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Veyes watched as the young green joined its new partner. They were another wonderful sight that had to be taken in with a smile and a bit of dreaming. What did they feel at this moment? Was it what L'thor had told him awhile back? That feeling of completion? He sighed a little as he remember other words L'thor had spoken reminding him that it could be several hatchings before the right dragon might find him. In the mean time, he would imagine what that the new couple felt and remember those joyful expressions.

Although only a short time passed by, he found himself taking another brief glance around the grounds and caught Hanya looking at him. He returned the nod with a small smile of his own and a slight wave to acknowledge that he saw her. If he were closer, he might have squeezed her hand to show his support but it wasn't possible with all the eggs rocking and the people scattered on the sands. It was best for him to stay where he was for now.

Running his fingers back through his corn rows, he felt a slight sweat building along his scalp. The sands were so hot around his toes and he could feel his feet sinking in from the standing in one place for too long; stiff from the tension within. Moving just a little, he tried to ease that nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach and then lifted his eyes back up towards the eggs once more.

Hurrying onto the sands in his white robes, feeling the heat pounding down over his recently-shaved head and up against the skin of his feet and legs, Okassis had been stoically giving himself a last-second confidence-bolstering. He wanted this - and he knew he wanted it - but he wasn't going to let that take over his head. He'd gotten enough warnings over unaware Candidates being dazed and overwhelmed by Hatchings that he wasn't going to let his attention wander. He'd go in, he'd keep his head, and he'd be there, on the lookout for that dragon that was supposed to be perfect, the one that was supposed to match with him. It was all he could do, he assured himself as he joined with the boys - and until he found a way to do more, he'd keep with it to the best of his ability.

And as the first egg cracked, the first dragon emerged - a fantastic baby brown, a determined little thing, scanning the collection of boys and finding one in particular that he needed, one that wasn't so far from Okassis himself, one that was--

Wait -- Sovann had Impressed? Already? Just like that?

Okassis stared openly at his friend, his face a plain mix of surprise, uncertainty, and yes, there was certainly a healthful dose of envy as well. It broke swiftly however, and his chest swelled up. Imagine! His friend the seaholder, the first to Impress! It probably shouldn't be such a surprise - Sovann was exactly the sort of lad that any dragon would be lucky to Impress, and this young brown had rightfully seized the opportunity.

Watching Sovann - S'von - head off with his new and closest partner, Okassis didn't dwell on what this would mean for him yet - whether he'd be losing his closest friend to the little brown, or whether they'd be separated by station if he failed to Impress, or any such thing. At the moment, it was all he could do to keep from shouting torrents of congratulations after his friend, who clearly had more important things to be focusing his attention on. But it was amazing - one of them had found their dream already! This had to mean that Okassis was soon to follow, didn't it?

Kypak had arrived on time to the Hatching, but had been promptly swallowed by the ensuing crowds. The combined heat of the sands and body heat of his fellow Candidates had made the atmosphere so stifling as to be inimical. Nor did the heady odors of lavender, peppermint, and other oils coming from the lice-sufferers alleviate the problem... all right, so Ky counted himself amongst the fragrant-smelling. It was better than itching, or shaving his head. Ky was quite fond of his ponytail, thank you.

Still, it was giving him a headache. That, on top of the fact that Hatchings always put him in a queer mood, somewhere between anxious, excited, and cross -- well, woe betide the next person to jostle him or tread on his toes as the crowd shifted to accomodate hatchlings. Two already, and such a small clutch... It looked like it would be over swiftly, at any rate.

Look on the bright side, he told himself sternly, trying to remind himself of why he had showed up in the first place. The pickiest dragonet on Pern wouldn't go /between/ here. That heartbreak would be averted. And -- well, there was something marvelous about that moment of Impression. Kypak found himself, unlike the rest of the crowd, not staring but looking away when the dragonets found Theirs. As if he was intruding upon something too personal for words. Whatever world the new riders were in for that moment, it was not the same world as everyone around them; how different it must look, with the addition of a dragon's eyes and mind.

The hatching of the egg drew his gaze, to the leopard shark egg. His gaze fastened onto the egg, watching in slight amazement as another dragon emerged. This was well.. his first time seeing a dragon hatch. And by shards, it was amazing.

A few more moments allowed his amazement to sink in, a calm almost.. outsider view falling over him. Notos eased his foot on one side now, openly amused by the hatchling. The blue seemed almost .. disdainful of his gender? Not a problem to Notos, as he watch the little dragonet steer off towards the females. Well, he'd go for the females too.

He could scarcely feel any disappointment that he was not the target, a smile playing across his features. What room was there for those kind of feelings?

Kriia's heart swelled as yet another egg began to rock. She knew she mustn't get her hopes up- there were just so many candidates and she was so young!- but still she secretly caressed the notion that perhaps she would find her half in this small clutch. Kriia almost felt a mothering kinship to the Queen, watching anxiously and proudly as her children found their partners, as Kriia anxiously waited and proudly watched as others fed the hungry dragonets.

As the egg hatched, Kriia gave a soft purr of encouragement to the small dragon, the blue a lovely shade. She couldn't help being attached to everything that hatched, having felt them as eggs, and talked endlessly of this day with the other candidates.

Her hands itched as she watched the blue hungrily look for its dragonrider. It looked so hungry, the poor thing! Though it would be decidedly ill manners to go search for something to warm its gullet in this arena.

... S'van had completely ignored Nan. How had he not noticed her at all? Oh, wait. No, he remembered now. The excitement had simply been so overwhelming that he hadn't really had the time to register that she'd whispered in his ear, and then quite suddenly he had been looking into a pair of whirling orange eyes. Poor Galliath! He had been rather astounded when the remarkable creature had spoken to him, had singled him out and actually given him what was tantamount to a speech. Now that he was feeding Galliath, he could pay some slight attention to his surroundings. Not much, granted, given that he was very tied up with his brown dragonet, but some!

He noticed Inaari there out on the sands. Poor little thing, she looked so lost. And then... Okassis! Finally, finally! How had he not noticed him there? Yet there he was, and he couldn't wait, they would have so much to talk about! Surely Okassis was going to Impress soon enough. Firm in the belief that Kas would soon join him as a weyrling, S'van crooned to Galliath, telling him how perfect he was, how wonderful he was.

Of course I am wonderful, came the somewhat cocky rejoinder. He grinned, and reached out to get a particularly choice bit for Gall (he was forever nicknaming his closest and dearest friends!). I am Galliath, not Gall! "I know, I know... it's just an affectionate name, okay? It means that I love you. Like Kas, and..." And all of his closest friends, his sister. The brown seemed to consider that for just a moment before he informed his rider under no uncertain terms that he truly was still hungry. Apologizing to the dragonet, he set about trying to assuage that hunger, a feat that he was beginning to believe might prove to be impossible. Exactly how much did a hatchling need to eat?

Okassis barely noted the blue any further than to see that it was going for the girls' half of the sands. He had a sneaking suspicion that he might know exactly what a creature like that blue might be looking for among the ladies - and maybe even, who - but it was far from his central thoughts. He was still watching his friend, his grin fading only slowly as he tried to remind himself that he needed to focus. Plenty of eggs were left, after all, and what good would it be if he was so caught up beaming at S'van's good fortune, he wasn't paying attention when his own dragon might appear?

"Ialluth needs more friends, as well. Most of the company I seem to have attracted lately was completely dragonless." Well, excett H'dra, but he hadn't seen the precious little bluerider since the Hatching, not that he minded. Baby dragons were very demanding! Hopefully the pair would be out and about more often, F'sey had really liked the young lad. A good type, in his opinion. Of course, he needed to inspect all the younglings, see what the Weyr was going to have to worry about next, but-

See? Aren't you glad I brought you, then? Ialluth chirped cheerfully before turning her complete attention to Ceylith. Hallo there! she warbled, doing her happy dance on a much smaller scale when her new best friend made her way over. Mine and myself are very good, thank you for asking. Mine's temper has been much easier to put up with since our outing. Ialluth bobbed her head, in her mind, it only confirmed the importance of being outside and meeting new friends.

Oh, yes! Mine said something about a new firelizard for Yours! A gold? That's wonderful. I wish Mine would obtain another, they're so good for bath time. That was a fight she was very unlikely to win. There were only so many places a firelizard could perch on a man before he looked ridiculous!

Speaking of firelizard troubles, F'sey was still fighting with his, though once Cloud received the snub, he seemed happy to relax on his man's shoulder, letting Song to all the meet and greet. The bright little bronze was only capable of focusing on one thing at a time and currently, the brilliant little Queen was the object of all his attention. The greenrider growled and plucked him off once more, putting him back on his shoulder with a little more force than usual. "Stay."

He grunted and turned to C'ren. "I don't usually take them into crowded places. I don't know what got into me today."

A shift in the crowd caught his attention and he looked back down at the sands. "Ah, a blue." And going towards the females? Shame.

* * *

H'dek smiled and nodded at her explanation. His hair wasn't that long, so he wasn't too worried about the lice. And if he did get it? He could probably just follow La's example, he supposed. She looked alright and she was a girl, so he could probably pull the look off, too! Besides, they'd match and-

No, Mine, a sleepy voice filtered through. Am sleeping, Mine. Keep it down.

H'dek chuckled softly and shook his head. "Hm, Bo? He's alright, arrogant as ever," he admitted with a small sigh. The bronze had an ego was big as Pern! "I was hoping it might deflate a little as he grew....but it's not. Speakin' a' growin', he's growin' like a sharding weed!" he exclaimed, motioning with his hands as though it explained. "I was worried fer a bit there, didn' seem to grow with th' rest of 'em, but now s'really catchin' up!"

A shifting egg caught his attention and he elbowed La. "Look, look! Another one's hatchin'! A blue!" Going to the girls, nonetheless! H'dek caught his breath and scanned the mass of females. Was Mo Standing?