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[Rochelle]

"You taste like sunshine. I'll gnaw on you if I sharding well feel like it." Rochelle stuck her nose in the air in mock-arrogance. It didn't stop her from leaning against him all the more, cheek to arm. Dark eyes latched onto a certain healer on the Sands, him and a small horrible apprentice. Full lips curled into a disapproving frown, one that quickly smoothed itself into a wry smile. "I hope she remembers to use redwort this go around. You have to wonder how much easier things would be for Bereck if she'd used it back when we had it."

For all her laughter and joking, being on Rochelles bad side led to constant angry snark. Forever.

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[Kaeyne]

Oh look, he blushed. Dar eyebrows rose a few centimeters upwards and an almost-smile twitched over his face. Blushing. They could brush it off to having a giant lizard slash ones leg, in case Corloss was the sort to get touchy about any reactions less than positive. Either way he took the ribbon and Kaeyne had his hair falling down along his back in a messy tangle of half-bound microdreds.

"He's not bleeding out," Kaeyne said to Ildresaak. "The Healers probably won't be throwing themselves into fits over it." His bout of talkativeness ended abruptly with Corloss' request, the short Candidate shifting so his back half-faced the larger man.

Suddenly blue with a hide the color of a storm and a long snout, right there where a bleeding Corloss crouched and the three of them stood. Kaeyne looked down at the goop covered creature, arched his eyebrows, and said "Shoo." followed by a "I don't think this one is for mauling."

"You're awful," C'tis commented without rancour. While he agreed that Rochelle had a point he wasn't blind to the fact that the chances of the old grump living without what the apprentice had been done had been slim to none, but he didn't know Becka well so he felt no need to defend her to somebody he did know and indeed care about. Perhaps a better person would have argued the point, but C'its simply raised his eyebrows and gave a nod of approval as the scene on the Sands continued to unfold. "Another blue Impressed. Nice looking one, isn't he?"

Maybe he should say something....

He didn't. In this case accuracy (or what he thought was accurate) wasn't worth upsetting the harmony he was enjoying with Rochelle. What if he had said something and she ended up hating him for taking Becka's side? He should be past believing she would do something like that but a lifetime of paranoia was not easily shaken off.

****************

Ah, good, another Impression... was that boy bleeding? Bereck squinted as he cleansed his hands and decided that he was. Well he was vertical and his new bondmate didn't seem to be distressed, but he would need cleaning up nevertheless. Taking a couple of steps forward to draw attention to himself the red-haired healer beckoned to the newly Impressed rider.

Quite frankly, Corloss had lost track of the dark blue in the crowd. His coloring was more subdued than the others, and his silence made it difficult to tell where he was through the maze of white robes and anxious Candidates. But suddenly there he was, emerging once again like a shadow slipping between the boys. Corloss glanced up, half-tensed, and then... he was abruptly captivated by the dragon’s gaze.

Instinctively Corloss’ back straightened a little, just as it had when he first touched the Guardian egg. Seeking approval from those startingly intense eyes with their whirl of colors – if he’d known more about dragons, he might have been able to read the rainbows more clearly, understand what they meant. But he didn’t quite comprehend what was happening until his mind opened up and in flooded strength. Strength that was simultaneously his own and not his own – and a good-natured exasperation.

I am Nimith, and I have chosen you. We should see to your wounds, Corloss.

Dumbfounded, he reached out and carefully touched the blue’s sleek dark neck. This beautiful, sharp creature - this was his? The rock of certainty in his head… not the kind of smothering affection he’d shy away from, but the kind of love that filled holes inside him that he tried to pretend weren’t there… this was something he could keep forever? The touch turned into a fond eyeridge-scratch, and Nimith tolerated the brief moment of affection before nudging his rider to stand. Corloss – C’ross – complied without even thinking.

Come. That man over there, he is motioning for us. Already Nimith was turning away and looking towards Bereck, moving slowly enough that his rider could keep up, but with a distinct crisp purpose to his stride.

“Yeah, he’s… he’s mine.” C’ross looked from Kaeyne to Vaail to Ildresaak, then back down to the blue. “Could’ve used your help a minute ago, Nimith,” C’ross remarked wryly.

If you had truly needed me, I would have found you faster. Instead, you have learned something about dragons today.

“I should go get him fed. And… this…” he motioned to his leg, “cleaned up properly. I’ll see you over by the weyrling tables, hopefully?” And then he set off after Nimith, moving slowly but with a confidence in his step that hadn’t been there before. Nimith waited until they were side by side, then moved at his rider’s heel, every inch the alert guardian.

Wykla
Wykla smiled as the first eggs hatched open and impressions were quickly made. She welcomed the new riders over with a nod and smile. “Congratulation new riders. Grab a bucket and begin feeding your new friends, as I‘m sure they’re telling you how hungry they are.” She grinned.

Then an aggressive blue made his appearance known. Wykla watched as some candidates headed off to see the healers. Following behind the main group was another scratched up boy, with a quite blue dragon following him. She grabbed a bucket and headed over to the healers table to meet Corloss. Wykla nodded to the healers and waited for the new rider to arrive.

“Think you can feed your boy while the healers patch you up?” She held out the bucket of meat to him.

Poth quickly made her way to the nearest of the feeding tables, and was trying to climb up onto it to get at the food when Taclon reached her at a jog. Hey, stay off there, you could knock something over. I'll feed you, he told her, shooing her off with a flap of his hands as he reached for a bucket of meat.

It was only the fact that meat was in his grasp that made Poth drop to all fours on the sand. I was only trying to get at it because you were too slow and I'm so very hungry.

I was five steps behind you, Tacelon replied as he reached into the bucket and grabbed a handful of meat. The feel of the wet and squishy stuff might have bothered someone squeamish, but he was already used to feeding bits of raw meat to Echo, albeit in much smaller portions.

And that was five steps that I didn't have food in my belly, she retorted. Speaking of which... she opened her mouth pointedly.

Tacelon smiled fondly and popped a bit of meat into Poth's mouth. She immediately swallowed it whole and opened her mouth for more. Hey, slow down and chew or you might choke. Tacelon told her, somewhat akarmed at the speed with which the food disappeared.

Poth eyed him balefully. But I'm hungry. Why are you taking so long to feed me? she asked so piteously that he just had to pop another bite into he mouth.

You have to chew. The faster you chew, the faster you'll get more. I won't have you choking and...the thought of her getting hurt (or worse) just because he hadn't taken care of her properly made his blood run cold.

Poth sighed at the delay, but her eye gained a tinge of yellow as she picked up on his concern. OK, OK, feed me fast and I will chew fast. True to her word, she chewed her latest morsel of meat before swallowing and opening up for more. She did chew very fast, and Tacelon was still a touch worried that she wasn't chewing enough and could still choke. But the hunger gnawing at her belly prompted him to give it up and focus on just feeding her, a task which kept him very busy while several of her siblings hatched and Impressed.

(Jemi)

Ouch. Jemi winced, watching the blood stain the sand as the blue raked through the candidates leaving a bloody mess but no deaths. She scratched the flit in her arms, watching as the little green clambered up a egg, the little thing gleeful on her high perch. She snorted, glancing down and watched the male candidates clustering around one of the males that had been wounded and a other impression?

She still couldn't tell or understand but the wounded male was standing up and heading towards the meat table, so that had to be a other impression. Which made four so far and the bright bouncing blue and the green the only hatchlings on the sand.

[Rochelle]
"You like me awful," Rochelle retorted with a huff. She had none of the confusion C'tis did; unlike him, the glasscrafter simply refused to let herself think too deeply on what it was this was morphing into. They were friends. They had fun. She liked him. Anything beyond that... well, C'tis didn't say anything about it and like hell would she be the first one to open her mouth about it. It didn't even boil down to a pissing contest, of who could hold out the longest without saying something, which was unfortunate.

She shrugged and sighed, watching as another boy Impressed. "I know he'd have died if she wasn't there and bawling. You mightve lost your eye and I like you so that would've been bad. Bad period but the rest of it makes it worse. This place would be no fun without you two... Doesn't mean I can't hate on the stuff she does horribly wrong. Healers are supposed to reach for redwort first, shardit. And I just flat out don't like her. Sorry to tell you, C'tis, but I am a horrible person when I dislike something. And huh. I guess blues like huge dudes."