This event comes shortly after the end of another scene, which was the continuation of To Bathe or Not to Bathe. There are several poses missing between the end of that log and the start of this one, which may be added at some later point between the two logs.
Xanadu Weyr - Hot Springs
The warmth that flows from this cavern is almost overwhelming for some, the steam rising from the shimmering pools as thick as the morning fog that rolls in off the ocean. Numerous pools are scattered here and there with ribboned walls that are natural in their construction. The water has a somewhat green cast to it, but it is merely a reflection from the ethereal light which is the glow down here that was so noticeable from the Lower Cavern Tunnel. People can often be found down here washing themselves or just relaxing.
Situated along the walls are various racks covered in fresh towels ready for those who step out of the warm waters. A set of shelves have been installed towards the back wall, allowing people a place to put their belongings while they rest in the pools, and despite the white color that these have been painted, they are cast with that eerie green glow. Then, it's obvious. The ceiling of this cavern is covered in the fluorescent phosphorous matter that glows are made off. The mossy substance almost glitters and appears quite lovely.
Rio nods. "Yeah…spread out your offspring all over Pern," he agrees. "Makes perfect sense." He chuckles to Norela's near-command. But apparently he doesn't mind. "Yes ma'am," he offers. He locates the soap and gets a good foam going, then goes for Norela's hair. Being a Weaver has its advantages, as his fingers are nimble from working with thread and looms, so he easily massages the soap through Norela's hair.
Avani shrugs, "Perhaps it is lucky then that I've been too busy Running to notice one way or the other, Norela." She glances down at her hands as she continues, "I have a Duty to my Hold." She frowns at Rio's comment, "By ensuring that we aren't Lady Holders too near each other, my Father extends his influence and contacts."
Norela makes a satisfied purr-like sound as Rio works his magic on her hair, enjoying being spoiled. "Thanks." She offers, despite her overwhelming sense of entitlement. She looks at Avani, still curious. "So you really don't have your eye on one in particular? Surely out of the acceptable men, there must be one who is a little more appealing." After a moment of rumination, her tactless mind jumps on another possibility. "Or is it that you prefer ladies, so it really doesn't matter which man you get?"
Moria and Rished arrive together, the siblings carrying a large basket full of sand between them. A bronze firelizard is hovering anxiously over the basket, cheeping complaints and crooning encouragement in turns as he flutters along between the crafters. "I swear, this thing keeps getting heavier," Ria observes. "Thanks for giving me a hand, Rishy. Mulgrave has gotten really insistent about me keeping them nearby."
Avani blinks at Norela's question. "I can see how anyone's attention can make you purr like an inbred feline if those are the sort of manners your parents left you with!" Any futher comment she might make is tactfully withheld as the young man with the scent returns with Moria. At least now he doesn't smell. Seeing them working to carry something, she strides in their direction. It's certainly not to avoid Norela and her theories. Of course not! Theories which may hold too close to the truth perhaps? Who can say. "Do you need any help with that?" she asks, pausing as she spots the sand within. "Oh, that's not dirty laundry."
Rio nods. "Yeah, that's what I meant," he replies to Avani's explanation. "I can't really say I understand the job requirements for a Lord Holder. I assume it's a hard job. But that makes sense." He chuckles as Norela purrs at his attention. "Not a problem," he responds. He actually pauses as Norela suggests another reason why Avani might not have an eye on one man in particular. He snickers, trying really hard not to laugh. He's aided in his attempt by the arrival of Moria and Rished. "Hello there," he greets. Then he turns to Norela again. "All right…you can rinse now." He rinses his hands of the suds in the water, and makes room for her to lean back.
Ever the dutiful brother, a freshly dressed and no-longer-damp Rished is helping lug the basket along without a complaint. He tosses Moria a wide grin, "I'd bet Mulgrave's been adding rocks or sand or something. He seems, uh. Fussy like that." A glance is given to the people still in the area, though it's a fleeting look that's drawn right back to the basket. For Avani, "Uh. No, I think we've got it. It's not /that/ heavy." So says he.
Norela looks rather vindicated by Avani's response to her tactless query, even if she did succeed in offending the runner. "I'll take that as a yes." She says quietly, really more for Rio's benefit than at any volume intended to be heard by Avani. She gives the new arrivals a curious look and a wave, smiling. "Hi there! Room for more here." Isn't she friendly? When Rio gives her the go-ahead, she dunks her head back to rinse out the suds. "All good?" She asks.
Phylicia comes in a few moments after Moria and Rished make their way into the hot springs. The healer senior apprentice had figured that the afternoon would be a good time to take a bath, having been released from her duties until the evening hours. She pauses, just inside the doorway to the springs, blinking. Are there supposed to be this many people here now? She lets out an audible sigh, her eyes scanning over the people occupying the springs, and managing to catch a better look at Moria than a far-away glimpse of her backside. "Moria!" The girl looks faintly relieved that she at least knows one of the hoard, as she only faintly pays attention to the natter of those bathing. "How goes it?"
Avani nods but follows the pair, just in case. She dutifully ignores Rio and Norela's existance for the moment, watching the antics of the bronze firelizard as the two humans move the basket. "Why, exactly, are you bringing that in here? I was under the assumption that eggs should be kept near a hearth?"
Rio helps Norela by rinsing out the suds while she's leaned back, being sure to keep the sudsy water out of her face. "There you go," he proclaims. That done he looks to start bathing himself. For now, he's just watching the happenings around him. Pizazz, however, seems to find some interest in the basket, and perks when it's set down. She flies over curiously, to see what's going on.
Moria leads Rished to settle the basket next to the shelves in the back of the room, gently resting it upon the ground. Mulgrave gives a relieved trill and settles on the shelving, overlooking the basket closely. "It's more awkward that anything, thanks for the offer, though," she replies to Avani. "The sand is plenty warm from being next to the kiln all day in the glass workshop. It should be fine for an hour or so," she adds. Ria steps into one of the alcoves quickly, stripping out of her begrimed clothes and wrapping a towel around herself. "Rished, would you mind keeping an eye on them just a bit longer while I get clean? I've got ash and worse all over from cleaning out the forges."
When Norela feels like getting spoiled, she insists on being thoroughly spoiled. She grins back over her shoulder at the weaver. "You're not done! Get my back now." Belatedly, she thinks to add "Please?" Anticipating compliance, she leans on the bath rim and curiously watches the new arrivals and their basket. "Firelizard eggs, huh? They really are everywhere in weyrs, aren't they?"
"Yeah, sure. Already had my bath earlier, so … I'm good," Rished replies to Moria with a bobbing of his head. He claims a convenient section of bench next to the basket, elbows on thighs and hands dangling between his knees out of a lack of anything else to do while he waits. Mulgrave's antics are noted with a slight turn to his smile and his attention returns to Avani to add, "Uh. Yeah, I don't know why she wants them here, but they'll fine. The sand is /hot/."
Avani moves a little closer to look into the eggs. "But what if they hatch or something? There's no food here to offer them. And if they don't, then you're lugging around a lot of weight for nothing?" She pauses as a thought strikes her, "Are you concerned that someone might attempt to steal them?"
Rio chuckles to Norela's statement. "Oh! I'm sorry, I forgot, didn't I?" He grins and goes to work on Norela's back as she leans on the rim of the pool. Nimble Weaver hands go to work at washing Norela's back. He speaks up when Avani asks why the eggs are there. "I think she said her firelizard was insistent about her keeping them with her." Here he looks to Moria (or Rished). "Did I hear that right?"
Moria smiles her thanks to Rished before turning toward the pools and unbinding her hair. "Hello, Phy!" she says with a grin. "Haven't seen you much lately. How are you doing?" Fingers comb through her braid, pulling it out into loose waves that fall to her waist. "I think between Mulgrave and Rished they should be fine," she says calmly. "I'm lugging the around because Mulgrave was insistent about it. If they start to hatch, then I'll run up to the kitchens for some meat. They'll be fine."
There's a roll of shoulders and Rished absently flicks his fingers against each other. "I don't think anyone /would/ be able to. Mulgraves, uh, pretty protective." Leave all the hard work to the 'lizard, of course. There's a nod to both Moria and then to Rio, with an added, "Or I can, so he doesn't fret any about where you are. Wouldn't be the first time I've gone running for food." In that, at least, he's shameless. And grinning.
Norela looks quite pleased by how well Rio follows her somewhat childish demands. "Yes, you did. Don't worry, you're forgiven. This time." She half-closes her eyes and relaxes, though she's still paying attention to the whole business with the basket full of eggs. "Is it easy to tell how long they've got before they hatch?" She asks no one in particular.
For a moment longer Phylicia continues to stand around before she leans against the wall readily available to her, working at the buckles to the small belt that hold her pouch to her upper thigh. By the sour-ish look on her face, she's wondering if it wouldn't be a better idea to come back later and get clean. But no. Her duties beckon to her later. She straightens up from the wall, her pouch in hand before she's heading towards the alcoves that Moria recently vacated from. She pauses with her hand on the curtain to the alcove and grins at Ria. "I've been busy between classes, shifts at the infirmary, and helping Tenebrous with his garden." She supplies to the glasscrafter before disappearing for a few moments, coming out wrapped in a towel and heading towards the same portion of the pool Moria does. Another half-weary look is given towards that other group of people, as if she isn't entirely sure what to think.
Avani nods at the explanation, relieved that it isn't because there's a thief about. She takes a half-step closer, looking at the patterns on some of the eggs somewhat idly. Finally, she just crouches down nearby, leaning back on the wall, head back and eyes closed.
Mulgrave takes issue with Avani's approach, hissing harshly at the Runner and fanning his wings over the eggs. Moria glances over and frowns for a moment, calling, "You might want to give him some space. He is /very/ protective." She shakes her head then glances back to Phylicia with a faint smile. "How is he doing, anyhow? Has his garden recovered since last summer?" The crafter is being brisk about her washing, using soapsand in large measure to rapidly scrub down.
It takes Rished a moment to realize that Avani's gone quiet and possibly dozing. He blinks, slowly, then tips a look the Runner's way to make sure that she hasn't, oh, died in the meantime. A glance is tossed over to Phylicia and his sister, but that restless look of his eventually drops to Avani again. "Uh. You okay?" He does, at least, refrain from poking her. Mulgrave's reaction elicits a low, "It's alright, fella."
Public Announcement from Moria: Firelizard eggs are about to start hatching at Xanadu Weyr! +go XAW, C, S to get to the Hot Springs.
Avani cracks an eyebrow open as the bronze hisses, but, as befitting a future Lady Holder, she doesn't react, just closes her eyes again. "I'm fine," she assures Rished, "I'm just finding myself with nothing to do at the moment and it's either pace, or try to relax." She offers a thin-lipped smile, "As well as one can with a hissing bronze nearby."
Norela is content to simply relax in the bath and get herself clean once she's done enjoying Rio's attentions. She slips out of the water and grabs her towel, getting herself dry and preserving her modesty until she can get dressed. She's just about to march out when she pauses by Avani, giving the girl a smile and speaking softly. "Come talk to me before you leave." She turns to give Rio a happy wave goodbye. "That goes for you too. Enjoy the rest of your relaxation, there's sales to make!" With that, she's off.
Phylicia places an extra towel next to the edge of the pool, and then slides into the water while discarding the towel she currently has wrapped around her. She'll want that again for later. "Define 'recovered'." She says with a small laugh as she watches Moria wash with briskness, having none of that about her herself. Even with other people chattering, she still wants to take her time, and soak a bit. "We've been fertalizing the soil, and turning it." Dirty work, none of which she was doing today. The girl at this point in time, pretty much isn't paying attention to much of anyone else.
Mulgrave remains alert, wings mantled, but subsides somewhat at Rished's reassurance and Avani's stillness. The bronze goes back to inspecting the eggs, gently turning one and pushing a little more sand over another before giving a startled chirp and backing up, wings fanning. Moria doesn't pay him any mind just yet, far more interested in getting clean and her conversation with Phylicia. "Having something growing again would count, I think," she says with a grin. "The ash should help things grow, shouldn't it? I thought ash was good fertilizer for plants?"
"Ah." Yes, that ever-so-articulate reply is for Avani. Rished rubs the back of his neck afterward as if that might help him figure out something else to say … but it doesn't work. Mulgrave's startled noise, however, is enough to draw his attention sharply. "Uh. Uh, hey. Moria? Mo? Uhhh …" he's clearly loathe to interrupt the conversation she's having, but a wary look is shot to Mulgrave. "I'm- I'll be right back. C'mon," he pushes up from his seat, offering a hand down to Avani absently, "I think we need meat." Or else it's a huge false alarm. It would figure into the day he's had.
"Ash may help, but a bit of dung mixed in won't hurt." Phylicia responds to Moria with a bit of an impish grin, just now beginning to scrub herself off with a certain amount of efficiency. "But if recovery is something growing… there's grass and underbrush?" Maybe it's because Phy is facing that way, or maybe it's just because the motion catches her attention but the girl looks to Mulgrave, and blinks. Ciaran - a midnight blue firelizard with an aquamarine hind foot - appears from *between* with a chill passing of air, perching on a shelf just above the basket, chirping a question down at Mulgrave.
Avani cracks open an eye at Norela's word, but doesn't reply until she's gone, and that's to mutter to herself a "Don't hold your breath on that point." She opens her eyes and turns her head slowly to regard Mulgrave as he gives his startled chirp and is about to speak (or so her open mouth would suggest) when a hand is pushed her way. "Meat?" she offers, taking the hand from habit but getting to her feet easily, "Oh. I suppose he might have a reason to fuss after all, if that's the case." She offers. Since it _is_ something to occupy her, the Runner begins to move towards the exit. "Does the Kitchen expect the request, or are we raiding the serving tables?" She asks, already knowing that she'll snag something to eat while she's there, if only to counter the rumble in her stomach.
There's no doubt what Natishen is here for as he skulks in, covered in mud and sporting more than a few scrapes on his exposed skin. Muttering blackly under his breath, the young boy ignores the others present in the springs, edging around the edge until he finds a relatively clear spot before begining to strip off his soiled clothing. A lifetime in the Weyr has prepared him for mixed-gender bathing, and he manages to disrobe and get in the water without flashing anyone. Hissing as his cuts and abrasions sting, he gingerly begins to scrub at them.
The Walls of Westminster Egg quivers for several moments before returning to stillness.
Rio can now concentrate on washing himself, and does so, listening to all the conversation around him. Pizazz has been hanging around the basket too, but far enough away from it so that she doesn't upset Mulgrave. He happens to look over as Pizazz makes an upward lilting noise. "Huh?" He leans over, looking at his green. "What's the matter?"
Rished releases Avani's hand as soon as she's up and then he's in motion, sprinting off to the exit. "Yeah, no. They don't know. We're raiding," is tossed back to the Runner with a quick, lopsided grin. Clearly, when he's dressed and not stinky, he's a much more amiable person. And then he's off, bolting nearly full-tilt in pursuit of food — for himself as much as for them.
Mulgrave gives an excited croon and begins humming as the first egg twitches. This, unlike the earlier chirp, catches Moria's attention. Startled, the crafter turns, eyeing her bronze. "So /that's/ why you wanted them along," she exclaims, before rolling her eyes. "Worst timing ever," she mutters, and, with a muttered curse, hauls herself out of the water, dragging her towel around herself. "The kitchen has a scrap bowl full of meat cuttings we can use," she calls to Avani as the Runner moves toward the caverns.
Haunted Castle Ruddigore Egg trembles, spilling sand from its shell and uncovering its curves.
Avani nods and sprints for the exit as well, falling into a pace just short of her Runner's stride as she hits the exit (wouldn't want to bowl anyone over, after all). She somehow catches Moria's comment before she's actually out of the cavern and sends a wave over her shoulder to signal that it was heard and understood. Then she, like Rished, is gone.
Frog Infested Stream Egg ripples slightly, shuddering in its sandy bed.
Phylicia apparently feels no need to hoist herself from the waters, instead continuing to scrub at herself as Ciaran takes up the humming chorus, meant to welcome hatchlings. "Since when does /any/ creature manage to do things when it's convient for /us/?" She asks of Moria, keeping her eyes on the scene none the less, especially as Avani and Rished go bolting from an area sporting potentially wet ground.
A Jester's Costume Egg trembles minutely before falling still once more.
Natishen is busy trying to clean himself of the mud and muck and doesn't seem to notice the excitement, not at first, anyway. But when water slops into his face as various people jumping in and out of the pool stir up ripples, he looks up irritably, lips trembling with comments probably better left unsaid. But that blood in his eye turns to confusion as he watches the goings on, and he drifts towards the edge of the pool. "Hey, what's all the fuss?" he demands.
Moria grins as she catches Phylicia's words, glancing over her shoulder toward her friend. "Truer words never spoken," she says, ducking into the alcove to pull on a robe before scrambling over toward the basket. "Mulgrave, back off a bit so they have room, huh?" A few moments later a green, a blue and a brown all come arrowing in from the caverns, the green in the lead. Trina alights on the shelves near Mulgrave, chittering in surprise at the wiggling eggs. The brown and blue are simply crooning as they settle on higher shelves to welcome their brethren to the world.
A Jester's Costume Egg gives a stronger twitch, causing the sand around its shell to shiver.
Haunted Castle Ruddigore Egg shakes again, cracks starting to develop as it shivers and twitches.
A little while passes before Rished does return alongside Avani, both bearing a load of meat and additional treats in the form of sweets. One bowl for her, one for him, of course. He has the excuse of having a sweetroll in his mouth to explain why he doesn't announce their return; his running is, at least, back down to a quick walk once they make it back to the springs. He lifts his bowl of meat with a wiggle for Moria to see, if she happens to be looking that way, in a wordless 'see? I did it!'
Rio looks to Natishen. "Looks like a basket of firelizard eggs are starting to hatch," he notes. He stands back, though, to let people mill about and not get in the way. However, now that he's clean, and other people are looking away from him, he gets out of the pool and wraps his towel around himself. He looks up as Avani and Rished come back in, giving them a wave.
Frog Infested Stream Egg begins to roll over, the shell bubbling outward here and there.
Only after a moment does Phylicia decide that getting fully clean fast would be the wisest course of action. She turns back to her scrubbing sparing a glance for the younger boy covered in mud as well as scrapes. "Apparently the firelizard eggs Moria was safe-guarding have decided to hatch." She tells him before dunking herself to wet her hair, lathering that up next with the same hurried motions. "And I wanted to soak." She half-pouts to herself. It just isn't an option anymore. Her hair is quickly rinsed and wrung out, before she's wrapping a towel around her like everyone else and easing herself out of the water. But she doesn't head towards the basket. Instead she lets her legs dangle in the water as she starts to towel her hair to a dryer, non-dripping state.
Avani spots Rio's wave, handing him one of the bowls of meat. It's the cooked sort, meatrolls and wherry slices. The bowl of raw scraps she places down closer to Moria's pool. The other bowls of meat are handed out to interested parties on her way to her previous place. Once there, the Runner crouches down again and picks up a meatroll sitting on top of her pile of sweets. "Always eat some proper food before you have your dessert," she mutters to herself, bitting into the food with manners befitting her birth.
Moria catches sight of the returning Runner and her brother and grins at them both. "Just in time. It looks like a couple of these are right about ready to pop," she says. "Thanks for grabbing them some food." She scoots back out of the way, waving everyone else forward. "I don't want any of them, so the rest of you, by all means have at. Just… I don't know if they are all going to hatch right now. I don't think they are all from one clutch," she warns, settling onto the bench Rished had occupied earlier.
The watery shell of the Frog Infested Stream Egg gives another burbling roll as it begins to flake apart, gradually flowing away from the Leader of Revelry Green Hatchling. This energetic hatchling immediately lips her head and gives and earsplitting cry, calling her clutchmates to join her for the next great dance!
| Leader of Revelry Green Hatchling |
|---|
| A queen among greens is this firelizard, all sleek lines and feminine grace. Coated in a dark mossy green with subtle yellow highlights, she has the soft look of a pampered lady. Her hide is silky and smooth with a healthy sheen, shimmering in most light. Fragile wings are speckled with olive and sage, with larger drops scattered across hips and back as well. Her long, slender snout is dipped in a dark, vibrant emerald shade before fading back into the moss that enshrouds her form. Her paws, headknobs and tail tip are also treated in emerald, creating glimmering focal points across her body. |
The Walls of Westminster Egg shimmies and shakes, bits of shell beginning to flake away from one side.
House of Learning Egg lists to one side as the other eggs tremble, causing it to shift and shiver in the sand.
The Haunted Castle Ruddigore Egg continues to shakes, cracks expanding rapidly along the wispy lines of its shell. With a bounce and a sharp *rap*, the Bad Baronet Brown Hatchling forces his way free of the remains of his family prison.
| Bad Baronet of Ruddigore Brown Hatchling |
|---|
| This brown firelizard seems aged beyond his Turns, tan highlights on his hide giving him a pale and haggard appearance. With a base color of tanned leather, these highlights contrast starkly, flowing through the creases in wings and chest to give an illusion of wrinkles. Shadowy patches of dark loam are sporadically spread across his form, rolling over gaunt shoulders and hips and pooling along his belly. The tan streaks that cross these patches seem almost to glow against the dark earth that stains his hide. His wingsail are raggedly edged and appear almost tattered, but do not seem incapable of flight. |
The bowl carried by Rished is more of the communal, grab-your-own type. His sweets are definitely /not/ communal. Those are jealously hoarded to his person even while the bigger bowl of meat is offered around for folks to take their choice bits from. The rest? It's plunked down not far from the basket, with Rishy claiming a spot on the ground. A little blue head pokes out from his shirt and eventually clambers out, claiming that bowl as his for now. It doesn't dissuade the young man from wiggling the meat, blinking a little when the green hatches — and then the brown. "Huh. Wow. Look at that, hey? They're pretty quick." It's the green he wiggles meat at; she hatched first, after all, and everyone knows the early 'lizard gets the wherry meat.
"Firelizards?" Nash seems to make an instantaneous shift from unhappy to excited. He splashes to the edge of the pool and peeks over the lip, but he doesn't pull himself out of the water. "Whose are they? Think maybe I could try for one?" There's yearning in his young voice as he looks around at all the relatively unfamiliar faces, before focusing on the meat being passed around. He snags some and adjusts his position so he's half in the water, half out, with several strips of meat laid out on the ground before him. He doesn't seem to focus on either of the two newly hatched firelizards - this boy is an equal opportunity Impresser.
Rio accepts the bowl handed to him by Avani. "Thank you," he offers with a smile. He's also definitely one of the interested parties, too. "Now…" he mutters. "Trick's gonna be keeping Pizazz from eating it." Almost on cue, the green perks and looks at the bowls of raw meat. "Ah-ah!" Rio snags the green from the air as she passes him. "No. That's not for you. It's for the hatchlings." She hisses, but Rio shakes his head. "No." He procures his own bit of raw meat and sets himself down to meatwiggle at the brown. "Don't see why you couldn't," Rio notes to Natishen with a smirk. "I am."
Avani shifts slightly at the green's, um, welcome to Pern and arches an eyebrow at the unnaturally aged brown as she finishs the meatrolls. The newly hatched are ignored as she settles the bowl of sweets, balancing it carefully upon her knees as she courches near the basket. It takes a moment for her to decide just what sort of sweet to start with and she gently digs a warm bubbly form beneath the pile. Noting that there's a sweetroll sticking out of the top, she shrugs and nibbles at the edges.
Leader of Revelry Green Hatchling gives an irritated snort as she realizes that only one of her siblings has hatched yet, and as such she has no group to lead. With a disdainful sniff, she turns her back on the eggs, looking at the hovering humans with a calculating gaze. What potential do these have to join in her revelry?
Phylicia jerks her legs from the water as Nash splashes about near the edge, squeaking. Though the green's sharp cry the healer-girl winces. "Moria's." She supplies to the younger boy and grins. Well, enthusiasm certainly has it's place. She stands to move herself to a slightly better location, snagging a few pieces of the meat on her way. Folding her legs underneath her, she looks to Moria and shakes her head. "Why I'm even doing this is beyond me…" She says to her friend, a little baffled at herself as her red-capped brown slides from between to perch on her shoulder and start humming. In her ear. "Estevan!" She says in disgust, waving the brown away. No, neither of the hatchlings get her full attention right off the bat, though the green lady does get a fair amount of looks.
Bad Baronet of Ruddigore Brown Hatchling vanes his wings widely, shaking off the last few bits of eggshell as he surveys his surroundings. With a regal bob of his head, the rumpled-looking hatchling steps down from the basket, shaking sand from his feet as he goes. The brown flicks his tail at his green clutchmate, swatting her on the snout, before pacing forward to inspect the offerings before him.
House of Learning Egg sinks deeper into the sand, as if trying to shore up its shell against the tapping that is occuring within.
Whorled World Egg shakes on its axis, its world trembling as blows rain against the inner surface of the shell.
"Hey, pretty lady, c'mon. Meat here." Nevermind that the green /was/ a loud one and his repetoire of firelizard-calls happens to coincide with his list of pick-up lines. Rished wiggles the meat jerkily with one hand, while the other is put to work feeding himself with treats, though he always has an eye on the basket for any other firelizards that might be hatching.
Natishen sniffs at Rio, though not in a bad way. "They always tell me I'm too young," he replies, though his attention is on the hatchlings. He picks up a strip of meat and wiggles it experimentally, much as he sees the others doing. "But I'm not young now. I'm old enough t' be 'prenticed, I think I'm old enough to take care of a 'lizard." He pauses, brow furrowing, and the meat in his fingers falls limp. "Aren't I?" Uncertainty breaks in on the ebulence in his childish tenor, and he shifts his gaze fractionally to the apprentice, seeking assurance.
Moria grins at Phylicia, shrugging at the question. "I never did know why I tried for Trina," she admits, wincing as that particular green decides that humming is no fit welcome for /her/ children. Oh no, they need to be welcomed with high, shrill croons and chirps. Of course…
Rio looks to the antics of the brown and chuckles. "Heh…wonder if he did that on purpose?" he muses aloud. Notwithstanding, he still seems intent on catching the brown's attention. He smiles softly, holding the piece of raw meat out, should the brown wish to take it. Not looming or getting too close, just letting the hatchlings have their space for now. Pizazz seems to share the other green's opinion, and joins in the racket. Rio winces at her hissy voice. "Ow." He looks to his green. "Pizazz, what are you doing?"
Avani eyes the green and brown warily as they start their quests for food. But does the future Lady Holder of…somewhere move one inch further from the basket? Of course not. She just shifts her knees slightly to help shield her bubbly slightly from young eyes, then she continues to nibble.
Leader of Revelry Green Hatchling gives Trina and offended look for the awful sounds issuing from her maw, and seeks solace, and food, from Rished, stumbling hurriedly out of the basket and across the short space to huddle against his hand. She certainly doesn't ignore the meat, snatching at it and tearing in ravenously before looking up to meet his eyes with an imploring trill of her own, much less sharp than Trina's awful sound.
Leader of Revelry Green Hatchling looks into Rished's eyes. Impression!
A Jester's Costume Egg flips over, spraying sand everywhere, before splitting cleanly in two to reveal the Strolling Singer Green Hatchling.
| Strolling Singer Green Hatchling |
|---|
| Vivid chartreuse is the basis for this green firelizard's hide, eye smarting in its intensity. This small form is liberally splattered with streamers of new-leaf green interspersed with pale sea-green blossoms, which serve to diffuse the vibrancy of her base shade. Her sturdy wings and spine are almost entirely coated in the softer tones, with her ridges painted sea-green and her wings patterned with spirals of the leafy shade. Her legs are out of proportion with the rest of her body, smaller than expected, but they are certainly capable of supporting her, and are unadorned by any markings. Her tail, neck and head all sport small splatters of yellow, which actually compliments the chartreuse and gives some grace to her painful coloring. |
Bad Baronet of Ruddigore Brown Hatchling studiously ignores the other hatchling, or is that hatchlings now?, as he inspects each of the nearby persons. While that bubbly looks tempting, it is too far away for him to bother with, so the brown focuses instead on the nearer bit of raw meat, dangling so enticingly. A swift pounce, surprising agile for such an aged form, and Rio's got a brown hatchling gnawing at the meat in his fingers while awkward paws scrabble to grip his hand.
Bad Baronet of Ruddigore Brown Hatchling looks into Rio's eyes. Impression!
The House of Learning Egg recognizes defeat when it has come, and surrenders finally to the will of the hatchling within. With a soft sigh, the shell crumbles away, baring the Reaching to Empyrean Heights Gold Hatchling for all the world to admire.
| Reaching to Empyrean Heights Gold Hatchling |
|---|
| Permanently is the sunset captured in the hide of this fiery golden firelizard, the vibrant colors of evening's approach immortalized in her form. The sun's warmest gold stains her hide, coating her from the sweep of her headknobs down neck and shoulders to coat the rest of her sturdy form. Her face is redder in tone, with sparkling points of the warm gold shade speckling her sharp muzzle and rimming her faceted eyes to emphasize these features. Her broad wings bear the cloak of gentle shade, as if clouds passed between her and the sun as it stained her with sunset's grace: warm gold has cooled to mellow yellow, with faint hints of green touching the folds and ridges in the deepest shadow. Across chest and haunches skim a collection of rosy puffs, soft trickles and eddies of pinkish gold that follow the flow of her pronounced muscles to define her strong yet still elegant physique. Her hide darkens as the warm gold flows down her limbs, tarnished by the approaching night, with her claws the shining points of emerging stars on the far horizon. |
Phylicia almost doesn't hear Nash around Trina's shrill croons. She's used to the roaring sound of waterfalls, but shrill noises just grate on her ears. "If you think you are able, then you're able." She says to the younger boy, almost sternly but with a certain amount of gentleness to her tone. She's tapping her temple, with the hand that doesn't have any meat in it. "It's all up here. Know you can." There's two more eggs hatching, and this time her hand moves into the fray, grinning at Moria. "Masochistic?"
Rished is in mid-bite of his pastry when the greenling actually /comes/ to him. Eyes wide, he nearly chokes on his treat when she trills and tears at it. Something slightly more articulate than 'arglblargl' is what he /wants/ to say, but that's not going to happen. Instead? He just digs out more food to feed the imperious one, the other hatchlings temporarily ignored for the sake of the feeding. Worse still, the blue now wants attention … so he'll be busy with one hand and two 'lizards to feed.
Whorled World Egg rocks again, tipping over onto its side before falling still again.
Rio chuckles at the brown's enthusiasm. "Well! You have a healthy appetite, don't you?" He grins, and gets the brown some more meat, since he's so ravenously hungry. Pizazz flies over to inspect the brown, who apparently also shares her humanthing, sniffing at him curiously. "Better be nice," Rio cautions with a grin.
Moria snorts at Phylicia's quasi-question, shaking her head. "Believe me, if I'd known what she was going to grow up to be, I would have stayed far, far away. Besides, I have an egg that I'm tending from Lord Gaerwyn that I'll have to Impress, so I'd rather only deal with one baby at a time."
Natishen's gaze swivels to Phylicia at her words, and he squares his narrow shoulders, nodding stoutly. "You're right." He renews his attempts to attract a firelizard with some vigor, wiggling his meat in a careful side-to-side motion that mimics what most of the other would-be Impressees are doing. His gaze flickers from hatchling to hatchling, eyeing the two that have already found lifemates, then gazing wistfully at the green and gold. With a brow furrowed in concentration, he stares at them, his body so tense with the effort that he's nearly wiggling as much as his piece of wherry.
Avani sends Rio a toothy smile as the Weaver impresses the brown. "Well done," she offers. She blinks as a glance towards the basket notes that the green is gone and replaced by another. She spots Rished as the lucky one and nods. She's just about to take a bite of her bubbly as a shimmer catches the corner of her eye and she pauses. "_Pink_ on a gold," she murmurs in surprise. A pause before she holds out the nibbled bubbly, sweetroll addition and all.
Strolling Singer Green Hatchling lifts her voice, the sweet and soft tone a distinct contrast to the voices of the mature greens in attendance. The painfully bright green strolls forward, continuing her melodic performance up until she misses the edge of the basket and tumbles to the floor. Oops. The green shakes herself, looking up in surprise at the assembled. You didn't see anything, right? Right.
A green and a blue precede the arrival of a certain visiting rider, his pace measured and slow as he meanders into the cavern. M'gaal has no reason to be here, specifically, save that this is where his pair is leading him and he's compelled for the moment, to follow. A brow quirks up when they start to hum and the chaos of the scene takes a few long moments to register for him. Moments later and he's headed that way … if very, very dubiously. "Hnh."
Reaching to Empyrean Heights Gold Hatchling stands posed within the remains of her shell for several long moments, surveying the destruction around her and then the other eggs with a clinical gaze. After ensuring that everything is as she expected, the gold steps neatly forward, spreading her wings out to fan the air. An imperious call rings forth, drowning out her small sister's melody, and momentarily causing Trina to even pause in her warbling. Satisfied that all attention is on her, she proceeds to the edge of the basket to survey the hopefuls. Who might help her best in her aspirations?
Phylicia's chocolate eyes glint with a bit of amusent for Natishen, her attention oh-so-briefly stolen from the hatching firelizards. "Better." She chuckles as she adjusts her legs to tucked up by her side instead of sitting on them, re-adjusting the hand that contains the meat in them. Both of the ladies are get glances from the healer-apprentice, but as with everyone else, her eyes are for the gold sporting such a wonderful sunset. "Thankfully my two have grown already.." She's saying half-attentively to Moria, starting breifly at the young gold's cry, and the pause in Trina's shrill crooning. "Oh please…" Please let that be the end of Trina's agony, or…?
"Thank you," Rio returns to Avani's congratulations. He moves back from the basket, taking the bowl with him, so he can concentrate on putting the food in the hungry brown's mouth fast enough to suit him. He looks to the hatching eggs again, and smiles. But soon his attention is drawn back to the brown, though.
Moria blinks in surprise at the gold hatchling, then looks at Trina, who is just as baffled. "That is /not/ yours!" she scolds the green, scowling. "I knew you couldn't have clutched this many eggs. Trust you to try and foist your own off on some unsuspecting gold. Bet you didn't expect Mulgrave to drag me to the clutch." Oh, so that's what happened, huh?
Avani smiles softly at the gold's sweet melody and eyes the bubbly a moment before continuing to offer it and pulling out some sort of pastry, nibbling on it herself as she watches the gold and green seek their lucky matches. When the green falls, she shifts her position enough to ensure herself that the green is uninjured, but then her gaze flickers back to the living sunset.
Strolling Singer Green Hatchling seems to have figured out how to get up again, and is moving about smartly, strolling away from the basket, and her imperious sister, as quickly as she can. Her poise shattered by that resounding call, the eye-smarting green decides faster is better and makes haste toward the first possible meal source - a trembling piece of wherry meat held by a trembling lad. The green seizes the end of the meat almost tentatively, tugging to see if Natishen will let go and let her fill her empty belly.
Strolling Singer Green Hatchling looks into Natishen's eyes. Impression!
Whorled World Egg might be fine for some, but not for the stirring, shifting creature inside. It's simply not its place and, so, the egg is finally destroyed with a last mighty smash. The Earthbound Thunderbolt Bronze is quick to shake the shards off, discarding the last remnants of what-was and looking onward to what-will-be.
| Earthbound Thunderbolt Bronze Hatchling |
|---|
| He is an earthen thing, solidly built as if hewn from sturdy stone by a masterful hand with the touch of life. Blocky and blunted in a noble way, well-proportioned throughout, this bronze firelizard bears himself with all the stately pride that such a creature could muster. While his build might not be eyecatching, the hue of his hide is another story entirely. It is, in purest terms, the pale-bright of lightning, gold-bronze with a distinct deepening of that color at his eyes to lend a sense of age. Light skitters easily across every angle and curve of his thick body, pooling on wingsails that are nearly translucent as if made of light itself — all of this brilliance is only exacerbated by a good oiling, rendering him nearly blinding. Only his claws are firmly anchored to the world, a dulled bronze as if coated in dust from turns spent a-wandering. |
The Woodcrafter just briefly looks up at his sister's outburst, then to the gold and the rest with a slow blink. There's a laugh, then, and Rished pauses in his meat juggling to glance at Moria with an amused, "Looks like they both have a good nose for finding eggs, huh?" And then, ow, a green is nipping at his fingers and he's feeding her with a muttered, "Easy, easy. Are you even chewing? What the shards."
Natishen's attention is drawn, quite predictably, to the gold as she cries out. He stares at her for a long moment, surprised, but his attention is quickly drawn away at the tentative tug on his meat. He stares down at the little green and tentatively smiles at her before relenquishing the strip to her grasp. "Hi there." Entranced, he turnes over all of his attention his new friend, gold and eggs forgotten in the wonder of his first firelizard.
"Oh, no. No. Zaq will have a fit and you two know it." This is said rather chastisingly to Asherah and Enlil, with M'gaal going so far as to wag his finger at the pair that are now humming and joining the other 'lizards as they greet the new ones into the world. Still, even that threat — made more for their sake than out of any seriousness — isn't enough to keep him from advancing those last few steps and snagging up a bit of meat to wig-waggle out there. To which one? He has no clue. The gold's there, so she's the first that gets his attention, but he does spare a look to the bronze — thoughtful, that.
Reaching to Empyrean Heights Gold Hatchling draws herself taller as the bronze hatches, looking over her shoulder to taunt him with a sharp hiss before leaping out of the nest, spread wings assisting her in her short glide. She isn't the most graceful thing in the air, but she is new hatched after all. With only a little wobbling, she manages to reach her destination - Phylicia's dangling meat, which was out of her reach before, is now prime for the plucking. The gold alights on Phy's outstretched arm, scrabbling for purchase as the tries to snap up sustenance.
Reaching to Empyrean Heights Gold Hatchling looks into Phylicia's eyes. Impression!
The Walls of Westminster Egg gives another shimmy and twitch before it crumbles slowly into rubble, leaving the Half a Fairy Brown Hatchling to stare about him in surprise at the change in venue.
| Half a Fairy Brown Hatchling |
|---|
| Colored a drab tree-bark brown, this firelizard has few markings to liven his hide. Instead, his interesting features consist of structure, not color. This mid-sized brown seems smaller than he really is, as his form is lightly structured and appears quite delicate. Wingsails are thin enough to see through, with clearly define veins when stretched out. His neck and head are narrow but finely shaped, perhaps even feminine, with just a hint of darker brown framing his eyes. His chest is shallow and legs slender, with only his tail maintaining the thickness that is more typical of his larger size. Thin, darker brown lines accent his spinal ridges and his claws, giving just a hint of emphasis to these areas. |
Earthbound Thunderbolt Bronze Hatchling isn't going to take being hissed at without protest! Oh, no, he stretches his neck out and hisses right back - no challenge will go unanswered! The bronze takes a few steps forward, but before he can reach her the gold is airborne and away. Well, that tears it! With another irritated hiss the bronze snakes his head around, glaring at the people. What, nobody is on his side here?
Natishen leaves the green to finish up the last of his scraps on the lip of the pool and dives under, quickly scrubbing at the muck. His hisses as the water stings his scratches are muffled by the fact that he's underwater, but when he emerges again, he's squeeky clean. Pulling himself from the pool, he grabs a nearby towel and secures it around his scrawny waist, then picks up the green, cradling her in the crook of his elbow, gathers his dirty clothes, and scoots, clearly more interested in getting dressed than in remaining for the rest of the hatching.
Avani blinks at the gold's sudden motion and it takes a moment for her eyes to trace the creature's flight. She offers her usual thin-lipped smile to the lucky one and starts on the bubbly once again, the pastry having been consumed a moment before. She glances at the bronze, letting out a soft laugh at his hiss of indignation. "That's right, little one," she murmurs, "don't take that sort of treatment from anyone." She reaches into her bown and pulls out a second bubbly this one without any other sweets sticking out of it. "I don't suppose you'd like to cheat with me?"
Phylicia's eyes widen for a moment when the sunset-gold alights on her arm. But whether that's due to pin-point talons digging into her arms or the fact that the small gold chose her is up for debate. With a half-strangled cry and in order to save her arm, she cradles the young lady to her toweled chest, the few other scraps that she had taken being presented as she quickly stands, heading to one of those bowls still full of meat to both get out of the way, and continue feeding her new charge without attaining anything more serious than the first few scratches. "Well. Just as long as you don't claw me /every/ time you'd like to be fed…" Yes, there is a touch of pain to her voice. Needle-sharp talons are not a pleasant thing to feel against bare skin.
Moria has had to shuffle around to the side a few times as additional adult firelizards have popped in to welcome the hatchlings, but she's been keeping an eye on things. When it calms for a moment, she leans over to Rished. "Well, you'll be having a couple long weeks," she says with a grin. "Two of them to feed, and both so young." She shakes her head briefly. "You'll get no sleep for a week," she predicts. And then an airborne streak of color catches her attention, and she blinks as the gold alights on Phylicia. "Well, see, maybe it was worth it," she says to Phy, raising a brow. "Or maybe not?" She's got scratches, after all…
With the gold gone and a brown to take her place, poor M'gaal's left with a baffling little conundrum. His gaze hazes, briefly and then just as quickly clears with a shake of his head. He takes another step closer and hunkers down on his haunches, the meat being wiggled out there. First to the bronze, then to the brown … and then a bit more increasingly to the brown at some mental urging or another by some unseen and no doubt sulking beast.
Half a Fairy Brown Hatchling stares around in puzzlement, not quite sure what to do now that he is out of his egg. But a clenching in his stomach and gentle croon from Mulgrave shortly have him figuring it all out. Wobbling a bit on his slender legs, the brown edges forward, looking at these odd offerings that smell like food but certainly don't look very good.
Rished makes a face at Moria, just barely having finished his pastry and needing that second hand to keep up with the demands of both critters. "At least a sevenday," he replies with a wrinkling of his nose. "Probably more, if she's-" yes, the green /is/ chirping loudly again. /Feed me/. He silences her with another bit of meat. "-this one has to be one of Trina's. Seriously."
Earthbound Thunderbolt Bronze Hatchling seems to be agreeing with Avani - this kind of treatment is absolutely unacceptable! And since she's clearly a kindred spirit, who better to spend his days with? With a slow, stately few steps, the bronze brings himself to Avani's hand, taking a few swift bites before looking up at her and demanding more with a sharp chirp.
Earthbound Thunderbolt Bronze Hatchling looks into Avani's eyes. Impression!
Phylicia offers a smile for Moria over the young gold as tidbits continue trailing down the gold's gullet. "I think she'll be worth it." She ventures, easing the gold onto her legs where the towel covers, so she can look at her arm around appeasing the firelizard with piece after piece. Her brows furrow and she sighs shortly after. "Nothing a little washing and a temporary bandage won't cure." To keep whatever wells up off the rest of her clothing of course. Now with both hands free, one finger tickles a small headknob as another chunk disappears.
Moria chuckles softly, reaching to pat Rished on the shoulder in sympathy. "Well, some of them have to be, I suppose. Though it looks like the rest of the eggs aren't ready to hatch, so it might not be hers. I would think she hid hers in the gold's clutch." She shrugs then, glancing at the brown hatchling, then at the remaining eggs. "I'm not that surprised, I suppose. She's a clever little beast." To Phylicia she offers, "And she should get the hang of her claws fairly quickly to spare you too much injury. Mine all stopped causing scratches after a day or so."
M'gaal continues his meat-waggling, undignified as such a thing might be. With Asherah and Enlil cheering him on as it were — lots of trills and chirps woven into the humming — he feels /slightly/ less foolish and a little more childish. Or something like that. With the brownling left and no signs of further eggs twitching, he wig-waggles it at the brown with a low utterance only meant to be heard by the creature.
Rio finally has managed to fill up the brown with enough food to satiate him. So now he has a sleepy firelizard curled in his lap. And he's still wrapped in a towel, too. "Hmm…this is going to be a difficult one," he mutters. Though he catches sight of Avani's success with the little bronze. "Oh, congratulations!" He offers to her with a smile.
Rished wrinkles his nose a little — not for the touch to his shoulder, but for the way the greenling is continuing to harass his fingers. "Ah. Well, maybe. I don't know. I'll blame her anyway, if it's all the same." It's all good-natured, of course, with a tipped grin offered to Moria, then over to Avani and the others that impressed while he wasn't paying attention. "Kind of … different, all of them."
Half a Fairy Brown Hatchling isn't going to take any longer in his search - there's this piece of meat that's been waggling at him since he hatched, and based on his clutchmates reactions, meat is plenty tasty. So the brown takes the last few wobbly steps to bring himself in reach of M'gaal's enticing food, snatching it out of the air and quickly begging for more.
Half a Fairy Brown Hatchling looks into M'gaal's eyes. Impression!
Avani's almond shaped eyes widen as the bronze comes forth and eats the bubbly in a few bites. "Making the best of the chance to cheat, hmm?" she murmurs, reaching into the bowl quickly and offering another randomly selected sweet, "Can't say I blame you there…" She pauses, idly feeding the the bronze one sweet after another. "I suppose my plans of leaving the Weyr tonight or tomorrow have been put on hold again. Larely it's been thunderstorms that did that, not young lives." She grins at the bronze, pulling him up into her lap and closer to the bowl of sweets once the bubbly she was eating is gone. "What was that old tale the Harper had pulled form the AIVAS records… ?" Her eyes shine with a michief not often seen in the young woman. "Ah, right, thunderstorms and lightning are brought about by the Lord Thor. And since golds are queens, you must at the very least be a Lord. Aren't you, Thor?"
Phylicia nods her head to Moria, knowing full well how long it look Ciaran and Estevan to master their motor skills. "This is what I get for having only a towel on." She tells her friend, laughing a bit at her own mishap. Well. She can't exactly be angry at the young gold, can she? Her eyes finally rise to look around her as the sunset colored firelizard doesn't demand the meat nearly as fast anymore, her small belly starting to bulge, individual pieces almost visible. "Are you done yet, miss?" Rhetorical question, but…
Avani glances over, her procesing speed a little slowed with the distraction of Thor, and nods to Rio. "Th-Thank you?" she offers with a tin-lipped smile. "I guess we might have another chance to talk after all. I can't hit the Traces with this mouth to feed, after all…"
Her Majesty's Flag Egg twitches, the shell rippling ever so slightly.
Rising, M'gaal continues to feed the brown with scraps until he's reasonably sated, leaving Asherah and Enlil to continue humming a little when another egg starts wobbling. But the rider's resolute in stopping at the brown, though he's apparently in no hurry to make haste from the place just yet — if only to make sure his two aren't causing any further problems.
Moria sighs in relief as the firelizards begin to quiet and the eggs seem to still. The slight ripple of that egg goes unnoticed by her, and by several of the firelizards, but Mulgrave is paying attention and renews his humming. Startled, Moria glances toward the basket. "Uhm, I think there's another one about to hatch? Anyone willing to take on another hungry mouth?" she asks, a slightly panicked look on her face. She really doesn't want to take it home…
Her Majesty's Flag Egg shudders, causing the shell to roll in easy waves that distort the image upon it.
Rished wrinkles his nose a little when an egg continues to twitch and he scrambles back a little to make some space between his bowl of meat, his sweets, and his 'lizards from the basket. The basket might as well be on fire for as quickly as he reacts. "Nuh-uh. These two are enough," he blurts, slanting a look over to Avani and then back to the eggs again. Wary. Oh-so-wary, now. "You better hope they don't all hatch near your bed while you're sleeping, Mo."
Rio stands up, shifting the sleepy hatchling, and places him down gently on a small pile of towels. Then he quickly gets dressed and picks the brown up again. Doesn't want to leave him behind, after all, and a sleepy lizard is not going to go flying about on its own. He hears the call as one more seems about to hatch, and waits a moment, to make sure there's someone there that can take it. No? Rio looks to Pizazz, then to the brown, then to the twitching egg. "…Well…I can, if there's no one else," he volunteers. He comes forward, going for the raw meat again, preparing for the new arrival.
Moria makes a face at her brother, muttering, "I'm going to leave them in the caverns after this, for anyone to take one home. I'm totally not risking it." Mulgrave, thankfully, can't hear her, or he would probably be crying bloody murder to change her mind. Crazy hatchling-loving bronze. Rio's offer has her smiling in relief. "Thanks. You have no idea how much I appreciate that." And to further ensure she doesn't get the hatchling, Ria ducks into the alcove to change into clean clothes, which she had carried in in a bag that she left near the basket earlier.
Her Majesty's Flag Egg gives one last rippling shudder before cracking open, neatly cleaved in two by the First Lord of the Admiralty Blue Hatchling.
| First Lord of the Admiralty Blue Hatchling |
|---|
| Among the smallest of his brethren, this blue firelizard's size is no obstacle to his regal bearing. Royal sapphire acts as the base for his form, a shimmering fabric set with various ornaments. Soft aquamarine shimmers in large teardrops along shoulders and wings like glittering jewels. These drops decorate his thin wingsails with points of light, which diminish in size further from his head before trailing off into a lacy tracing of thin strands across his tail. Heavily muscled yet in proportion, his shoulders and haunches are dappled with strings of dark indigo, trailing along the curves of his form with easy grace, and his talons are edged with the darkest jet, setting them off from his stately blue form. |
Rio gives a smile as Moria thanks him. "It's fine. I can't take any more, but I can definitely help here." The blue hatches, and Rio approaches the basket, offering the scrap of meat to the little blue. He gets closer to the basket than he would normally, since he wants to make sure that the blue notices the meat he's holding. And to make sure the blue doesn't get distracted by something and scoot away.
"Probably a good idea, yeah. That wouldn't be great, to wake up being eaten alive by the little things." He'll just stay over here and away from the silly things. A glance down confirms that Rished's earlier bid to change was a bit premature — yup, he's bloodied again, this time courtesy of well-fed and snuggly-feeling 'lizards. "Oh for- c'mon, you two. Jays." He throws his hands in the air briefly, then lets them drop to his thighs with resignation. "I'm just going to have to do work in here until you two feed yourselves," even if the place is absolutely awful for woodwork.
Avani smiles as Thor finally settles down, sated. She looks into the bowl and blinks, her face lighting up in surprise. "Oh, Thor, you're a fair and noble Lord indeed." She pulls out a sweetroll which was spared the bronze's hunger and nibbles at it gratefully. She pushes herself to her feet easily, the bowl in the crook of one arm, Thos in the other. "Now then, let's go find you some oil, my little Lord," she murmurs, "And perhaps I'll look for a proper meal since you stole all my sweets…" And with that, she's making her way towards the exit, easily avoiding the puddles left behind as people pulled themselves form the various pools of warm water.
Phylicia's eyes look up startled. "Oh no!" She exclaims softly, glad that someone else - Rio - is speaking up for it. With care she stands up, carefully skirting the area containing the basket as she cradles her now-dozing gold. For a few long moments she disappears behind one of the curtained alcoves, to re-appear a few moments later, half dressed, with one of the towels held over where Hinae - the young lady - scratched her arm, the gold nestled next to her neck, regally dozing off her first meal, somehow managing to look dainty. "Well, I suppose I should thank you, Moria." She grins at her friend, settling a few of her belongings carefully. "But I should just go wash this off."
First Lord of the Admiralty Blue Hatchling stumbles a little as the shell sunders, blundering into another egg before making his way toward the edge of the basket. He looks around in consternation as everyone seems to be backing away. What's this? Don't you all know that sailors are the finest and should be admired by all?
Rio chuckles and meatwiggles at the blue. "Here you go little one," he coaxes. Noting the looking around, he smiles, and says, "I'm afraid I'm all the audience I can offer at the moment." Meatwiggle. "But here's food for you, anyway…you're a pretty fellow."
First Lord of the Admiralty Blue Hatchling regards Rio for several long moments before he bobs his head, as if he's nodding in response to the words. Daintily, a paw is snaked out to catch that wiggling bit of meat, and he draws it to his mouth. Several quick but neat bites demolish the food, and he's shortly staring up at Rio, cheeping hopefully for more.
First Lord of the Admiralty Blue Hatchling looks into Rio's eyes. Impression!
M'gaal lingers just a moment longer, something murmured just for the brown now drowsing in the curve of his hand, and then a salute is tipped to — well, it looks like Moria's the one in charge that others are looking to, so she's the one that gets it. "Good luck getting rid of the lot of them; if you're in it for a bit of profit, you should get with the traders here and see if they're willing to get rid of them for you."
"There you go," Rio replies, offering more food to the blue from one of the not-quite empty bowls. He sits, placing the sleepy brown in his lap. He also draws the blue into his lap as well as the bowl, so he can feed the blue. Pizazz has taken to rummaging in one of the bowls of meat, to get the scraps. And with Rio's hands full, he's not in a position to stop her. He looks up to Moria. He nods to M'gaal's words. "That might be an idea," he agrees. "Might also get a few marks for them, who knows?"
Moria emerges from the alcove just as the blue accepts Rio's offering, and smiles her relief once more. "Oh good. THat should be it for now, then." Indeed, the firelizards have all ceased humming, and Mulgrave has started cleaning egg shells out of the basket, leaving the sand around the remaining eggs clear of debris. "I might do that, thank you," she says in response to M'gaal, glancing toward him briefly before looking back to the eggs. "I might just put them in the caverns with a note that anyone may take one home, too."
Eventually, Rished makes it to his feet with his duo cradled in the crook of an arm. "That might be a good idea," he guesses, though whether of Moria's suggestion or M'gaal's is hard to say. In either case, he tips a look to his sister and says, "I'm going to put these two, uh. Somewhere." On his bed? He's begun to rethink that, given their state. A towel is dug up, if a bit belatedly, to bundle them in. "And then I'll be back to help you with that basket."
Moria starts gathering up the bits of shell that Mulgrave has evicted from the basket, piling them on her towel to be carried away and disposed of. "Thanks, Rished. Don't worry about hurrying - I don't want you to accidently unsettle either of those two. I'll be here whenever you make it back." Trina, having decided that the fun is over, launches herself into the air and prompty vanishes :between:, followed shortly by the blue and brown. Mulgrave remains, tending the eggs as if he were a gold. Crazy firelizard.
Rio is left to clean off his two new friends' hides, once the blue decides he's had enough too. "Wow. I forgot how much a hatchling eats," he murmurs. Then he chuckles. "Good luck getting rid of the rest," he offers to Moria, giving a smile. A green on his shoulder, and a blue and a brown in his lap, he looks quite happy, actually. "Now…I just have to figure out how to get 'em both home without waking 'em up…." He chuckles.
There's a nod for Moria and another salute for her that turns into a small wave for the others with a friendly, "Clear skies and good luck." Soon enough, M'gaal's making his way out, trying a few names just under his breath — no doubt for the edification of his current companions, seen and unseen alike.
"Honestly? I don't think /anything/ will unsettle these two now that they're settled." Or so he hopes. With a nod, Rished does make good his departure, even if that departure is made with a bit of muttering that's easily heard until he's gone. It's not so much to do with nams as just encouraging them to sleep. Just sleep. Stay sleeping. Yes, good baby 'lizards.
For the full listing of details on both the hatchlings that hatched during this log and the rest of the clutch, which was gifted away, check out the clutch page here!