Xanadu Weyr - Hatching Sands
The large circular "stage" is surrounded on one half by a towering wall, thin slit windows high overhead letting in some light without truly endangering the objects on the sands, though plenty of lights are spaced at human-level all the way around. The other half is ringed by the dark blue seats of the observation level, rising upwards towards the back wall. The circle itself is filled with a mix of red and white sands, deep enough to cover the largest of dragon eggs with ease. To one side, a small door is visible, hidden away behind a platform meant to provide a place for the clutch parent's lifemates to stand during the on goings.
As Jammar runs in to fetch them, Avani pauses, her hand still holding one of the dishes she was in the process of rinsing. One of the kitchenhands takes it from her, and puts a gentle hand on the young woman's shoulder and points her towards the exit. Sensing his mistress' discomfort, Thor doesn't leave his perch upon Avani's shoulder until she is just steps away from the Sands, and even then the small bronze settles upon the railing, his freshly oiled hide shimmering brightly even at that distance. Avani, pauses at the edge of the Sands until a few others have stepped onto the Sands, and then she follows, offering Seryth (and Zaqalekhth, if he is there also) a deep, respectful curtsey before moving towards the Clutch.
Satoris arrives looking like he was drowned in dishwater and the truth isn't far from it. He's been washing dishes much of the day and he looks the part. From the shoulders up, he's fairly clean, but everything else has been splashed at least once and his clothing bears witness to the fact. He's cleaned his hands off, at least, just in case leaving handprints on egg shells is against the rules.
Natishen slinks in behind the others, clothes and hair coated in dust and chin once again tucked against his breastbone. He glances towards the area where the queen and bronze rest and offers them a sketchy bow, but he avoids even looking towards Thea. Instead, he lags behind the rest of the Candidates, waiting to see where each of them goes before choosing his own target. After all - he's becoming an old hand at this.
So the Candidates have been summoned once again - or at least some of them have been. Thea is over by the platform watching as V'dim brings the group in. They are warned not to run and fool around and to please be respectful and then allowed to walk through the clutch, watched by Seryth and Thea and surely the huge bronze sire.
And he is watching. His rider might not be here — he does have other things to tend to, from time to time — but Zaqalekhth most certainly is. That charred-looking golem with the red-rimmed eyes and the slightly gaped maw over there? Yes, that's him.
Once they're led in proper-like, Satoris does not lag behind to give Thea a chance to tease him this time. He bows to both dame and sire and moves out with the others. He passes by a couple of the eggs he has touched, fingertips nearing, but not settling upon them. Soon, however, he falls into pause by the Face of Time Egg. A slight cant of the head before he steps up to touch the surface lightly with one hand.
Avani's mud-green eyes slip over the twelve ovoids before moving up to Thor for a moment. Her eyes light up after a moment and, as if inspired by that glance, she takes a deep breath, presses her overly thin lips together until they disappear, and she moves towards the brozen shell of True Enlightenment Egg, carefully placing her hands upon the shell when she stands beside it.
Avani visibly relaxes as her palms settle upon the surface of the egg. Her brow unknits, her eyes close and a slight twitch plays at the corner of her lips. She doesn't seem to be in a great hurry to move on just yet. Her previously expressed vies on eggs with face notwithstanding.
Rished joins the rest on the sands, already shifting uncertainly on his feet. Glances are given to the ones he'd touched before — most notably with a lingering look for Faded But Not Forgotten — but he eventually starts to move toward an unfamiliar one, a hand soon reaching for the Timeless Monolith Egg.
Apparently whichever candidate got the quartet from the kitchens, didn't tell them yelling into it was a bad thing to do. Phylicia lags behind all the others, sporting a very new, very recent bandage on one of her fingers. Thankfully, by her lack of reguard for it, it doesn't seem to be anything more than a nick. She curtsies to Seryth and Zaqalekhth upon entering, taking a moment to orient herself to the heat before she makes her way over to the Beyond the Taboo Egg, a palm carefully being placed upon the hardening shell.
The former miner's form twitches slightly and he draws in long, deep breaths as if to still himself. Eyes lid, then open, the pale, near-gray color brightening briefly as he focuses on the egg before him. A few steps are taken, nearly shuffles for relief from the heat of the sands, but he does seem to almost be circling the egg, as if to get a full view of the Face of Time.
As each of the other Candidates select their eggs, Natishen wanders slowly through the clutch, studying each one of the giant ovoids carefully. Finally, he pauses at the Under the Sea Egg and gazes at it for a long moment, then reaches out one hand to rest lightly upon its curved apex.
Avani lets out a soft gasp at the images which flash into her mind. Her brow knits again, but this time it is not with worry but rather a rare glimpse of playfulness as she attempts to grasp the images and keep them within her mind even as the unanswerable question seems to be posed. "That's a task and riddle that you yourself must face, and only you may answer," she murmurs softly.
Rished inhales slowly with a bit of a sniff at the end, his brow furrowing a bit as if trying to place something or another. "Huh," is mostly grunted, with him moving slightly around the egg with his fingers lingering on its surface. Any words for the egg are kept under his breath … but this one seems to earn only a slightly puzzled and silent regard from the Woodcrafter.
Phylicia blinks at the basalt shell of the Beyond the Taboo, though any startlement from her is quickly eased away by… familiarity. A smile so close to the ones she used to sport much more often stretches her lips, and she almost leans into the egg, but catches herself from that motion. Just barely.
Avani lets out a semi-sob, her eyes flashing open at the unexpected switch of emotions from the Hatchling within the bronzen shell. "Oh, young one…" she murmurs, her fingers gently brushing over the ridges of the 'face' upon True Enlightenment Egg's shell. "You'll have freedom to discover the world at your own pace… It's more than others may wish for. There's no need for such sorrow from one so young…"
Natishen holds his breath, he can't help it. Dry sand beneath his feet, and water flooding his mind. He exhales a moment later, however, on a somewhat breathy "Hi", in response to the egg. Eyes sliding shut, he lets his palm slide over the smooth shell and lets himself sink into the consciousness touching his thoughts.
Avani waits a few moments longer but does not sense anything more from the Hatchling and nods her head. Seeming to finally sense the heat beneath her, she hops a few steps, reaching down to brush sand from beneath her boots and finding herself near another egg. Feeling that the images upon its shell remind her of the last images, she moves forwards to rest her fingers against Inscribed in Stone Egg, shifting slowly from side to side to avoid the heat.
Satoris almost sneezes. Almost. The hand not upon the egg comes up to rub at his nose, as if something is getting to him. He tilts his head forward slightly, though his eyes don't close. Perhaps he's searching the sand at his feet for something. Brow furrows a bit, as if he's getting the beginnings of a headache and for the moment, one hand still upon the Faces of Time egg, he doesn't move his feet to relieve them of the heat.
"I don't …" but the rest is lost in a vague sound, with Rished continuing his slow gyre around the egg of his choosing. Touch here, drag a fingertip there, and he's still working around that strange and timeless egg with a distant look on his face. The movement is enough to keep his feet cool, if barely; but, were it not for that exploration, it's easy to imagine he wouldn't think to move his feet at all.
Phylicia's smile is short lived as tension starts to creep through her body. The atmosphere projected by this unhatched dragon is… a little nerve wracking. It's like revisiting the Clutch to her, and though her hand stays firm on the shell, there's a small quake to her muscles. "I'd prefer to live, thank you." She manages to mumble.
Avani tilts her head to one side and slowly slips her palms upon the shell. Her thumbs and index fingers form a frame of sorts around the sketchings which resemble a dragon's form. Still shifting form side to side, she closes her eyes slightly, attempting to offer the access which appears to be requested.
Avani crinkles her nose slightly and opens her eyes once more, regarding the ovoid shape before her evenly. She pauses, and her gaze settles upon Thor as her bronze remains perched upon the railing above before she finally looks down again. "That depends on who you ask… and when."
Rished blinks a few times, rapidly, and eventually pulls his hand away … if only to rub at the back of his head with befuddlement. Any words he might have had are simply exhaled as a long, drawn-out sigh and his gaze travels across the rest of the eggs with a strange and distant look of uncertainty. Slow steps bring him to the Mountain Citadel, where a hand is finally laid upon its surface with a pre-emptive furrowing of his brow.
Satoris doesn't feel like he's going to sneeze any further and as the mind within the egg he's touching pulls away, he does as well. Another slight rub at his nose and he steps back, glancing about at the other eggs and their potential occupants. He's thoughtful for a moment before stepping up to True Enlightenment. "Hello," he says softly to it, before reaching out towards it. "How are you today?" Well, might as well try to be conversative.
Avani shakes her head slightly and steps back from Inscribed in Stone Egg after another moment or two. Seemingly uncertain as to where next to turn, the ex-Holder/Runner simply turns in place, and brushes her fingers over the nearest unoccupied shell: that of the Faded But Not Forgotten Egg.
Phylicia relaxes a touch, almost as quickly as she tensed up. Maybe it was a figment of everyone else's imagination. She presses her lips together, forming a fine, tight line even as her corners turn upwards slightly. She finally lets her hand drop from shell, pausing for a few moments before she decides to take up wandering, looking from shell to shell.
Natishen shakes his head, somewhat irritably, and sighs softly. "Well?" he asks, opening his eyes to stare at the egg. "What is it?" Uncaring of how strange he must look, he eyes the egg with an almost annoyed expression.
Rished mutters, "Cold," just under his breath, but it's clearly not enough to compel him to pull his hand away. His calloused thumb drags along a curve of the egg, his features pulled into a focused expression as he attempts to discern just what the egg is sending. Something else is muttered just under his breath, just for the shell and the dragon within, but the words are lost in a whisper.
Avani's mud-green eyes go out of focus nearly from the moment she makes contact with the shell. It is almost as if she can see past the physical barrier of the shell to something beyond. She takes a deep breath after a moment, holding it for a long beat before it begins to slip out, lungs made powerful by Running countless miles no longer able to contain the force within.
There's a deep, rusty noise from the construct and a subtle widening of his maw, but Zaqalekhth remains otherwise still. Watching. Waiting. And if it seems that he's inching impossibly closer to the lot of them … well, it's because he is, even if it requires taking advantage of their focus on the eggs to enable such an illusion.
Phylicia pauses in her wandering for a moment, looking at the stains and splotches that cover the Patterns in Parchment Egg. Giving herself another moment to collect her thoughts, she puts her palm upon a splotch, waiting with a little bit of apprehension for whatever lays inside.
Shoulders relax somewhat and Satoris exhales in a slow sigh. He straightens slightly as if a weight has been taken from his shoulders; to be given this moment of fresh air, as it were. Perhaps fresh mind? He shifts, moving along the side of the True Enlightenment egg and placing his other hand upon the surface as well; an open and welcoming gesture.
Natishen huhs softly, clearly taken aback by the sudden abandonment. He rocks back on his heels, then snatches his hand away from the egg before there can be another intrusion. With a look that borders on annoyance, he actually sticks his tongue out at the Under the Sea Egg, then turns on heel and strides away, seeking out another egg to comm- er- touch. That would appear to be The Left Behind Steps Egg.
Rished seems even more uncertain, now, though his hand remains resolutely on the shell. There's a shallow nod for the egg itself, some low-murmured reassurance, and then he stops, simply standing before the egg. His eyes are fixed on it, unwaveringly, and he is, for the moment, at the mercy of whatever the egg sees fit to share.
Avani offers the egg before her a thin-lipped smile as she blinks her gaze back into focus, but then her back straightens and she narrows her eyes at the shell, giving it a glare as if the one within could truly see it.
Phylicia whimpers at first, the hand not held against the shell of Patterns raising to an ear to cover it, as if she's hearing something extremely unpleasant or hurtful. With her inner ear ringing, she shivers yet somehow still manages to wait and see what this hatchling-to-be is about.
Avani presses her lips together again and shakes her head, "Is there a need to go there? If so, you go. You do not question your Duty." The words, though murmured, are still firm with conviction.
Avani shakes her head as she steps back from the shell which had gotten such praise from her lips when it had first appeared. Instead, she turns her back on it, wandering for a few moments before reaching another which catches her eye. "Who do you shelter?" she whispers, resting her palms fully upon Lady's Delight Egg.
If Phylicia could thump an egg without getting into huge trouble for it, this egg might just get such a thump. There's a grunt as she thinks about pulling her hand away, though she doesn't. "Curiousity is good, but you don't go digging like that without a person's permission." She grumbles at the egg.
A slight smile creases Satoris' features and the man nods slowly, stepping in nearer to the egg as his hands brush over the surface. "Perhaps," he says, voice barely audible. His feet don't do the same dance and in fact, with those relaxed shoulders, he could practically be on a beach somewhere. Not here in the opressive heat.
Natishen's brow furrows as he "listens" to the egg, head tilting to one side in evident confusion. He pats the shell gently, flat palm brushing against the apex before it stills again, and he manages to control his fidgets, waiting not-so-patiently.
"Uh. I don't … I mean, is there anything worth fighting for?" Rished blurts the words out as he retreats a step from the egg, his gaze clearing up when he finally breaks that contact. He rubs a bit at his face and lingers there, just taking a gander at the eggs and studying all of them with a funny sort of unfocused look, as if attempting to figure out if he's even up for meeting a few more.
Avani shakes her head slightly, but her sideways swaying now involves a bit of motion on the part of her hips. She blinks and glances at the shell. "Huh," is offered in a quite unLadylike fashion. "If you hatch a bronze, I'll be surprised with a mind like yours…"
Avani takes a half-step back, but then catches herself and leaves her right hand pressed against the shell even as her left rubs at her face and runs through her hair. There's a battle there, though no others could see it, as the young woman attempt to keep her mental defenses down despite the pressing urge to raise them. To defend herself from disappointment and harm.
Avani blinks back the shimmer which has overcome her vision before taking a step further back, only her fingers now keeping in contact with the Lady's Delight Egg. "No…" she murmurs, "I can't let myself. I'm sorry."
Phylicia shakes herself, as if trying to dislodge something. Be it a charge of eletricity or something else. "That's… disorientating." She tells the egg, and this time her shoulders shudder, again as if she's trying to shake something off.
Satoris pats the surface of True Enlightenment gently before he disengages, stepping away. "That was nice," he notes to one of the candidates meandering around. The boy glances to Satoris, then steps up to check out the egg. Maybe he had a bad experience. The man stretches briefly and heads towards Inscribed in Stone. Perhaps curious about why Seryth had initially been so protective of it.
Rished finally starts to move again, drifting off to an egg that others had gone to before. Still, he's wary as he places both hands on the surface of the Face of Time Egg, a nervous apprehension drawing his shoulders up and pulling the line of his mouth into a pre-emptively uncertain frown.
Avani steps away completely now, her expression fogged with uncertainty. Perhaps the way she feels leads her to her next destination for her fingers brush the surface of Haunted Maze Egg before her palms half-cup its surface.
Natishen is definately not a cheerful soul - though he has his moments. Quite a few, in certain company. Still, he frowns in confusion and shakes his head slightly, then his expression softens, and something like a smile creeps over his features as he stares down at the egg, still saying nothing.
Satoris tilts his head slightly to one side as his palm runs lightly over the surface of Inscribed in Stone. Almost listening, seeking, the gesture is. He plants his feet slightly, but light enough to lift his heels for that mild relief he seems to constantly need from the heat.
Phylicia takes her hand from the shell of the Parchment egg now, giving her body a last good shake as if to shuck off anything left behind, exhaling as she moves along. There's a bit more time spent wandering, before she comes to the the Mountain Citadel Egg. "And what sort of personality do you have…?" She asks, only expecting to be answered as she puts her palm to the shell of this egg instead.
Avani freezes, her mouth open, her chest working rapidly to give her the air that she is certain can not be pulled inward. Above, Thor buggles in alarm, but doesn't move from his perch, unwilling to risk a dragon's wrath, even with his mistress' apparent distress.
Natishen lets his hand slide off the egg, frowning again. "You're very odd," he tells the egg, unaware, or uncaring, of the irony of his statement. Then he turns away from it, wandering through the eggs trying to find one he has yet to touch. After a moment's pause, he heads for the Faded but not Forgotten Egg, reaching out to let his fingertips slide curiously over its hard surface.
Satoris's nose wrinkles slightly and just maybe he's going to sneeze this time. The man leans in slightly towards the egg, lips moving in silent answer to an openly unheard question. After a moment, his free hand does have to come up and shield his face as he /does/ sneeze. Darn smelly eggs. Or at least the illusion thereof.
Rished opens his mouth a bit, then closes it with a dry swallow. His hands are briefly removed for some reason or another, but, as if unable to be drawn away fully, he places them once again on the shell of that strange egg. More sniffing ensues; something about the eggs seems to be worthy of that sniffing, clearly. "What." It's not even a question … though it probably should be. He just can't seem to shape the sound right, not right now.
A feeling that Phylicia can sympathize with, even as a chill runs down her spine, her arms now sporting wherrybumps. And indeed her face changes to show that sympathy as she inhales. "You don't have to be lonely.." She assures it softly, startling herself for a moment before her attention is refocused on the egg.
Rio has remained at the side, just observing, since the group of candidates came in. He's smooth that way. But as the crowd near him thins, to find eggs to touch, he too moves, and moves towards the eggs as well. It's the True Enlightenment Egg that Rio finds, and he kneels beside the egg. Unlike the first egg he touched, he's a little more confident, though his touch is still light and careful. They /are/ eggs, after all, and eggs are fragile.
Avani finally seems to find that breath, and her shoulder unknot, her brownunknits and her small bronze settles down upon his perch once more. She closes her eyes, the edges of her lips twitching from time to time as her face settles into a thin-lipped smile.
The 'lizardly bugling draws the ire of the sire; Zaq's head suddenly swivels that way with a rust-rattle emanating from his chest and a wider gaping of his jaws. If a message is sent, it could be construed as a simple: go away. Even after Thor settles down, it seems insufficient to the bronze, who proceeds to rise to his feet and move in that direction with slow, calculated movements.
Satoris steps away from Inscribed in Stone, rubbing briefly at his nose as he does. He smiles, somewhat, to the egg, before making his way slowly towards the way out. He doesn't leave immediately, but lingers towards the edges of the sands, where it is cooler, watching the others.
Rio blinks at whatever it is that he senses; whatever it is leads him to get a little nearer the egg as if he's looking for something. And his fingertips move across the surface of the egg, as if searching its surface will reveal whatever it is that he was looking for. "Hm….?"
"But - there's no such thing as a red dragon," Natishen protests softly, brow beetling as he frowns in confusion. "And dragons don't hurt people. That was silly." But, no matter how confusing the content of that sending, he soon smiles. "Can I have another one?" In one of his increasingly more rare spates of childishness, the young Candidate eagerly stares at the egg, hoping for another story.
"What do you want?" Rished is conflicted between pulling his hands away from the egg and leaving them securely on it. He settles on leaving just the fingertips there, his mouth moving soundlessly for a little while before even that stops. Questions asked to never be answered; curiosities left to forever linger. His fingers twitch a little, as if struck by unseen sparks, and his feet are similarly compelled to move … if for different reasons.
"…Maybe," Rio states. "Hard to say." Yes, he's talking to an egg. He doesn't know how intelligent the not-quite formed minds within are, after all. Maybe they are fully-intelligent dragons; it's hard to say. His fingers run smoothly across the surface of the egg again, a small, content smile upon his face. "We'll have to see…."
Avani shakes her head and rubs the top of her mouth with her tongue, stepping back from the egg before blinking as she spots the Sire's slow movements towards Thor's perch. "Oh no…" she mutters before turning her will towards the little bronze who finally takes the hint and leaps up popping *between* a wingbeat later. Avani glances towards Zaqalekhth and offers a low, respectful curtsey before she retreats to stand near the entrance, shifting from one foot to the other before offering the Dam a similar offer of respect. Now all she needs is leave to go, it would seem.
Phylicia stays, as she always seems to, but now both hands rest upon the shell of the Citadel Egg, as she faces it fully. She's not quite braced, but there's an air of 'readiness' about her. "It'd be stupid not to be afraid of the unknown." She mumbles. But bravery is acting, despite the fear. Then there comes a small giggle from her, though its lacking in humor. "This is something that I've done for a… friend… before, actually."
Natishen shivers slightly and actually glances over his shoulder at his rear, checking to make certain his clothing is all intact. "That was mean," he mutters to the egg, but there's an undercurrent of humor in his voice. "Another?" Like a child begging for just one more bedtime tale - something Thea will learn about soon enough! - he gazes at the egg, hopeful for another story.
That makes Rio frown, and he pats the egg before drawing his fingers back. "It's okay. I'm sure you'll find someone to help you bear it," he says to the egg. Then he smiles and pulls back fully, sighing. Looking around to see which egg isn't being paid attention to. It's the Haunted Maze Egg that catches his attention, and he cautiously rubs a fingertip against it.
Phylicia blinks, partially in confusion. "Why would I fight you…?" She asks of it, letting her fingers slide from the shell as its presence slides from her mind. There's something between a small frown and a bit of a smile on her face, before she's looking for the next one to look at, though she takes her time in wandering, though suddenly she stops turning just to her left and putting her palm on the shell of the True Enlightenment Egg basically on impulse.
Rio draws in a breath, as if he suddenly needs more air. "Oh…." It's a soft sound of surprise, and he blinks. He seems to meet whatever has surprised him with full intensity, but openly, since instead of drawing away from the egg, and instead nears it, his fingers seeking a more secure touch on its surface. But not too much pressure. His traces the beat under his fingertips that he feels, as if seeking its source.
Satoris decides he seeks something to drink and sidles his way off of the sands, to rest someplace cooler before returning to his chores.
Rished retreats from that egg after a lingering touch, blinking back something or another as he does so. "… so, so weird," he can be heard muttering just under his breath, head shaking just a little. There's a wetting of his lips and then his eyes set to wander again, seeking this egg or that … but settling on none as yet. It's the ones he hasn't touched that he gives the longest looks to, but he remains where he is, thoughtful and considering.
What makes Rio happy? Swimming. Weaving. Fried wherry and tubers. Meeting girls, and having picnics on the beach. Simple things that a boy his age would like. These are the things that he finds himself ruminating on, and it prompts a smile to light his face. His fingers remain on the egg, rubbing gently at the shell, almost as if petting the egg.
Phylicia pauses for a moment, the look of quiet respect on her face clearly saying that she had been expecting something else by this point in time. "There should be." She murmurs to the welcoming egg, a soft sigh escaping her lips, her hand gently stroking the surface of the egg.
"No, don't stop," Nash protests, his voice barely loud enough to carry beyond the general vicinity of the egg. Perhaps he should be frightened by the tale - but he's not. He's intregued, instead. "Do you have another?"
Rio chuckles at the withdrawing of the mind, and rubs his nose reflexively at something or other that's made it itch. But he's still chuckling as he pulls his hands away from the shell of the egg. He scoots back again, carefully, looking around just as carefully at the other eggs. The Patterns in Parchment Egg catches his attention, and he moves toward it, rubbing a fingertip over it.
Phylicia's body relaxes, losing some of the natural tension a person carries with them. She lets herself be shown this temporary sancuary, those far away images even as it might glean some more images from her. "I don't know." She murmurs in truth. "It's up to you to decide that."
"I'm still writing my story," Nash replies - such an oddly adult comment coming from such a little boy. His smile is a little sad as he pats the apex of the shell. "Sleep, little one. You've given me a lot to think on - and there will be other days for stories." And, with tender little smile, he offers it one more stroke, then slides his hand into his pocket and wanders off. As in the touchings before, three seems to be his limit, and rather than find a new egg, he wanders through the clutch, watching and listening in silence.
Phylicia is relaxed by the time the suffering rolls along, her face momentarily creasing in the ache that causes. "Indeed." Is all that she says in way of an agreement, slowly letting her hand fall to her side as she continues to monopolize the egg for a few more moments, staring at the shell, even as she doesn't touch it. It takes her a few more moments before she's wandering again, this time stopping at the Faded, but not Forgotten. It seems that the heat has not gotten to her yet, nor the multiple experiences of 'talking' with different eggs as she places her hand upon this next shell, though she does seem to be slowing down. Or maybe that's just residue from the last egg?
The jarring sounds from the egg cause Rio to cringe, and his free hand comes up to cover one ear. "Ow ow ow…" he murmurs. A moment later he relaxes, as if whatever it is fades. But he shivers a moment later. "Jays…" he breathes, looking at the egg. "What the…?" He blinks, and tilts his head at the egg, his fingers remaining in cautious contact with the egg
Phylicia pauses for a moment, looking at the shell beneath her fingers, and she almost laughs as she tilts her head slightly to the side. "Are you like one of those Old Earth tales?" She asks, sounding a bit amused. But the sorrow is not overlooked, and she stays, even though - for the moment - the dragon-to-be has withdrawn.
Rio looks around the sands, slowly. If it wants to know, that's fine. This is what he sees. His free hand touches the sand, sifting through it. This is what he feels. A deep breath in; that's how things smell here. And who is he? Well, he's freely offering information if that mind wishes to see it.
Phylicia shakes her head to this new story the egg wants to tell her. "No one's the best." She tells the egg, light heartedly scolding it, even as the snickers work through her, causing her to shudder with an unwanted feeling. However, it seems that Phylicia is drawing close to her limit, and that mouth which got her suspended from her craft makes an appearance in a somewhat tart tone. "What are you, a guide-egg to morality?"
Rio smiles once more, having apparently forgiven the egg for startling him before. He closes his his eyes once more, catching a bit of whatever it is that the egg is communicating to him and fidgetting anxiously. It fades as he pulls his hand away from the shell, and he grins. "…Eager, aren't you?" he inquires humorously. Then he stands and moves back from the eggs for now. Perhaps he needs time to unfry his mind?
Phylicia definitely seems to have had enough of the 'morality' egg, as she terms the Faded but not Forgoten Egg. "Oh please. I'm not in dire need of mother-henning." She says as she takes her hand from the shell now, letting out a breath almost in a huff. No, a mother she does not need, especially since between her mother and father combined, there's enough protectiveness to make someone scream. Though sometimes it's a welcome thing. Extracting herself from the array of eggs, she pauses at the edge, turning to give both the sire and the dam of the eggs another curtsey before she's edging to somewhere slightly cooler, where she can just let her mind idle after such a barrage.
The time comes when V'dim decides that Seryth needs a break and Thea might prefer some quiet so he speaks quietly as he moves among the candidates, ushering and shooing them away from the eggs, along off the sands and outside.