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The feast was honestly not something that Seikih had been looking forwards to. Her opinion about the Hatching had been kept mostly to herself, hidden behind a mask of cold indifference towards the people who had impressed, and a rather distant turn of her person. She'd not spoken to any of the weyrlings, or congratulated them, instead choosing to take a stand on the further side of the gathering area, leaning against one of the walls and watching people with those icy silvers. Dash had chosen to come with his owner, but was being quite a bit less picky about socialization, snatching up morsels here and there, before flying off. Of course, her little flit's delight was quickly getting her irritated, and she quickly gestured to him, making the small blue flutter over to the dark haired woman, pulling her braid into a nest around him, grumbling at her in his way.

Her orbs were glancing all about, casting this way and that at everyone who was moving around and talking. This happy occasion was marred for the Candidate by her own irritation and jealousy, as well as her thoughts about the people who'd impressed. There was only ONE out of all of the new Weyrlings that she'd ever seen before, and honestly, that girl was the only one out of all the idiotic people in the room that the Starcrafter could stand. For now, she'd stay standing, watching everyone in her quite, brooding way. Most weren't stupid enough to talk to her, and would leave her with her thoughts...

Cary applauded reluctantly along with everyone else when the newest dragonriders and their dragons were named. Each time she failed to Impress, her applause came with more and more difficulty. Probably she wouldn't have attended the feast at all if it wasn't for the fact she really enjoyed the spread laid out and there was nowhere she could go to get away from the reminder that she had once again been found wanting.

It was getting old and tiresome, but she wasn't going to give up standing until she aged out. She was certain that she had it in her to Impress, if only the right dragon would hatch. Not to cast aspersions on the dragons who had hatched today, but she couldn't really claim to have been terrifically taken with any of them. And they had weird names. Their riders would have a lot of work cut out for them and, to be honest, Cary didn't exactly go looking for work.

At present she was doing her best to load up on pastries that wouldn't ooze, carrying them by using the bottom portion of her tunic like a basket. After the feast she would be able to enjoy these for the next several days until they became too stale and rock-hard to eat. The she'd let her little firelizard Brista have them. The green was around somewhere, but Cary had no idea where. She wasn't a very good disciplinarian.

"Thank you," she muttered, swiping a wine skin from a nearby tabletop before sidling up to Herryk. "Drink?"

There were so many places Lin would rather be than sitting at the high table and making nice with the lord holders and master craftsmen. Serith was busy feeding, which was only natural given how long she had been on a restricted diet while guarding her clutch, but it meant that Lin couldn't easily escape her surroundings by talking to her generally more cheerful dragon instead.

Not that it was really an option anyway. There were too many dragonriders at the high table for her to be able to get away with it. They'd be able to tell that her attention was elsewhere. This meant that Lin had to sit there and smile through all the well-meaning and not so well-meaning comments about the clutch and the Hatching, and all the questions about the new weyrlings' futures.

"I'm afraid I really couldn't say," she said for the fourth time. "It isn't my decision to make, ultimately."

Nothing was her decision to make. She had made her decision months back and it had resulted in this circus. Perhaps they should have had more holders and holdborn attend the Hatching after all. Invited the candidates' families or something. It would have made for a more distracting atmosphere, perhaps.

Her eyes sought among the scores of riders present, seeking a particular bluerider with whom she would rather be sitting and conversing, but she couldn't find him.

~ Why did they not have a special moment for Me? I'm certainly more special than any of them. I Flew. ~ Youth huffed at the high table of leaders. Well. He'd just have to make sure they were paying attention next time. He was obviously better than the rest and that should have been recognized.

Z'fer didn't respond, finding himself irritated at his dragon's blatant lack of tact. Z'fer was here not to be honored, but because the healer's weren't allowing anyone in as they worked to save a young woman's life. A life that wouldn't have been in danger if a certain piece of whershit hadn't decided to be a jealous smart a** and mouth off during the Hatching.

He himself was torn. He had Impressed a Bronze, just as he'd known he would. All of the drama had made him set on leaving the Weyr though and now he was stuck here. Never had he been 'stuck' anywhere or so he'd felt. Following his parents craft had never felt limiting, the freedom of travel had been what he was born to. Once again though, Z'fer didn't think things through. Now he was faced with the long process of raising his dragon before he had that freedom back. He'd have to write to his parents this evening too.

He was stuck here with Quindrife. Of course she had Impressed. At least it was a blue. There was no way she could pretend to challenge him and Youth, especially with what he'd seen of the creature. He wouldn't be shocked (and maybe a little pleased) If hers went between as well. It barely seemed to move on it's own. Maybe if it didn't kill itself, it would die when they learned to between and take her with it.

~ I'm hungry. ~ Youth headbutted Z'fer's knees.

"Already? You just ate."

~ I need to eat a lot if I'm going to be the biggest bronze in the Weyr. Which I will be. ~

"If you keep eating like this then you'll be the fattest bronze in the Weyr. A big difference."

The flicker of movement drew Z'fer's attention and he managed a smile for Mari. "Hey. Congratulations." He offered first before answering her question. "The healers aren't saying much. They think she could survive physically if she doesn't give up mentally whatever that means." He shrugged. Youth pushed against his knee's again, upsetting his balance for a moment.

"Walk with me? Youth is demanding to be fed again." Z'fer tilted his head towards the table prepared for the new weyrlings, with meat and food for each. Youth's eyes whirled green while the edges were tinted with the red of hunger. Still, in front of a pretty green, he puffed his chest out and held himself with a mockery of dignity. ~ I wouldn't have to demand if you'd listen to my request the first time. ~

He tilted his head to Wrath. ~ I don't really need his help, but I hate to leave him behind. ~

║│║▌│█│║▌││█║║xxxTʜɪs sᴏɴɢ ɪs ᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ.xBᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴇɴᴅs. x ａｌｌｏｎｓ-ｙxxxxxx║│║▌│█│║▌││█║║
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx⟨ location :: The Feast ~ ⟩xxx⟨ feeling :: Giddy ~ ⟩xxx⟨ amongst :: Everypony ~ ⟩

A hatching! Yes very lovely, always such a wonderful time in the weyr. Well, not really a hatching ‘hatching’ but the congratulatory feast that always accompanied it. Truly it was a pity that she couldn’t have been in the stands watching the youngsters bebop about making their impressions. Really Astrid was half beside herself when she realized that she had missed the whole engagement, the little egglettes had decided to pop, crackle, and romp into being during the morning. Terrible timing dragons have, that was for sure. Mornings were for sleeping, well so it had been more of a noon type event still the brunette stuck by her logic of the darling yokeless fellows not understanding the right proper logic of things. Mornings were for sleeping and grousing about being awake, afternoons were for making with the luncheon and evenings---- OH YES! Evenings now that was prime time to make a debut. Silly little egglings, no common sense at all. Pity, shame, alas and all that.

Giving her head a proper mournful shake Astrid, wherhandler extraordinaire made her entrance, again not exactly an evening performance with all the flash and spark that she would have liked but a right choice arrival nonetheless. Riders, newly made weyrlings, and food all greeted the stick of a woman as she sauntered into the dining hall, was it a dining hall? People were eating so must be, at least on some sort of level. Brandishing grin Astrid all but waltz across the crowded room, approaching different people regardless of their stature the pixie of a lass took hold of hands and gave a few steps of a rather well executed dance then twirled and continued to the next.

“Ask would love it here! Look at all the tidbits and nibbles and oozy little morsels. He never likes missing a celebration, oh, oh don’t mind me, just cutting a rug all by myself. Life of the party, shindig, what a fun word! Shindig! Lovely! Who is next, who’s next! C’mon now my weyrlings, puff up, chest out, show a girl a good time. But don’t be fresh about it.” Boisterously announced the petite framed wherguard in a voice that carried over the entire table of newly-impressed riders. Standing her full height Astrid really wasn’t much to look at, slight frame, thinned faced, but oh was there just something about her that was foxy. Clapping her hands together she beamed towards the six, mostly female riders. Well she was almost sure they were mostly female, there was the boy with the long hair and the girl with the body features of a man but overall Astrid was sure that most were female. Sort of. Mostly. The one with the bronze was definitely male though.

“Right, right, right, where are my manners? Lost them maybe or in another pair of pants, either way Happy Birthing Day little dragonets, next turn I expect cake.” Pursing her lips a bit while drawing her hands together she gazed out over each pair, they looked to be good, not great but then again they were riders, what could she do. Wish them luck. Oh they were all going to need it.

"There's not much I could shorten my name to." Z'fer shrugged. "I think I'm going to go with Z'fer though." He didn't ask if she was changing her name, Mari seemed pretty short as is.

Depression..."Maybe so." He'd known one or two with it but it didn't seem to be the thing to straight up kill them. Then again... if she'd had what it felt like with Youth... again the thought of the stuck up little bronze not being there made his chest ache. "The healers wouldn't let her kill herself you think?" Dragonless riders were rare, because they usually followed their dragons in death. Z'fer had always thought of them as old riders who'd been with their dragons for most of their life, not a young woman who'd barely seen hers before the thing was gone.

Youth cocked his head to the side, confused by Wrath's sudden anger as much as by her question. ~ It's not my fault. I'm sure you're perfectly wonderful. ~ He said in a placating tone. His own green eyes taking on a hint of yellow as he rose to his feet to follow Z'fer and Mari. ~ It is just the nature of our birth. ~