Maranth and Minath

Size comparison Piece and Knockoff/Pawn

Pernese, hide skin with possible iridescence resembling scaling, four legs and two wings with large claws on all, boxy head with knobs and a low neck ridge, fleshy ridge on rump and high tail, split ended tail, faceted eyes; Note that Maranth is from a twin-egg, so this feature may play into future generations

Naming: traditional Pernese -TH ended names; knockoffs receive -MAMI

Knockoff stats: average 2 in all, with one at 4; powers average 3 in all normal Pernese powers, though unless promoted to full Pawn, cannot use special clutch abilities (search, time, verbal)

This clutch is debuted at the start of 2 hours until Midnight

Bond : Necian, Impressed
Meeting Notes : He had danced with more than just Mitsu, in the early part of the evening. There were numerous people who thought he was quite interesting, and that simmered in the back of Necian's mind all night. If others could tell he was a bit antsy, a little annoyed, a lot pent up, the orphans didn't show it. Neither did his sister, and... maybe that bothered him more.

At one point, tired from the flight and dance routines that he managed with others, Necian roosted up in the highest balcony he could find, tucked into a hunched ball, and brooded. Maybe more than brooded.

He imagined flying up, up, up; even though the exterior of this venue was obviously under water it didn't seem to matter. It felt light, he wasn't drowning. His eyes were closed, but when he opened them they saw a fantastic array of colors and shapes... violet scattering across velvet dark, bright green sparkling against orange swirls. Well this was... colorful at least. Necian found that he was still flying, but more or less floating along without even needing to flap. Far below - as well as far above and to all sides, there were ragged, jagged hills and spires.

They were floating islands, he could tell because they were spaced by that odd colorful sky, all around him. He relaxed, there were few minds here, there was less pressing of emotions, he tended to get carried away.

A sharp and very loud screech, creeling into an echo, jolted him from this idyll. Above him, a massive creature slowly darkened that already black sky: like a manta ray, its big wing flaps slowly propelling it forward, though for a creature of that size it was still moving faster than he could attain at his best day racing. He hadn't noticed several smaller versions of this thing, because he was too busy gawking at the underbelly of the big one.

Suddenly, he felt himself being yanked as though a rope had been tied to his belly - in a flash of green tinged with orange, and he saw, since his eyes had been on it all that time, now at a distance... that a herd of those smaller ones dove into one another. They had been...

"Hunting you, yes," a voice came, human he could tell, but more than that he knew he was in trouble. But there was a pause, and when the man showed up in his vision, Necian recognized him as being one of the... one of the hosts of the Checkerboard Ball. "I'm not angry with you, son," Keenan said, "but worried? Yes. You nearly were lunch." The man drew in a long breath, "Ruun'den-ket is an opportunistic feeder."

Confused now, the harpy gathered his wits and adjusted his cravat-like tie. He had no idea why the human man smirked like that. "I don't understand, how do you know what that is? What are you doing here?" Necian had assumed that his daydream was his .

Keenan tilted his head and gave a slow blink, "my boy, I should ask what you are doing in my realm. This," he waved a hand, "is Xen. It shouldn't surprise me that someone would wind up here, from the Ball. It's directly connected, I suppose." He looked around once more, and then offered a welcoming gesture to walk with him. Necian noticed that the ground, while it looked firm, was ... squishy? A little weird. He heard more of those big creatures calling in the distance and no longer could tell how far away they were.

"Son, you seem troubled," Keenan said, "but tonight I suspect your worries and woes will be... whisked away."

And just like that, they were back in the ballroom, up on the nearby balcony. His crouch was different, Necian almost toppled into the orchestra pit below when he realized he was standing just like he'd been on that other world.

"Two hours until midnight," Lane said behind him, "what wonders might come to you there, on the floor." True, he spotted another bunch of dragons being escorted from their hatching area into the greater ball. One of them, dark with a lighter tone to their wingsails, their body glittering in a rainbow under the lights, sat down, exhausted.

But then she looked right up, all the way up to where Necian leaned on the balcony, her yellow eyes filling his vision.

Tired, hungry, can't fly yet. Help me?

With that mind in his, Necian dove to the floor and scooped up the dragonet once he got to his feet.

We will fly, far and wide. Can come home too, or where you were. Like those things. Floating rocks, they fly but I can't yet.

Necian chuckled, "Muxyth, we'll get you in the air first, I don't know if it's... all that safe to go back there !"

Bond : Thomas, Impressed permanent bond
Meeting Notes : It was about time. Two hours to midnight, and only one of their group hadn't yet found a dragon friend. Thomas didn't display his irritation at this, knowing that perhaps, the night was saving the best for last?

That illusion was shattered when the dark Pernese pair of dragons brought out their equally dark clutch from one of the side rooms. Clearly they had hatched a while ago, not too long that they would be having difficulty. He'd read up on the various breeds found here at this event, and knew that those of this type needed a bond very soon after hatching. Or what? Or they would die ? How barbaric.

Death would be left for the battlefield. Or the board.

It surprised him to realize that the much larger parent of these high-hipped dragonets was the female, but then again many species had larger females. No matter. He'd been sitting, he'd been busy sipping wine and eating cheese on a cracker, having danced enough already... he wasn't there to dance. But he got up anyway, moving closer. The dragon that did walk right up to him, as he had found himself drawn to the edge of the dance floor, was quite dark. Only the edges of his wings were lighter than 'black', save for the brilliant sparkles that glittered on them. Orange eyes, would they change shades as most of this breed? Or would they remain in this state?

Time would tell. They had time. Dovith proudly raised his head, though still young and a little wobbly. You are my king, and I am yours. What games will shall play!

Bond: Byte, Impression
Meeting Notes: Every single thing about this event was going to be amazing, she could tell right from the start. Byte wasn't the youngest person at the Checkerboard Ball tonight, there were a few littler kids, but she definitely did not get the feeling she'd be looked upon as an 'adult' even if she protested occasionally that she was not just a child any more...

But she dutifully had donned a formal gown (though she'd added leggings underneath, all the froofy stuff wasn't completely comfortable) and practiced a little of the dancing that one might expect to be doing at said Ball, before they headed out. The Empress, that little imp, looked to be planning something. And only she could know what it was - Byte wouldn't call the Empress 'tight lipped', but she sure did know how to keep a secret.

It would be absolutely no secret that this Ball thing would be quite the adventure, however. Rycroft and a couple others had been sent out to secure the area (as if it wasn't as secure as it could possibly be, under an ocean and created by magic beyond comprehension?) then the Empress arrived with a full entourage with guards and attendants and all the royal bells and whistles... Plus a few spares like herself. Byte glanced at her own 'sponsor' Rycroft who afforded her a quick nod and glance over at the main dancing area. They hadn't arrived but moments after the preparation for that big Stage beyond, and the 'grown ups' were already clumped around big semicircular tables on a balcony overlooking the venue.

Big important people, apparently. Byte heard a chittering by her side, and glanced down to see a little dragon, apparently wearing the coloration of a tuxedo, offering her a little gift baggie and information pamphlet. It scooted away when she accepted it, and Byte continued to take in all of this while the first few Stage acts were performed.

She had a strange buzzing in her head, was something wrong with her? Or was it just the ringing of the performances on that Stage and down by the orchestra? Hm, well, either way, there was more music and she was able to enter the Casino - though only part of it - and enjoyed more intimate performances by the band there. Plus there was the feel of all the electronics and technology, she felt oddly more at home here.

But that buzzing didn't go away. Halfway to the Midnight bell, the Empress and parts of her entourage decided to head off to another party, and Rycroft went with her there. This might have bothered Byte more than she let on, but there was already so much going on with the dancing and performances? Plus a few drinks snuck in, she was adult enough for some wine.

Thus a tiny bit wobbly, Byte kept feeling like she needed to answer a call. Not a bathroom call, but a communications device. It was nowhere to be found, it was...

It was looking at her with whirling red-yellow eyes that suddenly turned a rich blue. A soot-black and slightly sparkly muzzle peered at her, behind which long floppy wings attempted to rise in a salute.

Byte felt another dragon by her side, was it the same little tuxedo-marked dragon from earlier? It had with it, a man with a greater number of obvious replacement body parts than she was comfortable with. He might have looked like Rycroft without them, with the white hair and dramatic jaw. But there were bits of him that were clearly not human, not even organic... And he was reaching for her.

Byte ducked, but suddenly this weird man gave off a laugh. Slightly drunken at that. Plus: the bigger soot-and-silver dragon still sat there plaintively giving off a quiet warble. Byte's head hurt, the static was ...

"Just give me a second, there's something..." Thomas Page grunted, and something came out of his arm or hand or finger, or maybe all of it, which he waved around Byte's head. "Ah, yeah, here we go."

I didn't know you would not hear me, I just knew you were here... the dragon's voice came through not as the biting static of before, but a clear, resonant tone. Byte's head still pounded, there would probably be ways to mitigate this. Something in her needed, as this weird man suggested, 'tweaking'. But for the time being, Byte faintly waved a thanks - he was already wandering away - and turned her full attention to this, her dragon.

He seemed very proud of that thought, now that he was able to listen in to her thoughts!

I am Junnith, and you are my one. There will be others to bring us home, but I will be your companion, won't I?

"You absolutely will," Byte sighed and gave a choked laugh. This was going to be more of an adventure than anything she'd imagined!

Bond : Zyminul (now Z'minul - wait, what about Z'ymi?), Impressed
Meeting Notes : They were twins but they weren't really similar beyond their basic appearance, and their voices - which they used to confound their instructors and parents. Not that they did this when any important things were going on! Even if Zy was the smarter of the pair, Zum was clearly the more clever. Zum was also the more adventurous, though that tattoo that he convinced someone to give him when they were twelve had definitely seen better days. They had no idea why they'd been asked to come to this weird and wonderful place, but here they were, in their borrowed formal wear, and watching all the people... plus the dragons!

They were starry-eyed, but also a little weirded out. This place, it was deeply under the sea? How? Zy stayed well clear of the windows, did his best to avoid looking in that direction. Zum dragged his twin into the casino: there, at least, they could sequester themselves for the most part, from the visible danger. What if those big windows broke?

Zum didn't mention that he'd seen ... what looked like a dragon outside of the window. No way was that true. They spent a good while in that noisy room, even joining in one of the small stage acts, when they realized that throwing their voices - even by faking it like they did - would definitely be a hit among the patrons here.

They came off the small stage and finally braved the ball room once more, with a few drinks and a good meal in their stomachs they were a touch more prepared. What they weren't prepared for, was that there were a pair of stunning dragons following them to their seats. One was long and dark, the other a bit chunky and pale, both of them shimmered with rainbow overtones under the dazzling light in the ballroom. The smaller white one nudged their dark companion when they realized the twins had noticed them.

Finally! We thought you'd never come out of there!

It's time you fed us, we're really hungry.

You had a snack already!

... So did you!

The dragonets bumped into one another's shoulders, and finally swaggered up to the twins. The white one, hardly 'white' with all the shiny rainbows coming off his speckled white hide, rested his head on Zumorl's knee. The dark one tiredly flopped at Zyminul's feet. It wasn't half a minute later that a pair of smartly-dressed... wait, smartly marked?! dragons came bearing two pails with freshly cut meats for the dragons, with a note that Zy read as their dragons gobbled their dinner.

"It... it's from Weyrleader S'xon and Weyrwoman Kira of Dragonhope Weyr, do you know where that is?" He asked, and as Zumorl stuffed his own face he shook his head. "Well anyway it says that they're proud we've finally completed a-" he squinted, "wait, they say we were searched? When was that?"

Zumorl shrugged, confused. "I don't know, but I guess... I suppose that father kept it from us, remember he wanted us to marry those girls from that other island."

"Well I don't need to marry a girl," Zyminul grinned, looking at Siduth at his feet. He muttered thankfully under his breath. "And neither do you unless you want to, now, I guess."

"I ... I guess that's true, isn't it Undoth?" He asked of his now-slumbering white dragon. "Are we supposed to... go to that weyr?"

His brother nodded, and then added, "it says, for training, but then we're to be moved to a 'more appropriate location', whatever that means."

I like it right here, Siduth bespoke, joining her partner in crime to sleep.

Bond : Mwanjaa, Impression
Meeting Notes : While this whole thing was very far out of her comfort zone, the one thing that Mwanjaa knew would unify everything and everyone was the kitchen and food. Even though she was supposed to mingle and party with the others, she spent the bulk of her time lingering near and occasionally sneaking into the kitchens.

Sure, sure, she'd done a little dancing with a handsome young man - interrupted only by his twin sister dragging him off to see something in another part of the venue. And she watched one of the stage shows, featuring some amazing singing that prompted slow dancing on the big ballroom floor. But the fact was that Mwanjaa was more suited to lurking and sampling the food... She wasn't chased off by the burly man running the place, though she didn't feel confident enough in someone else's roost to comment about how they could mix a few different things up for a surprise treat...

Mwanjaa did feel confident enough to make her own special treat, lumping a mound of fluffy mashed potatoes high with spiced meat and hot tiny peppers, and then drowned it in thick shiny gravy. She brought this massive bowl out to the main room, and wove her way up to the balcony for a better view of the aerial performers. By the time she finished her meal, they'd descended back to the floor and another act replaced them on the big Stage. And, it was two hours until Midnight now.

A bunch of dragons had wandered around over the course of the prior three or four hours, not just the helpers with their wing-arms and checkerboard patterns. And she'd hardly thought anything of it, until the more recent batch. Two magnificent black dragons strode out, with hatchlings that defied that monochrome and went into shades that hardly said 'black'.

It was the lightest of them, a shimmering silver-grey, who bumbled his way up the stairs - all the way? All the way up? He was huffing and puffing by the time he did finally arrive in the plush booth, but he plopped his butt down right next to Mwanjaa and leaned his head against her shoulder.

You could have come down to meet me, you know.

With a guilty start and a nervous chuckle, she said, "aaaand, we'll have to head back down to get some meat for you to eat too..."

He sighed so hard . Oh woe. How will I make it? I'm not sure I'll survive...

"When we get home, I can sneak you as much meat from the kitchen as you want!"

Bond: Pherin (Ph'in), Impression
Meeting Notes: He knew better than to be playing cards with these people in the casino, but he'd dug in and managed to both learn the game and win a bit before realizing he was in over his head now. He'd take a loss, folded, rose and politely fumed to himself for his foolish bet. Oh well. Maybe he could swap some goods later, he'd definitely be bringing some of the food piled on his plate home, no way he could eat it all, again even though his eyes decided his stomach would just take it all in.

Pherin wasn't really a fool, wasn't really angry about having lost, since most of the chips he'd lost had been won earlier from others with worse luck. Instead of dwelling on it, he drifted back into the main Ballroom and wove his way toward a small table to watch the dancing. There had been an incident out here apparently, involving one of the Stage shows, he gleaned that a flitter had smashed into the ground when someone's little checkerboard dragon got a bit too enthusiastic and joined in without warning. Huh. Well at least it wasn't dead? But that meant that now people were still kind of muttering about it. But now there were people setting up that big weird backdrop with moving images all over it...

Wait, that was the stage itself, and those were windows, with space? Trippy. They played loud music, there were people brave enough to dance, flying, leftover from the acrobatics even before that flitter accident. A buzzing in Pherin's head kept making him blink hard to try and rid himself of it. Noise, a sort of darkness around his vision. Was he having trouble? Was there something in the drinks he'd had?

No trouble, a voice moved into his own, just me. Ph'in you are my own, I wanted to make sure you were right. You want to make the world a better place, I haven't seen your world yet. I know I'm... I guess I am from it? Sort of? I don't know. Do you think we can see it on our own terms?

A stream of words, images, feelings - but pretty coherent.

"Wait - my name is Phe--" He said, confused. He wasn't confused for long, because a broad snoot pushed up against his head. Dark, with paler neck and darker wings, and hungry looking red-whirling eyes. The dragon chomped down on the piece of meat that he'd almost gotten to his mouth.

Your name is Ph'in now, the dragon gave a chuckle and a burp, that was good but it isn't raw enough for me.

"It's a good thing they have something for everyone here, then?" Ph'in pushed the chair back and sought out the dragon servers, he was a rider now? "Do you think we'll be able to? Do things for ourselves?"

Well we better, because I can already tell we're going to be good at it.

Bond: (unknown until found) Impression
Meeting Notes: Akazia and Beena watched the clutch proceedings with interest. Both had an investment in such things, to a degree, both very smart women and equally pretty. They'd cornered the scientists and even got in on the process for each other - why not? They matched personalities as well as appearances quite well thank you very much. The eggs matured on these odd sands, Beena explaining that they were definitely not on Pern, not Alskyr, and not technically even on Earth for the time being. Yet both dragons and women knew just exactly when the cavern hidden away in the Healing Den merged with Rapture down on that sea-floor facility. The Labs encroachment was more behind the scenes, but made for an interesting mix of large and small eggs on each of the attending dragon pairs' nests.

The Ball started, the women went off to mingle with the party goers on their side, and a vast array of dragons, both bonded and unpaired, moved around the large flight dome and environments crafted for their part of the event. Each of the clutches had their own duration to mature, some came sooner than others. But all of them, including Minath and Maranth's, seemed to hatch right about the same 'time'.

Akazia felt it a little strange, because these dragons were both nominally Pernese: but they didn't ask for candidates specifically for their nest, they knew that the hatchlings would be attended by dragons first, bipeds later, and that their impression was somehow ... able to be delayed. There would be no languishing to death on these comfortable sands.

So it was that the pair of women who rode the black dragons came back to the nest around two hours until midnight at this seemingly endless party. The eggs had hatched, mostly before they arrived, but some were still bulging and breaking as they watched. Their hearts filled, such a delightfully shiny and sleek batch of black dragon babies. And the little 'knockoffs' were adorable too! Easily told from their bigger counterparts not just by size.

"Are these pieces or knockoffs?" Akazia asked with a smirk, glancing at Beena's still-flat belly and then her own, significantly. They laughed.

The procession of dragonets from this nest was something to see, as they were strong and had good posture. They exited to the draconic area - where the women could only view through the now-empty nest den's arched opening. Something prevented them from actively entering the dragon's venue, and that was fine. The same thing prevented any undue aggression from attending dragons, on the biped's side. But the ladies could leave to that locale just fine.

Since both Akazia and Beena were 'raised Pernese' approximately, they scampered to the ballroom when the dragons had finished sniffing their own kind over. There they watched as numerous individuals were spotted, rushed to, befriended. And a strange moment or two when several of the Knockoffs reentered the draconic venue not to return. They hadn't realized it would be possible now, for these dragons to pair up with one another...

Or not at all? No, Akazia felt, through her dragon, one in particular was having trouble finding her one, and she wanted her one. But like her dam, this dragonet didn't make a huge fuss, didn't wail or bellow or croon. She merely came to her parents, and bespoke.

They are not here and now, I will find them when and where they are.

She nuzzled her mother, then her sire, and vanished between; and even though there was a moment of absolute panic on Akazia's part, shortly she calmed... Because Maranth had informed her that the dragon did find... or maybe would find, her One. Perhaps they'd learn who it was later on. Records keepers wanted that sort of thing, didn't they?

Bond : Jasmal Dumein, Impression
Meeting Notes : She was the last to leave the infirmary, mostly because she wanted to check out all of their 'potions and salves'. And actually, the group of physicians and medics indulged Jasmal with happy chatter. She and her new friends would be just fine, they probably should have rested up before this party, but they were here now - make the most of it. She... might like to make the most of the discussion and lingering glances that the dark-skinned medic gave, maybe they would meet again some day. For now though, it was time to move on from their dramatic battle.

Jasmal knew that something was a little weird, and it occurred to her a while after walking down the hall what that was: she ... didn't feel the presence of her deity. That was very strange, a bit unnerving. The fact that she was still able to lay her hands upon Basher the Kenku and mend the break in her arm after arriving here even more strange.

No, the strangenesses kept coming at her. She found the others in the nearby hall, and the minotaur (who had been on the farthest side of the uneven multiple-way battleground) was showing off a dragon that had apparently latched on to him right as he got there! The dragon looked like a toy in his thick hands, but seemed quite happy to be shown off.

Someone else, a local by the look of their checkerboard pin and sharp looking outfit, handed each one of them a little book, unlike anything she'd ever seen. Pictures of dragons, one of which looked somewhat like Menetavro's little friend. She spent some time reading up on them all, but was easily distracted by the movement in the main hall.

There was dancing, loud music, the Stage show was a quartet of very beautiful women and their equally lovely dragons? Singing and swaying, it was quite the sultry sound! Jasmal found herself moving toward the dance floor, and spent the rest of that group's performance selecting partners to dance with. It was the first time in ages that she'd been able to just let loose and enjoy the closeness of a partner, the touch of a hand on her hip and shoulder, or more, pressed up together in a brief but strong embrace. There was a time when she danced more, with important people, and then the accusations of theft sent her away from that idyllic life.

When the quartet, the 'Rookettes', finished up and other ... creatures took to the stage as it was between hourly events, Jasmal rested a little at the bar nearby. Such a fascinating array of people and life here! There was an overarching mood of happy bliss, but some moments of distress, a little anger, a little pain, spiced it up. That was what life was all about, after all. This went on for a couple hours at least, with different productions on that big Stage, and an endless churn of onlookers... and a few dragons that entered the area frequently.

She wondered at her new companions - where was that Kenku? Oh well, she probably didn't like the location very much, and had found somewhere good to roost in the meantime - would they remain together and try to figure out how to stop that mad Dwarf from ruining lives? Would they maybe, somehow, help her regain her honor back home? She would help keep them healthy and sound, and if they decided to aid her so much the better. With a dragon like Menetavro's with them, that would be easier!

What about me? Would a dragon like me help you? I think I would!

"Who said that?" Jasmal perked up, looking around. She set her glass of wine down, didn't notice when the one of the handsome twins behind the bar moved it a little so it didn't spill when she jolted in surprise. A dragon, not a very small one at that, was sitting right behind her. Not quite blocking her path if she was to step off the bar stool, which she did. "Was it you?"

It was, that dragon replied, soft and sure. I am Claboth, I know your name is Jasmal. Why are you crying? I will fix it!

"You already have fixed it, Claboth," Jasmal said, touching the dragon's dark nose.

Bond : Cypher Valence, Impressed
Meeting Notes : It was surprisingly late in the evening when the pair of black Pernese dragons brought out their beautiful clutch for all to see. Two hours to midnight, where most of the others had come out an hour or two earlier. But those were nothing like this dark and shiny batch, and Cypher appreciated not only how pretty they were, but how strong their wings and high held bodies would be when they matured. Light caught their hide or their wings, sparkling in a dark rainbow, almost like they had scales, but these dragons did not - this was hide, he'd learned that they would probably need some amount of care if they... Well they wouldn't bond to him , surely. It was late, he'd probably be going home alone, watching his friends and their dragonets.

Oh but I want to come with you! A rich voice, so much more mature than it could have been at a very fresh hatching, came to Cypher's mind. He paid attention to the direction it came from, and turned out... it was that one in the middle of the pack, smaller than most but bigger than a few in that group, and obviously twice the size of those little checkerboard ones stumbling around the edges of the ball room.

"Do you? Really? Think you can keep up?" Cypher smiled, and the dragon raced suddenly forward, past his peers at a surprisingly good pace, coming to a tumbling halt in front of the man.

"I know I can! I know! I am Geluath!" The dragon could speak out loud too? That voice was much higher than his mental one, maybe some day they would match!

Bond : Jetta, Impression
Meeting Notes : Time was, this sort of gathering would have been reasonably common between their people. Jetta both remembered that era and had studied it thoroughly later on. The tales of high-soaring pillars of trees with a canopy overhead allowing in just enough sun- or starlight to dapple the ground, or the vast broad stone caverns with an underground cistern reflecting the torches and fireflies. The murmur of many voices, spotted with laughter or a shout here and there. The strains of music occasionally growing boisterous or somber, along with lines or clumps or pairs of dancers near the orchestra.

All of that was here - pillars of marble with tree-like fan shapes at the ceiling, and water surrounded them; no starlight nor sunlight could penetrate, but there were stars, there were suns and moons, visible through those big magical windows. There were piles of people everywhere, humans and not-humans and upright deer and hounds alike, all of them talking and drinking or dancing and laughing. Gambling, arguing. Romancing one another, all the things that people did when there was a party.

Jetta noted all these things as she walked past them. Putting them to words would come later, her keen mind would certainly recall everything needed. She did pay attention to the other Court, Mahogany's, as they were apparently the ones who had technically received the invitation. But wasn't it possible that, like old tales of warnings, their own had been misplaced? Hadn't that been the core of most misunderstandings that led to...

Well, that led to where the two Courts were now?

As Jetta made her way through the ballroom and settled at a balcony ledge with a small table fit for perhaps four normal sized humanoids, two of her build, she pondered what might be written after this event was done. Would they really have to go back to their... to their war? She only dimly recalled her own desires and impressions of the parties they would have had before then. Was it really that long ago that she risked forgetting how to have fun and enjoy this all for what it was? Rather than merely yet another competition to see who came away from it with the spoils?

For several hours, she moved between that balcony and a variety of rooms, watching the entertainment with a quirked expression (what was this noise they called music? but the acrobats and the dragons flights, oh those were pretty and amazing!). Something gnawed at her, she was hungry all of a sudden. Very hungry, even though she'd been sampling the foods (heedless of that old saying that if you ate the food of an underworld you'd never leave it, was this the underworld? probably not.) and hefted a large mug of quite tasty ale here and there, she was suddenly given to a stomach rumble as if she'd hardly eaten in the last week.

And a bit dazzled. She felt numb as she went down to the bar, tried to select something and had to blink away a vision of many legs and black and white cloaks and feet and--

There you are, there you are... I am here, where are you? There's too many between you and me!

It was a voice in her mind, and when Jetta finally realized where it was coming from, she had to all but drop the plate she held and sprint over. A small but strong looking grey dragoness, nearly trampled by the dancers that were milling around. The relief in her mind was quite tangible, the swirling eyes of this creature looked into her own and Jetta recognized joy when she saw it. Did she feel it? Was this for her?

I am for you, yes! My name is Syqueth! I see so many that will make good pairs, but you are the only one I need. We can find others later. I passed through the dragons before coming here... Her mind turned a little sad, hesitant, when she added, I think some of those dragons want to make war, and I couldn't bear the thought of fighting my own kind. So I came here. To find you. Can we eat?

Jetta wasn't sure what to even think, how to reply. The dragon's mind was insistent, sure, and now that she'd been found and comforted from the confusion of the Ballroom... hungry once more. Perhaps she'd have to think on how to take the right course of action. Because history was her subject, not speculation. The energetic dragon, however, might have something more to say than her history scrolls...

Bond : Minviah Cemi, Impressed
Meeting Notes : They'd danced, they'd sung, but it was a foregone conclusion that they should bring Minviah to the casino - and just let her bet. And bet. And play games that relied on more luck than skill, like those dice games and roulette. For the most part, her luck seemed to keep going as they'd planned... After a time though, she smirked at them and nodded to the little dragon attendant that announced her presence was desired elsewhere. It didn't seem like anyone else was being summoned, that was a bit odd. Two hours until midnight, there were some very interesting dragon-based musical groups planned this hour so no one really wanted to miss those, right? She headed out to the main hall.

The attendant dragonet vanished in a speedy burst of checkerboard and black whoosh lines, and Minviah's eyes followed that blur into the crowd on the dance floor. Of course she could keep looking in slightly different directions, which she did, catching the startled glances of others around her at times. There was a bunch of dragons out there, apparently freshly hatched or close to it. She felt... like she needed to see them with all her eyes.

And it was a good feeling, rewarded, because one of the smaller and obviously-altered ones came slinking up to her. But its wings were so brilliant against that black hide, what a magnificent little dragon!

I won't be too little, not like some! The dragon's voice came to her mind, not really piercing but definitely confident and bold. I mean, I need to grow bigger, and to do that I need food!

"So this was just a ploy to get me to find where the meat is?" Minviah chuckled. The dragon definitely wasn't going to be tiny, even as a hatchling was at least the same size as that helper dragonet that had brought her here. The dragon introduced itself as Mizmami, and seemed to already know just exactly how to put its wings up to do a fan dance (or maybe it was guarding its share of the meat from prying eyes...)!

Bond : Lucius Darknoll, Multibond (see other pages too)
Meeting Notes (for all Lucius): It felt fairly strange to be standing at a bar picking up a dark beer with a pale head - and the bartender was apparently a raccoon woman. Now, she wasn't unattractive, in fact she was... markedly pretty. But if she seemed ill at ease with any of the humans or elves or whatever else was here, she didn't show it in any way. She had a brilliant smile with little pointy teeth, an afro which almost covered her ears, velvety brown skin with black and grey accents, and that distinct mask marking on her face; he wasn't sure whether the fur trim over her snug shiny grey dress was her own or part of the outfit. Lucius was apt to stare, but it appeared she was completely comfortable with that - or she was so used to it that it didn't seem to matter. She pushed the Guinness at him with a napkin under it and a wink. "Have some fun," she suggested.

It was less than an hour later when she took a break, found him, and dragged him to the dance floor. She had a fuller tail than any 'real' raccoon but then she was either half-human or ... something else. Not a shifter, not like him. And yet, this was the most fun he'd had in years. Brandy tugged on his elbow while they were in mid-swing, "Something is happening," she said, and glanced to the edge of the room.

Others paused in their dance too, because a pair of stunning dragons were leading their offspring out from their nook and through the big room. They were on the tall side, but long too, with tails that just kept going, and were covered in a downy fluff even as hatchlings. Most of the little ones bumbled about, occasionally staggering or pausing to gain their footing again. Some of them sniffed at a dancer, moved around, looked at those at the tables beyond, or outright stood up and gave chittering discussions to their new friend. They sure were shiny, and ran the whole gamut between rich black and sparkly white.

One of them nudged Brandy, who laughed, "well, I suppose I can give him up for a dance or two." She'd gone back to her station at the wide bar before he could even speak. But then there was something else to consider, and that was the black furred dragon who had interrupted.

"Mine," she said, "you, we wait now." Perhaps she spoke this way because - well, she was just hatched, wasn't she? She'd certainly become more adept at it with time.

Lucius blinked a few times after pondering that. "Wait, you're -"

"Mine, Feibuu's," she reiterated. And then she walked with confidence to a section of the floor that had been prepared for new dragons to feed. Lucius wasn't the only one with the baffled expression, others definitely were amused or confused in varying degrees by their new friends. He could feel the gentle ping of her mind, though it wasn't as invasive as he expected if this was a bond?

No, that came an hour or so later, when some described as 'Pernese' came out. He heard muttering that the parents were pretty far from 'pure' if that was the breed, but he didn't know what that might mean, and it didn't matter. A dragon much lighter than the first though still clearly 'dark' stomped up and sat down with a stare directly at Feibuu and then at Lucius.

"It is okay," Feibuu said. She didn't seem exasperated, but she might want to work on her inflection.

I want to come with you too. I am Mawlaeju and I am hungry.

Lucius found that he knew both of those things before the dragon even expressed them telepathically. Back to the feeding floor it was! This was one of the 'knockoff' types? Well it seemed perfectly good, if smaller than some. Checkerboard patterns improbably on its wings, now that would be ... challenging, in some settings.

Even more challenging would be the second dragonet that insisted they come along with the existing pair. This one was bicolored with a dark body and lighter belly, but still had the checkerboard patternings on its wings and ridges. (Though apparently these were 'much more like Pernese' than before...) Their features were different, but then again weren't all species just a bit different from place to place? Taomami inserted themselves into the werewolf's mind with a gentle pleased feeling. Much more pleased when they were full of fresh cut meat, and resting with the other two.

His pack was growing, Lucius realized. At least two of them would remain pretty small, but he did wonder... how would he feed them all? Where would they roost?

As the trio snoozed and he sipped at champagne toward midnight, he decided he'd figure that out when he got home. For now, he watched the celebration with a smile.

Bond : Qib, sponsored until adult by Ari
Meeting Notes : They'd all come nearly at the same time, to this table. Once it was clear that Ari was amenable to it, or at least didn't protest terribly much, several dragonets, almost all of them the checkerboard-knockoff little'uns, milled around. They were offered the right foods at the right time, but none of them were so sleepy like a typical hatchling should have been. Ari was a little concerned, how were they all still awake? Didn't hatchlings need their sleep?

Not me, not yet! It was a mental voice that rang into Ari's, with a strange distance to it. I'm gonna wait here. I just think it's right.

"Well, you... do that? I'm sure there's enough meat to go around?" Ari replied, though it wouldn't have made any difference - the dragonet was already seated on a high stool next to the big table and digging in to shredded meats...

Turned out a little bit later, Qib was the one that would be properly bonding to this Pernese dragon, though they'd definitely both be needing aid to grow in the meantime.

Adoptable!

Bond: Gillamu

Bond: Talvim (becoming T'vim)
Meeting Notes: He was a weyrbrat, born and raised with riders and all of the trappings of a proper Weyr. So it was expected that he'd at least want to impress. Talvim knew he'd look great on the back of a majestic dragon, but when the groups of dragons started coming from their arched entrances, they were... very scary. Not so much that he was apt to run or hide, he had been raised around dragons.

But they were very different from the ones at home, that was certain.

He looked around, after that first group showed up, and realized that many folks hardly paused as they passed by. Talvim got back to enjoying a meal. His instincts as a weyrborn were going haywire, though. He spotted several kids his age, but he definitely seemed to be on the younger end of the participants of this bash. The folks serving the food and drinks made sure that the brats didn't get the adult drinks, which was faintly disappointing. But Talvim certainly spotted how some of those kids danced and dressed, a few of them looked like they needed to loosen up a little.

The party was longer than he expected, but he was strong enough to last a good bunch of dances before even taking his first break. This wasn't really that much different from Weyr-sponsored events after all. He took a seat near some of those other kids, but definitely took note of their patron... who was pretty intense and looked very, very important.

Rubbing his feet, several hours into the ball the dancing had started taking its toll. He wasn't the only one, and at least, he chuckled to himself, he wasn't one of those adults who'd chosen to wear high heels!

What are heels?

The voice came out of nowhere, but it felt so warm and welcome.

"They're... things on your feet that make you taller."

I have feet, and things on them, are they heels?

Talvim looked around, because now it was important to see what they meant. There was a sleek grey dragon with brightly patterned wings sitting nearby, and it had features that he was very familiar with beyond those bizarre colors (or lack of colors!). He looked down, and the dragon held up their paw. "Well you have really nice claws," he told the dragonet.

But are they heels?

With a grin, Talvim looked over to a nearby table, where a pair of dancers were resting between energetic musical ditties. "There, see how her feet are?" The dragon gazed toward her. "Those things at the end of her shoes, those are heels." Shortly the woman removed her shoe and seemed relieved. The dragon seemed to be holding its breath in surprise.

You mean that's not her foot?

"Nope, we don't have claws like yours... well I mean," he glanced at one of those odd wing-armed humanoids from the kids group and shrugged, "most of us don't..."

I am Cromami and you are T'vim now, the dragonet stated with confidence. He would go home as a rider!

Bond : Sponsored by Naxi'im, Voluntary Bond to Yruthol

The evening was quite interesting. Busy, bustling even. But what struck Naxi'im the most was that the dragons in attendance, for the most part, didn't even notice his group. At least, few of the 'locals' knew or seemed to care to snarl or glare at them.

Good. Because at least in that regard they were equal. He recognized several local dragons, perhaps from ... well, yes, from events prior. Dragons that were bonded to those people who remained - carefully sequestered - on their side of the venue. Oh how hackles had raised, oh how she had simply bristled.

But Naxi'im and his queens were not here to cause trouble, at least not the way that Mystic wanted them to. Trouble might follow them, obviously, but it wasn't their purpose . That would come later . After...

For now, though, the trio of Death Court dragons strutted through their side of the venue with confidence and ease. If it faintly bothered the blue King that he was considerably smaller than most of the locals, he didn't show it. Why should he? When there were events that would pit them strength-for-strength, speed for speed... Showing off in a 'safe' environment.

He certainly made note of the various safety measures that they'd set up here. Strong magic, strong psionics, strong dragons, all placed at spots where dangers might accidentally injure participants. Well, injure them more than they'd intended to get. Because obviously with a 'dragon rasslin' and sniping contest arena, they expected to get hurt .

The one very sore ache here, was that... all of these dragons were already bonded to humans . Or near enough, anyway, he spotted one of those odd alien 'vorts' who was talking, through the thick glass wall, to an elegant sea-creature Naxi'im realized was also a dragon.

His queens went off to enjoy their own forms of entertainment, while Naxi'im strode through the massive caverns and domes. He was distracted, as they were, by the presence of clutch after clutch of new dragonets. They had been hatched here, or... made here, his eyes narrowed at the thought that even here, with so much effort put into this, they just had to mess with the dragons. There were far more of them though, than he could really comprehend. Each of the clutches were sequestered in their own private chambers, somehow, and even other dragons weren't allowed - or able - to enter them without permission from the clutch parent.

There was quite a bit of magic at work here, that was certain. Even he wasn't allowed through some doors, ruler that he was.

Just as well, he had to be patient, he had to be good for his word, yes? He knew better than to try and 'recruit' any of these existing bonds - he could all but smell the lines between them and their bonds on the other portion of the venue. But these little ones, these newly hatched, and yes even newly made dragonets?

They were all brought before the King and his Queens. (Well, fine , they were brought out through the draconic side first, not just to him...) They would make their decisions, and some of them went out to the human-side, a good few simply remained here with the other dragons instead. And some - some - came back from the other side.

It was late, the big clocks on their cavern walls all were leading to a midnight moment. For what it was worth, the blue king and his consorts did get a little swept up, a little excited - or a lot. The feasting was amazing, though he didn't leave to go hunting, himself. He let those dragons that were thirsty for it bring back the deer, the fowl, the... well whatever that turtle-like thing was. Meats of many flavors, bones thin and thick to snap and suck marrow from. Even some fruits, long grass and tubers for those who needed more than mere meat, all presented in the feeding chambers.

It did smell good, all that blood. But now, with midnight rapidly approaching, Naxi'im watched from his balcony with his Queens by his side, and waited. A big show on the human side of the stage was followed by fireworks from dragons, impressive flames and bursts of energy.

A mental ping broke his gaze from the fireworks, gentle but confident.

We have chosen, she said.

Naxi'im's eyes narrowed, and then settled on seeking out the source of this new mind in his head. She wasn't difficult to locate, slightly larger than her two companions, and framed by them as they walked toward the ledge's occupants.

The other two were checkerboard-marked, he supposed it was too much to ask that only 'born' dragons come to them. He thought about saying something, and then paused to reflect about it. Perhaps this would be better than his initial appraisal could account for - these were creatures made by and ostensibly for humanoids. And yet. Here they were in front of him.

On closer examination, they were to his liking, as well as this born-type female, given their features and their behavior. This one though, she was marbled like the floor and walls of the biped-venue, though in more muted shades than pure black and white. Darker wingsails than body, but she looked like a carved statue and acted just as cool as stone. He liked her immediately. She showed both deference and surety of purpose.

"I am Gakth," she announced aloud, which somewhat surprised him - she was a Pernese breed, wasn't she? "And this is Yruthol," the dark-bodied and spike-covered one bowed its head, "and this is Roemami," the other whose wings were already bigger than most took their turn to dip their head in reverence. Gakth continued, however, "after considering the options, we have made our choice. It was... not easy, for any of us, to resist the allure of those on the other side," she glanced toward that half of the venue, and Naxi'im saw that she had horns growing from her 'head knobs', another unusual feature for a Pernese dragoness. "We are... not typically bonded to other dragons."

She did continually stress the word we . He felt around in the mental air, sensed that her own connection was to him as well as to them.

"It does take effort," Naxi'im said, "so you have overcome this...?"

We have chosen each other, first, the spiked one bespoke. Their two-toned companion placed their wide wing over the other's, they were a bonded pair of dragons among a breed who would have only ever chosen a human if that was all that was offered. But we also chose Gakth, and she has brought us to you. So we will work toward your goals .

The other dragon, Roemami was it? remained silent both mentally and vocally, but seemed attentive enough to the momentous event.

Perhaps it was his own sense of self-worth, or perhaps because he'd been attending hatchings in a more... aggressive manner than now, but he realized with a start, that this was a momentous event for them, just not for the same reasons he presumed. His reasons of course: to assemble an army, a breeding population, a dynasty. But theirs? The thrill in their minds was because they were literally new young dragons and they just bonded at hatching. It was the only thing they knew . All three of them were going to be on the small side, but ... not as small as a couple others approaching the Queens...