Afternoon Delights {Riklith's Clutch Hatches!}

[Pocket]

It was just coasting on the later part of the afternoon; the better part of the day was gone. With Rukbat getting closer and closer to the rim of the Weyr, starting to coat the weyrbowl in shadow, when there was a shift in the air.

The normal drone of noise in the Weyr was suddenly silenced, tension filling in the place instead.

Within the hatching cavern, Riklith was nosing over her eggs, unable to get them or herself comfortable. Dragon’s Eye made every attempt to fall from its mother’s corrections, Sugar Wind was suspiciously closer to the entrance. However, all of her nosing and gentle prods produced the same conclusion; the shells were hard and hot, and the rustling within more audible than it had the last few days. She hadn’t slept since the day before, monitoring her eggs diligently in preparation for the time.

Now, it had finally come.

The golden dragon raised her head up, eyeing the few spectators who had perched in the stands already, before starting to hum. She sang for her children, who began to struggle and rock within their confines at their mother’s call. It wasn’t long before other dragons soon took up the call, echoing within the Weyr until it near shook with the force of it, and the eggs responded in kind – their efforts to escape increasing.

The commotion brought Haelyn to the edge of the rider’s perch, hands gripping the stone rail as she surveyed the clutch. Rime perched on her shoulder, adding his small voice to the growing chorus. The eggs shook and rattled, as some gaining hairline cracks in their beautiful shells as the first of the candidates and spectators began to file in. Up in the higher sections, she recognized some of the riders already present – including Jayli and Talloranth.

Her grip on the rail tightened in excitement, unable to stop herself from smiling. The time had come.

---

(All profiles will be sent via PM once Impression has been made.)

Clutching Thread
Sugar Wind Egg - Sweet Fix Hatched
Dragon’s Eye Egg - Untold Wonder Hatched, What's going on??
Forbidden Want Egg - Unhatched
Fresh Scent Egg - Unhatched, Majorly cracked
Heartvines Egg - Brilliant Potential Impressed -- Carlton
Delicate Riches Egg – Unhatched, Still Sideways
Bruising Velvet Egg - Public Centerpiece Hatched, WATCH OUT RAMPAGE
Detrimental Health Egg – Unhatched

Impressions in order:
Blue/Brown Xylith to Carlton

[Chinchilla]

Nepeta had been curled up for a cat nap, hidden in the Lost apartments of the Weyr, when the humming started. At first, she could ignore the sound of the dragons. But soon, it grew to a near roar that made her horns thrum and her jaw ache. The troll cracked open one eye, stretching leisurely and running her clawed finger tips over the pile of assorted soft things that she had gathered. "What's going on?" Well, only one way to find out!

Nepeta reluctantly extracted herself from her pile, shaking off scraps of fabric. She shook herself, straightened out her coat, and then set off to investigate the source of the loud humming. Perhaps the humans were doing a ritual? Nepeta's curiosity had gotten the best of her, and she definitely wasn't going to just sit in the lower caverns and ask what happened later!

The troll girl crept out of the lower caverns, ignoring the oppressive heat of the retreating day. She didn't mind the shadows, feeling more at home in them then she ever did out in the alien sun of Pern. Nepeta looked around the weyrbowl, her head cocked to one side as she strained to track where the sound was coming from. Her horns were still aching from the deep thrumming of the dragons, but she wasn't about to let a silly thing like a horn ache stop her from the sweet, sweet satisfaction of being nosy!

People seemed to be moving to the hatching sands, and that was where the humming seemed to be the loudest. So, Nepeta followed. The troll girl hesitated, not sure how she was supposed to enter the cavern. She knew that there were stands, but Riklith hadn't minded her being on the Sand before! Besides, there were people going onto the Sands right now.

With her mind made up, Nepeta hurried to the sands, her curiosity overwhelming her. When she finally slipped through the entrance, ignoring how odd she looked compared to the candidates, she froze at what she saw.

The eggs were hatching. Or, sort of hatching. They were wiggling and stuff. To be honest, Nepeta didn't really know what a hatching egg looked like. She mostly ate eggs instead of watching them hatch.

She had a feeling that she wasn't supposed to be here.

[Zaxal]

Riklith's clutch is Hatching.

Nocta knew the time must be getting close, but she hadn't expected it to be near to nighttime when it happened. She chided herself silently -- clutches didn't care about the time of day, they Hatched when they were ready and not a moment before or after. Ralelth took off from her weyrledge to join the dragons around the upper rim up the Sands. She wanted a good view of the candidates and their bonding to their lifemates.

It was for a similar reason that Nocta made her way quickly from her weyr to the Sands, weaving through flocking weyrfolk and those who had already grabbed a spot on the Stands. "Hae," she called up to the proud rider of the clutch mother, ascending to the place where most of them tended to sit when watching their dragons' clutches. "Would you mind some company?" She asked with a smile, eyes going from her friend to the colorful eggs already beginning to shake.

It sent a thrill racing through her. It always did.

-----

Carlton had finished the last of his chores not that long ago. The chores were nice. They kept him busy, gave him a sense of purpose and time, a schedule to set himself by. Well. The chores weren't the only thing. "Should we go see if he wants company?" He asked Sonora, wiping his free arm across his forehead, wiping the sweat away.

He was most comfortable in the stables. It was hard work, cleaning, caring for the horses runners, shoveling out the waste, but it was worth it. It reminded him of Sonora's namesake, the old Western town tourist trap that he'd gladly considered his true home for most of his childhood.

Sonora trilled agreeably though she didn't feel the need to nuzzle at him or lick him. She often avoided that when he was dirty, a fact he'd picked up on and learned to exploit, knowing that a dirt-covered hand could send the prissy green creeling pathetically and vanishing off to preen and clean before coming back to him.

She always thought their visits were nice. Hers had such a good time, and she got to see her brother whenever he deigned it appropriate to spend his time not doing whatever silly thing Sheldon liked to do.

Carlton, on the other hand, knew better. Sonora might think them welcome friends, but there wasn't anything particularly friendly about it. The thought of showing up dirty and getting him messy made him smirk, but then Sonora's head lifted suddenly, intent. She began humming, crawling quickly down his arm and looping her tail around his wrist, dragging him from his trajectory towards the apartments and towards the Hatching Sands.

Carlton was suddenly aware that Sonora wasn't the only one humming. It seemed like it came from all around, vibrating through the rocks, through the very Weyr itself. His long legs covered the distance quickly, and he found himself in the Stands, looking out over the eggs and the candidates that would Stand.

Sonora cheeped merrily and pulled him down to a ringside seat, ignoring the wrinkling noses of people who didn't understand that Hers had been hard at work and deserved the best view. He sank down onto the seat reluctantly, wanting to stand, wanting to see everything.

He'd get to see enough, at least. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, eyes riveted on the eggs.

-----

The Dragons were Hatching. It was the closest thing to magic Elphaba had experienced since arriving in Pern, the sudden way the air seemed to vibrate all the way through to her soul. She shoved the wherhide books away and took off from her place, running quickly to the Sands, wanting to see it all.

She hadn't had a chance to see Impression yet, but she wanted to. Like a duckling finding its mother, only instead of its mother, the Dragon would choose their partner for life. Elphaba couldn't imagine.

She wouldn't have to for much longer.

The entrance she used was the same one that led to the Sands themselves, and it wasn't long before she felt the warmth under her boots. She could follow the candidates out, of course, possibly Stand herself though she was certain there was protocol for this sort of thing that she hadn't gone through.

It was tempting to hang back here, in the doorway, in the shadows where no one could see her green skin, where she could watch the Dragons without being disturbed. But Elphaba had never let herself hide before, and she had no intent of starting now.

She took a bold step out onto the Sands and then darted up to the Stands instead, finding a place where she could see, away from the people who were already sitting down. Elphaba's eyes couldn't stand still. There were other Dragons, the humming that vibrated through her, made her heart thump loudly in its cage, and then the golden mother and her colorful eggs.

Elphaba grinned, big and wide, rocking forward excitedly in her seat.

[kthehuman]

J'shom and Volinth had just returned from their leisurly flight; just a short, uneventful flight, but relaxing nonetheless. Not long after they landed, Riklith's hum filled the air. Volinth joined in immediately, loud enough to send vibrations through the ground to J'shom's feet. The eggs hatch, he notes, excitement and curiosity flowing through their bond.

Go on, J'shom smiled at the big dragon, I'll be there shortly. Volinth launched himself back into the air, angling towards the upper ridge of the Sands. J'shom stretched momentarily, taking a deep breath before walking into the Hatching Grounds himself. It didn't take him long to find Jayli in the stands and Haelyn by the rail; he approached her first. Placing his hands on her shoulders for just a moment, he offered quietly, "Tell Riklith I offer my congratulations on the beautiful clutch. It should be an exciting event," before moving off to be by Jayli. He smiled softly, sitting close to his side, "Evening, Jay."

----

Castiel took another sip of his lukewarm klah, flipping through his latest Pernese scroll - some sort of song that acted as a form of record-keeping - when Seraphim blinked in. She landed softly on the table in front of him, dropping off a glittery, smooth stone on the record sheet in front of him. She sat back on her haunches, fluttering her wings slightly before settling down, waiting for his approval. Castiel picked it up, pretending to examine it with much more interest than he felt. He leveled a very serious gaze at his companion, uttering softly, "This is a very good specimen. I shall add it to our collection promptly." He smiled slowly, scratching just behind her eye ridge as she cooed.

He stood walking towards the dresser, and a heavy vibration filled the air. Stopping, he turned to Seraphim, who had her head cocked; she shortly began humming, adding to the vibration. He received a quick image of the Hatching Sands, and realized that it must have something to do with the eggs. He turned back around, crossing quickly to the dresser and depositing the rock into the top drawer, where he has put most of the things Seraphim seems so eager to bring him. He crossed to the door, his flitt already circling above, and they passed through together. She flew ahead, and Castiel took a quick pace to keep up with her.

It seems like they arrived late, as there was already a multitude of people in the stands, as well as several in the Sands. Seraphim flew high, joining the dragons and other firelizards above the Sands. Castiel walked steadily to the Sands, as it seemed he would see most easily from up close.

[Pocket]

The stands were filling in nicely, gaining a good-sized crowd. The candidates were still filing in, skirting around the edges. Haelyn could pick out some faces within both crowds, unable to help the utter joy from her face. This had to be one of the grandest times within Weyrlife for the gold rider--be they Riklith's, or not. New life was always exciting to her.

Her gaze turned as her name was called, utterly beaming at her friend, the heat of the sands helping a flush to her face. "Nocta!" She grinned, waving her over excitedly. "Yes, most definitely! Thank you! Come join me!" Haelyn's attention was diverted momentarily by J'shom, smiling at the taller rider before giving a nod and a smile, offering her thanks before he walked away. Rime grumbled in her ear about being displaced, but seemed to be too involved with the event to make the full fit like he would have. She watched the brown rider momentarily, relieved, before turning back towards the shaking eggs.

---

It was here, finally. After all the hard work he and the rest of the searchriders had done up to this point, it would hopefully pan out. He could see his candidates from his perch, watching as they nervously made their way towards the clutch. It was exciting, even for a veteran like himself. His gaze left the gleaming eggs, seeing Nocta up on the ledge with Haelyn and unable to keep from smiling. No sign of R'sam yet, but all in due time. He'd have to go see them once the hatching was over.  

Jayli glanced over as he was joined, unable to stop his excited grin from melting back into an affectionate smile at J'shom. "Evening, handsome." He closed the small gap between them, hugging his best friend around the neck. If partially because he could do that once more.  

---

Riklith fidgeted with the eggs once more, before having to pull herself away. The increasing amount of candidates both put her at ease and worried her, but she tried to not let it show. Haelyn was right, she couldn't keep them forever. The dragon curled in on herself, making sure to keep some space for Tourrauth to join her if he so wished, before a loud crack caught her attention. 

The humming died down some as all attention was focused in on Heartvines. The royal blue splintered as the hatchling inside seemed all the more determined to free itself. With a mighty push, the shell split into two fragmented pieces, leaving a gooey hatchling sprawled out into the sands. 

Being the largest of the eggs, it was no surprise that the hatchling was large -- in relative size. As it fought to right himself, egg white sliding off soft hide, it became apparent something was quite... unique about this hatchling. It was quite obvious in the main blue of his hide, darkened in spots even while wet to create a depth in his hide; but what was so eye-catching was the not-blue part of him. For he was covered, from snout-tip to tail fork, in a pattern of not blue, very reddish-brown speckles.

The hatchling finally stood on his bearings, unable to fathom what an utter shock his entrance to the world had brought. Brilliant Potential shook his head free of sand-covered egg white, giving a soft chirp as his claws slid in the sand. 

What was everyone looking at?

[Chinchilla]

Poor Nepeta was a bit oblivious to the implications of the dragonet that freed himself from the egg, clapping her hands together and beaming with pleasure. "Hello!" She called out to the dragonet, because that was the polite thing to do. "Welcome to Purrn!" She even waved to the little baby dragon, friendly little monster that she was. She rocked back on her heels, her eyes wide with excitement and her tail flicking rapidly behind her. Babies

Nepeta didn't exactly have a maternal instinct, being from a species that was raised by giant monsters and threw their kids into deadly trials, but she did have a cute instinct. The baby dragon was definitely setting off her cute instinct! She wanted to go up and talk to him, but there was something awfully ritualized in this whole Hatching business. With some reluctance, Nepeta stayed put.

She would talk to the baby dragon later, after he found his rider. He was such a pretty shade of blue, with those reddish brown flecks! Nepeta grinned, all of her focus on the little blue and his still unhatched siblings.

So cute!

[Zaxal]

Nocta's grin widened, and she quickly walked to Haelyn, joining her near the railing. She looked out over the eggs, watching as candidates filed on and a few others seemed to be on the Sands. Her eyes immediately went to Riklith -- some dragons wouldn't take the breach of tradition kindly, but most of those golds probably wouldn't have been caught by a green in the first place. The clutch mother didn't seem to be bothered, so she relaxed herself. Things were fine.

"Seems like just yesterday that they were clutched, doesn't it?" The time between clutching and Hatching always seemed to go by so quickly. "They really are a beautiful clutch. Riklith should be proud."

The sound of something cracking had Nocta's eyes scanning the clutch before landing on the Heartvines egg. She bounced on the balls of her feet. The first-Hatched was a silly tradition to believe in, the omen of the first egg, but nevertheless, it was always interesting to see what the oldest would be.

Ralelth look -- a blue! She was partial to blues herself for the very obvious reason that she rode one herself. However, it took a moment for her eyes to adjust, for her to see. Oh. Oh. "Hae, look," she almost murmured it, hard to be heard over the chatter of the crowd and the hum of the dragons.

Well. That was new. And, to be honest, very exciting.

-----

Carlton's eyes widened as he watched the first baby dragon of the clutch enter into the world. He hadn't seen anything like it, what with the brown flecks on the otherwise blue hide, but he didn't know what a staggering change this would mean to the Pernese world.

In his ignorance, he thought that it looked about like a baby dragon should, and he kept his eyes on it, wondering if it would go immediately to its bonded as Sonora had to him or if it would be like one of the other troublesome firelizards who had taken their time finding the person they were supposed to be with.

For all he knew, it could be completely different for dragons too. Either way. His mouth tilted into a smile, and his eyes kept roving between the eggs, the candidates, and the hatchling.

-----

Elphaba, on the other hand, had done extensive amount of research since coming to the Weyr. There was so much to learn, so many new things to discover, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't want to know as much of it as she possibly could.

So when the blue/brown made its appearance on the scene, Elphaba held her breath. Looked out among the audience, feeling self-righteous anger flare at the idea that someone would reject it simply for being differently colored from any other Dragon in the history of Pern.

It was a rather personal sore spot, to be honest.

There were mixed reactions, but they didn't matter. Her eyes fell back to the small Dragon, focus honed in on it. She smiled slightly to herself and waited, so excited to see what the Dragon would do.

[kthehuman]

J'shom laughed, his arm curling around Jay's waist. "If you say so." He tilted his head toward his friend, pressing his lips softly against his cheek. A sharp cracking noise rang through the air, and he tensed, head whipping around to look at the clutch. Where the largest egg had sat, a baby dragon now stood. His lips quirked up as he took in the odd coloring. "Well...isn't that something?" he murmured. He couldn't help but wonder what was in store for a dragon of such odd coloring.

----

Castiel's head tilted to the side when the first dragon fought it's way out of the egg. He had not seen any dragons with such a mix of color; nor had he read of anything like it in the records he had searched. He knew that there had always been distinction between blues, greens, browns, bronzes, and golds. This dragon was a mix of blue and brown; such a thing was sure to cause trouble within the weyr.

Castiel stopped that train of thought when the dragon started looking around. He knew the dragon was supposed to walk to whomever he or she chose - he just didn't know how long they would have to wait before the Impression was made.

[Pocket]

It was hard to believe the hatching was already upon them, but it seemed as though with each passing clutch, the time seemed to fly by shorter and shorter--she idly remembered Riklith's first clutch seemed to take forever and a day to quicken. "They are. I think she's been most attached to this clutch so far." She practically preened under such praise of her dragon; for while, yes, they are beautiful, she still loved any praise said of Riklith.

The first crack had her full attention, and she didn't require any directionals to see something was.. not quite the same with this hatchling. Those redbrown spots caught the light, and refused to be seen as any sort of trick of the dying light. No, there would be no mistaking the two-toned coloring of the small dragon. It might brew trouble down the line, but he looked healthy from her perch and that was all that mattered to her. 

---

Jayli beamed, blaming the heat to his face on the atmosphere as he leaned into him slightly. "I certainly do. My judgment is good." He lightly rested his head on J'shom's shoulder for a moment, unable to stop the shy smile from lighting his face. This sort of more-than-friends affection was still new to him, uncharted sky. But this was still his best friend, even if the rules just changed a bit.

With the first hatching, Jayli tried not to lean forward in excitement. It was hard not to, though; these were Riklith's and Tourrauth's hatchlings! Talloranth's kin! The swell of warmth from his dragon up above made him smile, almost bouncing -- oh, a blue! He liked blues, absolutely loved Ralelth. But, wait -- "Is that..?" Brown? In a blue's coloring? What?

---

Brilliant Potential shook his head, shifting side to side under the weight of the crown around him. The stares and murmurs were a bit unsettling, and it worried the hatchling some. From up above, Riklith crooned to her hatchling, not touching him but reassuring through a call that everything would be fine. A friendly call caught his attention and, on shaking limbs, he started to stagger his way towards the crowd of candidates.

As he passed the frontwards egg, Sugar Wind, the light-colored egg gave a heave before it fell away in shattered pieces. The baby within shook itself out, having landed mostly on shaking claws. Large wings draped into the sand, dripping egg goo. She, like her brother, was a deep, royal shade of blue that looked crystallized in certain angles. The deep blue lightened to almost white as her joints. But that wasn't what caught the light, and made the whole cavern puzzle even more. It was the intricate play of brown over her deeply colored hide. It curled and dodged over her face and neck, spindling down her joints until it pooled at the ends of her legs, tail and wings. Sweet Fix chirped after her brother, watching with gooey eyes, but never the less watched as her brother staggered towards the ring of candidates. 

Next to the empty spot where Brilliant Potential had left nothing but a discarded shell, Bruising Velvet suddenly started to lurch violently from side to side. In it's haste, Delicate Riches was knocked what onto it's side into the sand. But not even the upset cry from the red egg could slow down this hatchling from freedom. The egg splintered like a spiderweb, until finally the cracked shell rolled free. The hatchling inside was one of the most stunning displays--if but to compare the striking between colors. 

His base color was, surprisingly, a lovely shade of warm gold. It held no markings, until reaching the ends of his extremities -- namely, his face, tail, wings, and legs. They were coated in a forest green that brindled up and disappeared into the warm gold of his hide, fading from view. Other then that, he lacked any other visible markings. Public Centerpiece took a moment, surveying the crowd and candidates alike, trying to assess what was around him. Once he felt he properly knew his surroundings, the dragonet proceeded to sit back on his haunches, and wailed. They ought to pay attention to him! 

[Chinchilla]

Nepeta was beginning to pick up on the mutterings of the crowd, her acute hearing making it impossible to ignore the growing dissent. The troll shifted uncomfortably, rubbing her arms and staring at the little dragon. She didn't really get what the big deal was, and either way, it didn't matter. He was healthy and cute and strong enough to complete whatever trials the dragons would put forward for their new offspring.

Nepeta looked up towards the crowd of Pernese in the stands, her face drawn and pale. Did they not like mutations? Was this just another Alternia, hiding underneath a pleasant facade? Against her will, her thoughts drifted to Karkat and she resolved that she wouldn't let anyone lay a hand on any little weird babies while she was around.

She had her own barkbeast in this fight, after all.

More eggs were hatching now, and her sour gaze brightening quickly as she saw the little babies emerge from their eggs. "You're both so purretty!" She called, standing on her tip toes and grinning. She completely ignored the poor egg that got knocked over. It would just toughen it up. No need to fuss over the egg. Fussed over grubs were dead grubs!

But then the dragonet started wailing and she winced. That definitely didn't sound good to Nepeta's poor, sensitive ears.

--

From her perch, Teresth looked down upon the hatchlings with a sense of aloof judgement. She paid little mind to the abnormal coloration, her eyes more fixed on what little she could see of the builds of the hatchlings. Her eyes tracked their movement, trying assess their personality. Evidently, Teresth started scouting for new wingriders young.

<< The colors are interesting. >> Teresth commented to Caltori, crossing one paw over the other in mock delicacy. << But this isn't the first time we have diverted from tradition. >> She tilted her head to one side, her smooth green eyes giving no hint as to how she truly felt about the chimeras.

Caltori leaned forward in her seat, cupping her chins in her hands and smiling sweetly. Maybe we should get you some nice new colors of your own, Teresth. How about... Some pretty blue flames? She teased, her eyes flicking up to where the big brown was perched.

<< No. >> Teresth grumbled. << I am quite fond of my hide, thank you very much. >>

[Zaxal]

Carlton missed the second egg splitting open, but the sound of its chirp drew his eyes to the second blue/brown dragonet. He felt the tension in his shoulders relax, feeling much more calm now that he could see that Sonora's Hatching had been an anomaly. Clearly things weren't always so hectic and nuts, which meant he didn't necessarily need to be on guard.

Sonora tilted her head, watching the hatchlings with a haughty sniff. Hatching had been serious business, surely Hers was overreacting. It hadn't been that terrible. In comparison, this was boring.

Carlton snorted quietly, "So you're bored, are you?" Sonora snorted back at him, but the two of them were interrupted by an ungodly wail coming from the Sands. During the brief interlude, a third had Hatched, different from the other two and certainly loud. Demanding attention.

Sonora made a displeased noise at the loud cries from the hatchling and, in spite of the sweat and dirt, she curled her tail around Carlton's neck, huddling near him. So loud, so disruptive. How rude. Carlton wiped a hand off on his pants and reached up to pet her soothingly, smiling in spite of himself, though his eyes flicked to the egg that had been knocked aside with a concerned look.

Maybe they were wrong. This could get interesting.

-----

The two other hatchlings made Elphaba's smile widen. The first blue/brown wouldn't be alone. Its siblings were just like him, just as special and unique in comparison to the other Dragons in coloring. Her hands gripped the seat as she leaned forward, excitedly beaming.

It was, however, speech that caught her ear over the sounds of the Dragons. She found herself looking at one of the few people on the Sands not standing in the ring of candidates, and her breath caught in her throat.

There was another person. A person like her. The gray skin and odd horns were visible from even the perch Elphaba had taken. And a blue tail? Elphaba leaned forward again, her eyes on the girl that was more like her than anyone else in the entire arena.

However, this wasn't the time for making friends, for approaching strangers, especially not those down on the Sands. Elphaba made a silent promise to herself to find the gray, orange-horned, blue-tailed girl later and speak with her.

With that, she turned her eyes back to the clutch, to the one Dragon sitting on its haunches and making such a loud noise. Elphaba smirked, her lips tilting in amusement. Reminded her of another gold-ish creature who craved endless amounts of attention.

The sadness that immediately followed that thought made her sit back, shoulders slumping. There was nothing she could do about it, not now. Not yet, anyway, though Elphaba was determined to find a way. Somehow. Someday.

[kthehuman]

J'shom was stunned as the other eggs gave way to more oddly colored hatchlings. "O-oh my..." he stuttered. It looked as though the entire clutch would be...odd. "Do you think it's because Riklith was caught by a green?" he asked toward Jay, never looking away from the clutch. He winced as the newest hatchling sat back and wailed. "Shells, is that one loud!"

----

The gold and green dragon child squalled, and Castiel put his hands to his ears to dampen the noise. He looked towards the dragon child with the larger wings and twisting design, thinking that it seemed much more reasonable and calm. He was surprised by Nepeta's confidence as she called out to the hatchlings. Hopefully her...enthusiasm would help to placate the loud one.

[Pocket]

“It.. might be?” Stunned, to say the very least, Jayli leaned forward as if it would make things easier to see. As if this were tricks of his eyes. But, no – those hatchlings were two-toned. The next blue/brown made him smile, worried after the first hatched. The next hatched made him grin—a gold, and what a set of lungs on him! The greenrider laughed, nudging J’shom. “Nothing to worry about. It’s a sign of good health!” That didn’t necessarily mean he didn’t wish the little brat would find his rider, and soon, though.

---

Sweet Fix turned sharply as Public Centerpiece began to squall, almost tipping over in the process to look at her brother. She shifted around, large wings dragging as she stumbled to his side. She pushed her head into his shoulder, whining softly at him. The golden boy stopped mid-shrill, looking at his blue sister at his side. Well, now that he had someone paying attention to him.. He lifted his head up almost cockily, chirruping proudly. Sweet Fix, however, shook her head momentarily, toddling over to where Delicate Riches was still squawking in its shell.

She processed the egg for a moment, nosing the cracking shell. Up above her, Riklith watched the hatchling curiously, but made no move to interfere.

The golden/green boy, without an audience once more, finally seemed to notice the crowd on the sands with him. With a flourish, he was at his feet and bouncing towards them with the grace he utterly did not have at such a fresh state. Candidates had best watch out!

However, with the squalor his siblings were making, Brilliant Potential had found himself slipping between candidates carefully, eyeing each with a critical eye. No, no, no… Where was his? Surely his was here… He stopped, momentarily, to eye Castiel before moving on. The blue/brown stopped in front of Nepeta longer than he had before any others, eyes churning brilliant rainbows. She was odd, but nice. But definitely not His. With a chirp, he shuffled onward. Not his, not his… His eyes, finally, turned towards the stands, before he shuffled towards them.

Yes, this.. This. Him. He was His.

Carlton? Yes, Carlton. You are Mine, and I am Yours. My name is Xylith, and I’m so happy to have found you.[/i] He crooned gently, his wings trying to figure out how to fold against his back. I don’t mean to startle or hurry you, but I am still wet and hungry, and would like to not be..[/i]

[Zaxal]

Carlton's eyes kept moving between the different hatchlings and the remaining eggs, feeling somehow zen in spite of all the activity. This was much, much less hectic than the other Hatching he'd seen, and it didn't seem like the dragons were going to go nuts and start tearing up the Sands. Without the threat of imminent danger by creatures already much larger than the firelizards, he was able to lean back and relax somewhat.

His eyes flicked up to the others in the Stands momentarily, asking Sonora quietly, "You see him anywhere?" The green cheeped what he took to be a negative answer, and Carlton reluctantly agreed. It figured. The most interesting thing that had happened since they got here, and Leonard couldn't be bothered to stop sulking around the apartments and come see.

Sonora nipped his ear, causing him to growl, "Hey." But he understood the concern. This was a bigger event than her Hatching, but she was certainly the highlight of this... detour away from Earth.

The two of them were suddenly interrupted by another voice in Carlton's head unlike any of the others he'd heard since his arrival. Carlton? Yes, Carlton. You are Mine, and I am Yours. My name is Xylith, and I’m so happy to have found you. I don’t mean to startle or hurry you, but I am still wet and hungry, and would like to not be.

It wasn't the voice itself that seemed so staggeringly different, but the sudden sensation that overwhelmed him. Carlton dragged his eyes to the Sands, meeting the whirling rainbow facets of the first-Hatched standing before him. He swallowed thickly, not entirely sure what had just happened or why he suddenly felt like he had been missing something all of his life, something that filled itself in, wrapping around his heart, his soul, calling himself Xylith.

It was Sonora who reacted first of the three of them. She scurried down the length of Carlton's arm, her long tail wrapping around his wrists as she urged him to his feet.

"But. But I'm not." He wanted to look at the candidates, to ask if he wasn't sure there wasn't some kind of mistake, but doing so, sending Xylith away, even looking away from him seemed to be the worst thing he could do. "Are you sure?"

Absolutely. Xylith continued shifting his wings, but the combination of goop and their length were making it difficult to adjust. Carlton began a thought, but Xylith interrupted him kindly before he could ask. I did not make a mistake. You are Mine. Of that I am quite certain.

His heart thundered in his ears, and he took an uneasy step towards the Sands. "This way," a voice said over his shoulder. Carlton couldn't turn to look, but Oxasar understood that completely. They led the Lost man down to the Sands, the large, stocky blue/brown crooning as he came close, pressed his egg-goo-sticky head against Carlton, whose hands cupped the draconic face, getting himself even messier as he looked at the hatchling.

"If you head that way, there's a place where you can get food and get cleaned up."

Carlton's throat felt tight as he nodded, murmured, "Thank you," before the wherhandler vanished back up into the Stands. "You're sure-?"

In a voice that radiated warmth, adoration, love, Xylith confirmed, Of course. He led the way towards the proposed area of food, walking close to Carlton, bumping into him a few times though neither of them was inclined to step any further away as they headed towards the helpers with the food nearby.

-----

Elphaba's eyes widened as she watched the man in the lower seats walk onto the Sands to be with the Dragon. Was that how it always was; were any of them who weren't already riders free game?

Maybe she had been wrong. It didn't seem as if there was some huge protocol to go through. That man had just trotted from one way of life to the next without even being considered a candidate.

Fascinating.

[Chinchilla]

Nepeta rocked back and forth on her heels, her excitement building with every motion from the dragonets. Staying on the Sands had definitely been a good idea, especially since Riklith didn't especially seem to care. Nepeta didn't really care what anyone in the Stands thought; the green blooded troll had never really stuck to tradition in the first place.

Her eyes were more glued on the newer hatchlings now, the first forgotten in the gleam of things much newer (and louder.) It was Nepeta's nature to be curious, and she wanted to see everything this clutch held. Her eyes focused on the hatching eggs, wide with rapt fascination and her mouth curved into a pleased grin.

Then there was a little blue in front of her. Nepeta blinked quizzically down at him, before her grin widened. "Hi!" She didn't hold her breath expectantly, not did she show any despair when he walked away. Nepeta didn't expect to Impress. In fact, she didn't even know if she could. All she wanted to do was meet the new hatchlings and say hello. "Bye!" She waved goodbye to the dragonet as it left. "Good luck! I hope you find your lusus soon!" Wait, that was wrong... "I mean, rider!"

Then the little dragon was off to the Sands, apparently finding that human that was his. Nepeta didn't know the ceremony for this, so instead she decided to treat it with the same energy that she treated the rest of her life. "Yay! Congratulations!" She cheered, throwing her hands up into the air and bouncing up and down. "You did it!"

She was going to cheer on all the dragons! "Now you guys can do it too!" She told the other hatchlings, clapping with glee. "Your humans are waiting!" Though, she couldn't imagine wanting to spend her life with a human. They were nice, but awfully soft and squishy. Nepeta would be afraid to accidentally disembowel them or crush them when she tried to pounce tackle them!