Biosynth 18 Hatching

"Oh for Heaven's sake, Samurnde, they're kittens and they're cute."

::They're hydra and they're 'Tainted,:: Samurnde responded with a snort, looking down at his grandfather-creator. The stout little man looked back up at him with fond amusement. ::You said yourself that Ryoe wanted one of my kind here to keep an eye on things.::

"To keep an eye on Torraz," Schroeder corrected, looking across the Hatching Bay. The candidates had already gathered and the eggs were rocking under the many watchful eyes of the hydra in question. "Some of those kittens might be 'Tainted too, but they're not going to eat anybody. Not that I think Torraz is going to eat somebody!" Schroeder quickly amended, as the brown yautjadragon bristled and flared his wings.

Samurnde growled, clacking his mandibles before slipping his mask on. ::Not as long as I'm here, he won't.::

With a shake of his head, Schroeder left Samurnde at his post and started down the stairs to the floor of the Bay. Out on the moss, supervised by Ryoe and her hydra-bond, nine large eggs were coming apart from the exertions of the kittens within. Hydra-kittens. Who would've thought?

The nine eggs turned into nine young hydras with thirty-six heads between them--four on each egg-wet ball of fluff. The lot of them were ridiculously forward-heavy, with only one stinger-tipped tail to balance them out on the other end, but yes, they were cute. With wide eyes in their kittenish faces, how could they be anything but? You just had to forgive them their odd physical arrangement.

With only nine kittens looking for bonds or sponsors, it almost seemed like the hatching was done as soon as it started. The eggs all hatched in the time it took Schroeder to get all the way down the stairs and cross the Bay to where Ryoe and Torraz stood. Then the only thing that slowed the kittens down was tripping over their own paws and getting tangled up with their own necks!

Joining Ryoe and her bond, Schroeder smiled at the kitten--already the size of a young Labrador--twining around their legs in alternation and purring all four of his gold-horned heads off. By his mind, Schroeder recognized him as Turrez.

"So, you think I calmed them down enough?" Schroeder merrily asked of Ryoe.

The intricately-marked feline gave him a smile, one Schroeder judged to be pleased even though it was small, as if embarrassed to show itself. Ryoe nodded, but then asked, "What about the 'Taint?"

Schroeder half-turned away, thoughtfully eying the other eight kittens. Already they were all at the feeding tables with the candidates they had chosen.

"I think it touched the attitude of one or two of them," he admitted, "but not in any ways that truly worry me. Every clutch I do has its less-friendly individuals." He looked back to Ryoe with a quirk of a smile. "Nature still gets her tricks in after all the magic and technology is done."

Ryoe considered this, looked up at Torraz, considered again, and finally nodded. "They could be a lot worse off," she agreed.

Torraz heard and snorted, though it was a playful poke he gave his new offspring when Turrez decided to pounce upon the larger hydra's foot. If he had any smartmouthed remarks to make, Torraz decided to keep them to himself when he glanced towards the door and saw Samurnde scowling across the distance at him.

Even a 'Tainted hydra knew when to behave.