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Most everyone that had come to the table so far had kept a distance from them- probably because after Varth's little rampage earlier, they were too wary to come closer. And Varth had been just fine with that, not really wanting to socialize with the other dragons, and A'bri had been fine with it because Varth was... But right then, A'bri could really use the company. And so could Varth, even if he'd never admit it.

A'bri was visibly relieved when the other boy came over, his Brown in tow. At least the chaos with the poor little Blue hadn't driven the Brown between as well. That would have been a thousand times worse, losing two at the same time...

"It's been eventful," he replied, wiping his cheeks with one sleeve. He wasn't terribly concerned by appearances- he'd been crying, but then, who hadn't? "I'm glad you and yours are well, though, I was afraid that with the other running about, he might've scared him, as well."

Varth butted his head against A'bri's chest, his screaming finished for now, changed into an uncomfortable, quiet keening. He was too distressed to be worried about His showing concern for the other Brown, too worried about the rest of his sibs disappearing to concern himself with the Brown's nearness.

"I'm A'bri, this is Varth... I don't think we'd met, before."

B'lin so dearly wished Miah hadn't done that, yet at the same time, he could almost thank her for it. Suddenly, he remembered. He was Balin--no, now, he was B'lin. Not only did he have two useless brothers, two roommates who couldn't get along--at least one of whom would be rooming with him again--he had a little girl clinging to him with only him for guidance. And a dragon. His dragon. The realm of emotion was not one B'lin found himself often. He didn't last there long and his time spent in such a place was nerve-wrecking.

None of that mattered now. If he didn't know what to do, he would learn. That's what being a protector was about. He had all but raised his brothers. Why, he was nearly a father, taking that into account. What sort of man would yield so easily to despair alone? It was so hard to find the drive to comfort everyone who was demanding it of him when Xanthoth's emotions were clogging his mind, but he had to.

B'lin turned at a very awkward and not necessarily comfortable angle. He grabbed onto Miah and moved her around so she was clinging to his front end. Feeling a fool, but still damned determined to get himself and everyone he could under control, B'lin patted her on the back before running his hand soothingly through her hair.

"Come on now, stop that crying. You'll never Impress acting that way." Not the most gentle of tactics. It was all he knew. Turning then to the Xanthoth, he frowned.

Xanthoth, get up. We're never going to do any of those 'great things' if this is the first thing that they'll remember you for. Be strong for yourself and everyone else, and for your brother.

The most straining task he found was pretending like he had any idea what it was like to lose one of his brothers. Bachi wasn't so bad. Neither was Bakin. He couldn't even imagine how this felt.

~~~

Off where he'd left them, Roka was still latching onto Bachi. She'd soon leave him, marching off to check as many emotional wrecks off her 'fixed' list as she could. Not before shoving him at Nasundu, though, who now stood beside a teary-eyed Sen. "Watch this," the healer demanded, and off she went.

A shiver of relief went through S'van, and he was able to relax his tense shoulders slightly. The little Green would not go between. By the First Egg, he was glad of that. And yet... and yet, grief still tore through him like a whirlwind, and he felt weak, and humbled. The loss of that little Blue had torn at something in him, and he could only look on as Impression was made, a weak cheer in his throat. At least she had lived. We would not have let her die, Galliath crooned confidently in his mind, an echo of his sadness still remaining.

F'sey glanced over as the green hatched and quickly made her way to Hers. As soon as the dragon stood in front of a young woman, the greenrider assumed this was the one the dragon had wanted and motioned for them to come over and get off the sands as quickly as possible. He was about to instruct her on feeding a young dragon when he spied someone clinging to the new bronzerider. Really? Really? No wonder S'kagi had quit this job.

"YOU. GO BACK TO THE CANDIDATES," he roared.

Yes, the situation was sad. Maybe she needed a hug but frankly, F'sey did. not. care. She didn't need a hug from his weyrling because said weyrling really ought be caring for his dragon. Newly Impressed were generally high-strung anyways, solely because the new attachment, and a hatchling's death on top of it? No. He did not need teary-eyed little girls making it-

Mine, you are-

You know I'm right. And that was the end of that.

He turned breifly, making sure the teal-colored dragon was making her way over and spotted the last egg. The weyrlingmaster frowned. It hadn't moved the entire time and the redhead was inclined to think that egg wasn't going to be hatching at all. Well. At least it was better than another ballistic dragon setting off every sharding creature in the entire Weyr again. Grumbling to himself, he shot a glare after B'lin and began to round the weyrlings up. Time to get them settled, if such a thing were at all possible after a tragedy such as this one.

It will be alright. Everything always makes itself alright.

Looking back to the sands, Rin felt a weak cheer rising in her throat. Kesslan, her Weyrbred friend, had Impressed! The only thing that kept her cheer from being as loud as her earlier bellow of rage was the remaining grief for the little blue, that still tugged at her heart and kept swirling around the edge of Arioth's eyes in a ring of grey, even as her eyes started to fade to a hesitant green.

Mine...you are happy now? It is okay? Nudging at Hers, Arioth dearly hoped that her Mine was alright. Hers needed to be strong because the others were not. She had to be strong for them.

The tall candidate wiggled her toes in the sand and exhaled seeing that the green had stood up to a female candidate, in what Ollen thought was a good significant sign of Impression. At leas this one has not gone between or attacked anyone! Ollen pulled her hair back from her eyes and the idea that dawned on her was comical, she needed a haircut. How could she think of something like that at a time like this? She wasn't used to these types of feelings, she was used to happiness and anger..not much else inbetween. Her uncle had a saying that 'there is no time for feelings when you're working,' and she lived by his word.

Wiggling her toes Ollen looked up at the last egg, Hatch, you have to hatch and impress...make sure that there isn't another tragedy, I don't think many here will be able to take another between, including me. She hoped and hoped for a smooth end to such a dramatic evening.

A'nt had seen the other dragon's earlier scene, but honestly, now was not the time to play favorites and choose alliances- they were all openly grieving now. At the sight of the other boy wiping his own face, A'nt moved to do the same- one hand still gently petting at Matsukazeth in a calming motion. Really, it was the Brown who was calming A'nt, not the other way around. While the Dragon shared mourning with his clutchmates for their lost brother, it was A'nt who was on the verge of falling apart. Sitting up a little more straight, to give at least a little bit of his height and respectable nature back, A'nt nodded to his fellow Weyrling.

"T-thank you," he spoke quietly, finally allowing the crack of a smile to break his saddened face. Blearily blinking in an attempt to dispel some of the sadness- not that it would work, he was aware, but at least in an attempt to, A'nt watched the other's Brown move toward him. At least, now, the new Weyrlings had someone to take comfort in.

And You shall always have Yours. Always. It had felt almost like a growl, at first, when Matsukazeth uttered it, but the statement was deeply laced with compassion. Turning to smile at his Brown, A'nt choked back another sob- this time, touched beyond words.

Always.

Flushing slightly when he realized he'd left the other hanging amidst an introduction, A'nt turned to him in embarrassment, running a hand up through his hair in nervousness. Well, that was typical. Even in mourning, the boy was horribly antisocial.

"Ano- ...A'nt now, I suppose. This is Matsukazeth, a-and yeah. I don't think we have. It's good to meet you, though. Wish the circumstances could be cheerier."

B'lin's first reaction was this: territorial mode, active! He leered at the man screeching at them, quite sick of being yelled at for the time being between him and Roka. Who were all these people throwing orders at him, anyway? Some of them he knew, some everyone knew, but most of them? Tch...

What really bothered him was the other man was right. In a way. Sort of. B'lin knew why he was so angered by what was happening. Xanthoth was the one he should be taking care of. Or was he? The internal conflict felt like it was all but literally ripping his heart to shreds, and combined with the loss of the little blue, all he wanted to do was lock himself in a room--without M'rik and even without Darcir, quiet as he was--and never come out. B'lin was not a coward. He was just so very, very tired.

If only Bachi hadn't been searched. If only Miah hadn't been searched. If only Xanthoth had known it wasn't wise to pick him. Of all people, don't pick him. Deep down, he knew he'd lingered by Bachi in the hopes any dragon would be wise enough to know he had too much to do, too many priorities to deal with anything else. Deeper than that, he was bitter. He wanted this. He needed it. He had it, and yet the things he needed to leave to get it had followed him here.

All he could do was try his best to juggle both of them.

Sighing, B'lin pushed Miah off him, the nudged her back towards the candidates, offering her only words of comfort. "I need to take care of him for now, Miah, but I'll find you again when the last dragon is Impressed. Go find Bachi and stay with him until then." It was so much. Too much. How could he be expected to handle all this?

Kneeling, he stroked Xanthoth's side. The dragon had righted himself enough to be laying on the ground rather than sprawled out like a rag doll across it. That was something. A minor improvement, but one just the same.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. No, he still didn't cry, but the stress alone made him want to. "I'm sorry. I'll be good for you, I swear. But you have to be strong, Xanthoth. I don't know how to handle this yet."

I'm sorry, Mine. It took much too long, but finally, Xanthoth rose from the ground and seemed to relax. Not completely, no, and B'lin didn't blame him for that. But enough.