A Hurricane of a Hatching

[Kino]

Tanwen had paused for a brief moment in her walk when Leander (she wasn't sure what his name had been shortened to, so she'd just keep referring to him as that in her own mind until she knew) spoke off that comment. It wasn't what he'd said that made her pause so much as the way he'd said it. Usually his voice was laced with tones of over-excitement and enough joy to be more annoying than a sack of tunnel snakes, but when he'd responded to her elbowing him in the gut he'd calmed down considerably. Tanwen looked over her shoulder at him in the moment she'd paused, and then continued on her walk over to where she'd been standing.

When the new weyrlings were being filed out, she of course had to wait until the rest of them had gone before she could head out with the other candidates. Tanwen was standing in such a spot that any of the weyrlings going out would have to file past her. She heaved a sigh when Leander and his green started past, looking pointedly to the side and down towards the floor. The girl didn't much feel like making eye contact with him right now, and though she would never admit to it consciously that may have been because she felt at least the slightest bit of guilt over elbowing him in the stomach. She managed to convince herself she only looked away from him because he was particularly annoying to her after putting his arm around her shoulder. Her elbowing him hadn't been because she really wanted to cause him pain or anything, the girl just genuinely didn't do well with being touched.

[Feel free to 'break the rules' and drag her along with the weyrlings, if you want xD I'm sure she'd LOVE to be touched again and grabbed by the wrist or something.

Also, Wolf, I'm going to say that K'ris ended up walking right in front of Tieler, because he's at the end of the weyrlings and I can picture her wanting to be at the front of the candidates xD So yeah, if you're not OK with that, just lemme know or change that in your post ;P ]

As the pair followed at the end of the line of weyrlings, K'ris caught sight of the candidates lining up behind him. He recognized Tieler as one of the girls who was doing their best to pester him before he'd gone to save Queroth. K'ris glanced back at her for a moment, blinking in minor confusion when he looked ahead. She'd had her hand up at her face, and her eyes had looked so...he guessed distraught would be the word. Her face had looked a bit discolored too, but he had a feeling that was just his eyes playing tricks on him from exhaustion.

That girl was staring at me when we came up the stairs, Mine. Qeuroth informed his bonded, considering his thoughts were touching on the girl anyway. K'ris looked down to the hawk's eye by his side, then offered a lopsided smile.

I don't think anyone expected you to be there, he replied. Actually, they probably thought I was a goner, too. K'ris gave a short laugh. If I hadn't gotten you out in time, we probably both would've drowned.

The dragon tilted his head to the side.Why are you laughing, K'rismine? That would not have been good at all!

K'ris looked down to Qeuroth once more. Sorry, buddy. I didn't mean it to be funny it was more of... He thought for a moment, his walking pace subconsciously slowing as he did so. It was a relieved laugh.

Ohh. Qeuroth seemed satisfied with the answer. That makes sense then, Mine. I am relieved that you saved both of us too. The boy smiled again and ran his hand along the ridges on Qeuroth's head. He thought back to one of the families he'd lived with, when there'd been a fire in their barn and he'd thrown himself into it to save the newborns of their runners. They'd been relieved that both he and the young runners were safe, but had scolded him for being so reckless.

"Always the hero," he muttered under his breath, remembering the words that they'd said to him before bringing the runners somewhere safe.

Mine is a hero? Qeuroth was looking up to K'ris again, he tilted his head and his eyes gave a little confused whirl. K'ris gave another short laugh, and he shook his head.

I'm no hero. I just try to help where I can. He smiled down to the little blue-black dragonet.

[Wow, that got long xD]

[kestrel]

Hikanth may have managed to stay in the stands overhead, un-noted amongst the other bronzes even for all his size. However, J'red wasn't ready to see the Weyrwoman, and he certainly didn't want to run into her new Weyrmate, the Weyrleader. So, he slipped out even before the orders were given to the Weyrlings to move out. He headed for his Weyr, walking quickly down the corridors and halls, until he reached it and lie on his bed, pondering whether or no he should stay put or give congrats at the hatching feast, making sure they were brief and he was unseen...

~~~~~~

Tikal didn't even bother to put down Sarcth. He hadn't even really had much time to feed the small, white dragonet, either. As it was, he grabbed a bucket of meat, which he hauled up higher into the stands and then, carefully ripping the chunks down to managable sizes of meat rather than larger bits, he fed them to Sarcth until the dragonet couldn't eat anymore. He wondered if K'ris had gotten his fed, but felt assured that he had, so when the order came to get their dragonets out of the hatching sands, he was amongst the front of the line, Sarcth cradled in his arms, eyes lidded over as he began to fall asleep.

~~~~~~

*Will we see J'kiran and Kaenith later, mine?*

Azaranth's query didn't really surprise X'ion, but it did kind of catch him a little off guard. When the orders had been given to evacuate, Weyrlings first, X'ion had merely given a quick look back at his half-brother and his bronze, and then led Azaranth off, walking a little ways behind the crimson haired boy who'd impressed the white. He felt almost bad for the guy-anyone who knew anything about white dragonets knew they had a bad survival rate, took twice as long to mature, and he wasn't even sure if they flew in mating flights. Tikal, was it? Well, he'd have a far longer trial to go through, if his dragonet survived. He figured since it had hatched out and had its first meal, chances were under proper care it would. Well, no matter. He had his bronze Azaranth. That was all he needed to worry himself about.

"Sure, I guess. There's a hatching feast after this..." he trailed off, thinking about how much his life had changed in one day. He hadn't exactly been expecting to impress today. Not to a bronze. Not to anything, really. He was surprised that someone like the confident Tieler and her pal Raska had stood, while he'd impressed. No one knew how dragons chose, but maybe it was true that there was one for everyone, waiting to be found...it didn't brook much pondering over. Maybe they'd impress next time around, who knew. It wasn't really his concern, and he was sure they wouldn't be the type to want to take any thoughts on that from anyone. He walked along, lost in thoughts of impression, Weyrlinghood, and what had transpired between J'kiran and himself. Yes-life was about to get much, much more complicated.

~~~~~~

Kestrel hurried along in the line of Weyrlings, her newly hatched dragonet chattering aimiably alongside her, though he wasn't exactly 'chatterboxing', he was not at a loss of words, either.

*Evacuating? Will the big dragons be all right, Kestrelmine?* Nyanth asked, glancing over his shoulder at the dragons who'd taken wing for the higher tiers. He seemed genuinely concerned, his young tone serious.

Kestrel smiled and nodded. She was still in a dreamlike state of shock, really. She knew that Akki had a blue male dragon, but she'd never pictured herself impressing to one. She'd been figuring green would have been her lot-even though personality wise she'd never exactly been a 'green type'. She'd impressed. She'd impressed a male dragon. It was nice, but nonetheless she couldn't shake the feeling that she might wake up at any given moment. She glanced over her own shoulder, seeing Weyrlings filing along behind her. Where was Hasima, anyhow? Weyrlings had been instructed to leave first, so would her friend be close behind them? She wasn't sure, but suddenly she wanted her friend to be there. She belonged amongst the Weyrlings. However, save J'kiran and K'ris, who were both...preoccupied...she didn't feel like she fit in much there.

~~~~~~

R'yo had waved a quick 'bye' to R'xis and Wolf before heading down to join the Weyrlings. He didn't really feel strange having impresseed. Everything in his life was already strange, what with his amnesia and all-nothing really could have made that stranger. Besides, he'd impressed a brown, just like R'xis! No matter that Ersith was a girl, it was still the same color, right? He looked up to R'xis and having a brown only intensified his semi-idolization of the other boy. Resith was just perfect, and R'yo almost couldn't seem to remember what he'd felt like before the impression. Everything, for the first time since he'd arrived, felt 'right'.

He had impressed a dragon, and he had a close friend here, and then there were others in the Weyr, like Wolf, whom he felt sure he was forging a friendship with. What more could he ask for? Resith by his side was walking along, yawning tiredly once before continuing to eye the others with blatant curiosity.

~~~~~~

Kaiya had been hoping to impress, so the red-haired girl was on cloud nine. She hadn't really wanted the responsibility that would have came with Gold. The thought of being Weyrmated to another person until next flight just seemed particularily unpleasant to her. So, she was more than happy with her green Prydath. The mint colored dragonet was prancing along with more energy than Kaiya would have come to expect, given the tired aura that was teeming in the ranks of the Weyrlings. She was bright eyed and alert, even seeing as she'd been amongst the first to hatch. Not to say there wasn't a tinge of tiredness underlying all that so-called alertness...just that it wasn't seeming to be the dragonet's primary concern. Kaiya smiled fondly at her newfound bond, not feeling that any words were needed as she filed out with Prydath, evacuating with the other Weyrlings. She glanced back at those who had no impressed...there'd been three girls and a boy who'd been left standing. Even through the joy of her own impression, she knew that Raska, Tieler, Tanwen and Kaellen must have felt at least some measure of disappointment...

~~~~~~

If Raska were feeling any disappointment, she wasn't letting it show to anyone there. She walked along with her arms folded over her chest, thinking about Kero, whom was safely near the kitchens where she'd left him. Lucky she hadn't left him in the barracks for Candidates! He'd be safe, and now she turned her attention to Tieler. She didn't miss her friend gazing at that short boy's dragonet, and elbowed her lightly to get her attention, wondering a little at the blush. Embarrassment, perhaps, at the fact that K'ris had impressed and they hadn't? Maybe, but who cared? Just meant that her dragonet wasn't amongst these ones. She wasn't going to get her head in a knot over it. Still, she knew how much impressing probably meant to Tieler. Even though Tieler had gotten Alias, her flitt, and Raska had Kero, she figured not impressing probably bothered her friend more than her, even. And so, "so, these lumps of dragonets didn't pick us winning girls, huh? Seems to me they can't be too bright. The ones we impress'll be better'n all of these together, I'm sure. Probably in the next batch, I'm thinking. What about you?" She grinned but it held a hint of wryness. She had wanted to impress, too. She wasn't jealous that she hadn't-not exactly. It just kind of irked her that she'd been left dragonetless. Still, Tieler had, too. They'd get through this 'non-impression' bit together. She wasn't exactly glad Tieler hadn't impressed. Still, if her closest and pretty much only friend here had, where would that have left her? She didn't exactly relish that thought, in the least.

~~~~~~

Vyralth watched the rest of the impression after agreeing with Priath, pleased to see that the rest of it went mostly without a hitch. He gave a keen for the dead Tiger's Eye dragonet, but was glad to see that both were not lost. When the instruction was given for the dragons who could fly to go up to the higher tier, he flew up and alighted near Priath. *The hatching went well. The dragonets have all impressed,* he sent, sounding pleased.

K'tan stood up and glanced over the rail when he saw the last of the Candidates struggling to get their dragonets up into the stands. He sighed with relief when they all made it, and then he stuck his hands in his pockets and turned to Anassa. "Well, that went all right. I suppose I'll see you at the hatching feast, then?" He smiled at the young woman and nodded off in the direction of the vanishing line of Weyrlings. "But for now, seems like we need to follow them on out."

[Torva Anian]

Any normal hatching and she'd be slipping away to the kitchens right now. Maybe setting out some final dishes for those surprise guests, or making sure the musicians corner was just right (they could be a rather fussy lot sometimes), or maybe just chatting with her friends, but no she was here. In line with all the dragon riders ready to sit on her arse and do nothing more than eat and merry make. She didn't even have family on such an occasion. Satnee straightened and closed her eyes briefly, even though she knew she shouldn't care for such people, it still hurt to think of them around family times, feasts, Gathers, and the like. She glanced at the green briefly, couldn't she at least have gotten a better minded dragon, not this fiery spirited thing.

I'm not a thing, Elieth replied hotly, and I think that's about enough of your ranting. You're going to shut up and enjoy being a dragon rider. Don't you see all the other children around here who look at the dragons with yearning? They would have loved to have a dragon like me.

Too bad you didn't pick them then, huh? I'm never going to like this. I didn't ask to be a dragon rider and I never wanted to be one. Satnee's tone was sulky, because she knew that her complaining was just a way to avoid the horror of knowing Elieth was bonded to her for life.


~~~~~~~~~

Well, that was that. Quite an interesting turn out. K'nest didn't bother making his way over to the feast yet. The newly Impressed weyrlings and family would, no doubt, be going first to make sure the little dragonets didn't get hurt by the conditions or fall into the water. He glanced upwards at all the dragons, You going to be alright up there? I don't expect you'll be able to fly out in a while. Temesth rumbled, We'll be fine. If anything you should worry about us a few days from now when we discover how much the herdbeast might have been hurt during such a storm. K'nest smiled, You'll just hunt elsewhere, I'm sure the Weyrwoman saw to their safety when we heard of the storm coming down.

He would have wondered why the blue was more worried about food than being trapped away from him, but he sensed that Temesth finally trusted he wouldn't run away. That and the blue was coming close to needing to be fed. It felt good that the blue had started to trust him to move away and wasn't so anxious. Temesth would probably always need reassurance, but it wouldn't be anxiety pressing him to seek it anymore.

~~~~~~

Sorcha slowly followed the crowd outwards. She was more interested in going to her Weyr and having some peace and quiet. Maybe even getting under some blankets, it had gotten quite cold in the Hatching Sands.

~~~~~~

Kallan sighed, he'd really wanted a little dragon to play with. He'd thought it would be so much easier to get one. Maybe he sould get a little bit more dressed up next time? Like make it to where he was standing out a little. Of course it'd be hard since he'd have to wear the white robes and sandals with whatever he picked. Hermmm, whelps he had almost a Turn to figure it out. Although waiting that long would take forever. Maybe the other Gold would rise soon and he could have one of those dragons.

He shook his head, no worries now though. There was a feast to be had, which meant entertainment and lots of little dragons to look at, even if they weren't his. He was still a little bummed, but thoughts of how fun it would probably be made him a little happier.

[Wolf]

So what if Tanwen had decided he wasn’t her cup of tea? How did that really affect him? Surely she didn’t mean it; she was probably having an off day. She just needed time to adjust to how charming he was; it was probably too much for her to take in all at once. Now that he’d impressed she’d be even more marvelled by him... though she hadn’t impressed herself... Mkinth, sleepy and full, wasn’t too much focused in on L’der’s thoughts and feelings. L’der could feel that detachment, not blaming the newly hatched. ‘It can’t be all me all the time, though it really should be,’ L’der thought disappointedly.
He eyed Tanwen with suspicion, suspecting that she was hiding something from him. There was no way that she could respond to him so rudely hadn’t there been a problem of her own she was dealing with! ‘Hello, buddy,’ his brain told him, ‘she’s without a dragon.’ L’der had a feeling that this could have had something to do with it, but he was betting that it wasn’t the full extent of what she was feeling deep down. ‘I’m hungry, and food makes people talk,’ he thought, shaking his head to gain more eyesight. ‘Maybe once we’re at the feast she’ll have more to say. Wait, does she get to go to the feast? Oh, no matter, I’ll drag her along.’ Mkinth looked up and over at L’der, studying his bonded.
Are you all right? You seem flustered?
Flustered, me? Never happens. L’der laughed aloud, making himself look a bit crazy, but that was the least of his worries. Most of the people around here already thought he was off-center.
It must be easier for you to lie to yourself then it is to lie to me, Mkinth decided, letting L’der know the conclusion he’d come to.
L’der grumbled something under his breath, lowering his head, eyes narrowed. He was quite the picture of frustration, but then his thoughts returned to food and he seemed to brighten up a bit. “I’m sure they’ll have all kinds of food at the feast, everything, and as much as I-I mean we-want.” Yes, he was planning on being a glutton.

~~~

Tieler looked over at Raska, knowing that her friend likely didn’t believe that these dragonets were no good for them... As far as she could tell there was a lot of lovely dragonet’s that had impressed to capable people-though she’d only ever admit to them being pathetic wherryheaded children. ‘None of them deserve impression, they all just got extremely lucky,’ she thought, her anger beginning to blaze.
“Who cares if we didn’t impress, you’re right, and it’s really not a big deal at all.” She crossed her arms over her chest, tightening up when she looked back over at K’ris and Queroth. She hadn’t taken her sight off of them for more than a quick moment. “Besides, Alias is more special then this typical lot. All they’re good for is consuming food and raping you of your thoughts. Who’d want that?” she said. These days Tieler hardly ever said what she felt; rather she lashed out in anger, saying everything she didn’t mean to get others worked-up.

Alias was comfortably perched on the girl’s shoulder, creeling at the rush of angry images she was receiving from Tieler. She chortled, not wanting Hers to feel this way. Tieler, attention divided, shrugged off the flitt’s complaints. “What’s your problem?” she asked Alias hotly, and of course the flitt didn’t move to make any sort-of reply. Instead the miniature dragon was reduced to silence, attempting to fall into a distant sleep.
“See, even Alias isn’t good for much, so why need something even larger?” For some reason her words stung her, and she could feel a developing tightness in the flitt also-as if she’d understood perfectly what Tieler had said. Tieler bit back a sigh, looking down at her feet as they walked. She wiped a sleeve over her cheek, the wetness of her eyes unfamiliar to her. All they needed was a quick dab and then they persisted leaking. “I think as a whole this Hatching was a waste of time, personally I can think of far better things we could’ve been doing.” The smirk that developed on her face should’ve told Raska that she’d had in mind wreaking more havoc around the Weyr. Now, especially, Tieler felt like getting some other people’s blood boiling. Perhaps a bit of theft was in order, and what better time then when everyone else was going to be too busy at the Hatching Feast?
“Raska, I’ve got me a plan,” she chuckled.

[Kino]

[Tanwen's half of the post isn't going to be very long this time around...xD not much to do. And J'kiran is wandering alone in the crowd, since he and X'ion have parted for now xP]

Tanwen waited for the group to mostly go by before stepping away from her wall. She stepped in line with the candidates towards the back of the crowd. At this point, she just wanted to get the feast over with and then head back to...wherever they would be spending the night.

[Wolf's got permission from me to 'usher' Tanwen along to the hatching feast xD just for the record.]

- - -

Mine, Qeuroth said, looking behind him as he walked. He was walking directly beside K'ris, so he wouldn't bump into anything. That girl is still looking.

K'ris glanced down to Qeuroth as they walked, then breifly over his shoulder at the same moment that Tieler had been looking at the ground. He shrugged and looked ahead once more. Maybe she likes your hide. You're certainly different, Queroth.

The hawk's eye shook his head, eyes whirling once as he did so. I do not think so, he said. When she looks this way, I think she's looking at Mine. And she is looking this way a lot.

K'ris' curiosity was caught at this point, and he looked over his shoulder again. This time she was turned to speak to Raska, and not looking in his direction, so he again looked back ahead. Not sure what you're talking about, bud. he said.

Again, mine!

That time, when K'ris looked over his shoulder, Tieler was indeed looking over towards him. He blinked and squinted one eye slightly, but then looked head. Judging from the way he could hear her chattering away with her friend, she wasn't trying to get his attention. And the last words they'd said to each other hadn't exactly been friendly, so he couldn't imagine why she would be looking towards him. Maybe she's just looking ahead, he suggested. He looked back towards her again to see if that was the case. This time he actually met her gaze, and he looked quickly ahead once more and stared forward and a bit towards the ground with a terribly confused expression.

She is looking at you, Mine. Not ahead.

I can see. Though he had no idea why she would be. In fact, he was so confused over the girl's stares (at this point, there was really no other way to describe what she was doing) that he couldn't even begin to theorize over why she was staring. Just don't stare back, he said, and Queroth looked forward reluctantly.

[Wolf]

L’der was keen on doing something about this situation with Tanwen, he just had to break her ice chips... which sounded really odd.

I’ll break her yet, she’ll see, you’ll see. L’der seemed to want to talk to Mkinth about it, though he understood that the dragonet would likely have no idea what he was trying to get at.
Do whatever you see fit to do Mine...
They were almost at the Candidate’s Barracks where L’der suspected they’d be switching there things over, and then getting prepared for the feast to come! “Oh this’ll be a night to remember,” L’der told himself, grinning stupidly.
{ OOC| Branching this situation over to the Hatching Feast, hence the short post... }

~ ~ ~

When K’ris caught her eye Tieler quickly looked away, feeling incredibly uneasy. This was all wrong, and she didn’t even know what “this” was. ‘Whatever I’m feeling it’s not real. I’m sure of it,’ she convinced herself. She wasn’t about to tell Raska her insane thoughts, she’d no doubt ask if she’d lost it. At this point in time Tieler rather thought she had. “I’ll figure this out,” she muttered to herself, not daring to sneak another peak ahead to where K’ris was keeping an even pace. As time continued to pass, and pass, she felt as if she needed to do something impulsive more and more. She still had an idea of what to do; it was just how to go about doing it that was getting at her.

‘Everyone’s going to be at the feast, and no one’s going to miss a lowly Candidate when they’re so involved in their celebrations,’ she thought, putting a finger to her lower lip. ‘I’ll just wait until everyone’s gone and then be a good little girl and help them organize their things,’ she chuckled darkly. She winked at Raska, wondering what the girl would think afterward when she told her that she’d stolen the Weyrlings things. Oh, it was such a great plan! Even the Senior Weyrwoman herself would be occupied and no one could dare scold a person they couldn’t prove had done a thing! Alias could be her look out, and then everything was bound to go her way. Who knows, perhaps they wouldn’t even know there treasures were missing.
{ OOC| Branching this over also... Hehehehe... }