Though he'd been at the hatching and had seen everything one could see from the crowded tiers for spectators, Evoli met his bond at the apartment rather than in the courtyard. There simply wouldn't have been room, and he doubted they could have heard each other speak, anyway. Still, he knew Evizo had bonded, and he'd seen him go off to the feeding tables, though he couldn't actually see the bond itself, so he was proud of him and happy for him.

The hatching had occurred with very little notice. It had been expected to hatch any day, of course, but still, no one seemed prepared when the halls suddenly were buzzing with one word: "Hatching". Evoizo had even been off-world when the call went out, and really, neither of them had been expecting Evizo to be a novo until Evoli saw him speed out when the news echoed down the hall that the eggs were hatching, so they hadn't been thinking about the hatching as anything but an end to the crowded conditions at the Nidus and the departure of the various clutch-mothers. Even then, it had taken him a minute of confusion to put two and two together-- the timing of Evizo's surge of resistance to his sister, the questions about bonding, how he hung around the gardens and sands so often, it all made sense now-- before he realized what was really going on. Though he'd wished Evizo would have told him, at least, he was pleased for him.

Evoli, human-formed, met Evizo at the entrance with a broad smile, though Evizo looked more stunned than happy, himself. Evoli let him in, a little concerned. There was a little white dragon perched on his shoulders, one of the Mythicalaean-Avyndal crosses. She had faint gray striping on her tail and legs, and eyes so dark a purple they looked black-- and she looked very pleased with herself. Evoli felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. Had Evizo somehow attracted his sister's mirror? Another insensitive social butterfly, who could and would make him miserable?

::It's okay,:: Evizo's voice said in his head, privately. ::Matarit's all right. She... she really likes me.::

Well, there was pleasure in that thought, at least, behind all the shock.

::Is it so surprising that someone would really like you?:: Evizo asked, holding out his hands when the little white hatchling eyed the ground with trepidation.

::Well, no, but... maybe a little?::

The hatchling perked, smiling down at him, and jumped down, letting him catch her. "Hi," she said, curled demurely in his arms. She had a breathy, girlish sort of voice, and sounded somewhere between confident and shy, and he set her down gently.

"Hi," Evoli answered. "I'm Evoli. Evizo's my bond."

"He is?" she said, sounding surprised, and she glanced up at Evizo's still-dazed expression.

"That doesn't mean you can't be his bond, too," Evoli assured her.

Evizo shook himself enough to cup her in one large paw fondly. "Evoli has two bonds, too. Me and my sister. But I wanted... well, I signed up for the hatching, myself, and all."

"Oh, okay," Matarit said, nodding and smiling sweetly up at him. Evoli's fear that this hatchling might walk all over his timid bond abated a little; at least she loved him, and was obvious about it, and didn't seem to be the type to want him to change. He hoped.

More movement behind Evizo caught Evoli's attention, then, and he blinked at the little black hatchling that crept in, another one of the Mythicalaean-Avyndal hatchlings. She carefully avoiding even brushing against Evizo's tail. Evoli stared in surprise-- had Evizo bonded twice? If so, why was the little black one avoiding touching him? That didn't make sense at all.

"That's Sabrii," Evizo supplied, following his gaze. "Matarit's sister. She didn't want to leave Matarit. Sabrii, this is Evoli Monspingo. He's my other bond."

Little Sabrii, who was actually larger than her sister, gazed at him expressionlessly, her eyes as pale as the rest of her was dark. Finally, after the silence and stare had gone on rather longer than was comfortable, she looked away with a muffled, "Hullo."

"Sabrii, er, doesn't like people much," Evizo explained hesitantly. ::And I think she's mad at me because Matarit bonded me,:: he added privately, sounding nervous. ::They're really close. Matarit says they sat next to each other in their eggs the whole time and talked to each other.::

::She'll get over it, I'm sure,:: Evoli assured his bond, watching Sabrii slink further inside and away, as if investigating, completely ignoring him and Evizo both. ::Once she realizes what a great person you are, and all.:: He was glad Evoizo wasn't here; she doubted the two of them would get along at all. He wondered idly if anyone would get along with Sabrii-- and if Sabrii would care if they didn't. 

Evizo's answer was just to sigh and shrink down to a size where he could comfortably nuzzle his new bond. She purred a childlike purr at him, curling around his muzzle, and Evoli smiled a little again. Yes, they looked like they'd do all right, at least... and that was what mattered.