Before the Feast (Hatching Feast prep! Open.)

[Nicole]

Evaine was still in shock over the Hatching. Not just at the Azure dragon - though she thought it was very pretty, and very cursed - but at everything! It had been the first one she had really fully watched since her own. Were they always so messy? Were the dragons always so chaotic?

With those questions in mind, she pressed a kiss to Chatorth's sleeping face and skipped out of her room, heading down to where everybody was gossiping before the feast. She wanted to talk, to hear what everybody had to say about - well, everything! Maybe she would see one of the new Weyrlings. Or that cute girl Orabel could be there...

A smile flickered over her face as she slipped into the Weyr Bowl, excitement gleaming in her eyes.

---

Like Evaine, Elora hadn't been at a Hatching since her own - though, in Elora's defense, there hadn't been a Hatching at RMW since her own. And the buzz in the Weyr was much different this time around. Where there had been excitement and a few critical comments about her Impression last time around, there was excitement and - worry.

That was the underlying theme, worry, and Elora couldn't fault them for it. An Azure? And nevermind the actions of the other dragonets - a sweet White, a rowdy Black, a neon Purple, and that hazy Citrine. Nothing had been normal about this particular Hatching.

But it was very exciting nonetheless.

Go. Have fun. I'm going to stay here. It's nice to bask in the sun... especially when it's not next to the ocean. Despite being a lighter color than friend Metanath, Saphireth had discovered that dark Blues could still dry out and burn in the ocean sun. (She didn't like this discovery and did not plan on sharing it with Metanath.)

So with Saphrieth's blessing, Elora bounded down to where the Riders were hanging out, content to listen to everybody's comments, maybe learn a few things - and hey, if she made a friend or two, nobody could fault her, right?

[Moo]

This is how one makes friends, yes? I believe you should try this, Mine. Sotrileth blinked slowly and turned his head toward his Rider.

Lacing up her boots, Riona shrugged. "Yeah, I mean…I guess so. Looks like we'll be in this Weyr a while, yeah?"

Tersely, the Black-Blue nodded. I agree with that, yes. No one else has left for new places, and besides, it does not seem safe to be out of the Weyr and on our own. The other dragons are remaining here, and so shall we.

With a small huff, she stood up and smoothed down her cream colored, embroidered shirt. It wasn't the prettiest attempt she had made, and the stitched dragons around the collar looked more like dogs than dragons, but the Hatching feast wasn't to start until later and it would have to do.

"Okay. How do I look?" she asked, extending her arms for show.

Very good, Mine. Now go! I shall follow and find a quiet spot outside.

"Alright, alright," she laughed.

After quickly combing back her short hair, Riona, invigorated by their pep talk, walked out of her room with a spring in her step and headed toward the Bowl. Even from this distance, she could see a small collection of Riders gathering in preparation for that night's feast. A small, hopeful smile flickered up on her lips as she spied the female Riders. Normally, they were intimidating and foreign - she had grown up around boys, after all, and the girls from Shimmer Bay had always been rude.

But today, for some reason…these girls didn't seem like such a bad bunch. And there was plenty to talk about from the earlier Hatching.

Sotrileth followed at a slower pace, slinking past the large dragons and moving toward a tempting patch of sun. He was proud of his Riona, but she would have to be on her own for this. It was the only way. He had watched others try this, and found this method to be true. His eyes whirled when he spied a dragon close to his size: a DarkBlue dragon, curled up and enjoying the sunlight just like he wanted to do. He had never been one to shy from conversation, but Riona was hesitant - though she was not here to hold him back right now.

Hello there, friend. May I join you in the sun?

Riona chose a seat close by one of the older Riders - the one with long, bronzish hair, specifically. She was pretty, prettier than Riona ever thought she could be. Pressing her knees to her chest, she peered over and spied the knots on her shoulder. So, she was a DarkBlue rider. Riona's eyes grew wide with excitement. It was close enough to Sotrileth - close enough to have something in common. So she tried her luck.

"Hi."

###

Oh, tales will be sung of this day! Can't you just hear them now? warbled the Pink dragon, her eyes spinning rainbows of color. From her spot near the lake's edge, Alineshith stared into its depths and tried out a few notes. No, no, that sounded dreadful. She snorted out a discordant note and tried again, tail splashing the water and rippling her reflection.

Hmmm, let me start from the middle. What do you think of these lyrics? As colors swirl and colors go, From off the wing to down below, Great Golden egg to Sands interred, and…and…Oh, shards! Well, the day is still young and there is still time before the Feast tonight. So, what do you think of those lyrics?

"So perfect, totally amazing. You are a true wordsmith how do you do it," Orabel sighed, her voice as monotonous as possible. She had been listening to this for the past few hours, ever since the Hatching had ended, and she had a feeling it would reach a fever pitch once the Feast began and the harpers assembled.

"Hey, I'm gonna go hang out in the Bowl. 'kay?"

Alineshith took no notice of her tone, and continued to stare into the water. Thank you, dear, it is coming along nicely. But I think…oh, I'm sorry to say...your presence is distracting me from my singing. Go on, love. I shall be here. Aaah, let me see…. The Pink peered back into the now calm water. Dare I say it? Ahhhh, yes, this water looks almost azure…How wonderful!

With a roll of her eyes, Orabel smirked and jumped up from her seat. She couldn't get to the Weyr Bowl fast enough; anything was better than sitting beside that Pink dragon for another minute. People complained about harpers themselves, but they didn't have to deal with a harper dragon! It was positively annoying sometimes.

However, it wasn't long before she saw people - or, rather, one person she really recognized - gathering in the Bowl.

"Hey, Evaine! Didn't know you'd be here." Orabel smiled. "How've you been?"

[Nicole]

Saphireth lifted her head sleepily from her perch, looking at the Black-Blue in mild confusion. Was she dreaming? It was like somebody had morphed her and Metanath into one being and spat it back out in front of her.

But no, she was awake, and also fairly certain that she had never had a dream. So she raised her head, nodding politely back at the dragon in front of her. Hello. And she waited for him to make the next move.

Her Rider was equally confused by the new face who had greeted her, turning to absently scan her up and down. She was pretty enough, though Elora wasn't going to play nice and say the girl was prettier than herself - she was no liar. But she smiled at her anyway, smart enough to realize the girl was a little shy.

Elora had been many things, but shy was never one of them. "Hi. I'm Elora. Rider of Saphireth. And you are?" She stuck out her hand politely and waited for the other rider to take it, hoping that the girl's grip wouldn't be like a dead fish.

---

Just the voice she wanted to hear. Evaine spun around, teeth flashing white as a smile spread over her face. "Orabel! I've been good. How are you? Did you see the Hatching?"

Orabel was still very pretty. She had freckles scattered all over her face; Evaine hadn't noticed that in the dark crevices of the jungle. Evaine liked that.

She didn't say it, of course - they were friends now, and she didn't want to make things awkward - but she thought about it.

[Moo]

Bolstered by the older girl's interest, Riona uncurled her legs and shook her hand in return, remembering to keep her grip firm - just like the sailors had told her to do when conducting business. Remembering that small fact made her smile as she focused her attention on the other Rider.

"I'm Riona, Rider of Sotrileth. He's a mix of Black and Blue," she replied, still not used to introducing herself as such. She was still a Shimmer Bay rat through and through. But, she had agreed to Sotrileth that they would remain here a while longer, and so that meant getting used to this way of life. After the handshake, she shifted more towards Elora, crossed her legs, and sat with her hands clasped in her lap. It probably wouldn't be so bad to make friends with her.

Riona decided to start the next round of conversation; she had also remembered that it was polite to ask people about themselves. It was a good sales technique. "What sorts of things do you like to do here, Elora?"

Pleased by her reaction, Sotrileth made a dragon's equivalent of a smile and took up a spot near, but not next to, the Dark Blue. He was not familiar enough with her to be so close, and he had never seen other new dragons do that either. So, he simply curled his tail around his body and settled himself into a neat oval.

Thank you. I'm Sotrileth. What about you?

#

Orabel groaned with mock annoyance, despite her friend's enthusiasm. "Did I see the Hatching? I've practically lived it over and over again! Alineshith has been composing songs for it and hasn't stopped since it ended this morning."

She laughed at how ridiculous it all sounded (because it was just a bit ridiculous), and then shrugged her shoulders. "Other than that, I haven't been too bad. Just been a little busy around the Weyr. Still trying to figure it all out. I'm glad I ran into you, though! We still have to dance at the Feast, and I am not about to miss that!"

Evaine's smile was contagious, and Orabel felt her own smile returning as well. It felt good to have a friend here to chat with, even if they had only met a short while ago and knew…well, next-to-nothing about each other. But they both liked the jungles and loved to dance - that was good enough for her! The rest could come later, and she was sure it would. Evaine was the sort of girl she wanted to get to know more.

"So, since everyone's talking about it, tell me. What did you think of the Hatching?" Orabel looked around, as if her very next thought was too horrible to say aloud. "Honestly, I thought it was kind of strange. Something was definitely going on with all of those hatchlings."