Eggs in the Caverns
caverns.jpg

Xanadu Weyr - Caverns

A massive cavern in it's own right, this one has been skillfully adapted for human habitation. The high ceilings have been painted a light, soft ivory, as are the walls where numerous tapestries hang to provide brilliant color and insulation from the stone. The floor has been left in its natural state, pale pink granite speckled through with glittering mica and dark flecks of basalt, leveled carefully but kept sufficiently rough to avoid slips.

The cavern itself is loosely divided into areas, each one set up to be suitable for some segment of the Weyr's population. The most frequently occupied area, however, is the one near the Kitchens where tables of varying sizes provide a place to sit down and eat or chat and a buffet of consumables is almost always kept stocked. Its plain that on most days, this area wouldn't accommodate anywhere near the full population of the Weyr and equally plain that on such occasions when a formal meal is laid out, tables are appropriated from all the other areas.

A big fireplace is set into the wall near the Kitchens as well, several comfortable chairs nearby providing haunts for elderly residents or riders who like a good view of all that happens. Rugs cover the floor in strategic spots, all of them abstract or geometric in design and most in the softly neutral colors of undyed wool.

Exits lead off in all directions, a big archway the largest and that leading outside. Shallow stairs to the west lead to the offices and administration area while tunnels to the east lead to the infirmary, kitchen and resident's quarters. Southwards, a sloping tunnel leads down to the hot springs and southwest is a wide tunnel, carefully roped off to avoid accidents.


Fortunately, when the eggs begin to rattle and shake, Satoris is already in the Living Caverns with them. That was just his plan, too: the miner has spent as much time as humanly possible in the caverns with that little box of sand that his brown is, strangely, tending to. When the first egg begins to wiggle, the creature freaks out and blips *between*… Satoris? Just gets up and moves the box to a more central location, before getting himself out of the way to the back of the cavern. See? Free game!

Ruzel seems completely unaware of the presence of the eggs. Having just finished up a shift washing dishes in the kitchens, the candidate emerges hungry and tired and looking for a bite to eat to regain some of his energy. Unaware of what is likely impending chaos, he makes his way straight for the serving tables to get some klah.

Aoriya enters the living caverns with her mother. The two gossiping about a new formula Aoriya's father is working on. "Tourqouise instead of the regular? I like the idea. But he's had trouble with blue fireworks before! Remember when he started experimenting with navy instead of Telgari blue?"

Take Me Back Home Egg shifts a little from side to side — nearer and nearer the edge of the rather small box of sand. Almost as if it were trying to get out. It has places to go!

Intense and Tortured Egg barely moves. Perhaps only to go the other direction from Take Me Back Home Egg. It's a little shiver, but that's about it. Until it falls over — on its side rather than on an end.

Jessamin makes her way into the Caverns, more than a little dirt streaked on her face and on her hands. She is, however, smiling, and scritching the neck of a little brown firelizard perched on her shoulder. Her brow furrows, though, as Madder begins to croon a welcoming song. "Madder? What is it? I've never heard that from you." A cursory look around reveals the source of Madder's song. "Oh my. I'd better go get the meat."

Aoriya looks up when her shimmery proddy green Nemu appears out of between and floats over to the nest of eggs. "hey! Hey Nemu those aren't yours!" Aoriya squeaks in surprise. Her mother giggles, as the two humans follow the proddy green to Satoris' eggs. Nemu lands near the nest, chest and throat puffed out with her humming. Shida and Kujaku appear and land on one of the empty chairs nearest Satoris and humm to greet the hatchlings.

Satoris groans a bit under his breath as firelizards settle near him. Two of his own have decided to return and join in also. It's a right old party! And…. well, he is one of the grumpiest people in Xanadu. A nearby candidate is glowered at, "Go make one of 'em like you, for Faranth's sake! Get it done with!" The kid — for he's barely old enough to be Standing — shuffles over nearer to the eggs, looking lost. Look, Jessamin! Someone that needs meat!

Ruzel may be a little slow on the uptake from time to time, but once he has a few sips of fresh klah in him he begins to pick up on the humming sound from the firelizards present. "Huh? They don't normally do that…" After taking a look around he notices the wobbling egg. That certainly gets his attention. "Ah. Question answered."

Sad No More Egg just kind of… shifts where it is. Much like Intense and Tortured, it doesn't seem too keen on getting going just yet. A little wiggle here, a little wiggle there. It's building up momentum, perhaps.

Jessamin hurries into the kitchen, returning some minutes later with a tray full of bowls of meat, cut into pieces not much bigger than one's thumbnail. She sets this down a short distance away from the wobbling eggs, wiping her brow. "Whew… heavy stuff." Yet another streak of dirt joins those already on her face. "Well, if you're up for it, there's enough meat for everyone to have a go. And believe me, these little buggers will -eat-." She settles down on one of the rugs, a little ways off from the box of sand, taking a bowl of meat with her. "Don't get greedy, Madder, this is not for you." She grins affectionately at the little brown before returning her attention to the eggs.

Ruzel catches on soon enough, now that the combination of singing firelizards and klah has him more alert. "Well, I suppose I've been meaning to try to find one… why not?" He smiles when he sees Jessamin returning with the meat bowls, and makes his way straight over. "It seems whenever I am in need of something, you are always there to provide it. Thanks!" He grabs a handful of the meat, eyeing it with a little disgust. "I can't believe they prefer this stuff raw…"

Aoriya grins as she watches the eggs rock. "Yeah, give them to someone else. I have three of the little darlings I don't want any more of them." She grins as Nemu, shimmering with proddiness, croons affectionately between hums at any male lizards in the vicinity. If there was such a thing as a lizard to human dictionary she'd be saying Hiiii. i'm here, i like babies how about you?

Satoris's firelizards seem content to hang out in the rafters, just watching. They do hum, but it's more a curiousity thing. What's happening to their shinies?!

Intense and Tortured Egg moves as if to get away from the other two. A roll, a shift, and a few cracks form.

Take Me Back Home Egg can't take it anymore! This isn't where it's supposed to be! There's places to go, people to see, things to do! And it's /got/ to be in the middle of it all…

I Hear Banjoes Blue Hatchling
This hearty little firelizard has a little potbelly to him and an almost sad cant to his features that are off-set by eyes full of mirth and merriment. The base shade of his hide is a blue-green that edges so near into green that it becomes turquoise at times. The ridges down his neck are darker, dingier, and the coloration envelopes his tail. There's a lightness with hints of red upon his wings, as if the sun has beat down upon them too long, though the change in shade does not affect the rest of his body. The overall effect leaves one with a blue that has the look of one both homely and jovial that may have spent too much time out in the sun.

Aoriya squeals. "aawww, he's so cute!" Shida tail thwaps his owner. Hullo, cute blooie right here, forget him. "I'd never replace you you silly thing. You're the oldest of my three firelizards." She points out.

Jessamin opens her mouth as if to reply to Ruzel; Madder's happy creeling, though, interrupts her, and she soon sees the cause. She smiles as the little blue hatchling bursts free of the shell, but for the moment holds back; instead, she nudges Ruzel. "You were talking about trying to Impress a firelizard, here's a chance. Charming little guy, isn't he?" Instinct propels her hand into the meat bowl, even as she's encouraging Ruzel.

Ruzel takes a look at the hatchling when he pops out of the egg, curious. "I've never actually seen a newborn like that… kinda cute, in a pudgy lizardy sort of way." Somewhat at a loss, he just kneels down nearby and holds out the handful of meat slices. He glances back up at Jessamin. "So, what, I just sort of hold it out and see if he takes the bait?"

Jessamin shakes her head. "No. You form a sort of trail with the meat, leading towards you. Put the first piece down just a little distance off from the hatchling. Let him take the meat, and make that trail." She smiles encouragingly. "Go on. You can do it."

Sad No More Egg wiggles some more, back and forth, as cracks appear on the shell. Almost to the tune of a distant song that's building up to a crescendo.

I Hear Banjoes Blue Hatchling tumbles out of his shell and onto the surface of the table. Bits of egg and goo cling to the wet, newborn hatchling, and he creels quite loudly at the offset, red whirling eyes seeking out /something/.

Aoriya shakes her head. "no, you dangle it within reach." She snatches up a piece of meat from a random bowl and holds it up for Shida, who snatches it to demonstrate. hey, food is food baby! "Like I just did with Shida." The blue gets an arched brow. "Shards he's loud!"

Jessamin chuckles softly, and inclines her head in deference to Aoriya. "Two means to the same end. I can't complain, Madder found me." She turns her attention back to eggs and hatchling, humming a wordless, lilting little tune.

Ruzel glances back between Aoriya and Jessamin, trying to reconcile the two competing sets of advice. "Like this?" He tosses one slice onto the floor between himself and the blue, then dangles the remaining slice closer to him. He looks utterly confused as to whether or not this is the right tactic.

Intense and Tortured Egg is sick of all this. And that creeling from its hatched brother is just /far/ too much. There's another series of cracks and soon, the shell just falls away to reveal the hatchling within…

Washed Out Rocker Brown Hatchling
If a word were used to describe this brown firelizard, it would be tortured. Even in the way he carries himself, he looks as if the weight of the world lies upon him. His coloring is dark, but washed out: leaving him looking gaunt and sickly. A dark underbelly carries the look of one grungy and dirty to even legs and tail. However, the color fades as it reaches his back, wings, and notably so upon the tips of headknobs: the dark browns fading until they're a mere tan. Almost white, even. Talons and wingspars are a dark ebony, as if painted, and around his multi-faceted eyes, this brown has a thin line of black.

Aoriya eyes the brown as he comes out. "aaw, he's cute." She eyes Ruzel. "Hmmm, well, anything that gets them food. If it was meant to be it will be." Aoriya replies. She eyes the pair of firelizards. "Its like true love. If it was meant to be it will be." she adds.

Jessamin smiles to Ruzel, and nods. "As long as it leads the hatchling to you, it works. Just relax, things'll work out okay." Her attention is drawn away, when the second egg hatches. Her brow furrows with deep concern at the appearance of the hatchling. "Oh my… poor dear looks sickly…." Though her heart goes out to the little brown, she holds back a moment, until she sees if any others make their move first who might not have a firelizard.

I Hear Banjoes Blue Hatchling cocks his head a bit, listening. Is that singing? But it's all wrong! He creels and chirps, less angry and more… upbeat, perhaps. He shuffles along the table's surface, moving at a slow and plodding pace- no need to go anywhere too quickly now.

Jessamin lays down a piece of meat roughly between the two hatchlings, sitting back to see what will happen. She looks between the two, humming that childlike, upbeat little tune again and smiling. No sense holding back forever. What will be, will be.

Sad No More Egg is so near to having the box all to itself! It rattles around a little, shifting for comfort. A few cracks, however, do appear on the egg.

"I suppose that makes sense. If I'd just had to claw my way through an eggshell wall and I'd never had a meal in my life, I think food would be a pretty high priority." Ruzel says with a smirk, agreeing with the advice. He regards the brown with a bit of curiosity. "He sure does look… gaunt. Maybe he just needs a good big meal." He tosses another meat slice that way, then grabs more from the bowl.

Washed Out Rocker Brown Hatchling begins the slow process of getting pieces of shell off of himself. A shake here, a wiggle there, a slight creel as one piece doesn't come free. His eyes whirl the deep red of hunger, but he appears to be focused on other things for the moment.

Aoriya watches the firelizard with a small smile on her face. "Isn't he cute Omasuth?" There's a croon from her brown out in the clearing. "Yeeees, Oma likes him too." She giggles a little at the blue. "Oh yes, the only thing they want right now is food. Nice people are an afterthought. I saw one of Nemu's brood go to a /seriously/ sour young man."

Jessamin gently nudges Ruzel. "Maybe try putting that piece of meat a little closer to the hatchling. Poor little guy." She nudges the piece she laid down on the table, trilling softly. "Come on, time to eat." Her hand does not remain out long, as she is not sure which hatchling will go for the meat and she does not care to become a casualty!

Ruzel looks up at Jessamin, smiling and nodding at her bit of advice. "Got it." He stands up enough to get another handful of sliced meat, tossing it along the floor to create a little trail for either hatchling to follow to his hand. A small note of concern enters his expression. "This is gonna be quite a mess."

I Hear Banjoes Blue Hatchling ambles in a particular direction, set now on finding some food. And food he smells. He begins his plodding path towards where meat is being dangled, still chirruping in an upbeat fashion.

Washed Out Rocker Brown Hatchling doesn't /want/ to go the same way his blue brother is, but now that he's cleaned himself up, he is /so/ hungry, man. With a creel that sounds quite like a firelizard-version of a sigh, he also heads towards the meat, hunched over slightly, as if he's too tired to stay fully upright.

Jessamin dangles another piece of meat between two fingers, mimicking Madder's happy chirruping song as he almost dances atop her shoulder. "That's it, little guy, meat's this way." She looks mostly at the blue, though from time to time, her gaze turns towards the little brown. Her brow furrows a little as if her heart is breaking at his plight. Barely audible, she whispers, "Come on… you can do it. Don't give up…."

Aoriya giggles as she watches the two firelizards. Nemu is humming, Kujaku too. Shida humms, just a tad of sourness in the normally irritable firelizard's tone. Madder gets an amused chuckle from the brown firelizard.

Ruzel eyes both the hatchlings as they make their way toward the meat. He glances back to Jessamin and arches his eyebrow again. "Does that work? Calling out to them like that?" Deciding to give it a try, he shrugs his shoulders and smiles at the pair, waggling the meat in his hand again. "C'mon, guys. Get your breakfast, right here."

I Hear Banjoes Blue Hatchling doesn't really like the lack of singing now, but that meat looks… well, good enough to eat. He stumbles forward a few more strides and securely latches onto the delicious meal that Jessamin is offering.

Washed Out Rocker Brown Hatchling huffs at his brother. /Well/, he's not going /that/ way. So he scurries away, attempting to avoid the way the blue went. Unfortunately, he's still quite hungry, and the only other source of food- Ruzel. So, almost sullen, he decides to take what Ruzel's got to offer. This will work out… for now.

Jessamin scoops up the little blue hatchling into her arms, crooning softly. As soon as one piece of meat is devoured by that wide-open maw, she has another one ready. She chuckles softly, trying to find that delicate balance between sating a hatchling's hunger, and not letting them get sick. "Easy there, little guy, one piece at a… hey, not my fingers!" Madder tilts his head this way and that, trilling a welcoming song to his new 'brother'.

Aoriya beams at both Jessamin and Ruzel. "Good on you both!" She beams. Meanwhile the selfish little Kujaku looks around for a meal of his own. He prowls around the group of humans in search of a bowl that hasn't been guarded. Beautiful food! Glorious food! He pounces only for a weyr girl who had been trying to attract the blue too to snatch the bowl out of his reach. "BAD bronze! BAD!" Aoriya sighs and picks up Kujaku. "We'll feed you when you get home."

Ruzel seems almost surprised when the brown hatchling shuffles over, reluctantly chomping down on the food that he has to offer. Ruzel chuckles a little as the hatchling feasts. "Well, nice to meet you too. Glad to see you're not an overly energetic sort…" He scoops up the creature so it can eat in peace. "Well, he's a cute little one, in his own way.

The third egg doesn't seem ready to hatch yet. Then again, for eggs that a male 'lizard just found and took for his own, it might be from another clutch. Satoris glances up as things die down and starts to breath a sigh of relief, before it turns to a grumble. "Great. One's left." He sighs and gathers up his paperwork — still sans clipboard — and heads for the box, taking up the one egg from the rest. "Might as well get you back in the jar by my cot…"

Aoriya is tugged away by her mother. "Come on darling. Now I was hoping you could tell me if you've found anybody to father more grand children. Couldn't that lovely lad L'ton do the trick?" Aoriya turns red, scoops up her lizards. "Gotta go!" She flees in the wake of a grandchildren nagging mother. "Come on Omasuth. Before she catches up!"

Jessamin gently taps the little blue's nose, chuckling. "Take it easy there. Here, now try another piece." 'Slow' does not seem to be in the blue's lexicon, as he snatches the next piece of meat from between her fingers. Jessamin just rolls her eyes and grins, using the corner of her tunic to gently wipe free some of the egg mess from the hatchling's hide. "What a beautiful shade of blue… it's almost like the ocean. Or turquoise." She pauses, tilting her head as she pops another piece of meat into the hatchling's mouth. "What do you think of that one? Turquoise?"

Satoris makes an unhappy noise at the mention of L'ton and strides out from the caverns. Off to other places, for other things perhaps.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License