Once upon a Time in Verona

STATS
Name: Nadja
Gender: Female
Age: 3 (human conversion: 21)

Appearance: In cat-form, Nadja is a pure-white, green-eyed beauty and she knows it. In hman-form, she is a lithe blond-haired girl with delicate features.
Personality: Nadja is a real princess. She likes to be adored and served. So the male attention from the block-gentleman, Andrez, is more than welcome. And that he's cute doesn't hurt. Spending their time together, Nadja has come to appreciate the more active side of life but she still prefers to rest on a luxurious blanket if the opportunity presents itself. 
Short bio: Nadja is part of a new cat species that is taking Verona by storm. Little do the humans know that the cats are actually cat-shifters slowly infiltrating their world. The real cats know of course, but usually don't care as long as the food and attention keeps coming. 
Owner: Ronald 
Hobbies: Basking in luxury.

Dragon: Luvitbeth (Ket/Russian for "love"
Gender: Female
Size, Colour & Type: 7', Pink Variant
Personality: --
Special Talents: Luvitbeth has a strong teleportation ability in seeking out "safe" destinations. Luvitbeth is a twin egg and will pass down genetic markers for this ability
From: Istabitha Weyr (Valentine 2021 Clutch). Dam: White Ajandeykth Sire: Copper Birth 

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HATCHING
The weather was cool and balmy, the sun high in the sky, and the afternoon classes dragging on, the way classes do. When the dragons began to hum, the candidates were more than ready to abandon their classes and head straight to the hatching sands. Eggs were shaking in the hatching caverns of Istabitha Weyr.  More and larger eggs because of the appearance of a second pair, Ajandeykth and her mate copper Birth. Both dams, Ajandeykth and Tinoth, were situated nearer together than most dragon queens typically liked. Ajandeykth was considerably smaller than Tinoth, but neither was large. 
Ronald and  Veronique entered the sands after a few of the other candidates had already entered. They were dressed in white robes, their feline companions close by their side. It had taken time to understand that the felines were more than just cats- and the Weyrwoman had wondered of Tinoth’s decision to allow the pets so close to the eggs. It was the quiet Ronald who led the way, his hand brushing Veronique’s but not holding it outright. 
There were some odd eggs out there. Not just in their random quantity, but in their sizes and even their shapes. It wouldn’t be the last questionable thing about them. The first of the eggs to show movement was a very small, very round egg that didn’t crack, but started to roll. Slowly, it shifted, making its way across the sands and landing with a resounding crack into a much larger one. The top half of the egg was pushed off by the hatchling inside with an angry, indignant screech. The much larger egg the black hatchling had crashed into cracked open slowly, two thirds falling away, as a rather large boned hatchling peeked out over the egg. 
Two more eggs shifted, wiggling and jumping until they snapped open: revealing not two hatchlings, but three. That elicited a gasp from the stands, it was pretty rare wasn’t it? That there were twins within one egg? That said, there were … large eggs? Maybe that meant there would be more? With a vague number of visible eggs at any time before now, and twenty solid real people at minimum standing around, who knew which of these people might be walking away alone, or how many would come as a surprise.
The twin hatchlings had complementary markings- both a subdued shade of rose, the larger of the two with darker, maroon markings and the smaller with shades of brown. It was the bulkier rose male who led the way, stopping every so often to ensure his sister was following behind.
The brown stopped in front of Ronald, letting out a creel as he rose on his hindlegs, placing two paws on the young man’s knees.
Ronald fell to the ground, eyes wide as the hatchling continued to creel.
‘We will find a home for all of us, Ronald’ he stated. ‘A home where we can be happy, a new family’
‘Huuth!’ Ronald cried out.
The female dragon continued to watch from behind her brother, and Veronique took a step closer. “Are you-“ the young woman asked.
The female let out a chuff of amusement. ‘What sort of happily ever after would that be? No, you are not for me.’ Her tone was bright and amused as she butted her head against her brother’s hide. ‘Your One does not want to show herself yet.’  It was clear even though the conversation had been private, that Veronique was surprised at this. Of course ‘private’ in a dragonry surrounded by telepathic dragons and telepathic people… In the stands, people murmured, and Naeodin suppressed a smile when her own dragon told her of the exchange. So this was why Tinoth had insisted on their presence.
The dragon’s eyes were intent and changing colors rapidly, focusing on the white feline with green eyes that started in surprise, and shifted into the form of a lithe blonde girl. Soon enough the dragon’s whirling eyes matched those of her chosen.
‘You are mine, Nadja. I am yours, and we will make the most beautiful dragonrider pair’ Luvitbeth said smugly.
The Hatching continued, dragons came into view, impressed and ventured f the sands, their lives just beginning. Veronique, Ronald, Nadja and Andrez didn't realize, but dragons of unusual markings had hatched with some regularity. The festivities began, Pernese and non-Pernese mingling

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A turn later, the smudgy and chubby little hatchlings of Istabitha’s most eclectic clutch caused an uproar.
Because they were changing color.
The valentines clutch of Istabitha’s Weyr had a second surprise- the hatchlings began to enter their final adult shades as weyrlings, their hides deepening (or brightening, in some cases), with markings coming into full form at adulthood.
The record keepers of Istabitha’s decided, they were down as “Variants” anyways. It would not make too much of a difference.
Besides, it wouldn’t be Pern’s problem for much longer, they thought to themselves.

=> Adult story will be written after the others impress

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STORY - [Veronique] [Ronald] [Nadja] [Andrez]
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Candidate page for Istabitha Weyr's 2021 Valentine Clutch
Lantessama

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