Welcome To The World [Worlds Apart HATCHING]

[Zen]

10th Pass, 5th Turn, Late 11th Month

The humming began in the afternoon. Lunch time was over. Chores and drills were interrupted almost as soon as they'd begun by the steadily rising sound, heralding the start of the hatching. S'bol had his blue quickly call the candidates to get into their robes, and then request help ferrying them all up to the hatching cavern. Several riders landed outside the candidates' quarters, awaiting passengers as white robed candidates came hurrying out. S'bol stayed behind until he was certain the last of the candidates was ready to go, and ferried them up himself.

Several of the eggs were shaking with the first few hatchlings eager to escape. The Spotted Egg shook, the Spark Egg rocked, and fine cracks were forming on the Striped Egg. These were the most noticeable so far, and most of the spectators trickling in were focused on the three larger eggs, waiting to see which would hatch first, and just what would come out.

A'zael

A'zael considered not even attending the Hatching, but he was the Weyrleader. Faranth forbid he not show up. What sorts of rumors might start then, hm? He could only imagine. Besides, Fath was excited, dancing, waiting for him. The bronze adored hatchings. It would not make things any less awkward if his dragon attended without him. He was really in no mood for festivities, but he supposed duty and politics trumped his own desires once again. Suck it up, put on a good face, and get it over with. At least he could just make a minor appearance at the celebration tonight and feign not feeling well or something. Ugh. If anyone had ever told him there would be a day he wasn't looking forward to a Hatching, he would have laughed in their face. But Orana's death was still too fresh, and Azora....

With a sigh, he settled himself atop Fath and gave him the go ahead, and the two of them were soon at the hatching cavern. He patted his dragon's leg as he passed by him, before the bronze rose to the perches higher up, where the rest of the Weyr's dragons were gathering. Making his way toward his usual spot in the stands, he did his best to keep his mood carefully masked and settled in to watch. B'rax took a seat beside him, clapping on the shoulder. It was a silent encouragement, and he appreciated it. He glanced to his other side, to the spot reserved for Karredy, wondering if she would be here or not. The entire Weyr was aware of her continued health issues at this point, she at least would be excused, but it would be better for morale if she could make it.

S'fin

S'fin and Rusath had flown down to help ferry candidates to the hatching cave, dropping off a subdued young woman and an excitable boy, wishing them both luck, before heading into the stands. He spotted Az sitting with B'rax, thought about trying to join him. He was putting up a half decent front, but anyone that knew him at all would be able to see through it easily enough. It had only been two days since Orana's death, and while that was enough to depress his little brother, the way his daughter was handling the loss of her mother made it infinitely worse. Not for the first time, S'fin was thankful he wasn't especially close to either of his parents. While he would certainly be saddened to hear of either of their deaths, seeing Azora's state was.... The greenrider sighed and tried to shake such thoughts. It wouldn't do to dwell on them here of all places. He sat on his own, deciding that it wouldn't be appropriate for him to join his brother in the seating reserved for ranking spectators. Maybe Rau would join him.

Mizao

Upon arrival, S'bol ushered any candidates that had yet to take to the sands out among the eggs. Mizao, for one, had hung back, unsure. She had looked about for Joia or Aleni, but hadn't immediately seen either of them. There were so many people milling around. Her heart fluttered nervously, reminding herself of Aleni's warning. Never turn your back on a hatchling. And S'bol's continued warnings never to assume that a hatchling is coming for you, get out of the way. This was nerve wracking. But as S'bol came around to encourage them onto the sands, she drew in a deep, calming breath and followed her peers, keeping an eye out for Akai as well, to make sure she didn't end up anywhere near the other girl, while still searching for her friends' faces. She noticed how a few other girls were flocking closer to the gold egg. Did that matter? Standing closer to the egg you were hoping for? She edged her way over as well. If she Impressed gold, surely her father couldn't remain angry?

Novarel

Novarel didn't hesitate at all when he got to the edge of the sands, striding right onto them with a couple other candidates. This was his first time in the hatching cave and he looked around at all the eggs excitedly. S'bol had given them the rundown before he let them find rides, reminders to keep them safe, blah blah blah. He'd heard the other candidates talking about the egg touching, how the eggs talked, and had been incredibly disappointed that he'd missed it. Now here he was, the eggs all arranged before him, and he was supposed to stay away from them? Many of them were moving, too, on their way to hatching. Man, this was exciting. He was confident he'd meet his dragon today. His gaze settled on the giant golden queen keeping watch over her eggs and his eyes widened. He'd never been this close to a gold before. Wow, she was big. She could eat him whole if she wanted! So cool.

OOC: Feel free to grab whatever NPC rider you'd like to drop your candidate off at the hatching grounds, or one of your own, you know, whatever. As for any other non-riders that want to go, they can actually walk up now, a path to the cave has finally been completed so it's no longer only accessible by dragonback (but a dragonback ride is certainly still faster 8D).

[Rhush]

Srunae

Moments before the hum had started, Srunae knew it was going to happen - she could feel it in the air, the vibrations of the collective dragon mind coming together at the same time resonated through her being and rolled off her own gold. They were hatching, huh? For the first time in her life, Srunae wasn't super excited about a hatching; instead she dreaded it. It wasn't the fault of the eggs for their timing, or the fault of a poor day up until that point, or even the fault of one of her menagerie of pets. No, her issue with the hatching was him.

Srunae wasn't ready to interact with A'zael yet - they had gotten into a major fight only days ago, and she was still sorting out her own feelings from the feelings of everyone else because of the massive rift it had created in her protective barriers. Couple that with the surety that she would be overwhelmed by everyone else's excitement or fear or whatever strong emotion rippled through the crowd at that time, and the woman was sure she wouldn't make it out of the hatching in one piece. And then, to top it all off, she had heard that Azora's mother had passed away, and that the child was taking it very, very hard - just after her big fight with Azora's father, whom was probably an absolute mess of a support system for his equally distressed daughter. All together, Srunae would rather stay home and hide under her pillows and blankets until she could better cope with her guilt at the situation.

And yet, here she was, riding to the caverns on her insistent gold. Her saving grace was that she didn't have to sit with the rankers yet; she could still sit in the stands, where all the action (and all the people) were, and hopefully forget all this mess for a time in favor of watching the newest set of hatchlings come into existence... at least until the headache from all the pressing emotions around her became too much to bear. As she filed into the stands with the crowd, she cast a quick glance over to the rankers seats and heaved a heavy sigh. A'zael had on a brave face; she supposed she should too. After a moment she was seated, and she cast her eyes to the sands below, watching the tiny white dots that were candidates and the three most prominently rocking eggs with a thoughtful expression. She was once one of them... those were such simpler times...

[Alyx]

Candidate Joia

Since the touching, Joia had pretty much had eggs on the brain. She’d left the sands in a daze, a good kind, her mind full of the enchanting images and sensations that the contact with the little creatures still locked in their shells had shared with her. And that she had shared with them. She’s almost instantly hung her impression robe up next to her bed on the hook and inspected it, making sure it was perfect; and it had remained there, checked daily in her anticipation.

Almost every chance she had, if chores or lessons didn’t have her tied away, she was at the doorway, peering in at the eggs, wondering on what the hatchlings were thinking; not just watching them, but their Queen mother and her rider as well. She wasn’t the only one, many candidates had joined her more than once to sit in silence and whispers just outside the door.

She’d just been catching an early bath before afternoon chores when the air came alive with the deep hum. You could feel it in every limb, fiber, and Joia was instantly frozen. Several times over the past seven days, they had joked about the Hum starting, saving them from yet another lesson or session in the kitchen. But to feel it was like nothing she could have been quite ready for. She bolted from the water, drying quickly, and sprinted for her bunk and robe.

S'bol had been there before her, already urging candidates to change. She tossed her towel on the end of her bed, grabbed her robe, and wiggled into it without needing to be told. Sandals… sandals… shard it, where had she put – oh there. They weren’t her sandals, but the low, soft suede boots would do. Shoving her feet into them, she raked her fingers through her hair and let the candidate master direct her to one of the many waiting riders that would give them the last lift to the Sands where they would test their luck.

The woman a Blue reached for her, catching her hand and all but yanking her off her feet onto the seat behind her. The Blue bunched and shoved himself into the air, almost twisting back on himself as he leveled out and shot off over the Weyrbowl. Joia ran over all the things they’d been told about the actual hatching, how to behave and what not to do as the Blue darted under a Brown, dropping over the stands and fanning his wings out over the other candidates.

They didn’t land though, the Blue’s back claws barely touching the Sand before the Rider twisted hand around Joia’s wrist and pulled at her. “Off you go! Bend your knees when you land and roll with the impact!” What? Joia blinked, then found herself slipping off the Blue’s back to the sand; she hit, bending her knees and stumbling a few steps before she turned and looked back at the rider. “Thank you!!” The female rider nodded, and the Blue left the sands, spiraling up into the ledges over their heads to watch the spectacle.

Joia looked around, worried for a moment before she saw Mizao near the other female candidates. Where was Aleni? And Koralinna? Joia glanced around, trotting quickly over the Sands to join her friend. “Boo.” She gave Mizao a grin, then glanced around, looking over the whole cavern with a sense of awe. It was… really happening.

Rachel – Blue Aslith

Rachel left Joia on the Sands with a wave, signaling Asilth back into the air. No reason to stay on the Sands and possibly stress out the Queen. The Blue winged up, climbing in the open air to claim one of the many ledges that the Dragons, and often their riders, would watch the Hatching from. For the Candidates, it was a chance to Impress, for the Bronzes, to witness the birth of their new mate, the young Gold.

For Rachel, it was again that moment of heart-wrenching judgment; that cold moment as a Searchrider that left her praying that this time, they’d gotten all the right ones on the Sands. Every egg that bore a hatchling, every little life needed a perfect partner. If Rachel and the other searchers have done their jobs right, then there would be no Betweens; all the new dragons would find what they needed on the sands. Then, and only then, would Rachel celebrate.

She pulled the straps, pushing up over the Blue’s neck to sit almost behind his head, leaning forward over his headknobs to rub a palm against his forehead. ‘Ready, old man?’ Always. Rachel smiled, trying to relax, and signaled him to lean a little more out so they could peer down on the clutch. ‘First guesses?’ Blue, of course. Rachel smiled. ‘Of course.’

Candidate Khavar

He’d just left lunch, heading for dish duty when the Hum started. Yes, saved from dishpan hands! He quickly followed the others back to the barracks, knowing what he needed to do. S’bol gave them last minute words; nothing he hadn’t heard before, but he liked that the candidate master was so attuned to the class to take the time to do so. AND, as a plus, he wasn’t shouting at them. He’d donned his candidate robe and caught his ride with a very, very young-seeming Greenie with auburn hair and a very pretty smile.

She seemed more nervous than he was, which was almost funny to him as she laughed and launched her green into the air. The trip was short, smooth, and surprisingly quick. The green rider touched down, and he’d waited till the dragon had landed and folded neatly to the ground before he let his arms slip from around her waist and dropped to the sand. “Wish me luck.” He said, to no one really, but was surprised when the Green rider answered him. “Good Luck. Stay safe, Candidate.”

Startled, he looked up at her as she glanced away, and her Dragon rose. Khavar used his hand to shield his eyes as the Green took off, winging up to claim a perch over them. He watched her for a moment more, then turned and headed for the other male candidates, straightening his robes as he went. He hadn’t ‘connected’ with any of the eggs at the Touching, rather the opposite, so he didn’t hold a whole lot of hope for this batch. Still, you never knew with Dragons.

Haella – Green Tsulocanth

She didn’t know if wishing the boy good luck had been something she was supposed to do, but she’d done it out of reflex before leaving him on the Sand. It was so strange; this was her first time ferrying candidates to the Sands, and she couldn’t help but remember Rachel doing the same to her. She actually looked for the Bluerider, finding her just in time to see her do her trade-mark delivery to the Sands. The girl landed and managed to stand, and Haella laughed out loud. One day, Rachel was going to break someone, and S’bol would have her butt for it.

Tsulocanth tilted a wing, backing enough to grab a ledge and land. She watched for the green to pivot around before she undid the straps and slipped off her back. Oh Oh look at them all! Tully moved forward, leaning her long neck down to peer at the eggs as Haella found a spot to sit near her dragon’s forefeet. So many! So pretty! Tully’s wings ruffled as she folded them, the green giving a full body wiggle before settling down to watch with her rider.

G’rett – Bronze Mastromideth

The Hum had saved him from the prospect of another Leadership lesson. He’s been more than thrilled with that. It had only been a quick skip from his weyr to meet up with Mari and Soneth, then Sands bound. He left the big Bronze to pick his path as he glided into the Sands through the vast opening to the Weyrbowl and swung over the Stands with his pair of Riders. G’rett leaned a little over the Bronze’s shoulders, looking back over his shoulder at the woman behind him.

His hand was tight on Mari’s wrist as G’rett felt Mastro find a perch near Haella’s green Tsulocanth, turning as best he could to face the eggs without knocking his own larger frame off the ledge. ‘You good?’ Mastro rumbled a little more, shifted, and crouched. Yes. Good now. G’rett flexed his fingers on Mari’s wrist, then let go and patted her hand. “All good. Big guy says he’s comfy so we can get down.”

(OOC: everyone is here for the show! Mari was drug along with Deebear’s permission. And OMG, 1493 words? I promise to try to write less next time!!)

[Esko]

F'mol of bronze Zenoth

'F'mol, you cannot skip out on the Hatching.' His bronze's voice chided in his head, and the only response he received was a groan. F'mol certainly did not want to go, and once or twice he was even able to skip as a younger bronzerider. But no, he was a ranking bronze now, and he had to be there. He willed himself to get out of bed, his firelizards screeching with the absence of the warmth his body radiated. However, all three pets knew the ages-old hum, and Fargo rose to follow his pet. F'mol had to hurriedly dress in his nicer clothes, and slip on his boots; first Hatching he attended as a graduated rider, he'd been too excited and forgot his shoes. He grimaced at the memory as he fastened his knots, along with his badge. Wingsecond. Shards, he must've been a darn good Threadfighter to garner enough attention for the promotion. Making sure everything was neat, F'mol mounted his bronze and the two were off, Intago curled up in a pocket and Fargo flapping to keep up.

When he arrived, Zenoth wandered over to the other dragons while F'mol ran to find a seat. As a Weyrling, he had the freedom to sit next to his friends; funny, he had a better time bonding with blue and greenriders than his fellow bronzeriders. They were all too ambitious and into themselves, and there were few he got along with. He enjoyed T'lyron's company, but that was it...snapping out of it, F'mol looked towards's the ranker's area, trying to hide any sign of a grim expression. F'mol found the Weyrsecond's seat and took one of the seats next to it, feeling uncomfortable among all these Mavros rankers. Why did he? He was one of them, after all.

Candidate Karolinna

Karolinna woke up out of her chore-trance to the sound of humming, and S'bol's Nesporth calling them to the Hatching Sands. Shards, this couldn't be real! Frankly, she wasn't quite sure what to do, but she could tell by other Candidate's being ferried a-dragonback that she needed to find a dragon. Quick. She found a handsome, large brown that already had a few Candidates on his back. "I've got room for one more!" His rider called, and Karolinna took it. She climbed up a leg and took a seat, and the brown rose to take off. His rider was grinning, Karolinna noticed, and he was rather dashing. Long brown hair tied in a ponytail, facial hair that looked like it threatened to burst out into a full-blown beard, broad shoulders...it seemed like he almost noticed her thoughts, because he turned around and flashed a pearly-white grin at her. Or maybe it was all of the Candidates, she wasn't sure. "Hey, this is a pretty exciting Hatching, ain't it? Name's J'kai, rider of brown Nixrouth." The brown, Nixrouth, rumbled beneath him. He announced his arrival with a bugle, then landed to let the Candidates off.

Karolinna took a second to admire the brown, then nodded at him. "It's nice to meet you, Nixrouth." She whispered to him, then patted him on the forearm. He looked at her as she rushed onto the Sands, rumbling his approval before rising to deliver another batch of Candidates. Meanwhile, the girl ran onto the Sands, seeing that a few of the eggs were already readying to hatch. Could she perhaps find the love of her life here, on these Sands? She couldn't help but shuffle in excitement. Never before had she wanted to be a dragonrider; but look at her now! She went from never thinking her destiny would reach past The Bronzer to the Sands of a rogue Weyr.

Candidate Shintagoi

Shintagoi felt the ages-old hum of dragons, something he grew up with all his life at Telgar. He welcome the familiar buzz in his bones, the excitement in his very being. But he was even more pumped than at past Hatchings; he was even more excited than when he first Stood. He was so sure he'd find his bronze this very day, this very Hatching. Destiny had played feline-and-tunnelsnake long enough, but she had to give up to him here. At Mavros, the hated Weyrhold. A Weyrhold that he would turn into a respected and prime example of a Weyr. Him and his bronze. He wondered what his bronze's name would be. Something cool, he was certain. Only a dragon respectable enough for him would find him, and surely he would have a fine name too.

Shintagoi scanned the delivery dragons, scowling at the brown that had just left. No, his grace wouldn't do on a green or blue's back! But, he had to suck it up this once. After all, everything would pay out in the end. His bronze was waiting for him, watching for him. He found some greenrider to take him, and he tried to work on his hiding-his-true-intentions face as he waited for the ride to be over. The greenrider looked back at him and smiled, and he had to force himself to smile back. This absolutely wouldn't be him. He would be so much better. Once the green landed, Shintagoi slid off and ran to the Sands. Once he was there, he saw the eggs rocking and waited. Shintagoi smiled; it was larger eggs that were rocking first. Yes, this was good. One of them he even supposed was a bronze, maybe even his bronze. At least a bronze hatching first was a good omen.

[Taxx]

She’d just started cleaning up after the lunch meal; the humming, when she began to hear it, nearly made her drop the armful of plates she’d collected, and the shock of alarm, panic, hope, fear- one fierce emotion after another racing through her mind and holding her briefly immobile. Sleek popped out from between with a reedy shriek, red eyes scanning for the danger to Hers, and giving Aleni the thing she needed to focus on. Last thing she needed was the little seaspitter vomiting acid on someone. Setting the plates on the table- she might well have to return and finish this chore- she called Sleek to her and comforted the agitated green, assured her there was no danger, and convinced her to return to what she had been doing before.

A softer croon of response and a headrub, and then Sleek was gone and Aleni was moving, darting out of the dining hall and to the Barracks, where her robe would be waiting. No need to change out of the clothes she was already wearing; a quick wash-up preceded her cramming the standard white robe over her head and then belting it. When she looked up, it was to see T’vir watching her from the entrance of the Barracks, arms crossed over his chest, and a second spike of alarm sent a chill down her spine.

“Need a lift?” he asked, voice positively dripping with concern; Aleni eyed him, wary.

“Brauth’s not old enough to carry anyone,” she replied, somewhat thankful for that- how would she get out of it otherwise?

“Of course, how silly of me. I should have remembered.” A veiled hint. Was that why he’d come- to make her nervous? To remind her that he’d be watching? To judge whatever she Impressed- if she Impressed? To intimidate her?

Irritation built into anger; Aleni straightened, squaring up to the weyrling, and strode toward him. “Excuse me, bluerider, I can’t be late.” Brushing past him, she headed for the dragons and riders milling around, making her way toward the blue who was closest.

“Good luck!” T’vir called after her, pricking at her one last time because she would be the only one to hear the sarcasm in his apparent well wishes.

Accepting the hand up, Aleni settled on the blue behind the rider, clutching him tightly as the dragon sprang and flew for the mountain. She was dropped off and left to walk onto the Sands alone; she wavered, just for a moment, before walking across to join Mizao and Joia, offering both a smile and a silent thumbs up gesture of luck. The humming was felt right to the core of her, a sound of anticipation building and building; of the clutch, three eggs were showing signs of imminent hatching.

Aleni remembered the Spark egg, but the experience had been less than pleasant and she didn’t have high hopes in that one picking her. Overhead, she caught sight of Brauth as he winged in and settled on a ledge; T’vir must have arrived, but she didn’t bother turning to look for him. At least, here, he wouldn’t try to approach her, and she did her best to put his words out of her head.

[Hiko]

Eggs! Mollin, let's go! It's hatching! They're all hatching! Daltilith's overly-cheerful thoughts broke the blue rider's concentration. She'd been in the middle of a rather interesting read when he'd interrupted; reports over the initial exploration of Mavros and its surrounding islands. Dry, but full of useful tidbits, she'd taken to reading excerpts around mealtimes.

Well, she supposed playing the hermit could wait. She wasn't about to deny the dragon the opportunity to welcome new hatchlings into the world.
“All right, love,” she said, stretching from her hunched over read, “Let's go.”

The hatching cavern was teeming with noise, with every dragon in attendance already giving way to the gentle hum of welcome that signified hatching day. As Daltilith settled onto a ledge, Mollin spotted G'rett from across the crowd and waved, wondering if he could see her in turn. Noticing the other girl next to him, she mentally blanked. That wasn't Haella he'd been latched onto. Perhaps a friend? She suddenly felt troubled, but couldn't put her finger on why. Daltilith prodded at her conflict, but she ignored it. There was too much else going on to delve into her own psyche for now.
–

Talera was all smiles today. Aerroth was in no mood for foolishness, however, eyes red as she watched the candidates stream in. She was positively morose at the idea of losing these eggs, but after some gentle “guiding” from her lifemate, the gold stopped her rumbling and sat on the sands, relenting to just glaring at every candidate that arrived.

Today is a good day, my heart, she told the gold, Don't trouble yourself so much. Your children will be well cared for.
The queen merely rumbled a huff in reply.

[Zen]

Treyjen

A certain amount of curiosity had a great number of his crew staying in the Weyr caverns as the Hatching approached. None of them had ever attended a Hatching before, they had never been at Mavros at the right time, but here they were, still at port with everyone on the island wondering how it would happen 'any day now'. The upcoming event was a staple of conversation at this point and Treyjen had been amused to find betting taking place surrounding the outcomes of the eggs and which candidates they might Impress. Well, he knew nothing of any of the candidates which would be betting blind, so he left that well enough alone, but after traveling on up to the hatching grounds to get his own peek at the eggs, he felt confident enough to at least place a few on color outcomes. There was also big betting on what color would hatch first. Green and bronze were popular options for the superstitious, something Treyjen very much was not. So he bet on brown. Why not?

As he made his way into the hatching cavern, he took a look around, deciding just where to sit. A number of his crew had come up with him, but he always on the lookout for new opportunities. No use sticking together on land, they all got quite a lot of each other at sea, after all. Most of the group had similar ideas, splitting up soon enough to find landlocked friends in the crowd. It didn't take him long to spot Srunae's familiar face, though he was a bit surprised she wasn't sitting with the other ranking members of the Weyrhold. Then again, the woman also apparently liked to spend time at the beast pens, so maybe it shouldn't have been all that surprising. He glanced toward the ranking seats curiously, spotting A'zael easily enough. Hm. Weren't Hatching supposed to be happy occasions? He didn't look overly enthusiastic in Treyjen's opinion. Making his way over to Srunae, he considered asking her if she knew why the Weyrleader was in a low mood, but figured he could wait to figure it out. He didn't particularly want to spoil the occasion.

He was actually without his heavy coat for once; from his previous visit to the cavern he knew it to be warm enough without half the island's population crammed into it. However, that didn't mean he wasn't still dressed well. Pearl raised her head from his shoulder as he approached the woman, her eyes whirling red for a moment until she recognized her as the one with the bronze. Instantly curious if she had him with her, she actually calmed down, head bobbing as she searched her person for her bronze sibling. Treyjen offered her a dramatic bow by way of greeting, in all good spirits. “My lady,” his tone was also suitably dramatic, then he grinned and took a seat beside her, “I hope this seat isn't taken. It seems to me any event is made better by good company.”

The first hatchling chose that moment to enter the world, a dark, reddish brown stepping from the remains of the Spotted Egg. Even from the stands one could tell he was a brute of a dragon. The large brown stepped forward, shaking himself briefly to remove some of the bits of shell that still clung to his hide. Treyjen laughed triumphantly. Well, he'd won marks there. The brown began picking its way toward the boys, only to stop when the Spark Egg cracked open, revealing a shining bronze hide. The dragon was a pale reddish copper, blinking thoughtfully at its surroundings. However, when it noticed its brown sibling headed toward the boys, it charged at him with a furious snarl. The brown backed off, clearly wanting nothing to do with his angry brother, and waited with his tail flicking as the bronze moved toward the boys first. Beside the rocking Striped Egg, the smaller Splotched Egg began to shake as well.

[Taxx]

Hardly had she arrived before the first egg broke; the Spotted crumbled away to reveal a brown, fragments of shell clinging to his damp hide. And as it always did, worry pricked at Aleni. She could keep the secret if she Impressed a green or even a blue- but how would she explain herself if a brown or even a bronze chose her? Did dragons sense the difference in her mind between physical sex and gender? The gold hadn’t seemed to really understand, but she’d tried- what if one of the eggs she’d connected to held a brown or bronze who decided she was the one they wanted?

Oh, she was excited. How could she not be? But the worry was there, and it would only fade once she had Impressed, if she were ever so lucky. And then, it would go one of two ways. The Spark egg hatched next, spilling forth a bronze- she wasn’t surprised at that at all- and ever so subtly edged further away from the boys to try to make it clear that she was not one of them, her gaze resting on the Splotched egg as it too began to rock.

[Zen]

Novarel

Novarel was bouncing where he stood with barely contained excitement as the first shells broke open. Oh, a brown first? A brown would be okay. Especially a big brown like this one. Browns could still catch golds sometimes. He could still be Weyrleader someday on a brown. Yeah, this brown was-wait there was a bronze! There, that was more like it! He'd told his nephew he'd be Weyrleader one day, after all. The bronze hatchling snarled at the brown and then headed purposefully toward the boys. Was it coming to him? It was coming to him, wasn't it? Was it his? It had to be. He edged closer to it, and closer still. Just wait until he sent word back home about Impressing a bronze. The hatchling eyed him as it drew closer and he was even more certain. But then it abruptly turned away, still seeking. Novarel frowned. Okay, maybe he'd been wrong.

The Striped Egg hatched while he was watching the Spark Egg bronze. Another bronze emerged, a youthful orange with dark rust colored stripes along its back. It spilled onto the sands with far less grace than its bronze brother, tumbling over itself and sitting disoriented for a moment, blinking around at all the new sights and covered in sand from its fall. The brown was still waiting, unwilling to approach the boys while its grumpy brother was still searching, but this new bronze was soon back on his feet, trotting over, past the brown, and right toward the boys. The first bronze raised his wings, mantling them threateningly at his new brother, eyes whirling an angry red. But the new bronze didn't pay him any attention at all, bounding forward and promptly Impressing Thronis, a boy at the edge of the group. As the newly Impressed pair headed off the Sands, the first bronze screeched, a horrible note of anger and anguish, and then he was gone.

Novarel was stunned. Wait, what? Where did he go? What just happened?

Mizao

When Joia joined her, she offered a nervous smile to her friend. She was trying to remain optimistic, but she couldn't deny that she was incredibly anxious about this whole ordeal. The candidate master had been thorough, no doubt, but that didn't mean she really felt any more prepared for the hatching. There was so much uncertainty. Mizao was used to having a plan, and organized, well thought out structure. She was used to knowing what to expect from her life. This was... this was all so new. She was excited, sure, but definitely nervous as well. What would she do if she didn't Impress? Should she just return to the hall? Beg her father to forgive her? Return to life as she knew it? Did she want to stay on at Mavros? What would she do here? Aleni joined them, interrupting her thoughts, and she shifted a bit closer to the two other young women, taking comfort in face she knew, even if not terribly well yet.

Then dragons were hatching and she stared at them with wide eyes, watching them closely to make sure she could get out of the way if they headed toward her. So far, however, only a brown and two bronzes had hatched, neither of which Impressed girls. They were all heading to the group of boys, and she relaxed a bit. One Impressed, and one... disappeared. She stared at the spot the little dragon had once been, now empty, and remembered how S'bol said sometimes a hatchling wouldn't find a suitable mindmate, and then.... Her hands flew to her mouth in shock. How horrible! Distracted and horrified by the bronze's between, she didn't notice when the Splotched Egg hatched out a sturdy, bright green, which soon began taking measured steps toward the girls, while the brown finally made his way closer to the boys.

[Alyx]

Rachel – Blue Aslith

The first egg shifted, spilling its contents onto the Sand. ‘Brown.’ Aslith snorted and Rachel grinned, rubbing the Blue’s forehead. ‘Oh come on. It’s a nice middle ground starting point.’ Blue would have been better. Rachel didn’t fight him on it, shaking her head and leaning bit more over him to watch. Her knees were set against the back of his jaw, her waist almost threw his head knobs as she watched the hatching blow. A second egg.

‘Bronze!’ Well now...Even Aslith seemed surprised; Bronzes weren’t normally early in the hatching. Rachel was almost as eager as if it was her on the Sands, watching the two newest members of their Weyr find their footing on the Sands. The Bronze lunged at the Brown, Rachel frowned. ‘Nasty isn’t he?’ Indeed. Look, another Bronze. ‘What?’ Rachel had been so focused on the aggressive one, she hadn’t noticed the second Bronze hatch. ‘Two right off the mark, not back at-‘ she didn’t finish the sentence.

It happened so fast. The second bronze moved, claimed his rider and then – that knock in her stomach as the first bronze vanished from the Sand. ‘No..’ Aslith groaned under her and she bit her lip hard. Shard it! Not good enough… Do not think that. Aslith was quick to read her thoughts, know where she was going with the self-targeted thought. Rachel closed her eyes, for moment mourning the bronze hatchling and berating herself for not having someone on the Sand for him. You could not have known. It happens. ‘It shouldn’t though, we are Searchers – our job is to find the ones for them.’ Aslith shook his head gently, trying to comfy his rider, but he knew it would be hard for her to let it go.

G’rett – Bronze Mastromideth

G’rett let Mari down first, then dropped down his Bronze’s shoulder to stand. He gave Mastro a strong pat on the shoulder, then shifted to lean against the dragon’s side. He watched the others join the crowd. Motion caught his attention; Mollin. He grinned, waving back to the Bluerider. It was good to see her out for this.

His attention was short though, the collective gasp and the pained rumble from Mastro pulling his attention. ‘Mast?’ One lost. The first Bronze. The big Bronze rumbled softly again, tilting his head to look at where the lost hatchling had been. Not a fun way to start this, was it?

Candidate Joia

She was more than a little relieved to see Aleni appear on the Sands. And then Karolinna. Good good. She shifted over, smiling back at her friends, and turning her attention to the eggs. The first was a Brown. Wow, wasn’t he pretty!! She admired the little creature, watching as he picked his way over the Sand toward the gathered boys. A Bronze next… she took a step back from him even though he was no were near them as he flared his wings and charged the Brown a little. Whoa. Neither were eggs she’d touched, but she was glad for a moment that Bronzes didn’t pick girls.

A moment later, another Bronze. This one was super calm compared to the first; he marched right past the posturing first and claimed his rider. Joia gave a little cheer; then the first, the growling one, seemed to get even madder. He screamed, and then… what? Joia blinked and he wasn’t there anymore. She wasn’t quite sure what happened; she gave a confused glance at Mizao a look – her face said it all. It took a moment more to clink on Joia and she felt her stomach drop into her feet. Ooohhhh…..

A little Green tumbled out of the egg that had been by the second Bronze’s, but for some reason, the urge to cheer had fled from Joia. She sighed, hoping that it would get better. No more lost hatchlings, please. She looked quickly over the sands, marking with a look the ‘friends’ she had made at the Touching, still in their eggs. For the moment, safe. She bit her lip, hoping they would stay that way.

Candidate Khavar

Superstition was part of hatchings; it always would be. He grinned when a Brown was the first; at least that would kill the bitter ‘Green starts are bad luck’ talk that would have reared its head. A Bronze followed, and Khavar could feel the excitement starting in his chest. He moved forward a little, not too forward, and raised an eyebrow at the boy that moved a little farther forward. Careful kid...

The Brown seemed to be still puzzling his pick or watching for the Bronze to leave him alone. The first Bronze seemed to be trying to stop everyone; a second Bronze appeared, and the first tried to bluff him back like he had the Brown. The second didn’t give a shard, quickly claiming his boy – a second later, with a shrill cry, the first vanished. Betweened. Khavar winced. The first time he’d seen a hatchling between, he’d cried. Now, it still hurt but he was thankfully a little numb to the sight. Good, or Bad, he supposed.

[Esko]

F'mol of bronze Zenoth

"Well, that new bronze certainly is a nasty one, huh?" F'mol commented to another rider in an attempt to make small talk. The coppery bronze nearly attacked his brown brother, but luckily didn't get him and the brown was able to continue searching the boys. Or, wait for its bronze brother to Impress. That was good too. As long as he did Impress, everything was good. Mavros needed everybody. 'It's a miracle they found enough Candidates.' Zenoth snarled in the back of his head, watching the bronze hatchling with careful eyes. 'With Hatchling behavior like that, that bronze could be much too ambitious.' Of course that worried him; his competition. F'mol mentally eyerolled and returned his attention to the Hatching.

There! Another bronze! This one was far less impressive of a specimen than his brother, a bit closer to Zenoth's orange color. It almost brought him back to Mavros's first Hatching, where the brightly colored bronze found him. Fond memories indeed. While the brown still waited, the orange bronze quickly made his choice and was led off the sands. F'mol almost whooped. But then- oh no! The coppery bronze cried out and then blinked between. Intago screeched and hid his head underneath a wing, while Fargo keened a little. F'mol took in a sharp breath, but unfortunately he was mostly numb to hatchling deaths by now. Zenoth kept on humming, not letting a good bronze's death get to him.

Then, a green spilled out of another egg. F'mol focused on that and the brown on the sands. There was still hope for a good Hatching, after all.

Candidate Karolinna

At last, the first egg broke shell to reveal a large brown, which almost reminded her of the brown that dropped her off. Nixrouth, was it? Yeah, that was it. Karolinna had heard few superstitions on the boat, but she did hear a big one; a bronze hatching first was a good omen for the clutch. Maybe a brown was good also? Alas, it was nothing she could Impress, so she had to keep looking. From what she was told, girls Impressed greens and blues, with the obvious gold. One boy had told her of a brown Impressing to a girl at Mavros before, but that sounded too strange to be true. Even if it was, that would never be her. Next a bronze hatched, and Karolinna shot a glaring look at Shintagoi; who's eyes were fixed on it, of course. She hoped that bronze turned the other way to him and found a better boy.

Then a second bronze hatched, and Karolinna sighed. Another high-ranking dragon that girls didn't Impress. She began to zone out a little, as the second bronze quickly found his lifemate. But then a screech brought her back down to Pern, and then suddenly the coppery bronze was gone. Wait, what? Why did he go away? Wasn't he supposed to find his bonded, like all dragons did, and be on his way to being fed? Karolinna cursed the isolation of The Bronzer, for her knowing next to nothing about Hatchings. But then; oh! A green spilled out of an egg, and Karolinna smiled. Finally, something she had the chance of Impressing! She wanted to talk to the green, to say Hey! I'm here! But all she could do was wait. Wait and hope.

Candidate Shintagoi

So a brown was first. Okay, that was...fine. No clutch went without a bronze, after all. At least if the clutch was normal and not brown-sired. But this clutch was bronze-sired, so he had nothing to worry about. And just like that, a bronze spilled forth from his egg. Shintagoi smiled; this was it. He would Impress the first bronze of the clutch and be on his way to glory. He would write to his father that his part of the mission was complete, and that he would eventually rise as Weyrleader. A second bronze hatched, much less well-formed than the first, and just like that he Impressed. Well, that was fine. There was still the first bronze to make his choice-

And just like that, he screeched and betweened. Wait, what?! Shintagoi loudly cursed at his misfortune. No! That bronze was perfect, aggressive, he should've been his! Stupid bronze for not examining him. Maybe it was better that he was gone; maybe he was going to be an idiotic excuse of a brute. And there was the brown, which he did not want. Browns could become Weyrleaders, but it never happened. His last hope was the Giant Egg, which couldn't be anything but a bronze. Otherwise, this clutch wasn't his, and he would have to Stand again. A green hatched, and Shintagoi turned a blind eye; he wouldn't pay attention until the next bronze broke shell and came to him. Until then, he zoned out.

[Taxx]

Aleni's gaze flicked to the second bronze as it broke free, tumbling forward and sitting up looking a bit dazed, sand coating its hide; he stayed still for just a moment and then got back to his paws, trotting toward the boys, ignoring the first bronze's growl, and pausing before a boy on the edge. Aleni smiled at the two, pleased to see the pair brought together. It was short-lived, unfortunately, as her attention returned to the first bronze as he screeched, eyes whirling red- and then simply vanished.

It was never easy to see a hatchling go between, but she knew it happened when there was no suitable match for the dragonet. It was harder to keep from beating herself up when she knew she'd touched that egg. There had been no hint of a bond formed, though; it couldn't be because of her, could it? He'd felt cold from the moment she'd touched his egg. Deep breath. And she turned to watch as another egg, the Splotched, shattered, revealing a green, who headed straight for the girls, while the brown who had been waiting took his own steps toward the boys.

[Zen]

A'zael

In the stands, A'zael cursed under his breath as the bronze betweened. Just what they sharding needed, hatchlings dying out of the shell. B'rax frowned beside him and offered words that were of little comfort, “It happens... do not let it spoil the entire Hatching, Weyrleader.” A'zael gave a low grunt in return. He knew it happened. He'd seen it happen plenty of times before, but that didn't make it easier for him to bear. He didn't want to be here as it was, and that had not helped. He was reminded of his conversation with S'bol. Looks like his efforts hadn't been enough. Again. The fact that it was a bronze made it worse somehow, and he felt a pang of guilt over thinking it. What sort of colorist attitude was that to have? Rau would be disappointed with him. Ugh. No more Betweens... please, no more.

As the brown took his time making his choice of the boys, the Gazing Egg and the Grinning Egg hatched out two blues. From the Gazing egg a pale, slate colored blue stepped forth, head snaking this way and that as he surveyed the candidates before him, appearing as though he knew just who he was looking for and was simply having a hard time locating them. The blue that stood from the remains of the Grinning Egg was a dark royal blue color, but blue was not the only color on his hide. His paws were white, though that was difficult to see from the stands. What was obvious to anyone looking, however, were his white face and the white bib-like marking on his chest and neck, stark in comparison to his otherwise dark coloration. Without any hesitation, he strode forward and made his choice, seeming not to care at all about the murmurs in the stands over his arrival. A'zael watched the blue and white dragon leaving the sands with just as much confusion as anyone else. What on Pern?

The other blue let out a low hiss as he watched his brother walk from the sands with his new bonded and made his way toward the boys, quickly selecting the young Renden as his rider with a glare tossed at the still wandering brown. The brown watched him for a moment as he was led off the sands, then his hunger really started to get the better of him. Looking up at a few of the closest boys, he turned his head slowly, surveying each one, and stepped forward to push his nose into his rider's stomach, hitting him with the full force of his hunger as his eyes whirled the rainbow of Impression, My K'var, may we eat now?

Looks to Khavar

Kabutenth (kah-boo-tenth)
Agility: 2
Speed: 4
Endurance: 8
Size At Full Growth: 66 feet
Speaking Color: 7c2121

Appearance:
Kabutenth is a hulking brute of a brown and will be 66 feet at full growth. It is quite clear he'll be able to match the stamina of most bronzes, even at hatching. His neck is thick, his chest broad, his wings expansive. He is incredibly heavyset and will never be very agile, having to depend on blues and greens, and plenty of betweening, to keep him out of harm's way in Threadfall. His darker coloration only serves to make him appear even larger, a deep, rich red-brown, reminiscent of rosewood. He is completely unmarked.

Personality: Logical, Responsible, Light-hearted, Witty
This brown is, for the most part, what most Pernese imagine a brown should be. A responsible sort, he obeys orders and performs his duties to the very best of his ability, but being responsible doesn't mean one has to be a complete stick in the mud. He approaches life with a light-hearted sense of humor, reminding everyone around him, especially his rider, not to take life too seriously, and to enjoy it, every part of it, even the most menial tasks. There's no use wasting time complaining when there are things that need to be done, just make the best of it. And dwelling on the past? One shouldn't waste time worrying about things they can't change when there are so many possibilities before them. Intelligent and witty, Kabutenth may very well end up with a penchant for one-liners and puns.

He is logical to a fault, and often forgets that others are far more emotionally driven than he is. This can make him come off a bit callous when anyone comes to him with a problem, as his instant response will be to start listing off possible solutions and courses of action that can be taken without consideration for how his suggestions might come off sounding to someone that is upset. In time, his rider might teach him how to be a bit more tactful, but out of the shell? This brown doesn't comprehend complex emotions well. His logical nature will however make him good at grounding those around him, keeping a calm, clear head when others panic, and bringing his rider down to earth should they fly into any sort of emotional extreme. He will be a solid, steady presence for others to lean on.

Analytical, this brown will weigh possibilities and outcomes when it comes to deciding whether to participate in a chase or not. In the end it all comes down to whether he has determined that the chances of his winning are greater than his chances of losing, and if he believes they are, then he'll chase. This means he isn't likely to chase golds, especially not the larger ladies, but he may try on occasion for the smaller golds, aware that he can certainly match the stamina of his bronze peers. Chasing greens will likely never much appeal to him as it is a rather frivolous pursuit, unless encouraged by his rider.

Mizao

The Spiral Egg and the Feather Egg hatched in quick succession, revealing a yellow-ish green and a purple-ish blue respectively. Both made for the small group of girls. Standing beside Joia and Alenia, Mizao stiffened. The first green had not come for her, sticking to the edges of the group as she circled them like a stalking feline, but now there were two more heading their way. How could she keep an eye on all three of them? Luckily the first green made her choice, a girl named Dalla that Mizao had not gotten to know at all. The new pair headed off the sands as the blue and second green reached the group. The blue made his way carefully between them,, searching, and Mizao stepped quickly out of his way as he came close to them. He passed her by without a second look, and soon had passed all the girls without making a choice. Instead he headed on toward the boys.

The green took her time, pausing before several of the girls as if considering them, before moving on to the next. She passed Mizao over without pausing. Mizao wasn't certain how to feel about it. She considered Aleni briefly, and then she came to Joia. She paused longer there, perhaps half remembering her interaction with the girl from her egg, finding something familiar there. But in the end she moved on, following her blue brother toward the boys after bumping her muzzle against Joia's hand. Mizao breathed out, realizing she'd been holding her breath, and looked over at Joia, “I thought she had picked you for sure!”

[Esko]

Candidate Karolinna

Karolinna was beginning to lose track of hatchlings, as two blues broke shell. But wait, one of the blues was eye-catching, in that he had white splotches on his blue hide. Not nearly-white blue, but white. Was that normal? Apparently it wasn't, according to the spectator's reactions. Karolinna hoped one of the blues could be hers, but they both had gone and Impressed to boys. No worries, there were still eggs left. The girl cast a quick glance toward the Flame Egg, in its stillness. Why was she worrying about the little queen? It wasn't like the gold would see anything dignified in her. She gained sympathy from the little one in the egg, not friendship. They weren't the same thing.

So there was a blue and green still wandering, and Karolinna's hopes were dashed when the green rejected a girl and both moved towards the boys. There were still eggs, but there were also many girls. She was already doubting that one of these eggs contained her lifemate, and the feeling was sickening. She wanted a dragon more than ever, and she wasn't picky. So what if she didn't Impress something big? She wanted something to love her. Anything.

Candidate Shintagoi

So the brown had Impressed to that Harper boy. That was fine, he didn't want the brown anyway. Though he did look like he could size up a smaller bronze, so maybe he shouldn't have doubted it. Shintagoi tensed up when the two blues approached the boys, but felt relieved again when they picked their lifemates and took them off the Sands. He was still pure, for the time being. He wanted to will the Giant Egg open, but things didn't work like that. He had to be patient, like he had been all these Turns of Standing, and Destiny would pay out in the end.

Oh no! Another blue and green were headed towards the boys. Shintagoi took a little step back, hoping to avoid the gaze of the two hatchlings, especially the green. Greens were just fodder so that higher ranks could exist, he had no time for a green. And if she approached him? He had no qualms sending the wretched thing between, though it would significantly impact his reputation. A bronzerider survived on reputation; shards, look at the Weyrleader! Shintagoi huffed. He would not go down as a greenrider today.

[Alyx]

Candidate Khavar K’var – Brown Kabutenth

Okay, he would admit it, he wasn’t really paying that much attention. His connection with the eggs in this clutch had been limited to say the least, uncomfortable if you wanted to detail it. He watched with a smile as the Grinning and Gazing Eggs hatched, nodding softly. Ah – he had been sure that one was a Green, but he didn’t give it much attention; neither had cared much for him. Well, one hadn’t cared, the other too much. He remembered the drowning feeling and gave just a little shudder. Yea… no thank you.

Both Blues claimed their riders, and Khavar was thankful neither was him. While he wanted a dragon very badly, he knew that neither of them, in the long run, would be something he wanted to deal with. Nothing wrong with hoping for a dragon you could actually get along with, right? He watched the Brown finally seem to start toward the boys. Casual little man, wasn’t he? The Harper made to step out of the way – and instead made an ‘oof’ noise as the little Brown’s head caught him square in the stomach.

My K'var, may we eat now? He froze, eyes looking down to meet the swirling rainbow tilted peering up at him. He’d been sure… so sure… broken from… His hands came up, catching on either side of the Brown’s head, running his fingers over his new Dragon’s jaw. K’var…. K’var… he’d made it…. He had… the tears caught just on the edge of his eyes. “Yes.” He took a moment, a breath. “Yea, Kabutenth. Come on, let’s get you something in that stomach.”

He stepped back but kept a hand on the Brown as the pair turned and moved away from the other boys, the eggs, and off the Sands to meet the Weyrlingmaster and join the rest of their clutch group.

Candidate Joia

S’bol had warned them the hatching could go fast, but she didn’t seem to realize how fast. She’d had a hard time keeping track of the different eggs and hatchlings, instead finally settling on simply making note of colors and when they left, trying to remember the names of those who impressed. The blue with the funny feet was pretty, almost like he’d been dipped in dye sort of – she liked it, but the murmur in the cavern made it seem like this wants a good thing? Wasn’t nature? She frowned. He was alive, right? That’s all that should matter?

The Feather and Spiral eggs hatching did instantly have her attention. She had touched both, meet both, and her heart jerked a little. The Feather, now a Blue, had been only brief contact; a scan, a greeting, and they had parted. Not rude.. just not what either had been looking for. She watched him move past them with a smile, silently sending him luck. He was so pretty, a mix of indigo and sky, all swirled together.

The Green, the Spiral, she’d spent so much more time with. She wasn’t at all surprised how pretty she was! Free, fresh, yellow Green like new grass! As the Green moved by, she stopped… Joia let the smile take her lips. ‘Hey you.’ She thought softly. She wasn’t sure if the Green heard her, but the little creature leaned her head out, the muzzle pushing against her hand. Joia turned the hand, running her fingers over the little Green’s nose and jaw, letting the touch linger as the hatching turned and moved along – she was both thrilled and broken a little in the heart as the Green moved away.

Mizao’s voice pulled her back. Joia looked quickly at her friend, knowing she was crying a little, and smiled. “I thought she might too.” She looked back at the hatchling as the Green moved away, her voice just low enough for the other girl to hear. “She remembered me though… did you see that? She remembered.” If nothing else happened, nothing else Joia would walk off these Sands with a happy, happy heart if that Green bonded well.