Half Moon Bay Weyr - Rooftop Patio
This roof patio extends over the part of the living caverns that juts out into the bowl. A set of stairs has been carefully hewn from the rock, leading up to a flat expanse that is covered with normal dirt and topsoil. Trees and flowers grow in this section of the created gardens turn-round, all carefully trimmed and cultivated by the weyr staff. There are several benches scattered about, each secluded and private due to the surrounding foliage. A stone path winds through the expanse, leading to the other parts of the gardens.
Feyruth's golden head is sort of half resting half hovering at the edge of the grassy overhang. Janja is happily sitting next to it, feet hanging over the rock edge and side pushed up against her queen, one arm thrown over the tip of her muzzle. "So I told them there were lots of uses for pickled eel. They just had to think a little." She sighs, face sinking dramatically. "I don't think she believed me though. But Javelin came in with his nurse and I ran while I could." The gold exhales in what could be a sigh or just a deep dragon breath depending on one's point of view. "Don't be cranky, love. Least it's a lovely sunny morning. If you wanted eggs of your own, you should have done something about it."
Enter one Quillan, wearing a smart jacket with Xanadu's Comet wing insignia on it, and carrying a parcel under his arm. Mail call! He comes up the steps at a jog, and meanders his way across to Feyruth and her rider. "Weyrwoman Janja?" He knows who she is - how could he not know, given their Igen connection? "Gold Feyruth." The candidate pauses a respectful distance away, dipping into a bow to rider and dragon. "Xanadu's best to you both, ma'am. I have a parcel for you, if you'd like to accept it?"
Janja turns her head to look with a curious mixture of interest in dread. "Hello Quillan." She remarks back, any polite greeting lost in the intent way she stares not at the young man but at the parcel in his arms. "For me you say?" Yet she makes no attempt to stand and approach. It's almost comical how obviously she's avoiding making a decision about the package until Feyruth gives what can only be a huff and lifts her head right above that visitor. With a horrified start, Janja lunges to her feet and scurries over. "Oh..oh no dear! Er..check the basket than?" The gold complies turning back towards the small basket next to one of the benches and Janja relaxes. "I'll take that. I wasn't expecting anything but it could be some thread I ordered."
"Oh, you remember me?" That's a pleasant, unexpected surprise, and it makes Quillan grin. That grin quickly fades though when there's a massive gold head raising up above him, and his dark eyes go wide as he gapes up at Feyruth and steps quickly backwards. "First time she's ever tried to eat me," he comments, stepping quickly towards Janja where it's hopefully safe. "Though I don't know if I've ever been this close to her before to be honest, ma'am. Guarantee I'd be sweet though." He winks and clicks his tongue at her, holding out the parcel to the weyrwoman. "Sorry I can't tell you what's inside, but I can tell you it's from… from…" The name's slipped his mind! "Ah, yeah, it's from Darshiel, if that rings a bell?"
The patented brainless Janja look is back as Quillan comments on Feyruth's possible eating habits. "Oh? Well, you know. She's not all that fond of others." But if this is confirming the gold's tendency to eat people or explaining her normal distance is hard to tell. Janja waves away the thought with a flutter of her hands. "Sorry, anyways. Yes. Um, Darshiel? Doesn't ring a bel…." At this, the gold rumbles very deeply. Janja turns around completely to stare at the gold. "But I just /found/ them. Are you certain?" She walks over to the gold and the basket, leaving the poor delivery man behind without signing or a word of excuse.
Zhianna meanders out on to the patio, a soft humming to herself as she just wanders about. The girls hands are in her pockets, eyes darting this way and that as she tries to take it all in as fast as possible. "Does no one have a fish tank around here." she mumbles softly as she continues her wandering about.
Poor delivery men may not have as much gumption as Quillan, because after a moment to get properly curious about Janja's actions, he trots on over to join her. "What's she certain of, weyrwoman?" And then - hey look, Zhianna! "Zhi! I didn't realise you were down here today too… delivery? Diplomacy?" Hopefully the parcel that's around somewhere will make his purpose for being here obvious to his fellow Xanadu candidate.
"Zhi? Fish Tanks?" Janja looks flummoxed at first even while gently pushing the golden head up higher. Feyruth obliges by lifting her head high about basket and duo, providing shade as she does so. "Is she a friend of yours Quillan?" For a shocking moment, the weyrwoman looks of all things sly. "Excellent. Call her over here and you'll both get one." And without even asking, she reaches into the basket and starts digging things out. "Someone should be coming with meat any moment. Feyruth says so."
Basket of Sands dropped Fairytale Forest Egg.
------= Fairytale Forest Egg =------
A lustrous sheen glazes this colorful woodland egg. In the center, a shimmering blue lake reflects motes of sunlight with golden specks. Surrounding the lake and painting most of the shell is a rich green meadow, so bright and lush it can almost be smelled. Growing widely spread throughout the meadow is a grove of silvery white fairy trees, slender and tipped by a silvery green canopy.
Basket of Sands dropped Winter's Warning Egg.
------= Winter's Warning Egg =------
Bitterly cold white is the shell of this mottled egg. All done is shades of white, silver, and gray, with just the faintest hints of icy blue hoarfrost lacing patterns over the larger end. It is of a good size and shape, though there is a curious pitting within the shell itself that adds depth and dimension all out of proportion for just a simple firelizard egg. One has to wonder at the being contained within such a frigid exterior.
Zhianna perks up, a smile brightening her expression as she changes course towards the other. "Diplomacy, though i got dismissed to wander why things are discussed further and signed, sealed and all that." Theres a fast look towards the rider and more, "Xanadus greetings." is quickly offered as the girl comes to a stop near Quillan. "My apologies ma'am, I didnt see u….Ive been looking for anfish pond or tanks or simething….." A frown of puzzlement as the girl tries to se what all the fuss is about.
"We're candidates together at Xanadu, ma'am," Quillan confirms for the goldrider. "Hey, Zhi! C'mon over closer, right? And… meat?" That's confusing. He leans in to see what Janja's doing… and then thing make sense. "Oh! Eggs? Meat. Makes sense! Zhianna, this is weyrwoman Janja and Feyruth, and… look there!" There in the pot! There are eggs. "Are they yours, weyrwoman?"
At this a terrified young kitchen boy comes running up with a bowl of freshly chopped raw meat, huffing and puffing as fast as possible. "It's from the stew, ma'am." He squeels, eyes fixed full on Feyruth and no where else. He shoves the bowl at a puzzled Janja, and turns to run away as fast as he arrived, whimpering under his breath. "She spoke! In my head!" With a shrug, Janja turns and hands the bowl to Quillan. "No. They are Feyruth's. I don't know where she found them. She made me dig them up and told me to fix it." With that, the uncovered eggs begin to rock.
Winter's Warning Egg seems to go from no activity to full motion in the blink of an eye. There's no hesitation as the egg rolls over and over, around in a circle before striking the glossy sheen of the Fairytale Forest egg.
Zhianna stares at the eggs for a moment then moves closer, bobbing her head " found them? I hope she didnt consume the mum.." she mumbles as she gives the goldrider a look. As meat arrives the weyrbirn candidate moves towards the scene of the action. Flicking a finger at the chilky egg, "It moved Quillan." Yeah stating the obvious she is.
The collision of the two eggs causes a split to form in the Winter's Warning egg while a deep indentation occurs to the Fairytale Forest egg. That seems to be the push it needs as it too begins rocking and rolling.
Quillan looks confused for a moment. "They're… Feyruth's. Ok." Because he absolutely believes they can belong to a dragon, tiny as they are. He squints from the big gold down to the uncovered eggs, and smirks when Zhianna points out that one moved. "Yeah! They must be hatching… and we have meat. Are you asking us to try our luck, weyrwoman Janja?" Just in case, he holds out his hand towards the goldrider, though the wild antics of that silvery egg are certainly enough to keep his eyes fixed on it.
Janja nods firmly. "Yes. Please. I don't think she'd want me to keep it. She's not thrilled with Javelin right now and hated when I got Rusty." That's said with a nod at the brown firelizard sleeping in a tree not far away. Her hands go behind her back and just to be sure, she takes a step back as well, convinently getting behind both candidates. This is when Feyruth lowers her head again to get a good up close look at each of them. "Don't crowd them, dear." The gold warbles to her rider and gives as low and quiet a greeting trill as possible for a dragon just as the first egg hatches.
------= Messenger of the Clouds Blue Hatchling =------
Misty periwinkle clouds condense into the airy, etherial form of this blue firelizard. Sublte blue-gray darkens the hollows of the sylphic build where soft muscles pillow into fluffy clouds kissed by faint golden hints on the high points. As he moves, cobal blue lightning race across his hide. The strikes flash bright and swift but fade rapidly into the cloudscape. He has a long, narrow build with rolling smooth curves rather than sharp angles. His wings seem almost too fragile for flight. The sails are the palest shade of periwinkle floating effortlessly from the spindle thin spar bones. A faintly iridescent cobalt lace clings to their underside to be seen only when he's in flight.
Zhianna grins at Quillan and plops down near enough to see but far enough to be out of the way of the gold. "Blue!" is called out with a chuckle, hands clasping together before her. "Quil grab some meat with me..pleeeease" is pleaded. "Hes gotta be starving."
"Thanks for the opportunity," Quillan grins, reaching out to unsqueamishly take a handful of meat before offering Zhianna some, too. "I've got a green who's kinda young. She's sorta more independent, though. I don't really see her so much." He gives a little shrug of his shoulders, trying to act nonchalant despite Feyruth's very close presence. "That's a lovely greeting you're giving them," he tells the gold, trying, no doubt, to butter her up… and then there's a hatchling! "Hey look! Blue! Cute, too…" And out goes his hand, meat offered where the little one can help himself.
Janja grins as the two settle in. "You're welcome. I'm glad if they find a home. I hate when you do all that work to hatch them and they just go wild anyways. What's the point?" At this, the other egg gives way and drops a second hatchling onto the sands. "Oo. I hope you get them." She walks around over closer to her lifemate's head as the queen gives another welcoming croon and settles down to watch silently.
------= Lord of Heartwood Brown Hatchling =------
He is living birch, wood of a grain so pale it appears cream. Slender and dainty in build, his hide is sanded smooth as satin even over the narrow head. The wood grains run length-wise down the slope of his neck, whirling over the curves of shoulders and chest to skim the tight, taut flanks and hip peaks. Slightly darker knots speckle his flanks and lower abdomen. Palest yet are his wings, bark to the heartwood. They have a curious silvery sheen contrasting starkly to the near black spars and wingbones threading through the sails. The silver color is repeated on the tiny paws and talons.
Zhianna wiggles and holds out a hands for the drippy meat offerings. "I dont have one…I spend alot of time feeding the fish in Xanadus garden pond." she offers as a sloppy piece of meat is held out. Back and forth the meat in her finger swings "Brown!" is squeeked as the girls eyes bounce from blue to brown. "Look at them…like they stepped out of a painting or tapestry."
Messenger of the Clouds Blue Hatchling shakes his dainty head lightly, managing to get as much sand on as off in the process. Then quick as a wink, he's scrambling to his feet, falling hither and yon as the struggle to stand and control his movements begin. Once standing, his eyes blink and begin to focus on the motion nearest where the interesting smells come from.
Quillan waggles his handful of meat where the little hatchlings can hopefully see it, smell it, grab it, too! "I guess that's just the risk you take with firelizards, ma'am! At least with dragons you know it's a sure deal?" At least 99% of the time, anyway. He looks up at the goldrider, and grins. "Do you like fish? As decoration? Because when Zhianna here isn't trying to impress a firelizard she has some awesome ideas for how fish can be used to decorate places. Right, Zhi?"
Lord of Heartwood Brown Hatchling is more hesitant than his brother, clinging to the shards of his shell while the blue surges to his feet. Slowly, the soft hazy look passes from his eyes and he too turns towards where the motion and smells come from. Finally, reluctantly he stands and since he's been taking his time, he comes to his feet in one long slow elegant motion without all that tumbling about of the blue.
Janja seems just dumb-founded at the idea of fish as decoration. "Well, no. I can't say as I ever have. I mean. I use them in gather gads for the fisherfolk but.." The weyrwoman trails off. One hopes she's referring to designs on her clothing lines and not actual fish. "How does one decorate with fish? Don't they, well…smell?" With this thought, Janja gives a little shudder as if smelling rotten fish right this moment.
Messenger of the Clouds Blue Hatchling dashes towards the nearest bit of dangling flesh. In his hurry, he misjudges the distance. He snaps at the meat in passing but ends up tumbling heels over snout into the edge of the basket right in front of Quillan. The blue lays just a moment as if stunned in place.
Zhianna nods to Quillan, then casts a look over at the goldrider, "We put them in pretty bowls and such Ma'am, with water sothey dont die and stink." The meat in the girls hands is wiggled again, "That blue limes you Quillan." she notes as she looms back at the brown. "Its ok little one, no hurry for you to do anything."
"I know all about stinking fish… shardit!" When the little blue tumbles, Quillan reaches out with cupped, meat-filled hands to capture the poor thing. When it lies there stunned, he gently cradles his hands beneath it, stroking hesitantly with one finger. "You ok, little guy? You want food?" To Zhianna and Janja, he gives a worried look. "He's sorta… sorta dazed."
Messenger of the Clouds Blue Hatchling rouses drunkenly as he lays cradled. Though being stroked so gently, he's more interested in the offered food and even without being about to strike neatly, the blue snatches away a bit of meat. This is scarfed down as rapidly as possible before the little blue head turns up and up.
Messenger of the Clouds Blue Hatchling looks into Quillan's eyes. Impression!
Janja doesn't seem too concerned about the shaken up blue, especially once it snatches down some meat. "Oh, they are pretty resilent I think. Fey?" The gold huffs before nuzzling her rider in the side. "Feyruth says it's happy." As if that settles matters, the goldrider goes silent. Or mostly. "Fish in bowls." She muses to herself.
Lord of Heartwood Brown Hatchling has been slowly slinking across the sands while everyone has been focused on his unfortunate clutchmate. He's managed to ghost his way to the edge of the basket as if gliding through a forest of trees, almost unseen. Here there is meat and first he scoops up a drip laying on the sand itself. But that's swallowed quickly and there's plenty more belly to fill. The brown looks up hopefully.
Quillan looks pretty pleased when the blue wakes up and not only moves, but snarfs down meat, too. "Oh, hey! Hey look!" Even 18 year old boys can get excited over baby firelizards! "I think he's mine, Janja! I mean… ma'am!" He grins at the goldrider, then at Zhianna. "Good luck with him," he says to his fellow candidate before stepping away to grab more of the meat, ensuring a constant supply for the little one in his hand. Stepping away takes him closer to Janja, and he holds the blue up proudly. "Cute, right?"
Zhianna giggles again, shaking her head at the funnily unstable blue. "Least hes not one of those ones that goes after your fingers instead of the meat." she notes with a look to her fellow candidate, "They are pretty…well the colorful fish are. " she offers to the gold rider before leaning forward with her offering to the brown. "Colorful koi in bowls or vases brighten up a dreary living caverns on grey rainy days."
Lord of Heartwood Brown Hatchling is perfectly happy to help himself with all the attention shifted away. So when Zhianna turns back and leans forward, it is as if the brown had already been feeding from her offering for some time. He's neat in his manners, taking quick small bites and cleaning his lips in between. Finally, that piece is finished and he looks up expectantly for more. You!
Lord of Heartwood Brown Hatchling looks into Zhianna's eyes. Impression!
Janja gives the proud new papa a happy smile. "He's darling. Oh and I think that brown is making his own choice." She nods towards Zhi with her chin. "What do you think you'll call him, Quillan? He's all sort of misty colored. But I like the bright blues that sometimes seem to show up."
Zhianna is so busy bobbing her head and talking to the two nearby that she almost misses the briwn takingher offering. "Well hello." is whispered as she reaches out to scoop the hatchling up. "You have manners." she adda as she tucks the brown against her chest and begins to feed him into a stupor.
"Aw, really? Nice one, Zhianna!" Quill looks over to see the impression, and beams. It's cute, he can't help it. "What'll I call him? I… dunno. I have a Cos, so maybe he can be… Bos? Or Sos or something. Something good, anyway." Poor thing might end up with a real dud of a name if that's the full extent of Quill's naming imagination. "Janja, ma'am? May we visit the kitchens to get some more meat before we go home? I don't know if what we've got here will be enough!"
Zhianna slowly gets back to her feet, joinging hernfellow candidate while whispering to the brown. Well lovd? Oh yes. Soon to be spoiled?Very much so. "This one may need more, so he will sleep and all for the jump home."
Janja nods again to Quillan and Zhianna. "Yes. That's a good idea. You'd best be sure they go home with you." She looks thoughtfully at Feyruth who is now more interested in the unhatching egg than the hatchlings. "I'm not sure she would be happy to see them back. She only seems to like the eggs." The rider shrugs helplessly at the oddity that is her lifemate. "There's plenty of pickled fish or salted beef if you want to try that." And don't ask /why/ the weyr has too much of those items. "Maybe eel?" But with that, Janja's wandering brain is wandering again and she's shifted her focus back to her queen, almost seeming to forget about the weyr visitors. "Thanks for taking those."
"Sure thing, ma'am. Pickled… fish." Why is there so much fish everywhere lately?! Quillan doesn't sound too impressed with the offer, but he wrinkles his nose as he at least tries to smile. "We'll head off there now… alright, Zhianna? And um, weyrwoman Janja? Don't forget your parcel!" He nods his head in a gesture to it, then dips his head in lieu of a salute before turning to carefully pace down the steps. Off and away!
Zhianna wrinkles her nose at the very mention of pickled feet and turns a nearly disgusted look on the goldrider. "Yeah….pickled fish…perfect…" the girls voice tapers off as she looks down at the brown and lightly runs anfinger over his back.