Xanadu Weyr - Observation Level
Dark blue seats form a semi-circle around the sands below, the lowest row separating from the sands themselves by merely a railing. The seats climb upwards, each row a bit higher then the previous, and they are broken up into sections by 3 sets of staircases. Lights are evenly spaced along the outer wall, lighting the seats and the sands easily, though they tend to be dimmed unless a major event is taking place. A large balcony looms overhead, darkening some of the seats, providing a place for observers of the draconic kind to watch without obstructing the view for others.
When one looks over the railing, the oddly hued sand below can be seen easily, the circle-shaped area of the sands spread out to the far walls, the sand itself a unique mixture of red and white grains.
It's lunch time and S'ya is settled nearer the front of the galleries, the greenrider enjoying herself a nice meatroll and some other tasty treats. She uses her large belly to balance a plate of bite size sandwiches on it momentarily, busy eating and egg watching. The observation level is rather full, people coming and going in their egg gawking, so it's nice and lively.
Aradir had hoped to have a look at the eggs without so many people around, but as he returns to the galleries, he sees that's not going to happen. But as before, Aloysius strides in - well, flies in, really - and makes Aradir chase him into the seats again. It's a half-hearted chase; he's obviously just trying to get his painfully shy human to be around other people. He likes being around people, after all. Why shouldn't his human? And it works this time, too. It's quite humorous, watching Aradir try to catch the blue firelizard looping through the air. It doesn't take long, as Aloysius isn't really trying to escape.
All the fluttering and bustling Aradir and his little flitter produce cause S'ya to peek their way. "Oh, hello love!" She says happily, recognizing Aradir from the clutching. "Is that little blue of yours causing you trouble again?" She asks with a grin, patting the seat next to her. Yay, company! "I am guessing you came to see the eggs again. Well, you are in luck. I have the best seats in the house."
Aradir manages to catch Aloysius, who gives a playful squeak of indignation. "Aloysius." The word is longer than most he says, and sounds slightly cut off. S'ya's comment is registered, though it takes a moment for Aradir to note that he's being spoken to. He looks up, almost surprised. Giving a nod, he moves slowly towards S'ya, Aloysius under his arm - which the blue firelizard seems to like. The little blue gives a trill of greeting to S'ya. Aradir slides into the seat she patted. "Clutch warming. Never seen," he notes.
"Aloysius? Well that is a lovely name for such a cute little guy." S'ya says brightly, moving to break off a piece of roll and offering it to the flitter. "I know I saw you just a bit ago but it seems my memory is a bit foggy today. What was your name again, love?" She asks Aradir with a grin, taking a moment to move the plate from her belly to the bench next to her. "I am S'ya, green Sophyrinth's in case I failed to introduce myself. And clutch warming, love?" She asks, a bit unsure of what he meant by that.
Aradir transfers the firelizard to sit on his lap when he sits down. Aloysius takes the piece of roll carefully from S'ya, so as not to bite her accidentally, and quickly gulping it down. He gives a short chirrup of thanks. The auburn-haired man smiles fondly and pets the top of the firelizard's head, between the yolk-yellow headknobs - which Aradir also seems to like. Then, as S'ya asks his name, he places a hand on his chest. "Aradir," he introduces. To her question, he points down to the sands, where the eggs are nestled, and then cups his hands in front of him, as though he's carefully holding something breakable between them. "Warming." He pauses a moment, looking displeased with himself. "No. Ink. Incu…. In…cu…bat…ing." Seems like he knows the word, but couldn't get it out for some reason. To help illustrate what he meant, he closes his hands tightly over an imaginary something between them, as if to indicate keeping something warm.
S'ya watches happily at Aloysius gulps down the treat, giggling at the blue flitter before turning her hazel eyes up to Aradir. "Aradir? Lovely name! And where are you from, love? I do not believe I have seen you around here except for the clutching." When he illustrates what he means she lets out an 'oooh', bobbing her head a bit. "I get it, egg warming! Yes, incubation. Well, they will be incubated for a good while now, until they hatch that is." She offers the plate to Aradir, a few rolls still left on it for the taking.
Aradir smiles as she notes his name is pretty. "Thanks. Yours too," he offers. As to the question of where he's from, he notes, "Harper Hall. Parents." He pauses, to make a sweeping motion with his hand, as if trying to figure out how to say the next. "Traveler now. Clocksmith." And once more, Aradir nods when S'ya mentions the eggs will incubate for a while. "How long?" he inquires. Knowing nothing about dragons, he doesn't know this.
"Thank you, love! It was Myesha before So found me by the way. Oh, and the Harper Hall? Are you a Harper, love?" S'ya scans his shoulder for a knot, trying to see if he's an apprentice. When he mentions being a traveler she ceases, bobbing her head. "Oh, so your parents were Harpers and you are a traveler and a clocksmith. Well, that is interesting." When he asks about the eggs she tilts her head a bit, gazing out at the sands. "Hmm, a few months probably. It could take longer or shorter though, one can never been too sure."
Aradir's smile widens when she says her pre-Search name. "Pretty too," he notes. Doesn't sound like he's trying to flirt; it sounds like an honest compliment. He nods when she correctly deduces his parentage from his discombobulated phrases. "Good with hands." As S'ya looks back to the sand, he does as well. "Varies?" he asks, speaking of the eggs. Aloysius, meanwhile, has taken an interest in the plate that S'ya offered to Aradir, and is sniffing around it.
"Well are you not a flatter, love?" S'ya says playfully, tossing her hair over her back a bit. "And I can imagine you would have to be very good with your hands to work with clocks. They are full of such tiny gears and whatnots. It would drive me /crazy/." She'd take singing any day of the week. "And yes, love. You can never tell exactly when they will hatch. I mean, you can estimate it but it is never for sure."
Aradir actually blushes a bit at the playful comment, and lowers his gaze to look at Aloysius for a moment. But the smile is still on his face, so it's likely he's not upset about being embarrased. He gives a bit of a chuckle when S'ya notes the little gears and stuff in a clock. "Precise," he notes, looking back up to S'ya. "And ticky." He grins a bit at his joke. "How long…." He pauses, trying to think of how to say this. "Hatch…before?" Aradir shakes his head. "Be-before hatch. How long know?" He seems frustrated with his inability to express the more complex thought.
S'ya grins a bit at the blush, shaking her head slightly before turning her hazel eyes back onto the sands. "Precise and ticky?" She echoes with a giggle, obviously having figured that one out. "It felt like an eternity when I was a Candidate, for the eggs to hatch that is. I would come up to the galleries all the time to watch them on the sands."
Saige wanders up the stairs again, cucumber sandwich in hand, klah in the other one, a messy pack on her side. Collapsing into a seat, she proceeds to on organizing it, now and then peering up at the eggs.
Aradir pauses a moment. That wasn't what he meant. He shakes his head a bit. "Search. They know? How long before?" he tries again. Hoping that's slightly more clear. He notes Saige coming in, and seems to shrink down into his seat a little. Aloysius, however, clambers up onto the auburn-haired boy's shoulder and trills a greeting to Saige.
When Saige comes wandering along S'ya sends out a little wave. "Enjoying another cucumber sandwich, love?" She asks with a giggle. When Aradir tries to explain himself again she blinks, pursing her lips a bit. "The eggs know? You mean do the eggs know who they will Impress to?" She's not very clear on what he means but tries anyways.
Saige tilts her head at Aloysius. "Hi to you too, and yes, yes I am." She says. "Are you asking how long they know before the eggs hatch, or what?" She inquires, softly, kindly, warmly, smiling at Aradir.
Aradir shakes his head to Saige's question. "No…sorry. Not clear." He taps his chest lightly, indicating he's aware of the problem. He pauses a moment, and then starts looking around in the various pouches he's got connected to his belt. He finally finds a small, battered and well-used pad of paper, and writes. It works for Kellen, after all. What he writes is, 'Does the Search know when the eggs will hatch? If so, how long beforehand do they know?' This he shows to S'ya. And if Saige is close enough, to her too. His writing, if a little messy and unattractive, is readable.
"They can be rather addictive." S'ya says to Saige with a wink, waving her over to join them. "We were talking about the eggs earlier." She blinks a bit when Aradir produces the pad and watches curiously as he writes down his question. "No, no one knows that. The eggs hatch whenever they are ready and that varies for every clutch." She says happily, glad that misunderstanding is taken care of. She didn't seem to have a problem with the messy handwriting at all.
Saige peers at the handwriting, then admits: "Better than mine!" She compliments. "I've got deft hands for stitching work, but writing is evidently beyond me, for all that I can do it.." And she shrugs. "I don't know, nobody does, not even the DragonHealers that specilize in that sort of thing."
Aradir nods at the answers, looking between the two women as they answer. "Ah," he notes. "Didn't know. Thought someone would. But…." He shrugs a little bit, a smile on his face. He pauses again, seeming to realize something. Then writes something else. 'Then how do they know when to bring the candidates for Impressing?' Very curious, the auburn-haired boy is.
"Well, hands can be good for a number of things." S'ya says with a grin as she looks between the pair. She simply bobs her head at Saige's words about the eggs. At Aradir's next question she shakes her head a bit. "Well, as soon as the eggs are laid people are brought in. Anyone that a dragon feels has potential to stand is made a Candidate. They stay a Candidate until the eggs hatch." The greenie explains happily.
Saige shakes her head at S'ya. "Stitching, fixing, helping, hiding… just really helpful." She notes, leaning back against the bench. "Honestly, that's the second question of many people don't know." She adds, in conjuction with S'ya. Then she leans over the balcony, peering at the eggs.
Aradir nods, listening carefully to the answer. "But…Impress? Hatch first, yes? Babies choose after hatch? Brought then after hatch? For Impress?" He tries again to make himself clear without having to write. Practice, after all, makes perfect. Perhaps he will eventually work out this odd problem.
R'miel heads up into the observation deck with his one and only. That would be Ysa, for those confused. Of course, these two were up here pretty often, when the heat from the sands got too much to bare. Clutchdaddy's lifemate seems to be in a good mood, at least. He's humming away and carrying a bag that smells good. Really good. Like fruity pastries, probably because it is fruity pastries! The bronzer also had hold of his eldest son Lyram, bringing him up to show him the eggs, apparently.
"Well, they can be used for other things too. Besides work." Oh, that sly dog! "Yes, they hatch for and then the dragons find their lifemates. Wait, are you asking if we bring the Candidates after the eggs hatch?" S'ya asks, trying to figure out exactly what Aradir is trying to say. She's about to say something else when her ear picks up a familiar hum and then. "Ram, Ysa! Pastries? Oh, and little Lyram too." Seems the hungry pregnant woman can't help but be drawn to the smell of those pastries.
Ysa keeps close to her weyrmate as they head up, looking like she was wearing heavy clothes. Their youngest wasn't with her but back at the nannies still because of the heat. "You'd think Ella would get sick of all this sharding attention all day." She gives the galleries a glance around, pressing her lips tightly together. She ruffles Lyr's hair before continueing down, making sure to move closer to the front row, especially since her lifemate was just uncurling herself from her spot and lifting her head up. "Oh, Faranth," she mutters almost under her breath at the sound of S'ya. She pastes on a smirk to her face, though, and offers her a wave.
Saige shakes her head. "Why or how dragons know people would make good candidates, it's unknown." She says, softly. "Like how do we know a gold will take to a certain weyrwoman, or how do we know a bronzerider will be a good leader? No one but the dragons know, and it's one of the greatest mysteries on this planet." She then waves at Ysa and R'miel, and at the little one.
Aradir nods to S'ya's question. "After hatch? Or candidates stay? Until hatch?" he tries again, one more time. If he can't make himself understood after that, he'll write it. And then…more people come in. Eep! More people. Aradir again seems to be trying to disappear, shrinking down i. And again, Aloysius is curious about the newcomers. Especially Lyram. He's never seen such a small human before! The little blue takes to the air off of Aradir's shoulder, and begins to fly around R'miel, examining the little person in his arms. Aradir huffs out a short sigh, lifting his bangs for a short time. After a moment's pause, he turns in his seat. "Aloysius!" he calls out. "Tail! Here! Now!"
R'miel smiles to the greenrider. "Hey, S'ya. Yep, I got pastries." He opens up the bag. They're little bite sized guys! So they didn't make a mess, and so Lyram could eat them without any issue. The bronzer gives a wave to the others present as well. "Hello there. He says to… well everyone really. Lyram gets set down and Ram rubs his weyrmate's back a bit. "Ella will be Ella. Let me know if she wants a pastry." Ram peers at the firelizard, but Lyram swats at it and exclaims "Shardin' 'lizards!" A phrase he's clearly picked up from someone else.
"Have fun egg watching, Ysa?" S'ya teases with a grin, moving to take an offered pasty. "And yes, the greatest mystery. Who knows why So picked me. When I asked her she just said she knew we were supposed to be together." She eyes the sands for a moment before suddenly her hand moves to her stomach. "Oh, the baby kicked!" And speaking of babies, just then a nanny waltzs in, her first born in her arms. "Here you are, S'ya! Zal kept sayin' he wanted his mommy so here I is bringin' him to ya." The plump woman says with a smile, handing her the toddler. "Oh, thank you Marie." Without another word the lady is bustling back out. "Hmm, do you think you could help me, love? These stairs are tricky enough without me carrying two babies." One inside and one outside! This is directed to Saige since the others are all preoccupied with the flitter.
Ysa leans into Ram just a bit even though her lifemate's big golden head was bobbing closer. She whuffles those others in the galleries before turning her big whirling eyes on R'miel. Did someone say pastries? Ellamariseth was already opening her jaw, though at first it's a big tongue-curling yawn. The goldrider sighs and shakes her head at S'ya. "As exciting as it'll ever be. Every turn it just gets more and /more/ wonderful." Notice the sarcasm dripping there. "That's right, love," Ysa coos to her son. "Sharding firelizards! Doesn't this blue look like that nasty Aetos of mine?" She frowns to the firelizard before glancing around. "Whose does this belong to?" she says in a louder voice, pointing at the flitter.
Saige chuckles softly. "Sure." She says, standing, and smiling at Ysa and R'miel. "I think that's… oh…. I don't know where he went too." She says, softly. "A real nice boy, we were discussing dragons just now…" She moves to help S'ya down the steps. Yay, pregnant Greenies.
Aloysius is all too willing to obey Aradir's shout when the little one swats at him. He gives a pitiful warbling sound and zooms back to the auburn-haired man, keeping Aradir's auburn head between himself and R'miel. At the question, Aradir stands and makes his presence known sheepishly. "Mine. Sorry." He is startled out of his sheepish look, however, as the firelizard's claw digs into his back. Aloysius is apparently clutching Aradir's shirt in an effort to keep the auburn-haired man between himself and R'miel.
S'ya giggles a bit as she's lead by Saige. "Thank you, love. I would not usually ask but I just do not think I can handle all of this today. I am getting bigger by the second!" Zallesh eyes the girl curiously, the baby sticking a thumb into his mouth as they move on out. "You know, I have just the thing to repay you with too! K'ael, the man's who my baby's daddy, just sent me over a lovely gift. A few mini bottles of wine. They are super cute, you should take a few! Come with me and I can give them to you!" And she's all but pulling the girl out with her.
Sophyrinth is glancing about, the green happy to just enjoy the nice day. When S'ya arrives with Saige in tow the dragon warbles happily, moving over to them. "Oh, this is So." S'ya says happily as she places Zallesh on the floor, moving to get the bottles out of the bag attached to her lifemates straps. While she's busy fiddling with the bottles Sophyrinth sets to whuffling Saige, the green's eyes whirling quickly. "Uh," S'ya says with a giggle, turning around with the bottles. "She says you have wonderful hair and that she wants you to give her a lock. I know it is odd but she just wants it." So warbles in agreement.
Saige shakes her head, and waves at the green. At the odd request, she hesitates, then pulls a pair of stitching siccsors from her bag, and cuts off the end of her braid, along with some ribbon, rolling it up into a neat little package. "Here." She says, grinning.
Sophyrinth bugles happily when Saige complies, the green whuffling the lock that S'ya takes with a grin. "Well, here you go in return. A ribbon for a knot, pretty even I would say. Unfortunately I will not be able to give you these like I said I would, but I will certainly hold onto them if you like." So pokes her rider with her wedged head and then S'ya realizes something. "Oh! I mean, if you want to stand for the clutches that is. Sophyrinth thinks you would make a great Candidate." The greenpair wait anxiously for Saige's answer, S'ya holding out the white Candidate knot she removed from that same bag.
Saige gawks. Quietly, and with her jaw drop. "Me… candidate… I …" There's a few minutes while her head gets into a good order, then she blushes, and dnods, touching the candidate knot. "Yes, I will stand."
"Excellent!" S'ya says happily, handing Saige the knot. "So you will need to follow me then and we can get you settled into the barracks. Oh, you will love it, especially when the eggs get hard enough to touch!" And she's already leading the way, Sophyrinth warbling happily after the pair.