Tstar blinks as Deba's triumphant little cry interupts... whatever it was she was doing.  She scowls and looks over that direction.  "Hello candidate."  Her voice is cool, almost cold, but for once her eyes do not reflect this, inspecting the candidate almost thoughtfully.

Nyla sparkles down the trail from the plateau.

Changing from fisherman in the midst of victory to meek candidate in less than five seconds, the smile brought on by having found a treasure as pretty as the one he hold fades from Debajirin's face, replaced by a quieter look of contentment, even uncovered green eye still dances in excitement. Greetings, greenrider, he replies, hoping that she is indeed a green rider. It would make sense, her coming in on that dragon, but one can never be sure. He holds out his newfound shell to her should she want to inspect it, smile threatening to return. It's one of the nicest ones I've found yet."

Weaver-turned-candidate is sparkling today, clean, for once, and relishing in the cool breeze that clings and sweeps across her warm olive skin. Zest tickles her expression, the slightest upturn of her lip visible, and the subtle shimmer of deep peridot eyes ricocheting the afternoon light that dances in them. Trudging downwards and over towards Debajirin, feet sinking into the black sand, she sends a little wave over the short distance between them, and then turns to face Tstar. "Uh, yes. 'Afternoon, Tstar. Are you well? And please, say 'hello' to Elbareth for .. us." Tossing Debajirin a glance, a lopsided grin spreads, and her eyes dart back to Tstar.

Serafa flounces down the trail from the plateau.

Tstar blinks somewhat startled by the offer, mouth snapping shut over what she was about to say.  Nyla gets a nodd as she takes the shell.  "Pretty."  She says almost reservedly, land bred shells have never really made alot of sense to her.  Elbareth, however, whuffles at the thing and peers at Debajirin then back at Tstar.  "No, Elbareth.  I will not find you more of them."  Wheather she means the shell or the candidates is not certain.

Debajirin allows that smile to win over his face at the rider's reaction, even going so far as to show the smile to the dragon as well. He nods in agreement with Nyla, all too happy to include his greeting to Elbareth, and gives the other candidate a quick "Heya!" He then peeks at the home-made bag, tucking little corners of the folded rag he holds in to secure the pocket, before looking back up to the others. "So... How are you both this afternoon?"

Nyla jerks her head, blinking at Debajirin and squinting slightly as she peers over at his discovery, then gives a sage nod as fingers idly comb through wind-blown and wind-messed hair. "Well. I'm well, 'Jirin. Yourself?" Inquiring in a decadent monotone, her tired state of mind seems all too obvious as pine-needle greens dart to the water's crisp edge and follow the retreating waves.

Serafa blinks "Its afternoon already?"  The healerite slumps into the sand, flicking little bit of it with her toes as she does so.  "My my where /does/ the time go?"  She questions with a quick glance to the others, and a sly one the dragon-riders way.  "Yes?"  She arches her brow Jirin-wards.

Tstar shrugs.  "Reasonable."  She says, chill easing out of her voice slowly, even as she realizes these candidages have her very well surounded.  And Elbareth made her leave her sword in the weyr.

Debajirin nods regretfully to Serafa, having not noticed her originally. "Indeed it is. One could even go so far as to say late afternoon, y'know. They day goes to running around the bowl, and peeling tubers, and folding socks, and helping out in the kitchens, and showing new candidates around," he adds in an informative tone, grin soon to follow. To Tstar: "Well, so long as it isn't terrible, I suppose it's alright, hmm? And I'm not doing too badly. Legs are a little stiff, but other than that. I've found a nice collection of shells, I'm thinking I might send some to a... friend, at SeaCliffs." He hefts the rag-bag, the shells cloinking together inside at the movement.

Weaver's eyes brighten at the word, and Nyla's head lifts to gift a innocently questioning glance to Debajirin. "SeaCliffs? Who might that be? I used to live at Seacliffs..." Her words fade into glittering nothingness, as Serafa is given both the quirk of her left 'brow and the flash of a bizarre grin. "Hey.." She mouthes, wiggling her fingers before shoving either hand into her tunic's swarthy pockets, thumbs hanging out easily. "Tstar, can I ask you a question?"

"Reeeeally?"  Serafa's brown eyes light up.  "Can I have a look?  You know I found this shell just up there dontchya?"  She burbles, waving airily northwards, while her other hands clasps her home-made necklace.  "I'm sure your friend will appreciate the gift anyways, I'm sure they are missing you"  

Tstar blinks at Nyla, this seems to be her day for it.  "Ask..."  Abrupt isn't she?  She nods to Deba and says simply.  "Don't give elbareth ideas she's into decorating at the moment, and you might finding shells for /her/."  Serafa is given a long long look and then ignored.

"Well, Kristiana. I'd send her one for sure." Deba starts, cheeks reddening just a tad as he looks at the dark sand and begins digging a little hole with his toe. "And maybe some for Iona's kids... Despite their tendencies to kick me or stare at me, I think they're kinda sweet. Even the girl." He nods to Serafa, more than happy to display his newfound treasures as he kneels in the sand beside her, unfolding the cloth to reveal a five little shells. At least two of them are sparkly and pretty-looking, and one of 'ems all curvy like. "I don't know if they're missing me, but I'd hate to be forgotten by the time I head back." He peeks up at Tstar from his suddenly lower position on the sand, shrugging. "I wouldn't mind finding her shells, y'know, if she, or you, want me too..."

During that little period of waiting for an answer, Nyla's teeth had sunk into her puffy bottom lip, and she had sort of slouched, hand retrieved from within the depths of her pocket and propped against her hip. "What was it like on the sands and prior to? When the eggs hatched? What were your feelings.. y'know?" Then, snapping her mouth shut, she turns to Debajirin and drops her chin, lips slightly pursed. "You know -Iona-? Iona is.. Io's my mother. Those kids are my... siblings." Small world? Perhaps. She gives him an excited beam and then claps her hands together, weaving her fingers in and out of each other.

Serafa ignores Tstar's look in favour of the shells "Oooh I like that one!"  she points with one tanned finger.  "You should give that one to your friend rather than the children"  A nice little piece of advice from someone who is managing love-lives at the moment.  Finally she returns Tstar's gaze, but hers is full of interest as she awaits the answer to Nyla's question.

Tstar shrugs at Nyla.  "it's not explainable, I'm afraid.  other than tense. For me?  It was strange,  I was almost over age and wasn't really looking for elbareth to come at /me/ when she did."  She groans as Elbareth perks her head up and whuffles at Jarin the long slender tail... perhaps glowing a bit more than normal?  snakes out to poke at the candidate curiously.  "no, Elbareth. YOu cna't keep him."

Debajirin's jaw drops, though whether it's an act or genuine surprise is debatable. "Yeah, I know her. Most recently she was trying to matchmake me and a 'bartendress'... She's your mother? How's that work though? She can't be more than-" his fingers twitch as he does some attempted calculations, "thirty to thirty-five Turns, can she? And you're somewhere around my age, aren't you?" He nods to Seffy, poking at the pointed-out shell. "It is nice... I might give it to her, unless I find one like Tstar's got. And y'know, I'll send the neat-looking ones for the kidlets." He pauses to listen to Tstar's tale of the Sands, blinking at Elbareth's tail, and then grinning at the green and offering a little wiggle of his fingers.

"I can imagine." But can she? Nyla nods alongside Tstar's words, shifting her weight from foot to foot and sinking deeper into the sand each time. "Any tips?" Shrugging, she turns to Debajirin, then glances away, her 'lids lowered over wide peridot eyes. "/Foster/ mother." And all those..? "Which means the kids are my foster sisters, and foster brothers, etcetera." Her hand sweeps out, fingers limply curled over. Hmm. "Oh, Seffy? Was that /you/ I saw in the kitchens today? I saw someone.. sorta looked like you, -- with Jayden." That would explain it. Snickers.

Serafa blushes "Er No!, I was doing chores"  Like the sweet innocent candidate that she was.  "And trust me they werent anywhere near the kitchen"  Kitchen duties would be a luxuary chore at the moment.  Turning back to Jirin.  "Not many men would think to send something with that much thought, she must be very lucky"  What no flirting?  SHe must be tired.

Tstar shakes her head.  "No, don't be afraid that's it.  The dragons know who they want.  It's up to them not any of you."  Her eyes narrow at Nyla's comment, then Serafa's blush, but she doesn't coment her self just rolls her eyes.  "I believe that's the point... and what you get for lying to the weyrwoman."

Debajirin looks a tad embarassed, but not embarassed enough to actually leave the subject alone. "Oh, yeah, well, that would make a bit more sense, I guess... And she was telling me about her foster kids once... I don't think you were mentioned, but at the same time, I was surrounded by them, and wasn't paying that much attention..." He liked the kids, it's obvious, isn't it? "Oh, right, she's lucky, definately," he replies with a touch of sarcasm to Serafa, rolling his eye. "Nothing like having a nice caring guy who runs off to be a candidate at the first mention from a rider." He sticks his tongue out, and takes the shell, turning it around in his fingers for lack of any other way of fidgetting. "So don't be afraid?" he repeats Tstar. "Should be easy enough. Why, are the Hatchings scary?"

With an equidistance from both Serafa and Tstar, Nyla, too, narrows her own eyes, and perks a 'brow, taking a tentative step Jirin-wards and pulling a lock of hair from her .. mouth? Must have slipped in there. The winds strong enough, and she knots the long crop of hair in itself with decided relish. "I suppose, Serafa. I just thought.. " Why wouldn't she lie? An expression of mixed glee and spite tip-touches the subtle curve of lip, and roundness of cheek. "I mean. Yeah, it just looked a whole lot like you. But if you say it wasn't you, I believe you." Of course. To Debajirin: "Are you sure?" Her voice has a hint of hopefulness to it, her eyes wide as she inquires. "I mean, even though I -am- her oldest foster daughter, I still shouldn't be forgotten."

Serafa rolls her eyes at Nyla.  "Like I would lie again! in front of the same dragon-rider that I lied too before?  I may be sneaky but I'm not that dumb!" She retorts, "Besides I'm avoiding that particular candidate"  Why?  Who knows?.  Smiling at Jirin she adds much more nicely "Yeah well trust me there are worse things than that to do to a girl"

Tstar shrugs at Debajirin.  "Not exactly scary, but tense and the average dragonet is about 2 meters or more with sharp teeth and claws."  A faint almost vicious smile curls her lips.  "They're also exceedingly clumbsy." Which makes for a bad combination.  "nothing unavoidable as long as you get out of the way before they trip over you."  Elbareth just snorts and turns away from the crowd with regal disdain.  No she's not grousing, honest! Serafa gets a nod.  "Keep it that way... and not just infront of the people who know about your last lie."

"Excuse me," Nyla utters softly, touching her lip with a finger and then glancing towards the horizon, and the setting sun. "I'd better go. I said I'd be back at sundown. Clear skies, Tstar, Serafa, Debajirin.." And with those words, no more, and no less, she makes her way back to the Weyr.

Debajirin waves a hand to Nyla, nodding. “Course I'm not sure. You'd never be forgotten, though. Maybe she didn't want me getting any ideas? Woulda ruined her matchmaking, y'know. Though I still maintain that the whole matchmaking thing was pointless, for the record.” He eyes each of them. Looking at someone is supposed to help convince them. He shrugs to Serafa, that little shimmer of guilt remaining, despite her comment. "Still though. But I guess, y'know, we were rushed to go back to the Weyr, it seemed. She doesn't seem to mind. Came down here a while ago." Tstar gets a nod, and he goes thoughtful about this next aspect then. "Well, I'll practice getting out of the way.” He attempts a quick wave to Nyla as she goes, and then puts that shell back down.

Tstar nods to both candidates then with severe nudgings from the disgruntled green she mounts up and waves slightly.  Waht?  Leaving them alone?  She must be out of it today.

Debajirin returns the wave from Tstar, re-wrapping the cloth around the shells, and standing up slowly, stretching a stiff back and rotating his shoulders and pointing his toes and all the good stuff that comes from standing up when one is sore. "Well, I'd probably better follow Nyla's example... I've been shell hunting for too long as it is, and I don't want to get in trouble, and I've got to write a letter to Kristi... So much stuff to do, so little time." He gives a low bow to Serafa, getting a bit of a headrush on the way up and rubbing at his temples with a groan. "So I'll see you, hopefully over socks or tuber peeling or something equally fun, but not as bad as it could be." He winks (it's actually supposed to be a wink this time too, not that one could tell with that blasted patch) and turns, jogging away, skipping, prancing, jumping, and heading back to the drudgery of candihood.