Hello loves! While I haven't been writing, I have been working on updating some issues that have been hanging around on the layout! The Character change box is now at the bottom of the page, beside the up/down arrows! Green and Gold dragon flight dates have been shifted to the bottom of the page, where the (useless!) discord widget was located. Where the dragon flights were in the header, is now replaced by a Monthly Event box! This will be updated at the start of each month, with a fun mini-event you can take part in, if you want to! Thistle!
18.Mar.12, 09:01 AM
Kerrin held his breath when the dragonet that had been curiously inspecting his hand looked up at him and crooned, watching the slow swirl of colors in its eyes... and released it when the little creature plodded on, its search evidently not over. He smiled as he watched it go, knowing instinctively that such a cautious and gentle being would never have been looking for someone like him, but nevertheless feeling oddly honored that he had earned its approval for even that brief moment. He felt almost relieved when the dragonet finally plodded over to another group of boys and, judging by the swirl of rainbow that suddenly flooded its big eyes, found its match in another Candidate. It was an awful cute little thing, and Kerrin was eager to see how it would grow. He tried to remember the face of the Candidate it had Impressed, as he was still unsure of the color of the newborn dragon's hide.
As the new pair walked off, Kerrin looked up from his reverie just in time to see a slightly more familiar face - that of Echlerov, who had been in several of his classes - kneeling down before a rather excited-looking dragonet with joy wreathing both of their faces. He couldn't give that pairing much thought, though, because Erisi had chosen that moment to take a few verbal snipes at Lymsleia over the top of his head. The boy sighed, not at all surprised that the Harper apparently cared so little for the moment that he would use it as yet another great opportunity to say something nasty to the girl, who for some reason stubbornly continued to make the mistake of speaking to a man who very clearly hated her. Just as he was about to say something to that effect to Erisi, regardless of whether or not Lymsleia could overhear him, Valerian approached with his very puzzled looking roommate in tow and interrupted him. The boy grinned, feeling suddenly as if the four of them had assembled a very promising team indeed, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what made him feel that way. Perhaps it was just the excitement and tension of the moment.
The remaining eggs seemed quite stubbornly still, and Kerrin watched them intently for any signs of movement or cracking. So intensely that he did not even hear Indivara's sneaky approach until she was already behind him. He whirled around at her touch, apparently startled by its unexpectedness despite the gentleness of her hand, and squinted through the darkness as if he simply couldn't believe his ears when she spoke. "Indi! What do you think you're doing?!" he hissed, heedless of her hatred for the nickname as usual, though this time the shortening of her name seemed to come more from a sense of urgency than it did any desire to tease her. Of course he knew the girl was no stranger to breaking the rules - shells, more often than not in their youth he had been completely in on it, if not the mastermind behind their various pranks and troublemaking - but to sneak in on a Hatching! D'ren would probably have a heart attack! He shook his head, torn between wanting to laugh out loud at her audacity (she'd even outdone him this time!) and panic at the thought that this poor girl would be the next to feel the bite of the Weyrsecond's lash for what she'd just done. Of course he understood her fury at having to miss out on a clutch; he'd been there too... but Faranth, it wasn't worth 20 lashes!
Apparently, S'kef's whip should have been the very least of his worries. He didn't have time to say another word to the girl before the newest hatchling's furious shrieks tore through the din of chatter that had begun to rise up amongst the waiting Candidates and the spectators waiting in the stands. The crowd laughed at the dragonet's stumbles, but Kerrin was already feeling uneasy about the little creature's enraged snarling even before its true violence showed itself. There was a spray of sand, and Kerrin ducked his head, flinging his hand up to shield his eyes from the shower of grains. Temporarily blinded, he could do nothing to prevent the frantic hatchling from latching onto the younger weyrbrat. It happened all in a flash. In one moment she had been clutching his arm and giggling in happy, nervous anticipation, and then the next...!
He did not see the first moment the newly-hardened claws tore through her skin, but her pain-filled screams were enough to have his blood freezing in his veins. He felt the weight of her body hit him; instinctively, his arms moved to catch her as she fell, struggling when the weight doubled with the addition of the frantically clawing dragonet. When amber eyes finally took in the horrific sight of the hatchling's talons raking mercilessly over her face, his own shout of terror more than compensated for the lack of fear in the brave young weyrbrat's screams. Finally the hatchling released her, leaving one trembling, pale-faced weyrbrat supporting the broken body of the other. "Indivara!!" he screamed, helplessly. He wanted to help her, but he felt frozen by the sight of the mauled body, petrified by the sickening thought that his younger friend and dear partner-in-crime might have paid for the minor transgression of sneaking onto the Hatching Circuit with her life. Unable to move and utterly useless, the boy easily relinquished his hold on the girl to the much more collected Jada, falling to his knees and staring wide-eyed at the bright red splashes and stains of fresh blood that marred the stark white of his Candidate robes.
Shaking like a leaf and desperately fighting back the urge to vomit, Kerrin looked with wild eyes at his surroundings. The surge of adrenaline and his concern for the girl had left him thoroughly nauseated, and he lifted a hand to his mouth, breathing deeply as he attempted to collect his thoughts. All around him shells were cracking, dragonets were stumbling about making new Impressions, and somewhere beneath the roiling sea of his thoughts and hyped emotions Kerrin knew that no matter what, there was no dragonet on all of Pern who would Impress to someone in such a state of mind. Tears nearly sprung to his eyes as he was suddenly seized with the paralyzing thought that his chances might be ruined, if he couldn't find a way to calm himself down! And it wouldn't be Indivara's fault, of course, it would be his own - but Faranth! Why did that foolish brat have to charge her way onto the sands like that?! She could have died... and she hadn't even needed to be there!
Kerrin squeezed his eyes shut against the sight of the blood on his clothes and the awkward, gangly movements of the newborn dragonets making their unsteady way about the sands. Every new hatchling that didn't turn its head towards him just served to further remind him of how completely he was blowing his chances by letting himself get so worked up over Indivara. So caught up was he in this inner turmoil that he did not even notice the approach of a dragonet who was, indeed, coming his way - at least not until its wing flicked against him, startling him to his feet. As if in agreement with his own silent panic, the creature squawked its stern disapproval at the wide-eyed weyrbrat. Kerrin could only gape, watching in disbelief as the indignant little thing then leaped upon his two friends, evidently Impressing one while simultaneously claiming the other as her own property. He looked between the two men, wondering which it had bonded to - his question was answered in Erisi's short-tempered exchange with the little beast, which ended with the little green sitting proudly on his chest.
Erisi!
Of all people, Erisi had Impressed before him?! Sullen, self-righteous, I-hate-dragonriders-and-everything-about-them Erisi!
The whole situation was so uniquely absurd that Kerrin could only... laugh. Shards, he'd never thought a Hatching could be so bizarre, even at a place as one-of-a-kind as Katila Weyr. He looked down at Erisi, shaking his head at the other man sprawled so indignantly in the sand. He hadn't forgotten about his concern for Indivara, which was evident in the way his limbs still trembled - but the angry, displeased squawk of his classmate's new dragonet served as well enough to remind him that certain things could be worried about later. "Look, it's probably best for the both of you if you just shut up and feed her."
As the new pair walked off, Kerrin looked up from his reverie just in time to see a slightly more familiar face - that of Echlerov, who had been in several of his classes - kneeling down before a rather excited-looking dragonet with joy wreathing both of their faces. He couldn't give that pairing much thought, though, because Erisi had chosen that moment to take a few verbal snipes at Lymsleia over the top of his head. The boy sighed, not at all surprised that the Harper apparently cared so little for the moment that he would use it as yet another great opportunity to say something nasty to the girl, who for some reason stubbornly continued to make the mistake of speaking to a man who very clearly hated her. Just as he was about to say something to that effect to Erisi, regardless of whether or not Lymsleia could overhear him, Valerian approached with his very puzzled looking roommate in tow and interrupted him. The boy grinned, feeling suddenly as if the four of them had assembled a very promising team indeed, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what made him feel that way. Perhaps it was just the excitement and tension of the moment.
The remaining eggs seemed quite stubbornly still, and Kerrin watched them intently for any signs of movement or cracking. So intensely that he did not even hear Indivara's sneaky approach until she was already behind him. He whirled around at her touch, apparently startled by its unexpectedness despite the gentleness of her hand, and squinted through the darkness as if he simply couldn't believe his ears when she spoke. "Indi! What do you think you're doing?!" he hissed, heedless of her hatred for the nickname as usual, though this time the shortening of her name seemed to come more from a sense of urgency than it did any desire to tease her. Of course he knew the girl was no stranger to breaking the rules - shells, more often than not in their youth he had been completely in on it, if not the mastermind behind their various pranks and troublemaking - but to sneak in on a Hatching! D'ren would probably have a heart attack! He shook his head, torn between wanting to laugh out loud at her audacity (she'd even outdone him this time!) and panic at the thought that this poor girl would be the next to feel the bite of the Weyrsecond's lash for what she'd just done. Of course he understood her fury at having to miss out on a clutch; he'd been there too... but Faranth, it wasn't worth 20 lashes!
Apparently, S'kef's whip should have been the very least of his worries. He didn't have time to say another word to the girl before the newest hatchling's furious shrieks tore through the din of chatter that had begun to rise up amongst the waiting Candidates and the spectators waiting in the stands. The crowd laughed at the dragonet's stumbles, but Kerrin was already feeling uneasy about the little creature's enraged snarling even before its true violence showed itself. There was a spray of sand, and Kerrin ducked his head, flinging his hand up to shield his eyes from the shower of grains. Temporarily blinded, he could do nothing to prevent the frantic hatchling from latching onto the younger weyrbrat. It happened all in a flash. In one moment she had been clutching his arm and giggling in happy, nervous anticipation, and then the next...!
He did not see the first moment the newly-hardened claws tore through her skin, but her pain-filled screams were enough to have his blood freezing in his veins. He felt the weight of her body hit him; instinctively, his arms moved to catch her as she fell, struggling when the weight doubled with the addition of the frantically clawing dragonet. When amber eyes finally took in the horrific sight of the hatchling's talons raking mercilessly over her face, his own shout of terror more than compensated for the lack of fear in the brave young weyrbrat's screams. Finally the hatchling released her, leaving one trembling, pale-faced weyrbrat supporting the broken body of the other. "Indivara!!" he screamed, helplessly. He wanted to help her, but he felt frozen by the sight of the mauled body, petrified by the sickening thought that his younger friend and dear partner-in-crime might have paid for the minor transgression of sneaking onto the Hatching Circuit with her life. Unable to move and utterly useless, the boy easily relinquished his hold on the girl to the much more collected Jada, falling to his knees and staring wide-eyed at the bright red splashes and stains of fresh blood that marred the stark white of his Candidate robes.
Shaking like a leaf and desperately fighting back the urge to vomit, Kerrin looked with wild eyes at his surroundings. The surge of adrenaline and his concern for the girl had left him thoroughly nauseated, and he lifted a hand to his mouth, breathing deeply as he attempted to collect his thoughts. All around him shells were cracking, dragonets were stumbling about making new Impressions, and somewhere beneath the roiling sea of his thoughts and hyped emotions Kerrin knew that no matter what, there was no dragonet on all of Pern who would Impress to someone in such a state of mind. Tears nearly sprung to his eyes as he was suddenly seized with the paralyzing thought that his chances might be ruined, if he couldn't find a way to calm himself down! And it wouldn't be Indivara's fault, of course, it would be his own - but Faranth! Why did that foolish brat have to charge her way onto the sands like that?! She could have died... and she hadn't even needed to be there!
Kerrin squeezed his eyes shut against the sight of the blood on his clothes and the awkward, gangly movements of the newborn dragonets making their unsteady way about the sands. Every new hatchling that didn't turn its head towards him just served to further remind him of how completely he was blowing his chances by letting himself get so worked up over Indivara. So caught up was he in this inner turmoil that he did not even notice the approach of a dragonet who was, indeed, coming his way - at least not until its wing flicked against him, startling him to his feet. As if in agreement with his own silent panic, the creature squawked its stern disapproval at the wide-eyed weyrbrat. Kerrin could only gape, watching in disbelief as the indignant little thing then leaped upon his two friends, evidently Impressing one while simultaneously claiming the other as her own property. He looked between the two men, wondering which it had bonded to - his question was answered in Erisi's short-tempered exchange with the little beast, which ended with the little green sitting proudly on his chest.
Erisi!
Of all people, Erisi had Impressed before him?! Sullen, self-righteous, I-hate-dragonriders-and-everything-about-them Erisi!
The whole situation was so uniquely absurd that Kerrin could only... laugh. Shards, he'd never thought a Hatching could be so bizarre, even at a place as one-of-a-kind as Katila Weyr. He looked down at Erisi, shaking his head at the other man sprawled so indignantly in the sand. He hadn't forgotten about his concern for Indivara, which was evident in the way his limbs still trembled - but the angry, displeased squawk of his classmate's new dragonet served as well enough to remind him that certain things could be worried about later. "Look, it's probably best for the both of you if you just shut up and feed her."
