange. Second, because His was so informing him, with pictures, that he was to allow the boy to move them. So, he just watched from a perch on the cavern's walls with a dissatisfied expression on his face, and in the color of his swirling eyes, and let Grescan go about moving the eggs. And once he was finished and Sweep was busy attacking him, he swooped down to make sure they were utterly alright. They seemed fine and unharmed . . .

One made a noise, and it was moving! His eggs were hatching! It was natural instinct for him to hum, and so he did, his resounding little voice filling the air about him. Carefully, he moved a bit away from the eggs, not wishing to crowd them, and especially not wishing to crowd Sweep. And there, in his mind, was another order from his bonded. He was not to interfere. The eggs were safe. He was not to interfere unless completely necessary. The eggs were safe. He was not to interfere. Loyal to his bonded above all others, he could not refuse. He kept a slight, wary distance from the eggs.

IF YOU WANT A USELESS FLITT FROM AN IRRITATING UNDER QUEEN MOTHER, GET YOUR BUTTS ON MY SANDS! Kalith's voice echoed through the minds of every single member of the Weyr. She, as a brooding Queen, didn't really need to consider etiquette, nor need to worry about repercussions. Everyone should be thankful that she was alerting them anyway. She certainly didn't want any of them near her precious, slowly hardening eggs. The only reason she was allowing them to come into the cavern for even the firelizard hatching was because of a simple agreement.

The agreement was that she would not interfere with the hatching of Sweep's eggs, and, in return, she would not be required to allow anyone onto the sands again until the hatching of her own eggs. And there was her rider, up in the stands, supervising with that firm authority she had about her. She wasn't going to go against her word, not to her rider. So the copper was forced to simply bark out her order and go back to sulking, body wrapped protectively around her eggs so that only a small cut out of them was visible to anyone in the cavern, with plans to hiss at anyone who got to near.

But everywhere that I go,
I got people I know,
Who got people they know,
So I suggest you lay low.

[jack]

"Shardsouponshards!!" With a girly shriek oddly befitting of the feminine Candidate, Flaet leaped up and out of bed, slamming to the ground with a pained hoof. Eyes wide and breathing heavily he shot up, looking around frantically as Run and Ram filled the room with their screeching cries.

"What the...?" The boy swallowed and sat up, rubbing his head as his heart slowed from its frantic beating his messy hair tumbling loose from its binding just as he realized what the sudden voice in his head had said. Looking a bit like Cousin It he gave a squeak and a curse stumbling to his feet as quickly as he could.

He was out of his sleeping pants and into a clean set lickity split, a two-times-too-big tunic shrugged over his bare chest as he brushed and wrapped his rat tail in record-breaking speed, darting out of the room before Run and Ram had even settled down.

They soared over his head as he bolted through he halls, bare feet slapping against the stone as agile movements and quick reflexes quickly became all between him and a wreck with the poor bystanders. But at last! The Hatching Sands! Flaet slowed with a sigh of relief, stumbling up towards where Grescan stood with Sweep.

"Did I miss anything?" He chirped, out of breath, "Did any of them hatch?"

[Nia]

Unlike his usual wanderings around the Weyr, Riori was instead staring up at the ceiling as he laid on his cot, about to slip off into a nap. Yeah, a nap would be great. He'd just swept the Barracks when the Candidate Master that he'd managed to skillfully avoid for the past few days had caught him and forced him to do chores. Lame. And he'd done so well in avoiding doing his chores, too. Oh well, at least he was bound to be chore-less for a few more days now. He knew most of the Weyr pretty well by now, and didn't get lost as much as he used to. It was feeling more like home, which was good.

So he had been about to drift off into a nice, pleasant nap when suddenly a voice blasted in his mind. The black-haired boy jumped up out of bed, flailing as he fell off balance and tumbled to the floor in a tangle of furs. "... ow," he muttered, rubbing the back of his head and sitting up. Well, that had been quite ungraceful. Now, what had that voice wanted? He certainly wasn't hearing things, it had definitely been a dragon. Most likely Kalith. She seemed angry and something was happening on her sands. Oh. Firelizards, right! He'd heard that some Candidate's flitter had flown and had a small clutch on the Sands. Huh... should he go? Kalith might eat him... but he might get a firelizard. Yeah, it was so worth it.

Standing up, he glanced into the looking metal in his room to make sure his hair was fine, ran his fingers through it a few times and walked briskly out the door. Kalith had only screamed a few moments ago, the firelizards couldn't have hatched yet. Surely he had enough time to get there. Oh, wait, did he need to bring meat? He'd heard that you had to bring your own meat to these things. Well it wouldn't hurt, at least. In fact, it might help his chances! Swinging by the kitchens on the way down to the Sands he grabbed a few bowls of meat. You know, a nice little gesture for those who hadn't brought any. He was in a very good mood today!

Finally, he made it down to the Hatching Sands and made sure to not make eye-contact with Kalith in hopes that she wasn't going to freak out in rage and decide to eat him. He kept his sights set on the little firelizard eggs and the people gathered around them. Which, it really wasn't all that many people. "Hey! I brought some meat for the firelizards," he greeted the two other Candidates with a wave, until he noticed exactly WHO it was, in which he froze up and stopped. Oh, Faranth. He moved a little over to the other side, keeping his distance from Flaet and awkwardly stood off to the side. What was he supposed to say?! Nothing, all he had to do was hold his stupid little bowl and stand off to the side. It was a firelizard hatching... not a social event.

[Kila]

Sol threw herself into an alert, standing position as another strange voice tore through her head. Oveth was the only dragon that had ever spoken to her directly, so this new voice that was not her own or the Blue's was quite alarming. The new candidate had been outside in the Weyrbowl, simply enjoying the nice day and the fact that she was indeed at the Weyr. She simply assumed that she would never stop being grateful for being at Dalibor. Her only regret was being away from her young siblings, whom she had reluctantly left under the tyranny of her father and other brother. She hoped they were fairing well with the rest of her insufferable family.

It took a few candlemarks for Kalith's words to sink in after they had rent the serenity of Sol's mind and sent her leaping to startled defense. 'My sands' the voice had said, and with such force, so it must be the Queen. If you want a flitt... Sol mused, turning the words over in her head. A firelizard? How did that work here? Did you buy them? Were they given out? Regardless, she was intrigued.

Relying on the knowledge she had so far of the Weyr's layout, collected through multiple explorations and a sweeping tour from Pratyba, Sol maneuvered her way excitedly to the Sands. It seemed that other people were arriving too, for some younger people close to her age were gathering. Coming up next to Riori she was taken aback to see Kalith poised angrily on the Sands, every inch of her sheer mass reflecting displeasure that they were there, despite the fact that she had summoned them. Sol recalled, somehow through her awe and impression, that you were to bow to the Queen at hatchings. Did this apply? She decided to do so for good measure, gathering every ounce of her respect and bending to the Queen, though she didn't seem to be paying Sol or the others much heed.

"Hey," she whispered to the boy next to her, Riori, with no hint of shyness. "What's going on? Have I missed anything?" she implored, searching for an answer with eager blue eyes. Remembering that they had not been introduced she offered him a winning smile. "I'm Sol, by the way. But really, what's going on?"

[123notit]

The firelizard eggs were hatching? An exciting event indeed. U'ar was up and about already, playing with his daughter in the Lower Caverns. Mu flinched as the booming Copper's voice echoed in her head. Odyth had talked to her before, but always in a gentle voice. The loud voice, she was not used to.

"Daddy," she said quietly, looking up at him with her muddy brown eyes, "I think you should go try and get a fire lizard. It'll be fun. They're so cute! You could let me help you take care of it! It could be practice for me being a dragon rider one day!"

U'ar grinned down at the girl and began to think of it. ~Mine, you should do it!~ Odyth spoke up, encouraging his rider, ~It'll be good for you. And Mu would probably benefit as well. As long as you got a playful fire lizard. And you know I don't mind them.~

Well, it seemed to be decided for him, not that he was opposed to the idea. He hurried to the Sands to see a small group already assembled. Most seemed to be Candidates. It would be a good lesson for them. Caring for a young creature, whether it was a firelizard or a dragon, was difficult and they'd all have to learn responsibility.

He heard the clamoring about whether the other recent arrivals had missed anything and felt confident in just listening to their answers rather than ask himself. He, being taller than most there, glanced at the firelizard eggs and a smile cracked onto his face, bringing him back to his time as a Candidate. He was excited.

[4horseshowgirl4]

Pratyba was unconscious on her cot, in a stupor. She'd waken earlier, but she had had a throbbing headache and returning to her pillow had been a far more welcoming thought than facing breakfast in a crowded, noisy dining hall (incidentally, a situation she usually adored) and a morning full of physical chores. The Candidate was a strange mix of laziness and an excitement that made her unable to sit still most of the time, but, this morning, laziness won out, whereas usually she was already up and about, causing mischief and amusing herself and annoying those around her.

She surely made an interesting sight, collapsed on her bed as Rukbat was already high in the sky. Some would be wondering if she was actually still alive; she was so far out of it. She was lying on her stomach, face pressed against the pillow, her left arm hanging off of the side of the cot. Once or twice during the morning, Pratyba had been nearly near alertness, like a submarine near enough to the surface to glimpse faint light rays, to wonder whether she should get up. Both times (or every time or the time or however many 'times' it was) she had hastily decided that sleep was the better option. So, she did.

However, Kalith's screaming voice in her head was enough to rouse her. It was enough to wake anybody, surely! She didn't identify the voice for a moment, all she knew was that, one second, her mind was blissfully empty, her entire being just willing to lie here like a vegetable and do nothing, and, then, there was so much emotion and... and... excitement in her head! It startled her, to understate it. Pratyba jumped as high as one can possibly jump when in a prone position, her body quickly following her arm off of the edge of the bed.

"OOF!" Pratyba grunted, quite displeased that her soft pillow had been replaced with a mouthful of... what was this? She opened her eyes most reluctantly to see that she'd landed face-first on the floor, with her lips touching on the dirty tunic she'd thrown over her cot last night in lieu of replacing it neatly in her trunk. She blinked blearily several times, trying to bring the world into focus. Faranth, she had the mother of all hangovers! Now, what was she supposed to do for that? Erm, someone had told her this once... sleep it off? Well, she was on the floor, for the sake of the First Egg, so much for that idea? Oh, wait, she remembered another remedy. The thoughts were coming to her slowly today, as if it was taking them longer to materialize. Drink lots of water, that was it!

Pratyba staggered to her feet, slowly pulling on clean-ish clothes. It was several seconds before she'd even lighted on the voice on her head, what it had been saying. First, a tunic; this one was clean enough, no obvious stains, at least; now, pants, shoes, she had to brush her hair a little bit so it didn't look so bedraggled. The motions through which she was going were rather robotic; it was obvious that she was functioning on autopilot, her mind still fogged by the remnants of last night's... indulgances.

"OH, SHARD IT!" Pratyba yelled, all of a sudden comprehending what Kalith had said. "I'M GOING TO MISS THE HATCHING!" She grabbed a cup of water and sprinted out of the Barracks for all she was worth, trying to drink some of the water as she went and, predictably, sloshing most of it all over herself. Hey! she thought as she instantly alerted, the Healers were right! Water does sober you up! She laughed maniacally as she whizzed through the halls, quite amused at how some things worked out when not even used properly.

Pratyba smiled. The Sands were in sight, and no one was leaving en masse with baby flitters, so she must not have missed much! She whooped joyfully, leaping forward, ever the faster, though her chubby face was already red and perspiring from the small exertion. Ten more seconds 'til she was there! Five, four, three, two, one...!

"OOF!" rang out for the second time that morning as Pratyba's right foot first hit the small lip of rocks that enclosed the Hatching Sands and she fell spectacularly, her speed causing her to somersault rather gracefully twice before she finally came to a stop, face down in the hot Sands. Oh, these were pretty warm, she could sleep here! The crazy thought occurred to her for the smallest fraction of a second before she decided that she was now way too excited for such trivialties as sleep! She leaped up, brushed a bit of the scalding stuff off of herself rather half-heartedly (so much for attempting to look somewhat presentable!) and skipping off merrily to where the others were gathered.

She bowed to both Kalith and Sweep; Kalith for alerting her, and Sweep for obvious reasons. "Hi, Sol, Flaet, Riori, Dragonrider-I-don't-know! What have I missed?" she quipped, peppy as ever, making herself part of the crowd gathered by the eggs, slinging arms around Sol's and Riori's shoulders. "Are you guys excited, or what? Oh, I guess I got here in time! I was so worried that they'd all be Hatched and bonded before I got here! Thanks, Riori, I forgot meat," she said, taking a small clump of meat from his bowl unabashedly.

[/font]

[fidelli]

paper bags and plastic hearts
all are belongings in shopping carts
it's goodbye
but we got one more night
let's get drunk and ride around
and make peace with an empty town
we can make it right

;;hunched over a leather harness, he let his hands glide along the wide straps, allowing the sensitive fingertips to find the cracks. it took all his concentration - even altith's annoyance couldn't distract him from this. please? the whine was plaintive, and f'del ignored it, closing his eyes to better make sure that he had caught all of the wear on the broad strap. the purple, however, was not giving up. it is so warm, please? the man didn't even look over, but he curtly murmured, "no." the dragon switched tactics, lounging on his couch. kalith's eggs are on the sands. f'del opened his eyes and glared at the purple who had crawled off of his couch and into his side of the weyr. "no. she's much more broody than other queens - i will not see you mauled like that bronze." the purple only sighed, and went back to the first tactic. the lake is warm... and his was ignoring him again.

;;IF YOU WANT A USELESS FLITT FROM AN IRRITATING UNDER QUEEN MOTHER, GET YOUR BUTTS ON MY SANDS!

[/i] altith shot up, and f'del barely managed to not drop the harness as he flung in the air. "what?" but altith was already at the ledge, peering out and down at the bowl. mine, mine! babies! the rider only rolled his eyes at his purple, and rose. not the tallest, but tall enough, he was wide shouldered but slim, with a finely etched face. his hands were stained dark from charcoal and shook slightly. "my dear, i don't really want a flit..." the purple swiveled around to look at his, and put on his pouty face. please mine? let us just go watch... f'del knew that the problem with altith was, once there, he would want one of the six eggs they had visited before. but he hated refusing his dragon, and with a patient sigh, and a gentle smile, he nodded.

;;yay! the babies! here we come, little funny things and babies! but f'del paused, even as he folded the harness on his bed. perhaps... just a few drops of the strong, translucent extract, and he shuddered. it was a floating feeling that was like no other, and left him grinning broader as he walked over to the anxious purple, who pretended not to notice. mounting up without a harness - it was a short enough glide, and altith slid into the hatching grounds. hello kalith! the generally clueless and sweet purple greeted the copper, dropping his off in in the sands and jumping back up to a higher tier. your babies look very pretty! on the floor of the sands, f'del sighed. altith... the purple looked very guilty, dropping his head down and swinging it back and forth uneasily. mine reminds me - if i make you uncomfortable i will leave and come back when mine needs me to. he also thanks you for allowing him onto your sands during the little flappers hatching.

;;meanwhile, after rebuking his purple, f'del ignored him. quietly trotting over to the corner where they had been before, he caught a closer glimpse of the six colorful "babies." a bow to the little queen and big queen, and a small smile to the candidate that owned the eggs, and f'del settled outside the back of the group. oh - meat. he forgot meat. oops. well, he wasn't going to ask the candidates - however, he did know one person and that drove his mistake from his mind. "u'ar." the word was murmured quietly, as he slipped next to the man that he had met one morning early. "a pleasure seeing you again. candidates." he figured as he had greeted one, he should greet the others, even if he had no ideas of their names.

throw it away
forget yesterday
we'll make the great escape
we won't hear a word they say
they don't know us anyway
watch it burn
let it die
cause we are finally free tonight

[/blockquote]

[wirevix]

Grescan winced when Kalith sent out her indiscriminate shout. He'd stayed up late, like a lot of the folks at the party, and even though he hadn't actually partaken of the spiked klah--the lack of sleep was still enough to give him a bit of a headache after hearing a loud Queen in his head.

Still, he offered weak smiles to the people who showed up. It was for the best--he would have gone crazy if all of the eggs hatched had just decided to hang out with their mother. That would be a real cloud of flitts and that was the last thing he needed. Sweep was enough for him to handle for now. Maybe some day if she ever calmed down.

For now, he just nodded at the people who showed up and stood back, away from the eggs and his insane little Orange. Sweep was eyeing all the people who were showing up, hunched over her eggs and looking very displeased with their presence. They were her eggs! Her babies! Not these fools'!

But she couldn't really chase off the whole lot of them, so she just squatted there and chirped moodily while the eggs twitched and popped and crackled. Cracks were forming in their shells, the eggs all well ready to hatch.

The first one out of her shell was a Green, the little firelizard chittering and chattering as she pushed her nose out of her egg, wiggling free of the shell. She spread out her wings and fanned them in the hot air, whistling and squeaking as she stared up at the all the big things all over the place.

But, though she was the first to hatch, another soon followed her--an egg split open fairly neatly, its sides crumbling away in large shards to reveal a Bronze. And he was hungrier, or perhaps simply more demanding, than his little Green sister.

With a hop and a flap and a sort of awkward screech, he jumped in a kittenish pounce at Riori's feet, smelling the meat that the Candidate had thought to bring along, spreading his wings and lunging upwards to try and get at some. He was hungry, after all!

----

Riori's

Color: Bronze 827839

Personality:

With a heart of passion and pride, this little firelizard hurls himself strongly into whatever comes. Fearless to the point of being reckless, he may seem to forget his own size compared to the dragons that live around him. He sometimes harbors strong delusions of grandeur and imagines that he is the most important Bronze in the Weyr, though these fancies are fortunately rather brief.

Vivacious and lively, he is a noisy companion, frequently adding his opinion in the form of a chirp or twitter, always attentive to his surroundings even if he does not exactly understand his place within them.

Appearance:

No longer nor shorter than a proper Bronze ought to be in overall length, this firelizard is perhaps a bit skewed towards being more tail than trunk. He is strong, for a firelizard, his chest and leg muscles well developed, sacrificing some sleekness for more staying power.

His limbs appear a touch short thanks to his relative proportions, and the only thing he will ever deign to do with his paws on the ground--or on a person's shoulder, or a table, or whatever is convenient--is either rest or spring off again, disdaining any form of ground locomotion altogether. If he has only to go a short distance he may adopt an odd hopping gait rather than actually walking.

His hide is dark, with only a faint, dull sheen of glimmering metallic cast over its deep khaki shade. It is very nearly uniform, but at the tips of his wings, paws, tail, and snout it fades to a paler color, more creamy and warm. A single darker spot also mars the uniformity of his hide, directly beneath his left eye, shaped vaguely like an arrowhead.

[Kila]

Sol careened forward as Pratyba’s weight unexpectedly hit her, but managed to jerk herself backwards and retain her balance. Turning her head to see her not-so-mysterious attacker, she found no one other than her good friend Pratyba hanging onto her for balance with an arm around both Sol’s shoulders and those of the boy she had been talking to only moments before. “Hey, you great clutz!” Sol chirped fondly, her playful anger insincere. “I don’t think that you’ve missed anything. I’d only just arrived when you flew in and nearly knocked us over.” But the hyperactive candidate was already chattering away to the boy who she had hooked her other arm around- Riori, Sol gathered. Were they supposed to bring meat? It made sense, she supposed. “Do you mind?” she asked Riori, also reaching over and taking a small portion from the excess that he had brought.

Sol had not noticed U’ar’s entrance, but when another rider entered and addressed both him and their small group of candidates she became aware of both of their presences. Her addressed them broadly, not calling them by name, because, she assumed, he did not know them. But who was she to think anything of it? Sol didn’t know that names of anyone gathered except for Pratyba, she realized. It was a very unpleasant feeling brought about by the realization, one similar to being in a new place after moving. It was exciting to be in the new place of course, but somehow she was again the outsider. For now;she vowed. “Hello,” she greeted F’del with decisive cheerfulness, acknowledging that he had spoken to them, though not her in particular.

Her attention was quickly diverted from the human scene when the small eggs began to hatch. The first to emerge was a little Green, chattering and squeaking curiously as she surveyed her surroundings. Quickly after, a brother hatched- a healthy, self-important Bronze. This one wasted no time in going to who he wished. Or maybe just towards the closest food. With an awkward screech the little creature sprung in Sol’s direction and pounced hungrily on Riori’s feet. Was that impression?

[Nia]

Perfect. Firelizard hatchings were social events, weren't they? Oh yes, of course they were! And he was very pleased that he now had someone else to talk to that would take him off the disaster with Flaet. He was going to completely ignore Flaet and pretend that the other boy didn't exist. After all, if he ignored something, it usually went away. That was how the world seemed to work, and it surely was going to work with Flaet. He didn't need to think about the other boy and he didn't need to think about how attrac- no. He wasn't thinking about it!

Anyway, he grinned at Sol. "I'm Riori. And no, nothing's really happened yet. You're just in time," he said with a slight nod. Had she come to stand next to him because he was the only one who'd bothered to bring any food for the flitters? Probably not, she didn't seem like the type. He was happy for a distraction either way, and it always helped to get to know fellow Candidates. For soon, she might become his fellow Weyrling. Or fellow firelizard owner. Whichever came first.

He'd been about to comment on something more to Sol, but the thought was immediately pushed from his mind and he forgot as soon as Pratyba approached. "Hello, Pratyba. Yup! Seems like everyone's here right on time," he said with a smile that didn't falter as she grabbed the meat from his bowl, as did Sol. Hey, that's what he'd brought it for, right? "No problem... I got more than enough, so the rest of you are welcome to take some if you want," he said, raising his voice a little, addressing the last statement to everyone. Hey, he was in a good mood! He might finally Impress a firelizard and not be the only sharding Candidate without one!

There wasn't much time left to mingle after that, as soon the firelizards began to break free of their shells. First was a Green. Firelizards really were small. It could easily just be because she was newly hatched, though. That was probably it. The feeling of the Sands under his feet made him feel like he was at a dragon hatching, and it might as well been the same. Anyway, he continued to watch as another egg cracked open, this one revealing a Bronze. The Bronze seemed perhaps hungrier than the Green, and immediately hopped over to Impress. To him. A Bronze! He'd known bringing the bowl of meat had been a good idea.

Riori ducked out from under Pratyba's arm with a quick, "'scuse me~" so he could bend down to get a better look at the Bronze flitter. He grabbed a few pieces of meat from his bowl and fed the little Bronze to calm him down and make him stop jumping (he couldn't fly yet... he wasn't going to reach), highly abused with how much he could eat for being so tiny. "Hmm... Phareon's a good name," it had actually been chosen from random letters off the top of his head, but it still felt like a good name. The newly-named Phareon didn't seem to react to his new name, and instead continued to devour the meat Riori offered him. Huh, he hadn't thought that a firelizard was going to eat this much. Maybe he should have brought more.....

[/size]

[jack]

"Riori!" Eyes wide and a grin broad on his face, Flaet sashayed over, smiling enthusiastically up at the boy as he gently grabbed his hand, tugging on it girlishly, "You aren't too mad at me, are you? I didn't mean any harm, y'know...and you...kinda just left unexpectedly."

The teenager shifted his hips, biting his bottom lip in anticipation to the other's reply as Run and Ram soared in, distracting their Bonded as he released poor Riori and suddenly crouched by the eggs, eyes wide with excitement. Run and Ram were humming as they perched on Flaet's shoulders, peering over at the eggs.

And there! A crack! Flaet's eyes widened and his grin broadened as a darling little green tumbled out of the egg. Shortly after was a Bronze, and the proud little fellow was already barrelling towards Riori. Flaet laughed and tilted hsi head, grinning sideways down at the flit. "Good choice, little fellow." He chirped, winking at Riori, "He's a babe~"

[4horseshowgirl4]

"I resent your disrespectful comments!" Pratyba said to Sol, completely joking. "Stereotyping is evil! You haven't known me long enough to say that for certain!" Pratyba continued to tease Sol about the klutz comment, though everyone on these Sands knew by now that everything the other Candidate had said was true. Nothing Pratyba was saying was making much sense, as the energetic girl was far too excited by the prospect of Hatching, half-delusional by her abrupt form of waking, and still slightly hungover to be putting together coherent sentences, anyway. Well, Pratyba didn't do that on a normal basis, so why should she now?

It was clear that the small amount of alcohol she'd consumed last night had not agreed with her. She wasn't feeling herself, and just didn't feel well in general. For a moment, she considered nipping by the infirmary after this was over, but the staff there would recognize a hangover in half a second, which would only lead to awkward questioning. Pratyba would have to explain about the party, and why there was alcohol there, and that she'd supplied the spiked klah, and, well... actually admitting that to anyone responsible could have some, ah, undesirable consequences. Pratyba really didn't want to have to do a shift of extra chores for a week or even lose her right to Stand for this Clutch. Nah, a few hours of relief wasn't worth it, especially since Pratyba knew the aftereffects would (hopefully) be gone in a few hours.

As the first egg cracked, Pratyba stopped leaning on Riori and Sol, slinging her arm off of Sol so that she could extend it forward and offer meat to the hatchlings. Her interest was piqued, and all small worries about her state of physical discomfort were quickly forgotten. The baby firelizards were the only thing that mattered now! They were hungry, Pratyba wanted a pet, she had food, so she had a chance of attracting a flitter who was too ravenous to notice who it was bonding to, right? If she did bond to one, Pratyba was hoping for... Oh, the tiny little Green was so cute! Pratyba had rarely seen firelizard hatchlings, and she hadn't imagined how tiny they were! Though, now that she thought about it, it seemed pretty foolish to think that flitters just hatched as their full-grown size.

"Who do you think will be the first to Impress?" Pratyba asked Riori and Sol in a stage whisper, trying to be hushed for the sanctity of the Hatching, or something like that. Somehow, she didn't imagine that firelizard hatchings were quite as big, important events as dragon Hatchings. She snickered at the mere thought. For example, though Kalith's shout was far more obnoxiously noticeable than the humming of dragons, far less people were here: only six, one for each egg!, whereas people sometimes overflowed the Stands for the dragon Hatching. For a moment, Pratyba got all cheerful as she knew she would bond to a firelizard, but then she remembered that flitters were far less picky about bonding to humans as dragons were, and it wasn't uncommon for someone to have two or more, like Flaet! Why was he here for a third? Weren't the two he had handfuls enough? Well, they must be pretty well trained.

Pratyba's mind was rolling all over the place, motivated by her general inattentiveness and the small influence over her body and brain the quickal still had. She absentmindedly let Riori go wordlessly before noticing he'd managed to Impress! It took her another moment before she realized he'd managed to snag a Bronze, a fine specimen of one, too, instead of the Green! "Nice one!" she said, clapping him enthusiastically on the back.

[/font]

[Admin]

Batten down the hatch,
'Cause we're all coming in,
Like uninvited guests,
Romancing everything.

Kalith eyed those that had arrived to try to snag one of the little annoying pesky pets. Two of them bowed to her - the girls, both of them candidates. One of them had succeeded in tripping upon their arrival. That one was a moron, but an acceptable moron. As long as she didn't come over towards her eggs, where she could fall on them. U'ar was well-enough . . . She briefly considered eating the two male candidates who'd arrived. One of them had been keeping his eyes on her, which was naturally taken as a hostile action. One did not dare to make eye-contact with a superior if you were trying to be submissive. However, she finally decided that he was just a moron. And then there was Altith and F'del. She ignored the purple, acting as if she didn't hear his comments. He could call her precious eggs pretty all he liked; she was going to eat him either way if he got to close. The ridiculous threat had become more realistic given her state of hunger. She didn't like leaving her eggs to go eat too often.

Afzal also eyed those that arrived, but he let them be. His eggs were hatching! The first was a green; his humming hit full intensity as she emerged into the world. Then there was a bronze, just like him, and so much bigger than his little clutchsister! He'd already found food and a good bonded too; he would be safe, just like his bonded had said he would be.

Great, two of the tiny draconic pests had hatched. The first one was a chattery green and the second was a stupid, demanding bronze, just like his irritating father. Well, he would at least be bonded to someone appropriate, that stupid candidate boy whose body language was all messed up. She carefully looked over her eggs and preoccupied herself with counting her eggs and making sure that her rider was still standing right where she had been. Like always, the Weyrwoman was there, watching, calm and composed if a bit tired looking. She often slept here; the Queen liked it. One (which was always the precious golden egg), two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve . . .

Keep your hands away,
From what you can't afford,
We don't think that we'll stay,
Now that you look bored.

[wirevix]

The little Green had watched her brother find something to eat and chirped after him, but didn't follow him to that person. Instead she stumbled over herself and just ran, twittering--and tripped again, rolling over herself to end up at F'del's feet. She stared up at him and then just peeped at him hungrily.

While the brightly-colored Green Impressed, other eggs were hatching as well. A second Green was first, this one a softer tone, although the little 'lizard's voice was definitely not softer--sharply, she whistled and squealed a few times, flapping out her damp wings and staring at the assembled people.

A Pink split her egg as well, going for a tumble across the sands as she did, coming to a stop laying flat on her belly and chirping softly. She picked herself up and shook vigorously to get the sand off of her, twittering at it. While she put up a fuss over the sand, the soft-colored Green hopped her way to Flaet's foot, clinging onto it and whistling again, demandingly.

The Pink, on the other hand, decided to beeline for U'ar, chirping and demanding food from him, trying to climb up his leg.

-----

F'del's

Color: Green 6CC417

Personality:

Somewhat of a giddy creature, this nonetheless sweet Green tends to be a whirlwind of frantic activity. Discontent with staying in any one place too long, she is wont to perch for a moment only to spring into the air a second later and be off somewhere else.

With a sense of adventure driving her, she will be endlessly getting into trouble, poking her slender snout into places it most definitely does not belong. Endless chastisements and scoldings will never dampen her spirit of exploration, much to the frustration of others around her.

When she does find something particularly interesting, she will sometimes see if she can work out a way to take it with her, especially if it is a small bright object like a pretty stone or bit of thread. Unfortunately, she will lose interest and forget about it before too long, dropping it somewhere so that its former owner will have to hunt for it.

Appearance:

Willowy and sleek, she is very Green-like in her build--with a long body, a long tail, and a long neck, she is a ribbon of firelizard, very flexible and apt to coil about on herself when flying, often for no good reason at all.

Given her energetic nature, and her frequent dancing about and adding extra flare to her movements, she is a very skinny firelizard--she eats a lot, but she just spends so much energy on every task that it is all burned off with surprising quickness.

Her hide is almost completely a single shade, a bright, springy green, a cheerful and lively sort of color, suiting to her nature. Her long and graceful wings, however, are painted in a dazzling rainbow of greens, starting with a deep green and radiating outwards to a pale whitish green.

-------

Flaet's

Color: Green 5EFB6E

Personality:

Fiery and sometimes a touch snippy, this Green's boundless energy is often a bit pointed and thorny. She has big ideas--well, big for a firelizard--for her small frame, bright and eager to face the world, and she doesn't like being held back at all!

Any perceived obstacle will be soundly dealt with, which sometimes means a severe, squeaking scolding or a drub with her multipurpose tail. She does not seek to cause harm, merely to educate the sillies who happen to be in her way.

She clearly thinks a great deal of herself, often puffing up and showing off whether or not it is particularly warranted. She knows she is a beauty, even if the Queens of the Weyr get more attention than her.

Appearance:

Wiry and dainty, she is small-featured and delicate in appearance. Her paws are rather tiny compared to her build, splay-toed, and she prances when she walks. Her limbs are long and slender, and she does not mind walking or running about over short distances, aside from the dangers of being stepped on of course.

In flight she swoops and dives more than flies straight, rippling through the air not unlike a dolphin in the sea. Her small frame allows for tight maneuvering.

A soft and sort of cool, foamy green in color, her hide has a lovely sparkle to it that makes her flash in the sunlight with an almost pearlescent hint to it. She has paler green in thin stripes along her spine, and a slightly more grassy tone brushed along her underside.

------

U'ar's

Color: Pink C12267

Personality:

Sweet and cheery, this Pink will always seek to liven up a room. She delights in the company of others, and is generally to be found sitting on someone's head, shoulder, or lap, chirping happily at them and holding up one-sided conversations.

Unafraid of even the most unpleasant of personalities, she will often deliberately choose the grumpiest, angriest, or saddest person of the group to cuddle up to and "talk" with. Playing with their hair, licking at their ears, tickling their neck--she will try many tactics to make others happy.

She greatly appreciates pretty objects, often scavenger hunting for them, although her general goal is to give them to someone else so that they can share her joy at the pretty things.

Appearance:

An atypical pink, this girl is more wide and rounded than one would think her color ought to be, not that she really minds. She is a little thicker around the chest and hips than any average Pink, though she still has the characteristic narrowness to her limbs and neck, making her look just a little oddly built.

Still, it doesn't impede her. Her long wings are adept at moving her gracefully despite her added bulk, although she cannot twist and fold back on herself so agilely as others.

Her hide is also not so usual, a deep and rich color rather than the normal creamy shades. Frothy white-pink is dappled all along her back, neck, and tail, decorating her festively.

[123notit]

U’ar watched as the other potential Impressers gathered around. So far, they were all Candidates. Some introduced themselves, obviously having never met each other despite their status. Others addressed the others by name, having met them. He knew none, but one particularly odd-seeming girl greeted him. Not knowing his name, she addressed him “Dragonrider-I-don’t-know”, causing U’ar to break out into a grin. He hoped that, one day, Mu could be that friendly. Perhaps if he Impressed a firelizard here, Mu could help raise it and become more open.

Luckily, U’ar wasn’t to be the only rider at the Hatching. That would have been quite annoying and perhaps even a bit embarrassing. He looked up as F’del approached and greeted him. He hadn’t seen the man since the one morning when he had been too restless. “F’del!” he addressed him with a smile, “It’s good to see you too. You came for a fire lizard? Maybe the little buggers will wear us out enough so we can sleep in the morning, huh?”

Suddenly, a small crack was heard. U’ar jumped a bit and turned to look at the small eggs, a childish gleam hiding in his eyes. The first out, a lovely green, took her sweet time, airing herself off. The second out, a Bronze, had no such hesitation. He went straight for the Candidate that had been smart enough to bring some meat.

“Congratulations,” U’ar said gently, smiling at Riori. A smart Candidate such as that deserved the fine Bronze, he felt. Soon after, the Green that was first out went to the other rider, F’del. He smiled at him, giving him some congratulations as well.

After that, another green to the seemingly-effeminate Candidate. Then a rolly-polly Pink. U’ar watched her tumble out and fuss over the sand that covered her. She then chose. She chose him. U’ar smiled gently as she chirped at his feet, trying to climb up his leg. He bent down, avoiding a hungry nip from her. He picked her up gently, looking for the first-Impressed to see if he, perhaps, had extra meat to spare. If not, he’d have to run to the creature and avoid the snapping of the pink. She seemed wonderful though. So light and cheery. “Mi….” he whispered, stroking her head tenderly.

[jack]

A gorgeous little Green had joined the crowd and Flaet grinned, distracted from Riori by the hatchlings. The first Green was making her way towards a Candidate and Flaet chuckled, kneeling down to inspect the tiny Pink that had rolly-pollied her way out of her egg. He didn't even notice the bossy Green until she attacked his foot and he gave a soft squeak of surprise before glancing down.

Run and Ram gave loud trills as the dancer gave a pleased trill of a sound himself, scooping up the demanding little flit. "Oh...aren't you a beauty..." He crooned as she promptly bit him, cracking her tail against his arm in a bossy squeal. "Okay okay! Food!"

Laughing he leaned over to Riori, inspecting the mostly-empty bowl. "Gonna steal a bit to keep her occupied." He chirped at the boy, snatching a piece and pecking the lad on the cheek before stuffing the flit's face and heading off towards the kitchen, humming in glee.

"You are a little Queen, aren't you, my little doll?" He scratched her eye-ridges fondly as Run and Ram bobbed their heads, observing her curiously, "Oh...let's go with that!" he chirped after a moment, "Queen."

[fidelli]

tonight will change our lives
so good to be by your side
we'll cry, we won't give up the fight
we'll scream loud at the top of our lungs
and they'll think it's just cause we're young
but we'll feel so alive

;;the candidates were interesting to watch - he knew these were the future riders, and the man thought it was interesting to compare them from what they would be later. first impressions were important, but they would change much as the responsibilities of dragons were thrust upon them. especially when they paid attention to their surroundings, as one girl did, speaking to him with a cheerful burble. 'hello.' he smiled, a patient, relaxed grin even as he shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded to her. "`lo. i'm f'del of purple altith. who're you?" it was a rather odd way of introducing himself, but altith was motherly pushing him to talk to the candidates and make new friends.

;;speaking of friends... u'ar turned to him, and f'del grinned back at his words. 'f’del! it’s good to see you too. you came for a fire lizard? maybe the little buggers will wear us out enough so we can sleep in the morning, huh?' he doubted that any critter could exhaust him - f'del found enough orphaned critters for them to raise and he still had insomniac, but he only nodded and told him, "it would be pleasant to sleep when the rest of the world does." and then the babies were emerging from their eggs, and he kept one eye on them even as he waited for a response from the chipper girl.

;;altith, perched way at the top of the sands, was looking down a little wistfully. kalith was ignoring him, and while he really didn't mind, he was just a little upset that he couldn't see any of the babies better. she was curled around them jealously, and he was way to high up to see the little flappers hatch. a tier there, and a tier here, he slid down the side of the sand's walls rather guiltily, slowly crawling by and keeping an anxious eye on kalith. it was slow going, but worth it - he could see just a little better even as he jumped to the fourth one lightly.

;;the first was a little green, sliding from her egg like a sea serpent, and f'del smiled gently down. it was a memory coming back, the heat and the people around him, as though he was at the hatching of altith again. of course, it could be the fellis juice tampering with him and making him so much more chilled out. but they were fun to watch, and another one spilled from the egg - a bronze, split neatly from his egg as though his sister was breaking it for her baking. f'del backed, away from the bronze - the last thing he needed was a haughty flitt, and they were easier to avoid than real dragons. thankfully, the little creature caught the attention of one of the candidates, hungry and demanding. kudo's to the smart candidate - all of the boys wanted to be bronze riders, and this was a hint of luck for him.

;;the little green that had hatched before was next, making herself noticed as she realized that her brother was getting fed. he watched her now, amused at the antics of the young - faranth, he was not old - even as she found her too long body of no real use to her. it was all wings and feet and body, all tumbled together even as she ran across the sands - though where she was going he couldn't know - and somersaulted to land at his feet. surprise etched on the relaxed face, he jumped back slightly, terrified of hurting her. but the little girl only looked up in silence, and then cheeped once - and instantly f'del was ravenous. or, he wasn't hungry... he had impressed the little green creature, it seemed.

;;a large hand was reaching down, and yet she only blinked at it, and rose to scramble aboard before it closed around her. crooning lightly, she ran her way up to the crook in his arm and snuggled there for a moment, even as she looked at him with wide whirling eyes. she was hungry! why wouldn't he feed his girl?

;;a name, a name... that was the only thing he could think of, even as altith practically bounced up and down with joy. a baby, a baby! what shall we call her, mine? even kalith couldn't stop him from raising his wings open and gliding down - the sands were big enough to hold several clutching females at once, and he stayed tucked into the far corner they were in. of course, he didn't think about doing this - it was just luck - as he shoved his nose down into the throng of people and over to f'del, nudging at the little green thing. what do you think we should call her, altith? the purple hesitated for only a moment, and then told his firmly, green.

;;the man looked only a bit bemused at his dragon. yes, she's a green. what do you want to call her? altith only snorted, and told him, that was what i wanted to call her, but if you do not like it... she looks rather like one of those thin flaps of cloth, a ribbon? the man knew what he wanted to call the green instantly, and murmured, "ribbon." she cheeped at him, and proceeded to make a rather wild leap across his arm to land on altith's nose, running up and on top his head while he stayed perfectly still, snorting in alarm. is she alright??? his rider only laughed, and made no move to collect the hungry lizard - "ribbon is fine - she's just hungry, and thinks you have food."

throw it away
forget yesterday
we'll make the great escape
we won't hear a word they say
they don't know us anyway
watch it burn
let it die
cause we are finally free tonight

[wirevix]

With only two eggs remaining of the clutch, it could not take much longer until all were Impressed to their happy new owners. The next to split open was the smallest egg, shattering and shivering apart and allowing the little Black to emerge. He lifted his head up and gave a soft chirp as he stumbled free of the remaining half of his shell, spreading out his wings.

As the Black ambled and stumbled uncertainly towards the people that smelled somewhat like food, the last egg hatched. It seemed more like it simply gave up and fell apart, though, and the Blue that uncurled from within it was obviously in no hurry to go anywhere, just watching the assembled crowd with a slow chirp.

The Black, slinking along the sand carefully and quietly, reached Sol's foot and decided that would be a good spot to curl up on, nibbling at her shoe uncertainly in hunger; hunger which he shared with Sol fully.

The Blue observed, and apparently decided as well that his own hunger outweighed his lethargy, and so he ambled over the sand, tail and wings dragging carelessly, up to Pratyba, flopping down by her feet and just staring up at her, giving a hungry growl.

-----

Sol's

Color: Black

Personality:

Shady and sort of sad, this Black's natural secrecy masks a generally glum outlook on life. Maybe he's not too happy being the bottom man on the totem pole. Maybe he's disappointed in his own personal limitations. Maybe it just suits him to be sort of mopey all the time.

Still, he is notably serene and easy to deal with, very quiet and docile at all times. If riled up he'll simply flee to a silent place to hide, rather than retaliating or causing a big fuss. Avoiding confrontation at all times, he is definitely a pushover.

But when he's not being accosted or frightened away, he'll willingly curl up on someone's shoulder and accompany them about without protest.

Appearance:

Built sleek and stylish, he is a beauty of a Black. His glossy hide just emphasizes the graceful musculature of his small body, with his long legs and his whip of a tail. Somewhat smallish eyes and a long jaw give him a slightly more lizardish appearance.

He prefers to be reserved in his movements; though he is agile and graceful, he does not try to attract attention or show off, keeping with necessary maneuvers and doing away with fancy and frivolous ones. Combined with his natural silent flight, he can seem to disappear without even having to go between.

His hide is solid black, as is typical for his color, a deep inky tone that shines with a faint blue cast outdoors, reflecting the sky above.

-----

Pratyba's

Color: Blue 348781

Personality:

Easygoing and relaxed, this Blue has little real drive for day to day activities. He far prefers finding a nice warm space to curl up on and snooze for a bit, disliking the babble and fuss of an average day. He's certainly pleasant, but not terribly fun, more of a plush toy than a pet.

However, he is not totally divorced from reality, and is perfectly capable of responding to his surroundings if the situation arises. Distress will rouse him most quickly, as he dislikes strife and would much rather everyone be calm and cool.

If too much fuss surrounds him, he'll generally see if he can't calm anyone down, though he doesn't exactly have any useful methods of doing so. Maybe giving them something or... something... well, can't blame him for trying?

Appearance:

His preference for a very relaxed lifestyle shows in his form; he is soft and a little bit pudgy around the middle. His lack of muscle definition of course means his endurance suffers, and his dislike of physical activity increases due to his inadequacy at it, creating a vicious cycle.

As far as his form, he is a bit small in the wing, the membranes cutting in more sharply than one would expect of a Blue's wing, creating a rippling shape that is pretty but otherwise accomplishes nothing. His limbs are short as well, not terribly so but just a bit.

His hide is his best feature, a beautiful shade of tropical blue, rich and vibrant and quite shimmery for a Blue. A softer sky-blue is flecked in small, uneven, almost x-shaped markings over his back and wing membranes, the same shade of blue forming small caps over his knees and elbows and the tips of his tail.

[Admin]

Who's that? Who's that?
Beautiful bright white adder,
Under beautiful bright white soil.

. . . thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three. They were all there and safe. More of the firelizard eggs had hatched, producing a green and a pink. They, and the other green who had still been on the sands, found someone to bond to and get food from amongst those standing. Kalith glowered at them, and then at Altith as he glided down to inspect the green that had chosen his rider. More of the eggs hatched, a blue and a black who safely choose the last two people clustered around them without a flitter. Hurrah, everyone had pets. It was all wonder and such, but now she wanted them to go! She growled, raising her head menacingly.

"Congratulations! Please leave now;" Fajra intervened, departing the stands were she'd been watching to stride out onto the sands without even seeming to notice their heat. Now that all of his children were safe, Afzal returned to his bonded, coming to perch upon with the Weyrwoman's shoulder and adding some of added authority to her with his pleased, metallic presence. Though, it was hard to have much more authority then you obviously did with a brooding Queen dragon adding her feral voice to make your words seem like the smartest ones you could ever possibly listen to.

Pleased with her rider's direct, blunt handily of her wishes, Kalith lowered her head so she could protect her eggs from most sides again. Some of them were still visible. The copper touched golden Queen egg was impossible to miss, standing as the biggest and at the center of the back. The middle of the front row was plain. Most of it was obscured though, hidden by the oddity of the angles one would have to look at it by and her strong, large body. Soon it would be just Fajra, the eggs, and herself again. Contented, she quieted her growling, simply eying those present, and settled down to rest. She was hungry, but some simple light sleep would have to suffice; she wasn't hungry enough to leave.

Now the friends have all gone away,
Don't it feel so good to be alone?
And no friends, no phones, no questions.

[4horseshowgirl4]

"Oh, congratulations, Flaet!" Pratyba cheered, too far away from the other to clap him on the shoulder like she had done Riori (for some reason, they were standing somewhat far apart from each other-- why could that be? Weren't they friends?) "She's gorgeous!" She saw the other Green and the Pink Impress to F'del and U'ar, and also shouted her congratulations to them with utmost sincerity, though she didn't know them.

"Well, Sol, hopefully these two are for us!" Pratyba squealed happily, hitting Sol on the arm rather more enthusiastically than was needed to get the other's attention. And, sure enough, Pratyba's prophecy came true. The last two eggs broke open, revealing a gorgeous
Black flitter and a rather endearing-looking Blue. "Aww, they're so cute!" Pratyba couldn't help but squeal like the adolescent girl she was. "Isn't it cool that there weren't any duds? A flitter for everyone!"

With that, she witnessed the minute Black by Sol's shoe. Impression had obviously been made. "Yay for Sol!" she cheered, smiling widely. "What are you going to name him? He's a pretty one, he is." She was genuinely happy for everyone... but there was only one flitter left, and she was the only one left with meat! Did that mean... oh, no, where was the Blue?! Pratyba looked to the now-deserted pile of eggshells frantically, her eyes keenly searching for the smallest bit of Blue among the hot Sands. Had he /between/ed? Oh, no, this was awful! The poor thing was gone forever, and Pratyba would never have a flitter, and...

A hungry growl drew her attention back to her feet, where she was delighted to see a tiny Blue hatchling begging for food. She felt a small thrill course through her, and suddenly she felt an almost unnoticeable feeling of hunger that wasn't hers. Oh, this must be Impression! Well, kinda, as firelizard bonding wasn't the same as true Impression. The Blue was hers! She felt like whooping and doing cartwheels in happiness, and while normally Pratyba wasn't the one with enough sense to restrain herself from doing whatever she felt like, normally there was not a large, angry, protective Queen dragon guarding her still-hardening eggs watching her every move, so Pratyba refrained.

She scooped up the Blue hatchling and cuddled it against her cheek. "You're so darn CUTE!" she said as the Blue rubbed his tiny head against her cheek, pleading for food. "Oh, right, that meat Riori gave me," she murmured absentmindedly, feeding it to the Blue. In a moment, it was gone, and the Blue nuzzled her cheek again, begging for more, though his feelings of hunger had been assuaged. "Oh, no, that's quite enough for you!" Pratyba said, tapping him reproachfully on those nose, and he grumbled good-naturedly.

She was about to run around to the others and show off her new pet, but Fajra not-so-subtly asked them to leave, and it would have been foolish to do otherwise. Pratyba trotted off, still holding the hatchling in her cupped hands. "You need a name, don't you, you chubby little thing?" Pratyba said affectionately as soon as they were out of the Sands. "Okay, then. You will be Chubbs!" The firelizard looked curiously up at her before going to sleep. It wasn't worth the effort.

[/font]

[Kila]

"I know perfectly good and well just how clumsy you are, Pratyba, and I don't have to have known you for that long! It's not even stereotyping;"Sol bickered pleasantly back and forth with her friend. She was relieved when Pratyba let loose her neck and stood on her own, straightening from her stoop. "You are a mess, girl, I told you you shouldn't've drank so much last night. But did you listen to me? Noooo. I bet you don't even remember."

Sol was pleased when the rider returned her friendly hello. Not only that, but he introduced himself and inquired as to her name as well. F'del and Purple Altith; she filed away carefully for future reference. "It's nice to meet you, F'del," she said warmly, "I'm Sol." She would have liked to carry on the beginnings of their conversation, but it was interrupted by F'del's impression of an enthusiastic Green. "Oh F'del, she's so cute,"Sol said with awe as the flitter scrambled up his arm. It was a shame he had to go, then, because Sol would have liked to inquire about Altith, but she supposed there would be opportunity later. Then again, she also didn't know if it was within proper Weyr etiquette to ask. It was so frustrating sometimes being new and struggling to guess what was common knowledge to most of the people around her. She would have to ask Pratyba later.

And before she knew it, it was only her and Pratyba on the sands. But there were only to eggs left on the sand! She looked over to her friend with curiosity as to what that meant and received an over enthusiastic punch to the shoulder, but an affirmation nonetheless. So this is it.

Fortunately, Sol did not have time to worry or over think her position, because both of the remaining two eggs split and released and small Black and Blue onto the sands. But, oh! The Black was moving towards them! Stumbling about and catching his balance like me; she sympathized. Slinking towards her in cautious silence, seemingly alarmed by the enormity of the new world he had stumbled into, the Black came and curled up on Sol's shoe as she held her breath. As he nibbled at her toe, Sol felt a wave of hunger wash over her that had been conspicuously absent only a moment before. It wasn't hers... so was it his? Was he hers? The Black looked up at her glumly but did not need to cry out for food to let her know that he wanted it.

"Hey, you," she said gently, gingerly picking him up in cupped hands. He was so small that he fit easily, and seeing the meat that this sanctuary also offered, readily allowed himself to be picked up. Sol admired him as he ate away at the meat, marveling at the sheen of his hide. Like looking at the sky at midnight... The sharpness of Fajra's words interrupted her musing and sent the Black flying up her arm to seek instinctively refuge in the warm, safe crook of her neck. Sol didn't need to be told twice, and exited the sands quickly but with a smile on her face.