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7/1/2001
Logfile from G'deon

Galleries (#5000)
Row upon row of stone benching rises above the Hatching Grounds, seats for those who come to watch the incredible experience that is a hatching. Each individual seat is embellished with a worn cushion, the only concession to comfort in a place that traps heat, holding it within so that those who watch are inflicted with its intensity, though on a milder level than those who must stand and face the dragonets. The expanse of sand that is the hatching grounds spreads out in front of the benches, a huge stage for a spectacular show.
Type 'help here' for info on how to view objects on the sands.
Settled along stone are nine firelizards.
You see Endymion here.
Phea, Squaln, Laurel, Penthea, and Cristen are here.
Obvious exits:
Dragon Ledges - Bowl

Surupa walks in.

Tevya walks in.

Laurel goes home.

Merra walks in.

<High Reaches Weyr> Nylanth senses that Orbyth adds his own thrum to Cadgwith's, his mind vibrating with excitement. << They are coming! My... Cadgwith's eggs are coming! >>

Daeyn walks in.

On the sands, Pyrene pelts madly onto the Sands gasping for breath... "Cadge! You could wait!" she cries out to the dragon despairingly. She throws off her coat as the heat hits her but elects to leave the boots on. Hot.

On the Gallery ledges, Rubyth scrambles in, careful of wings and tail.

Catia walks in.

On the sands, From Orbyth's neck, "Let me off! Orbyth, let me.... oof." Zi'n is practically tossed headlong over his dragon's neck as the bronze shifts, all things forgotten in favor of Cadge and the eggs-to-be.

On the sands, Zi'n uses a coppery-tinged shoulder to slide to the ground, aided by an impatient flicker.

D'renn comes up the stairs.

On the Gallery ledges, Dhiammarath scrambles in, careful of wings and tail.

Lis comes up the stairs.

Kinecha comes up the stairs.

Catia trots up the stairs, tugging her two daughters by their hands. "Come on, Taesha, Livia.... let's get a good seat."

Litrov comes up the stairs.

Penthea is considerably cheerier as the soft waves of heat roll over chilled bones. A little stretch and a yawn and she carefuly makes her way through the lines of streaming people, peering about for a place to sit.

Tyara comes up the stairs.

Merra strides in, her two firelizards clinging to her tunic is warbling madly. The first person she recognizes, in fact, is the Weyrleader, and so G'deon nearly gets pounced. "Gid! What's happening? Is Cadge clutching?" She's good with obvious questions.

D'renn plonks himself down in the best possible seat - best he can find, anyhow. "Excuse me, excuse me.... I need room for Lis, too..." Donis is installed next to him, and the doting father waves towards Lis.

On the sands, Cadgwith does not appear remotely sorry for having deserted Pyrene. She's a big girl. She can use her feet. Besides, she's on a mission. Having landed, she begins surveying the sands; pacing around and around, as if looking for the best starting point. The crowd in the galleries is faced, and regarded for a moment. Hi! I'm Tourguide Barbie! Please keep all body parts in the galleries at all times.

Surupa doesn't look quite relieved in the warmer atmosphere of the hatching grounds, blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders as she caustiously wanders up the stairs with sneezes and shivers. Her entire body seems to quiver, amber eyes paled as she quickly drops down to the closest seat in the galleries. As long as she is closer to the sand, she can be warmer. Her simply technicolor blanket seems to catch all the light, its glittering shards beaming brightly. "Bah, don' know why I actually agree to these things," she mutters under her breathe, between a sneeze and a sniff.

On the sands, Pyrene promptly retreats to a safe distance before turning swiftly to the galleries. "Please can you remain quiet and seated at all times... If you /do/ need to leave, the exits are here and here..." Behave, generally.

Ceridwin walks in.

Kinecha makes her way up the stairs, shrugging off her jacket as she goes, continuesly looking over her shoulder down at the sands. Well, this was certainly something that didn't happen everyday, wasn't it? Sitting, she lays the jacket at her feet, already rolling up the sleeves of her tunic. So hot in here..

Khaye walks in.

"No, no, no, why did I /have/ to come? What if.. what if.. what if one of the dragons tries to eat me? That would be bad. Very bad," Phea complains indignantly, nestled pathetically between mass of fellow healers. Oh, this is bad. This is scary. "Here, um.. I'm gonna go.. go talk to Rupa!" Saved by the herder. Healer shuffles toward said girl, doffing a flower from her pocket to offer it to the herder. "Are ya feelin' better, Rupa? C'mere, sit down next to me." A less chance of being eaten when accompanied by someone else? "Here, have another flower. I brought a couple with me."

Penthea peers round for a lightly familiar face and at the sudden burst of sneezes she knows shes found one. Scooting quickly towards the blanket swaddeled Surupa she slides into a seat a little across form her, offering a light smile. "Feeling better?"

Taesha wriggles into a seat next to her mother, tugging the pouty Livia to sit next to her. Catia peels off her jacket, laying it over her knees and leaning her elbows on them, trying to get a better view.

Squaln takes a seat among the growing crowd and where his view is just /perfect/. He notices the golden queen and handsome bronze beneath him and he grins. High Reaches will be having a Hatching after this day! The Herder apprentice runs a hand through his shaven brown hair and glances about, looking for familiar faces. Fellow Herders are spotted and he waves cheerily to them. Come sit next to Squaly! Then he spots Khaye. "Khaaayyyeeee!" he belts, waving his arms wildly.

Quayna walks in.

On the sands, Zi'n lets Pyrene and Cadgwith handle it all - what other choices has he? "I know!" is hissed at Orbyth - smug-looking bronze besotted clown, that dragon. Isn't he talented? He can tap-dance. Look. Feet shuffle quickly. Hothothot. And he's not even a candidate anymore. Unfair.

Seif walks in.

Lis scoots her way into the galleries, not afraid to elbow a few to get to her weyrmate or bat eyelashes at another. It's all for a good cause... Finally, she plonks down next to D'renn by way of Donis, working out of her coat in the heat of the sands. "Oof. It's about time Cadge clutched. One more morning with an insomniac Pyrene..."

Tevya takes the stairs one at a time, damp hair clinging to the sides of her face. What a time to take a bath. Tevya finds a seat and promplty plops herself down in it to watch her first ever clutching. A silent nod for Pyrene as she gives instructions, before she runs fingers through her hair, tucking it behind her ears as she finishes. "Ceri..care to join me?" Tevya asks the first familiar face she recognizes, though wether or not Ceri can hear her is a different question.

Litrov insinuates himself into the galleries, ducking past grown-ups and other such obstacles to find an empty seat, preferably one close to his new friend Donis, but he's a practical child; he'll take what he can get. "'Scuse me... hey, move yer foot! -- uh, sorry..."

"Thanks Mom.... no, I don't want to sit with you, you can sit with your friends," Quayna hisses to a taller woman - presumably her mother - as she scampers up the stairs. Finding a place to sit all by herself, she yawns, looking round for people she might know.

Cringe. Khaye's first step into the galleries, and her name's being belted out by an insane windmilling herder. "Hi?" she ventures tentatively, plopping down on a bench somewhere. Hide. Watch. Scary.

On the sands, Pyrene waves brightly to Zi'n. "You made it in time? Want to be crowd control?" And she throws the audience a suspicious look. Uncultured, unappreciative boors. The lot of them.

Donis seems happy for Litrov to sit by him, patting the seat to make room, now that he's on the other side of his mom. "Come here, come here.... we can make sandweyrs after. Wonder how many eggs there'll be?" He's a chatty child... not surprising, with his parents.

Ceridwin says, "Oh hey Tev, sure.. thanks!" The massuese ahd been loking abstractedly around.. and now slides in next to ehr friend. "How are you lately?"

Surupa is suddenly crowded, really. The galleries are eyed here and there and a familiar person spotted almost everywhere she turns. "Oh, Phea. Penthea..." Too many names that seem to sound the same lately, and the Herder simply sniffs and wraps her blanket around herself, basically not in much of a mood for conversation. She was dragged here to watch the clutching, and she seems to actually be watching it by now. "I'm jus' fine," she murmurs, nodding to both of them before her pale eyes catch the sight of brownrider. "Khae," though her voice doesn't ring out, it is still loud enough to be heard. "Over 'ere."

Tyara walks out.

On the sands, Cadgwith doesn't bother to show off for Orbyth-stud at the moment. Or, rather, she will make dragon-eyes at him later. Promise. Meanwhile, she is satisfied that the audience is all present -- everyone got their tickets? -- and she's off finding that perfect starting point again. Pant pant. Out, bebbies. Mama still needs that bath. Aha. She stops right in the middle, center showcase.

D'renn settles an arm around Lis's shoulder briefly. "Awww, you'll have to learn to sleep in yourself, Lis-love," he murmurs, looking intently down at the Sands. "Hmm. I wonder how many there'll be?"

Maki edges along a narrow ledge and disappears up some steep steps.

G'deon nods quickly to Merra from his place near the dragon ledges. "She certainly seems to be getting ready," he informs her with a smile. He gestures towards the wineskin next to him. "Care for some juice? It helps with the heat..."

Seif dances up the stairs, singing and humming all the while, pausing once or twice to spin around blithely. "Squaln! Rupa! Khaye!" Waves are flapped in the direction of all three, accompanied by a sickeningly bright beam. "Good thing Itaz'rath didn't breathe on me this morning. I smell good today!" Herder declares, oblivious to how absurd it may sound.

On the sands, Cadgwith drops two eggs first, one following the other so closely that they share one stretch of sticky soft fluid between them. And in that closeness comes reaction; the forest sees the mirror, and pales to a brown shadow of its former self, while the mirror distorts itself unto eternity, fragmented and fractured

Behave? This is High Reaches. Daeyn shoots Pyrene a look that might be sympathy as she edges upwards, looking for somewhere high, dry and - she can only hope - with a fair amount of space between her and others. She does, however, make an exception to antisocial rules by waving to Merra - and by location, G'deon - and a small bobble of the fingers to D'renn.

On the sands, Petrified Forest Egg
On the sands, A screaming, screeching, squealing grove of terrified trees trembles against the dreadfully dark and dreary shadows which drape themselves lasciviously about this little egg. Jabberwocky-green slithers, slathering acidic puce of alarming brilliance into the shocked and horrified depths of dismally stolid stone timber as if to make time itself stand still in fright. Scared scallops of sacred, scorching scarlet torque the trees' trunks, clinging in trepidation and terror as beasts of black and bourbon-brown attempt to climb to the fearful crags of this frantic, frenetic, forested shell. Eek!

On the sands, Dark Broken Mirror Egg
On the sands, Cracks splinter what would have been a perfectly shiny, reflective surface, crazed across the dome with furious, angry swipes that pierce the veil between illusion and truth - could this ovoid, concealed in the mystery surrounding it, contain something with depth in reality? The old, dark, glass superficiality reveals nothing, not a hint, nor a clue, to the dweller inside. Light ricochets off the speculum in bright, dazzling beauty, as if absorbing the energy of its surrounding clutch, sinisterly foreboding in its splendour. However, when closely investigated, its reflection is distorted... askew - could it be what it appears to be? Or is there more to this orbit of light than first meets the eye..?

Penthea settles, finaly, into a little comfort as she casualy leans to the left, attempting to get a peek at the Gold and her starting point from behind some vrey tall residence. Grr.

On the sands, "If... if you want, Pyrene," Zi'n answers uncertainly, scrunching his eyes at the weyrwoman - not to mention Cadgwith. Scary dragon, that one, especially when fat and bulging. Orbyth increases his hummmmmmmm as the first eggs arrive - his bebes!

Squaln eyes around, trying to find Khaye within the crowds. "Khaaayyyyee!' he yells again, this time his hands are cupped around his mouth for a louder bellow. "Come sit next to /me/!" Seeing how everyone is ignoring him, he gets up and walks over to the fellow Herders and friends. "Ok fine, don't sit next to me!" Cough. Oh look! An egg! Just as /he/ was about to sit down... an egg was lain!

A charming one too, at least in Lis' eyes. Settling under the arm around her shoulder, she can only murmur morosely to D'renn, "Only now I'll start waking up for morning sickness, and..." She shuts up, now that the eggs are being laid, to peer at them in interest.

Ciera walks in.

On the sands, Pyrene is all fidgets and fiddling. So she grabs onto Zi'n's hand to worry at that. "She'll lay a good clutch... look.. two already! It's going to be /huge/, I know it!" She's laid money on it too.

"Good, I went ice-skating yesterday, how about you?" Tev asks, smiling warmly as Ceri slides into the seat next to her. "Exciting, isn't it?" This meaning, of course, the first egg laid. Slightly distracted by that, she studies the egg before returning to Ceridwin. "Fell a couple of times, but..not that bad for a starter, right?"

Kinecha nods to Ceri as she comes to sit next to Tevya, not far from herself. "Hey, Ceri," she says, her eyes on the sand. "Oh, look... There's an egg.. No, two!" Her eyes widen as her smile broadens on her face.

Litrov grins at Donis and plops down next to him. "Th'nks." Talk of future sandweyrs gets a firm nod, but it's obvious where his attention lies now. "I hope there's a lot -- big clutches're good. Hey, there's some now." The two brand-new eggs are scrutinized by the seven-Turn-old, who appraises them thus: "I'll betcha the first 'un's a blue. Whaddya think?"

Cristen creeps up the stairs into the galleries, looking quite suspicious as she slips around the seats. Quickly leaving behind her dragonrider she hitched a ride from, Surupa manages to be the lucky gal who gets to enjoy Cristen's company. "Tssspt. Rupa. Hiya." is muttered under her breath as Cristen settles into seat next to fellow herder, barely shrinking back into the bench. "Shardit, lookit all the herders! I bet I didn't have to sneak out." is sworn under her breath as Cristen promptly starts bouncing on her seat, waving hand about in the excited way of Cristens. "Hiiiiiiiii!" is belted across the galleries to fellow herders.

On the sands, Look! Two eggs! Cadgwith pauses to admire her handiwork, before rumbling at Orbyth. You. Handsome. Present! And then she's drifting on.

Khaye mutters something that sounds improper under her breath, but stands and makes her way over toward Squaln and Surupa -- more toward Surupa. Seif is caught a glance of. He recieves a glare. "It's Ita-zu-rath!" Is it really that hard? And.. "Oooh. Eggs. Egg."

Quayna bounces on her seat in excitement. "Two! That was quick!" She's not talking to anyone in particular, just babbling away.

Phea frowns, thoroughly disturbed, waggling the flower vainly to try and draw Surupa's attention back toward her. "Flooower, Rupa, don't you want a flower?" Not quite a whine, but close enough. "Look! Eggs! Two! I like the second one. It's.. shiney!" Forgetting Rupa for the moment (hey, she's forgetful, now), healer scoots toward.. Squaln. "Hihihihihi! May I sit here? You can have a flower, too. It's pretty and orange." Poor, victimized flower is flapped vigorously.

Shaela comes up the stairs.

Catia pokes Livia. "Look love... look at the eggs." Taesha's interested, but Livia seems keener on staring at the back of Donis' curly head, no doubt plotting mischief.

On the sands, Zi'n squeezes Pyrene's hand - it /is/ like being a candidate again. Would you look at that. "I see them, Orbyth!" Exasperation touches his voice - obviously he sees them, those two... eggs. "N-nice, Cadgwith." And Orbyth is all admiration.

Surupa catches sight of Seif as well, heaving a long and audible sigh, slumping down at last in her seat and attempting to hide in her own face in her blanket. But that still doesn't seem to be enough, as she turns to look towards all those fellow Herders around. The heat from the sands perhaps is thawing out the young woman well... And with a round of sneezes she looks up again. "They are nice eggs," which are given quite a quick glance. "How's it goin', Khae? Cristen? Seif... Squaln..." And more names and more names. Hey, she is actually talking. "Phea?"

Merra, by way of being by G'deon, sees Daeyn, and also... "Khaye!" She can wave *and* yell, and when it's a former fellow candidate, both are in abundance. And then G'deon is getting a beam and the woman nods. "Oooh, some juice would be wonderful, thanks. Oh, *gourgeous!*" she pronounces, pointing at the two eggs. "I like. They're so... dark."

Ceridwin says, "Nice start to the clutch, two right away.. I say a bronze and a brown..." Why? Who knows, she really has no clue, just a guess. "What do you think Tev?"

Squaln smirks at all his buds; this is more exciting than a kissing booth at a Gather. Not being able to sit still for long, he invites Phea to sit on his lap and /make/ him stay. "Hey Phea! Have a seat.." he says with a smug grin. Blue optics glance back at the Sands and he sees the already laid eggs. Ooo.

On the sands, "That's it! Keep it up!" Pyrene switches to cheerleader mode before turning a look on the galleries. "Two already is /very/ good..." she assures them informatively. She's biased of course, but... it's still all educational.

"Blues are best!" declares Donis in a loud voice, prompting a chuckle from his father... who's more interested in quantity than colour, just yet. "Very quick, those two... she's doing alright..."

Penthea has disconnected.
Penthea falls asleep.

"Itazurath It'zurath, what's the shardin' difference?" Is complained by Seif, 'brows knitted in disgruntlement. "Now you know why I said some brownriders are just /ugh/... Not all of them, though." Herder navigates toward Rupa, beaming. "Hi, Rupa-darling! I can sit next to you, can't I?" Who wouldn't want Seif next to them?

Tyara walks in.

"Aww. This is certainly an improvement over her last clutch," remarks Lis; of course, Simpsoneth wasn't exactly a savoury bronze. Cerise removes her pacifer-like sweet from her mouth to wave it in cheer, leaving a sticky swathe down the greenrider's cheek. "Thanks, 'Rise."

"Bronze and brown?" Tevya glances at the eggs once again, shrugging slightly before making a wild guess. "I'd say green and brown." Right? Well, why not. "Should be plenty of good eggs, I'd think. With two eggs laid at once, but I'm not the expert here." Tevya laughs, still brushing an idle hand through her hair.

Shaela makes her way into the galleries single-file, just like everyone else, eyes alternating between watching the action on the Sands and trying to find a seat with a half-decent view. "Catia!" she calls to the greenrider, adding in a special grin for the woman's children -- her own sort-of siblings. "You got a spare seat there?"

D'renn manages somehow to extract a handkerchief from his jacket pocket, and uses it to clean up both Lis and the sticky Cerise. "Hmm. Simponsth. Yeah.... Orbyth's new blood at least."

Khaye ducks her head, wiggling her figners in a wave toward Merra, and just blinking at everyone else. Clutchings like this are /wrong/. Seif is glared at again. "There's a difference!" she insists. "And are you calling me some of those ugh riders?" That being said, she just shrugs at Surupa and goes back to waiting for more eggs.

Luari walks in.

Surupa scrunches her nose quickly towards Seif, her eyes narrowing immediately. "Alright, you may sit around here..." She waves a hand in a quick diameter around herself, since her sides are basically occupied by other people, preferably not by that Herder-boy. He can sit around that corner and the others, but closer to her? Nope. "And it is Rupa /or/ Surupa." Not Rupa-darling. "Got it?" She snaps a glare at him again, obviously not in the greatest of moods.

Ciera scans the crowd as she looks in, trying to single out someone to egg-watch with. D'renn seems a good enough bet, so she angle over towards her wingmate as she eyes the first two eggs.

On the sands, Cadgwith finds space -- artistically arranged, of course, to provide maximum viewing advantages -- to settle down for a somewhat long haul. She grunts at her too-big belly. The beginnings of another egg show under her tail.

Look Squaly! Two eggs already; must be one shell of a clutch coming forth. The lad snickers and leans back in the seat to get more comfortable. A glance is given to all the pals around him and his glance is, once again, drawn back to the Sands. "Hey, maybe if I stand up, then sit back down again another egg will be laid." Hey, it work last time.

Catia beckons over Shaela happily enough, giving Taesha a nudge on her near side. "Make room for Shaela, there's a pet..." Eleven Turn-old Taesha does just that, giving the goldrider a beaming smile of welcome. Livia just ducks her head round her mother to make a face.

Quantity, color -- Litrov's fascinated by it all. "Las' time everyone was takin' wagers on what color they'd all hatch out to." Ooh, idea. "Hey, if that first one there's not blue, I'll give you a sweetstick. But if it is, you give me one. 'Kay?" Watch out -- 'Reaches has itself a new bookie.

Cristen beams at Surupa, who seems to be the only person who's even vaguely worth paying attention to. Well, lookit her adoring flock! Meanwhile, Cristen still has some yell left. "Khayekhayekhaye! Sit over here!" is cried with another vigorous wave, other hand clutching to seat just to make sure poor 'cited herder doesn't bounce out of her seat. Meanwhile, nearby Squaln is elbowed. "I snuck outa the hall and nobody caught me." is declared smugly.

D'renn gently sets Donis down.

Lilah walks in.

Phea hunkers down complacently into Squaln's lap, beaming in oblivious delight. "I have a sweetstick, too. Here, here, lemme get it." Hands begin to fish into her pockets, pulling out random items from dustbunnies to half-eaten meatrolls. Ew. After a moment, a pair of multicolored sweetsticks are retrieved. "Here. How've you been, eh? Aren't the eggs pretty? I think so. Mmmhmm." Even if she isn't fond of what will eventually hatch from them.

On the sands, Cadgwith provides better visuals for the watchers, this time, and makes as if it were on purpose; a patchy piece of history shattered by a usurping empire, before such ravages are soothed by the oiled blues of earth and sky. A pause then, before a memory is reclaimed and made tangible, less vivid yet more evocative. And finally, her resolution now clear, she lays the fourth, a masterpiece of liquid clarity.

On the sands, Shattered Mosaic Egg
On the sands, Fallen splendor saddens this large egg; decadence lost in the worn and weary shattering of tone and tile. Terracotta brown struggles to shelter the remaining shards of beauty that crack and shatter across the broad sweep of shell, even as ruddy sunwarm umber clings in idle adoration to those polished stones of red on amber, and blue awash against deep and delicious emerald-green. The story once told by the intricate mosaic of glaze and gloss has been fractured into a maze of stygian shadows and the splintered remains of an artist's coruscant imagination.

Donis sticks his tongue out between his teeth, thinking. "One sweetstick for you if it's a blue, and one for me if it isn't.... Alright." He's taking after his father already, too.

On the sands, Antique Landscape Oil Painting Egg
On the sands, Baby blue streaks and surges against tides of aquamarine and navy, breaking and frothing in mists of white and mother of pearl. Streaking undertows of blue-green, turquoise and midnight intertwine and float gracefully across the outer edges of the shell. Sparkling patches of silver twinkle atop the hues, from any and every angle viewed, they seem to shine bright. The solitary path of more somber and warm tones coat a path, slanting from the top of the egg to the lower half of the egg. Amber intertwines and graces sunlight, streaking like a country sunset across the egg, pulling your view to the glorious fiery circle at the top of the egg; spreading and fraying slightly, expanding and curving around edges before tapering off into the soothing sapphire hue.

On the sands, No splendor pours its way down the rotund sphere of this egg, with only the mars of time to crinkle out its unpretentious presence. Time and heat have worked their way down the gray-wrought hues, doing the damage of a million glances quite soundly. For a web of sallow lays filament across its crumbled edges, as though its maker had first wadded it up, then spread its wrinkled surface out disproportionately. Oh, but the soft, sweet memories of warm shadows that are drudged up across its shell! The ebons that could so shift along its bottom through the decades! Truly those blotched whites form a faded pattern of past trials, a testament of a world of hope in its future....

The housekeeper arrives to cart Penthea off to bed.

On the sands, Liquid Crystal Display Egg
On the sands, Slate grey covers the egg with smooth digital efficiency. Only when light hits the strangely smooth surface does the faint rainbow of yellow and green and purple shimmer in oily waves. Appearing almost flawless, black smudges mar the uniformity of grey. Radiating out from the inky depths colour fades like a bruise, black fading to purple, fading to green, to yellow and finally grey. These splodges of colour appear transitory, not part of the program and soon to be deleted. A perfect example of liquid crystal melted into rigid shape. Standing precisely upright, this egg draws attention with its ergonomically correct curves and its homogeneous shading.

Kinecha glances from the sands to the pair sitting beside her, then shrugs at Ceri and Tevya. The guard never pretended to guess what color dragon would be inside the eggs. "How 'bout guessing how many eggs she'll lay, instead of what color's inside?" she says, looking back at the sand to see more eggs on the sands. "Wow, that was fast.."

Tyara strides into the galleries, mumbling something about not having the brats coming to watch Pyrene's monster add to the population of dragons in this weyr. And why wasn't /she/, the head nanny, informed of this earlier, huh?! Angrily pushing her way through all those tall, stocky weyrfolk and riders, the woman comes to a stop near Kinecha and Tevya and Ceridwin.

Lis smirks at Litrov's promise in the world of egg-gambling, cooing softly over the latest stretch of egggs. "Those are downright pretty - and thanks, D'renn." She appreciates the clean-up job.

Tevya has connected.
Tevya yawns softly 'fore opening her eyes and looking about.

Luari feels lucky to have been allowed to witness this blessed event. She looks 'round at the massive crowd gathered here to watch. Wow, lots of people! Looking back at the sand she sees the clutch is fast growing. "Fast indeed," she murmurs in answer to someones cry.

G'deon reclines after handing over the skin of juice and takes another one from the side nearest the ledges. Who needs glasses when you can have an entire skin? "This certainly looks like the beginnings of a decent clutch," he comments quietly.

Lilah steps in..brushing her locks back just as she takes a glance onto the sands as eggs are starting to be laid. A slight grin, as the apprentice settles herself down..pushing her bag to the side. Her eyes darting about to take a glance for any other herders..

"No problem, love..." D'renn coos back to Lis, glancing round to see what people are there. "Ciera, come sit.... if you can find a space, anyhow." He and Lis are somewhat loaded with assorted children.

Shaela always did show some preference to the elder of Catia's daughters.. likely something to do with Taesha being named with the goldrider-to-be in mind. "Juuuust a little farther, thank you very much," she gives another wide-eyed grin to the youngster as she slides in next to her. "Haven't missed much, have I? I had to get Shaliena settled with her nanny."

Khaye looks down; Khaye looks back up. And then there's a whole bunch of new eggs. "That was quick." A blink and finger-wiggle at Cristen, before she tries to duck behind -- or beside, as the benches go -- Surupa. Hide her. "That's a lot. And really... really.... fast."

Kendrala comes up the stairs.

Ceridwin grins up at the nanny.. "Hey Tyara, have a seat?"

On the sands, Pyrene's jaw drops as her dragon leaves four eggs in that cluster. Her legs cross unconsciously and she gives Cadgwith a look of utmost respect. "Well, that's 6 then... And she doesn't look any smaller yet," she mutters to Zi'n, before waving encouragingly at the labouring queen.

Seif flounces happily into a seat adjacent to Rupa, calling over at Khaye conversationally, "You're the ugh-est of them all," before subsiding. "I swear, you and Khaye are so picky. You should be flattered that I called you 'Rupa-darling', gorgeous. Here, Khaye, you might be ugh, but you can sit in my lap."

Squaln grins and watches a few more eggs drop to the Sands before answering Phea. Snickering again, he pats her back with his hand and his eyes trail back to the eggs. The clutch is increasing in size - good, good. "Join me for a refreshment after this clutching, Phea?" he asks.

On the sands, "Yes they're very pretty. Very pretty," Zi'n tells Orbyth, his throat dry - it's the heat, honestly - as he speaks. "No, you can't get to keep them...!" Oy vey. "Is that hurting her?" the rider asks Pyrene worriedly - not like he's never attented a clutching before, but at least he was never the, eh, cause.

Litrov, unfortunately, hasn't quite grasped the concept of odds yet, so he's not concerened that he's got a much better chance of coming out a loser. Oh well. "Okay, what do you think that one is?" he asks, pointing to the newest arrival. "Same deal with the sweets."

Quayna chews on her thumb, craning her neck uncomfortably to watch the dragons... eyes wide with delight.

Kendrala moves quickly to join the others on the benches.

Kyera walks in.

Taesha shakes her head. "Not much yet, Shaela.... She'd laid two... and now it's..." Before she gets a chance to finish, Livia pipes up, "Six!" causing Taesha to scowl. "Six. Six altogether." Catia just shakes her head at her daughters.

On the sands, Pyrene shrugs at Zi'n. "They're so soft when they come out so it's not like giving birth for us. Not the most comfortable thing either though..." Her nose wrinkles, and she jerks on his hand in habitual anxiety.

Tyara grunts in Ceridwin's direction as an acknowledgment and slides into the nearest available seat. "How many yet? Oh, just six? This will take /hours/!" Not bad, compared to several days, but you have to complain over something.

Khaye reaches around Surupa to try and aim a whack at the back of Seif's head. "I am not ugh, but you might be if you call Taz Itaz'rath again," she mutters, ignoring anything else said bythe herder. Tsk. "Rupa, will you hit him for me? I can't reach real well."

"What d'you think, Ceri? How many will she lay?" Kinecha grins broadly to the woman, keeping her eyes on the sands, not wanting to miss more eggs, being layed. "I'm guessing... 25." Though you'd not get her to bet on that.

"They're just popping on out, aren't they?" Squeaks Surupa, her eyes widening towards the queen upon the sands and all those eggs already gathered. At such a short time? Her eyes drift back to Cristen and-- Is that a smile?! Perhaps it might be, but she does look back towards her fellow Herders quietly and then once again towards the eggs. "Leaving the Hall without even your mentor's permission? Come now, Cristen. Y'know that chores are going to await you when you return."

Luari looks 'round for Master Quinari and spots her some distance closer to the event than she herself had gotten. Ahh well. At least she wouldn't be sent for to do some chore as long as the Master was in attendance. She leans foward in an attempt to better see the dragons. Oh how lovely!

Donis considers this. "I think.... that greyish one will hatch a blue. What do you think?" He doesn't grasp the idea of odds either.

Kendrala takes the nearest unoccupied seat to watch the excitement.

Luari has disconnected.
Luari falls asleep.

Ceridwin says, "I still say it looks easier then actual childbirth.." But she is careful to not let that thought carry to any golds about. "Glad you could join us."

Merra nods, sipping at the proffered skin, and then nearly spitting out a mouthful. Four! Just like that! She quickly sets down the juice, have the presence of mind to wave towards Daeyn again. "Daeyn! Up here! Come on!" And thus is a resident ordering one of the Weyrseconds around, though one who happens to be her best friend. She turns back to warn the Sands then. "I think the first two she laid are the best. Very... mysterious." Adjectives petitioning to her side are out of luck, it seems.

On the sands, Cadgwith doesn't admire this cluster so much. The eggs are coming, the eggs are coming! She gives each a crude mound of sand to surround and present each properly, and then re-adjusts her location.

Phea is awe-struck, as usual, nibbling idly on her sweetstick. To Squaln, she comments on the most recently laid egg, "Oh, Squaln-dear, isn't that one preeeeeetty? It reminds me of.. something.. um.." Pause. "Nevermind." She leans back against the herder, to view the clutching in a more reclined position. "O'course I'll get some snacks with you, darling. Wow. Do golds always lay eggs this fast?"

Tyara narrows her eyes at Kinecha. "25, eh? I think she'll lay at least a dozen more - just look at how big she is! There have to be fifty eggs in there. Larger than Chayath was last time. I'll say /thirty/-five eggs."

"Just in time?" A murmur towards herself, as Kyera bounces in. An arm swung about a bit as she peered about. Oiye, taking a glance of some others who seemed pretty familiar. The herder managing her way through some others spectators before taking in a vacant seat close by the others. "Hullo!" A grin is offered towards Surupa, Khaye, and Cristen - and then again towards the boys.

Litrov eyes the indicated egg for a long moment, as if by concentrating he could see inside. X-ray vision, anyone? Or maybe he's just imitating that scrutinization grown-ups always give when he swears he's washed his hands... "Yeah, maybe a blue. I think brown, though."

"Hey, lookit! It's super egg-layer dragon!" is squeaked from Cristen direction as a number of eggs are watches pop out, one after another onto the sands. And then, since most of the herders are ignoring her, Cristen shoots a playful elbow-nudge in Surupa's direction. "What're you talking about? I have a lot of slaves that'll do all my work for me. Actually, there is Kezenex, who owes me double chores now." pained expression is put on, "But he never listens to me. It's so sad that sooner or later he'll be having to do all my chores as well as his."

"Terribly mysterious," G'deon can't help but add.

Tevya nods, silently as Ceri carries on the conversation, agreeing that /it/ could be painful. "How many is that now?" She asks, turning to Ceridwin, having lost count and..now sight of the eggs.

Lis waves cheerfully at Ciera, motioning to a seat... well, somewhere. She can always elbow someone sweetly. "Poor Cadge. All those eggs, and only one flight..." The ratio of giving-birth to enjoying the preparations seems terribly skewed, in Lis' opinion.

On the sands, Pyrene watches the clutch proceed in approval. "Very organised, keep it up dear!" she encourages.

Donis screws up his mouth. "Brown? No way. It's a blue out of that grey colour. They always are." /Sure/. Six Turns old and he knows everything. Poking his mother's leg, he asks her loudly, "Don't grey eggs always hatch blue dragons Mom, hey, don't they?"

Cera walks in.

Surupa frowns towards Seif and gives the Herder-boy a good smack on the head. It doesn't really work when she is in a bad mood, really, and her eyes are filling with a dark crimson hue. She is either getting some sort of firehead or she is angry. It is the latter, of course. She frowns and slumps down in her seat, hiding herself even more. When will all these people just /leave/? "Still, without permission, Cristen. You'll get in trouble when you return, you'll see." And a finger is waggled her way, though not much more of a smile is seen or-- Not much more of her face is seen under the blanket hood.

Squaln shrugs and props his arms up on the brim of the seats, yawning a bit as he does. "All the eggs are handsome." he comments as well. "Besides, Golds can lay /way/ more eggs than you see here." See? Squaly's knowledge on dragons has increases since he's been hanging around with Khaye more often than usual.

On the sands, Moving her artistic labours, Cadgwith seeks to shroud herself in a more comforting, more comfortable part of civilisation's heritage. First she lays out the past in soft warmth against Sands' heat, before following that up with something so of-the-moment, it's out of date before she's brought it home from the womb.

On the sands, Grandmother's Quilt Egg
On the sands, Cerulean outlines patches upon this ovoid, causing the egg to look as if it is wrapped within a warm quilt. Faded reds, greens, and other colors make up the inside of each patch; the designs too abstract to be easily made out as anything clear. Some may call a bright pearl shape to be a cloud, while others think it's a fluffy kitty. Pinks and purples make up what look to be flowers on one spot. No true grand picture is made upon the "quilt", just fun, random patterns that play upon the mind's suggestion.

On the sands, Pret-a-Porter Tomorrow's Fashion Egg
On the sands, This haute couture elegance egg radiates pure lines and sharp tailoring pushing it well ahead of its time. Swathed in sumptuously muted colours with lime greens, iridescent peaches, swirl up into painted faux-naive summer season brights, it is unrepentantly modernist with a metallic sheen in contemporary streamlined silver shantung, heralding a commercially-happening techno-triumphant future. Its timeless style, stylistically cruising, almost screams for attention and the myriad post-Yves Klein blues at the summit, set the retinas giddily spinning creating an asymmetric signature statement for this Spring-Summer season.

Seif yelps as he's bruptly whacked, using both arms to shield his skull. "Will you stop, ugh-brownrider-Khaye? That hurts. I'm sure /It'zurath/ wouldn't want you smacking at me." So hmph. "Ow! Rupa, you weren't supposed to hit me! You're ugh now, too."

Kinecha allows a glance at Tyara, giving her a slight smirk. "Well, I /am/ just guessing," she says, returning her eyes to the sand. It's not like the guard had been to very many clutchings in her time at the Weyr. In fact she'd managed to miss most.

"Hey, hey, not with the scowling, Taesha. Be a lady, remember?" Shaela is still on the mission begun when Taesha was first born: turn her into the perfect little lady, just like Shaela was -- err. Of course, whether or not it's working is another issue.. Catia might have a better idea of that. "Six so far sounds about right. And they certainly do look like Cadgwith eggs." It might just be Shaela's opinion, but Chayath's eggs -- and offspring -- have always been much easier on the eyes than Cadge's.

Litrov shakes his head. "Nope, it'll be a brown, you wait an' see." Six-Turn-olds don't know anywhere /near/ everything. Seven is the age of enlightenment, of course. /Everyone/ knows that, especially 'Trov.

The housekeeper arrives to cart Luari off to bed.

Tyara tilts her head upwards and decides to ignore just about everyone - she'll much rather watch the eggs so she can make snide comments to Pyrene afterwards.

Lilah goes home.

"Look at the colours on those!" Taesha half-squeals, nudging her mother's side. "I like that really bright one... What do you think, Shaela?" Is there a bit of hero-worship going on here? She's certainly stopped scowling, despite Livia's brattishness.

Note here: Squaln has been spending time with Khaye. It's not like Khaye's been seeking out his company.. Ahem. She glares at Seif for the umpteenth time. "If you don't stop I'm going to get Taz to breath on you," she threatens, before turning back to the eggs. "Hey!" A poke goes to Rupa's side. "See that last one? That's a brown."

On the sands, Another egg! This one requires no effort from Cadgwith herself, seeing as it basically flies down her birth canal, and hits the sand running. (Cleanup in the Egyptian area!) A few rolls of the intricate knit patterns, and then it stops short, tripping over its own tassel-pattern.

On the sands, Pyrene relaxes a little in the comfort of the next eggs. "Very, very nice... Softer than the last batch--although those /were/ pretty..." She commentates inanely, but She's allowed.

Surupa is ugh and she must be really proud of it... But of course that isn't seen. "Faranth, Seif. Will you /ever/ grow up at all? Act like a true Herder and--" Pause. "Act like a true gentleman and just be nice." Nod. That seems to be a better way to put it for the brain-dead Gar Herder. She heaves another audible sigh, arms crossed upon her chest and eyes upon the newest eggs. "They are all different, aren't they?"

Lis attempts to pick her mind for the memories of past standing, admonishing Donis in the meantime. "Don't poke, sweets, it's rude. Blues come from lots of eggs, but no one really knows until the Hatching."

On the sands, 19th Century Persian Rug Egg
On the sands, A myriad of colors form fragmenting patterns over this egg's ovoid shape, frothing at the apex and nadir of the shell in a spume of saffron fringe. Teal and azure are knitted in sybaritic filigrees just inside the tassels, unpretentious flecks of citrus burrowed betwixt. Surrounding the center of the egg, astral-like motes of various shades - crimson, navy, and beige - blossom in a large array of motifs, twisting and spindling together in ostentatious concord of festoon.

"Alright, I bet you a sweetstick it's a blue." Donis is really getting into this betting thing. "Ooooh, look at the new ones!"

On the sands, Cadgwith is nothing if not startled by /that/ egg. She noses it dubiously. Stay.

On the sands, Pyrene does wince at the speed that the last egg came out. "Careful there!" she shrills, breaking from her position near Zi'n and proud Papa to rush near enough to check on the egg. All breakages must be paid for, y'know.

D'renn wriggles his shoulders, frowning a little. "That one happened a bit quick, didn't it? Has Pyrene been using too much oil on Cadgwith or something?" he murmurs to Lis.

Shaela looks out onto the Sands, following Taesha's gaze to the egg of which the girl speaks. "Certainly very.. colourful," Shaela agrees. Her preference was always for the ones with a glint of gold and a touch of red.

Marianne walks in.

"Oh. I still like the shiney egg better," Phea says to Squaln, words slurred until they can barely be understood. "Oh, well, that last one is kinda pretty too. But the shiney one is better." As she speaks, she nods sapiently, pointing the sweetstick at this egg and that one. "I bet laying all these eggs is tiring. Don't you think so, Squalny? Yep, of course it is." Rhetorical question.

Quayna raises her thick black eyebrows in surprise at the speed of that egg. "Fast... like the colour though," she murmurs, wrapping her arms around her knees.

Fila has arrived.

Litrov nods, adding this most recent wager to his mental tally. Maybe he ought to write these down at some point -- after the clutching. Yeah, that's it... he'll filch a stray scrap of hide and a stylus and post the list. Excellent. "Those new ones're pretty. I think I like the bigger one -- that'll hatch bronze, no doubt 'bout it."

Cristen attempts to stifle a snicker at Seif as he's watched ducking various slaps, herder gal staying way back enough to be away from hurt weilding hands. Meanwhile, Surupa recieves a scowl and a tongue. "Whatcha talking about? All the rankers love me, they would never give me any trouble. Plus, it's a clutching. I'm aloud." and so that settles it with Surupa. Cock of head sends crimson curls draping across other shoulder, promptly changing her mind onto other lucky subject who's now trapped with Cristen's affections. "Khaaaaaye! Long time no see!"

On the sands, Orbyth rumbles and swings his head towards Cadgwith - careful with /his/ eggs there! Zi'n just winces and rubs his hands together - the perfect picture of worry. Deciding that he's better off staying in the background a little, the bronzerider retracts to half-hide in the shadows of his lifemate.

On the sands, Zi'n has disconnected.
On the sands, Zi'n finally has a moment's piece in his mind and takes advantage of the chance to sleep...

Tyara has disconnected.
Head slowly starts to fall down as Tyara closes her eyes. Sleep.. just for a moment..

"Mum...." Livia's whiny. "Can I have a sweet? Please? Can I?" Catia sighs, but reaches into her pocket and produces a rather sticky bag of candies, passing them around. "Just one, Livia."

On the sands, Cadgwith is with Pyrene on that one. She backs off, gives the egg some air, and takes a breather. Or would've, if it wasn't interrupted by more -- you guessed it -- eggs.

Kyera eyes the egg a brow is quirked. "Shells." Lashes fluttering as the egg just comes flying out. Brushing some midnight black locks across a shoulder..letting out a quick stare towards Phea - though she didn't even know her. Holding in a few snickers, why wouldn't it be tiring? Avoiding anymore useless eavesdropping to begin staring at the eggs once again. Yeesh.

Seif tucks his knees against his chest, whimpering into the crevice formed. "Ya'll are so mean, you know that? Ugh. ughughugh." At Khaye's threat, the herder recoils in fear. "No, don't let him breathe on me! No, no, no! Please, don't make him breeeeeeathe on meeeeee.." As if the brown were already looming over him, he withers in despair.

On the sands, Stopping and starting, the next few eggs are guided through a maze of intestines, as Cadgwith, the evil Dr X, makes a creature or three...The first egg jerks noticeably, movement interrupted; stop-motion globe. Second comes a nightmare in twisted, labyrinthine curves, while all is soothed and rectified in the sweetly sinful darkness of a third, midnight-crimson shell, where creativity suavely mutates all it touches.

On the sands, Stop Motion Photography Egg
On the sands, Streaks of glowing hues ripple in smooth streams 'cross the elongated globe, fire-orange, rose and crimson trails blazed by flashes of nascent light in a skilfully wound pattern of avenues against a backdrop of spires and towers suggested out of slate-blue shadows in the anthracitic gloom. Caressed by awed eyes from different view points, the lights appear to refract, to change, as crystal beneath the fire of dawn: blue shifts to green, gold to yellow, copper, vermilion. Rukbat's fires stand as the only rival to those of this egg, yet seen in said star's light, colors pale - giving the impression that by evening their true glory would be fully visible, if too swift for the roving eye to fully capture all the iterations of vibrant light.

On the sands, Labyrinth Egg
On the sands, Angular curves decorate the perfect curve of shell, as if a maze had been placed there and populated with a myriad of strange and curious creatures. Odd, sparkling branches can be seen, walls appearing and disappearing as if of their own accord, and characters from some strange card deck guarding doors to nowhere. The shape of a large, lumbering beast can be seen, as can a host of other strange beings from some child's nightmare. Near the center of it all, a young girl makes her way toward a terrible and beautiful male figure holding a child- the image of a distorted clock hovering nearby.

On the sands, Science Fiction Double Feature Egg
On the sands, Deepest black coats the shell of this egg, enveloping it in velvety blackness and nearly drinking in the sparse light of the hatching cavern. Interrupting this midnight expanse, however, is a rather odd shape. What appears to be a large pair of lips stained in blood red covers the center of the visible portion of the ovoid and show off the ivory shimmer of what could be teeth. Near the wider bottom of the shell, small letters might be seen- credits beginning to roll upon a screen.

Squaln continues to watch, nodding at Phea's mumbles. "Yeah, they're all nice and I bet it /is/ tiring. I'm glad I'm not a gold dragon. Heh heh." It's true, he'd much be riding either bronze or brown in any case - he'd be a good character for that sort of thing. Just /being/ a clutching or hatching makes him wanna run off and join the dragonriders. His love for the big beasts grows stronger everyday.

"Um. Yes?" Khaye can't really think of the last time she saw anybody when there's all these people around her and eggs appearing every other millisecond. "Hi. Cristen!" That's the girl's name. "Lotsa eggs, huh?" And at Seif's sudden whimpering, she rolls her eyes. "Hit him for me, will you?"

Lis shrugs her shoulders, rather than wiggling them, hypothesizing. "I dunno - maybe it was a little small? All those other eggs might have stretched Cadge out." The greenrider wiggles in her seat in sympathetic, remembered pain. "The unusual ones tend to hatch bronze, don't they?" she asks her weyrmate in sotto voce comentary upon hearing Litrov.

Surupa rolls back a shouler in a quick shrug to respond to Cristen. "Well, what ever you wish to do, really. Just saying, if you were allowed to come here-- You didn't get permission to come or didn't?" Her eyes blink curiously, almost returning in their color as she sniffs and sighs. "Mean, yeah. Of course I am, Seif." And at Khaye's bidding she actually gives the Herder-boy another whack.

Wandering in, finally, it seems, Marianne enters the Galleries. Well. Quite the crowd... she moves among them smoothly, trying to make her way towards the front of the galleries, her eyes on alert, looking around for someone or something, instead of at the sands. Until yet another series of eggs make it's appearance, at which she turns.. smoothly bumping into someone. "Oh, dear. I am sorry. Sorry, again," she smiles at the person dazzlingly, turning up the charm, before her eyes wander back to the gathering.

On the sands, Pyrene circles the egg cautiously, reassuring herself that it's OK before dancing out of the way of the latest production of eggs. "Entertaining?" she wonders, eyeing them askance. "Blues... the lot of them."

D'renn shrugs a little at Lis. "Maybe.... I don't know. Perhaps Donis will Impress bronze someday." Such hopes for his children... "And that one in there will Impress gold." What a thing to wish on an unborn child! "That's a nice bunch though, the last lot."

Tierza walks in.

Donis gets really excited at what Pyrene said. "Did you hear, did you hear, she thinks they'll all be blues! I hope they are, I hope they are.... not going to bet though." So there.

On the sands, Cadgwith takes a breather /now/, if you please. The roiling of internal organs in this endeavor to expel eggs is currently ignored. Quiet, you.

Epona comes up the stairs.

Merra eyes the newly-arrived egg that shoots out like a crazed magic rug, gasping softly at the speed with which it hits the Sands. "*There* was a fast egg," she comments to no one in particular. The next eggs are studied, and then studied some more. Creepy, those last two. The first one, however, is something for her eyes. "Green. That one'll be green," she decides, tilting back the skin for another round of juice.

Phea shrugs, careless, peering dubiously at the Science Fiction egg. "That's one dark. I like the shiney one better." As if Squaln hadn't heard that for the umpteenth time. "Marianne! Yay, it's Marianne! C'mere, Marianne!" The seat nearest to the one she and Squaln are sharing is patted beckoningly. "I like the shiney egg. Do you see the shiney one?" Just to clarify, the sweetstick is waggled in said egg's direction.

"All blues?" Quayna breathes, reaching to fidget with a loose curl. "Surely not... What do you think?" she dares to ask the person next to her, who just grunts and shrugs. So much for conversation.

Tierza slips into the galleries and smiles as she recognises several people here. most past candie-mates, but still, she knows people...

On the sands, Pyrene would wipe Cadge's brow for her if dragons sweated and she had a cloth big enough. "Yes, they are nice eggs. And you're doing very well. No... I won't mind if they're blue." The sacrifices one must make for one's dragon.

The housekeeper arrives to cart Tyara off to bed.

"She's certainly not wasting any time, is she?" Kinecha mumbles, looking down at the gold, popping out one egg after another. How many was it by now anyway? The guard had lost count, and wasn't sure she had guessed right.

Cristen gives Khaye a grin. "Yeah, there's usually lots of eggs at a clutching. That's what I've heard, anyways. I've never been to one before. Is Tazzy-darling doing well?" is chirped from Cristen as Rupa retieves back short attention span. "I don't have permission, but I'm going to get some before I go back, just to make sure I don't get double chores. Just last week that durned Maggie cook person put me on kitchen duty just because..." rambles Cristen.

Natashana comes up the stairs.

Lis can't help a grin, even as she bites her lip against it. "Oh, Pyrene'll have a fit. Someone'd better bring wine to the Hatching..." Children are eyed tenderly for a moment, including the one yet to be named, as she peers at D'renn through raised brows. "You really think so?"

On the sands, Cadgwith seems satisfied. Energized. Alert. Good Pyrene. Celebrate Blue Awareness Month. She picks back into the egg-laying chore.

Nodding a greeting to those already in the gallery, Epona arrives a little late but not too late, she's glad to see. She slides into a seat and watches whats going down on the sands below.

Livia rolls her hard candy round and round in her mouth, getting it nice and damp and slimy - and a bit smaller - before she spits it surreptiously into her hand. Now.... where to throw it?

On the sands, Do the Charleston! Or the Macarena, even? Cadgwith picks up a beat of sort in the heaving of her flanks to expel another pair of eggs. Two hops to the left; the fragile porcelain relic of an era on fire. A shuffle back, and one frantic chirr; a flashing, lookatmelookatme! brand of groovy bright.

On the sands, Twenties Porcelain Dancing Lady Egg
On the sands, Viridian ripples drape from top to toe of this slender, elongated egg, clothing it in a sumptuous visage of understated elegance. Behind a fan of burnt sienna and tangerine, delicate cream swirls around, under and peeks demurely out from behind, ivory tendrils curling upwards and inwards in a silent beckon. Lithesome curves and fluid undulations, covered by a fragile-seeming veneer that gently gleams, as if wet, in even the dimmest of lights, make the hues almost dance and whirl to an unheard music that lasts all through the night.

On the sands, Hiphop Lifestyle Egg
On the sands, Bright red rolls with its homies of gold and platinum, blingblinging in gaudy glory in fluid, rhythmic streaks. The egg is slimly shaped, sleek and suave with a smooth, glistening overlay to its shell, shiny and without any mars in shape or texture. Though flashy and rich in hue, though, this egg doesn't forget its roots, which happen to be of a dark, brooding background, smouldering navy and ebony haunting the base with its midnight shades, broken only by hopeful flashes of glorious citrine yellow. Lyrical with its undulating melding of color, its eyecatching appearance doubtlessly is representin' da Reaches to the fullest.

Epona calls to Diana, who flies over and lands on her shoulder.

Shaela watches from the corner of her eye as Livia receives her treat, ever critical of Catia's maternal instincts. Of course, Shaela herself possesses none whatsoever, hence Shaliena being with the nanny instead of here at the clutching. "Any you like in the last batch, Taesha?" the goldrider asks, idly twirling one of her braids around an index finger. "They're certainly coming out fast and furious.. could be a large clutch by the looks of things." And is that a touch of envy in the goldrider's voice? Chayath's last laid only eleven, and Cadge has bested that already.

Tazzy-darling is fine for the brown as long as it doesn't remotely relate to Itaz'rath. "He's great!" Khaye chirps, brightening visibly at mention of the dragon. "He really likes to --" Ahem. Cue the latest glare at Seif. "Breathe on certain herders." She offers a grin to Surupa. "THanks. I can't really reach him around you or else I'd hit him?"

Marianne , meanwhile, is still attempting to get down near the edge of the galleries, wandering through the crowd with 'Excuse me' 'Pardon me' and 'WATCH it's following her as she goes, hearing Phea's call with a wry grin. "Phea, I'd love to join you.. if it were possible to slip through to you!" She calls back softly, but loud enough to be heard above the talking, laughter in her voice. After a moment, she considers those around her and turns around with a grin. "Well. That's cracked it, I think," she says as someone else tries to crash over her and promptly dances between two people in a little waltz to twirl to Phea and wink slightly as she twirls into her seat, her hair flying behind her.

Seif sulks petulantly, glaring from Rupa to Khaye to Cristen respectively until he gets dizzy from repeating the cycle too fast and too frequently. "Woo -- ow, Ruppy, stop hittin' me, will you?" Rampaging girls are momentarily forgotten as the Hiphop egg is seen. "Oooooooh. I like that oooone." Too bad he didn't catch Khaye's breathing remark.

Surupa rolls her eyes towards Cristen, her head slowly shaking from under the multicolored blanket, a lock of pink hair carefully rolling out. "See what I mean? You have to get permission Cris, or you'll have chores for turns." Nodnodnod. That is something that the young woman actually knows: Get in trouble, have plenty of chores. "Just be careful for yourself." And she sends Khaye another nod as well. "Of course I'll hit him anyday, you just have to ask." Eggs are glanced at, curiousity perking at what may lie in each of them.

D'renn dares to reach a hand towards Lis's belly, a rather fatuously fond expression. "Whatever it is, it'll be fine." Maybe it'll turn out to be a curly-haired underage gambler like Donis, but who minds? "Just like the other two."

On the sands, Pyrene applauds merrily. The mood of those eggs is infectious. Time to celebrate indeed! Besides... she's sure that those eggs won't hold blues. Nice, safe, good-natured browns. That's it.

Siannen walks in.

Taesha crunches her candy, thinking about it. "I liked the red and gold and black one she just laid, Shaela..." Such good taste. Catia smiles rather at her eldest daughter, nodding. "I liked it too."

On the sands, Cadgwith likes these ones. Infectious, indeed. Diseases are infectious. Eggs are...inspiring. She nudges the pair to a better locale, mindful of soft shells, and the other eggs waiting for birth.

Kyera snickers a bit at Surupa's comment about hitting Seif. "S'good thing that guys aren't suppose to hit girls." A wink and a snicker before glancing at the galleries one more. Watching the eggs keep on rolling out of Cadgwith. A wave towards Cristen - in which she had just noticed her.

Tierza says, "hey Khaye! How is Itazurath doing? And yourself, of course. Enjoying weyr life?" Still with smudge on erh cheek, Tierza smiles at her ex candie-mate.. "Marianne, how are you doing?"

Browns were good. Kinecha likes browns, and their riders so if those eggs really /did/ contain browns you'd hear no onjections from her, having weyrlings and their mates running around again after the Hatching. Even if they did have to deal with Candidates first.

On the sands, Pyrene is inspired then. Whatever you say, dear.

Squaln cheers and whistles for the laboring Cadgwith with all her eggs. Woo-hoo! Many eggs are quite a good sign for the Weyr. The Search will be busy this time around! But, what a shame; he'll have to go back to the Hall after the clutching. Erk. Back to mucking Caprine stalls..

Khaye eyes the newest eggs for a few seconds before deciding on a color. "That.. that first-ish one, there? That's going to be a green. And the second-ish one? That's a brown. And since you said, Rupa, can you hit Seif again?" Just for the heck of it? If you can't hit him yourself, you may as well have the fun of watching him be hit multiple times. Fingers wiggle toward Tierza with a faint grin and a response of "Tierza!" Beam. "He's doing fine. Me too!"

Lis pats D'renn's hand securely, basking in the fond expression like a cat in sunlight. "Oh, definately." Still, the fantasy of being Mother of the Weyrwoman is a delightful one.

On the sands, There is a long pause now. Cadgwith starts to pace, lets her tail knock mounts of sand to flatness, always mindful of the fragile treasures the she barely misses.

D'renn half-stands for a moment, prompting complaints from behind. But it's because he's busy rummaging in his extra-tight pants pocket to produce something glittery. "I.... I bought this for you, Lis," he says, sitting back down and staring out over the Sands.... of course, it has to be a quiet moment /now/.

Tierza grins back as she settles herself on a bench. Looks like this will be a good sized clutch.. how fun.

G'deon seems to be off in his own world at the moment, either deep in thought or draconic conversation isn't too clear. He suddenly nods however and smiles. "So oddly fitting for Cadgwith and Orbyth, don't you think?" he asks no one in particular. "Still, a fine clutch so far. Doesn't look like ol' Cadge is done yet either."

Tevya grins as each egg is laid, finding something in each egg she considered pretty. Her hair was quick to dry in the heat of the galleries, and now clings statically to the sides of her face. Impatient wave of her hand brushes the unruefull hair under control as she continues her silent betting.

On the sands, Pyrene runs a critical eye over Cadgwith's sides. "Still got a way to go... How many is that now?" she calls, trying to count what's there. "One... two... There were four in that batch--is that 8 or 7?" Mental arithmetic while hot and bothered was never her strong point.

Surupa actually giggles under her rasping breathe, ill still even as she is seated in the warm caverns. "Perhaps you might be right, Khae..." She murmurs, about the eggs of course. And Seif is given yet another little smack, since the brownrider asked for it. She can do that all day, really. "Don't make me stuff you in 'nother dress, Seif," grumbles Rupa under her breathe once again, her head bobbing carefully.

Cristen thbpts Surupa's way, still caguely attempting to provide an argument that's going to push the favor her way. "What are ya talking about? I'd never get chores for turns, everybody loves me!" is declared firmly as hand is sent up in a flap towards newly spotted herder. "Hello!" is credited in greeting before Khaye gets another eyeball. "Nonono, that's the one that'll be brown, and that one'll be blue!"

Quayna fidgets some more, squashed in between Mr Silent and a large-bottomed lady who's busy chattering to her equally large-bottomed friend on the other side. Craning her neck, she tries to spot her mother, but gives up to look over the eggs again.

Phea is bouncing nonchalantly (painful for Squaln, no doubt), sweetstick waving triumphantly. "Oooooops, sorry, sir, didn't mean to whack you with my sweetstick," is apologized to some unfortunate man who happened to stray too close. "Mari-sweet, what egg do you like? Is it the shiney one? The shiney is like a mirror. Or something like that. It's not like my orange flower, though. But it's still pretty. Isn't it, Squally?"

Merra is... Merra is hiding behind G'deon, for reasons currently known only to herself. "Sorry, Gid, just keeping warm." Yes, that's it. She'd certainly never go and be inconspicious. Though how inconspicious one can be by a bronzerider is doubtful. She does, however, see the 20's egg, and her eyes light with something like admiration. "Okay, that's just gorgeous. A good clutch, indeed," she agrees quietly.

Shaela winces at the sight of that last one -- her favourite hues gone wrong -- but quickly recovers to turn that wince into a smile. "Yes, yes, it's lovely.. just lovely." Mrr. At least Taesha has the colours right.. evidently she has learned something over the turns. "Cat, how many do you think she's going to lay? At this rate, I'm starting to wonder if she won't break a record, or something."

Livia fingers her sticky, half-sucked sweet for another moment, then leans forwards, and *flings* it with surprising accuracy in the direction of Donis. Hah!

On the sands, Cadgwith would think she has a way to go. She's still /fat/. It will take her forever to get her -- ahem -- lovely figure back. Monstrosity takes work, y'know.

Khaye frowns slightly at Cristen. "Nuh-uh. The first one is a blue and the second one is a brown. I /know/ these things." And the subject is dropped. "How many more do you think there'll be?" Evidently a whole lot. "And do you wanna hit Seif again, Rupa? 'Cause you don't have to wait until I ask to." It's a free continent, after all.

Lis has half an eye on the pacing gold - who looks apt to squish an egg or two - and half an eye on D'renn until the shiney thing that is produced from his pocket catches her eye. Nevermind the close-fitting pants. "Oh?" she prompts in surprise, letting out an all-too-late squeak at the stick projectile aiming for her son.

Catia frowns a little. "Well, I was only saying to Pyrene the other day that I really should make a study of gold's pregnancies and clutches, to see if there's any reason to their laying...." All of which means: "Sorry Shaela, I've no idea. I remember Tiareth laid 44 when we first came here, but we don't need /that/ many any more..."

Cera goes home.

On the sands, Sing the harp, breathe the music, live the rhythm. The fruit of Cadgwith's next, drawn-out effort is well worth the pain of labor; a synthesis of sleek and ancient masterpiece with the snazzier plastic of tangled black and golden-flicked static pulse. She pauses visibly to admire, to rest, to preen and bask in the music of the spheres.

"Not so soon, /Weyrleader/," Marianne remarks, leaning over with an impertinent little wink and mock curtsey in his direction as she settles herself comfortably in her seat, tossing her saucy curls over one shoulder. "Women have more stamina than that," she gestures to the gold on the sand and laughs towards her. "Don't you?" Not that the gold can hear her, but... Her attention flits to Phea and she considers her question. "Well, the orange one is simply lovely.. but something tells me.. the best is yet to come.. let's not ruin the surprise for her!" She gestures to the gold on the sands.

On the sands, Electrifying Camo Harp Egg
On the sands, Glaring spotlights flare upon a backdrop of peacock, illuminating the sleek, plastine column that serves as backbone. Arrow-straight lines of ivory, matched in twos and threes with carnelian and sapphire, suspend glimmering across the stellar void. From nigh a finger-breadth at the pinnacle, to an endless winding at the base, they find harbor along crescent of blue. Behind the backdone, not the massive swell of a base to project those rich, full tones, but rather a tangle of wiry black marked by golden pulses of static that fire this egg to life in a vibrating hum of color.

"Ugh?" That was the sound of a lump of something unpleasant hitting Donis square in the back of the neck. "Someone /threw/ something at me!" he complains loud enough to be heard all over the Galleries. (D'renn)

Squaln winces and gives Phea a pinch in her side. "Watch the bouncing!" he grimaces. Eyeing the healer in a haughty manner, he points to the dark and shiny egg (The 'Science Fiction' one). "I like that one the best. It's got quality to it." Mwahaha. He /does/ fancy that egg..

On the sands, Pyrene stops trying to placate her dragon to stare at the latest display. "Now /that/ is pretty. Well /done/..." she assures Cadgwith. "Bronze. I'll wager you a trip to Ista."

Surupa is possibly getting tired with all the smacking and whacking of the poor Herder-boy. But of course, she could do that anytime she wished. A poke now, simply a poke. "Respect, Seif." She simply says, casually nodding away. However, her eyes catch sigh of Cristen once again and Rupa can simply sigh and slump. And sneeze. "Yeah..." Sniff. "Whatever you say, Cris."

"I'm gonna move if ya'll don't stop beating on me. It's mean. Don't you know that?" Rupa is eyed in shock. "You wouldn't! Nuh-uh, no more dresses!" Seif huddles farther away from the trio of lethal girls, pointing at the newly clutched egg. "Oh, that one is nice, too. Reminds me of.. me!" Or something akin to that. "I'm not being disrespectful, nope. You are. By whacking and.. poking me."

"Certainly not," Shaela agrees, and is about to get started on a pity-me-please party when Donis yelps. Her eyes immediately switch from the Sands to the boy, then to Livia. She'll have to bite her tongue hard on this one.. Catia and her neglectful parenting, again.

Catia stares at her youngest. "Livia, did you just....." With a shake of her head, the greenrider gives up. She really doesn't want to know. "That's a nice-looking egg, the last one..." Livia just assumes an innocent expression, and nods. "Very pretty, mum..."

"Oh, /shards/. I'm never going to be able to get that out of his hair," whines Lis despondently. Donis might end up with a bald spot on the back of his head for a few days.

On the sands, Cadgwith is smug. Pretty eggs are possible. She tries again. Maybe it'll happen twice...

On the sands, Let's play! The next egg rattles out to land on its point, pirouetting gently as it settles into place. However, Cadgwith's attention span and effort are growing smaller and she finds more distraction in the gadgetry and gizmos of the egg which follows.

On the sands, Remote-Controlled Everything Egg
On the sands, Zip! Snap! Sizzling crimson swings up one side and down the other, sweeping along in convenient little lines, laziness licking up along the tinge of shadowy shades lingering at the bottom of the egg. Splotches of smokey gray make themselves apparent, rectangular shapes that want to make everything so simple and efficient. Streamlined plum gives the zest needed to make it an oh-so-appealing package, ready to be operated by a time-saving consumer.

On the sands, Cherished Spinning Top Egg
On the sands, Once brilliant hues have faded to shadows of their former selves, the primary shades of red, blue and yellow left hardly noticeable anymore underneath the layer of steel-gray dust that seems to have settled over the uppermost apex of this egg. Swirling, multicoloured lines repeat themselves in layers across the shell, their pattern reminiscent of an age old child's toy; a spinning top, which, when twirled, would cause those streaks to flow together, creating a dizzying visual effect and hours of amusement. Unfortunately, this plaything seems to be out of commission, or perhaps it is only resting; waiting for the perfect playmate to come along and unleash its enchanting endowments once again.

Donis tries to twist his head round backwards to see. "Did it stick, mom? Who threw it?" he asks plaintively... eeeking out any sympathy he might get.

Kyera snickers some at the respecting-Seif comment? Seriously? A glance at the egg that is just let out, "That egg reminds you of /you/!?" Eyes widening as she glances at Seif. Holding in some laughter. It had way to much detail for Kyera to be reminded of Seif when she took a glance at it. As the laboring stopped and then continued.

Whackings and pokings are /not/ disrespectful. They're just amusing. Khaye otherwise ignores Seif to try and see the two newest eggs. "That one! That first one! That's a brown! And the second one... Maybe that's a blue." Who knows? Who really trusts Khaye's opinions on these? "I really like that one. The brown one."

Ceridwin goes home.

On the sands, Shiny! Cadgwith rumbles at these eggs. Insert appropriate ooh'ing and aaah'ing here.

Siannen may not have been here at the beginning, but that's okay, right? And she can't see very well, either. She's short like that. Which means that upon worming her way to the front of the galleries, she...-ooohs-. And no one complains - she's easy enough to see over. "-Ooh-. That one's /pretty/, Cadgie!" is hollered, though it's doubtful if the gold can hear her. "Ooh...those're pretty, too." Livia and Donis are eyed, and edged away from. Their mothers are there. She doesn't have to interfere. Right? Right. And if you can't see the knot...

Kinecha is getting drowsy, sitting here in the heat, constantly wiping her forehead with a kerchief she'd found in a pocket. Barely keeping her eyes open through this event that is supposed to be happy and joyous. But having had little sleep through the night (thanks to a loud snoring colleague), the guard found herself nodding off.

Cristen bobs head in a quick nod of agreement to Khaye's comment, who she happens to amazingly be listening to. "Yes, hit him hard, Rupa. He deserves it!" is urged with a half grin flitting about her face. Another nodnod is given at Rupa's latter comment. "Of course, Rupa. I'm always right, didn't know know that?" is declared as suddenly herder is destracted by boot as gaze falls. Tugging said footwear off, standing with one boot and one sock, Cristen promptly changes to subject. "Lookit! Didn't the tanners do an awful job on this boot?"

G'deon grins over at Marianne. "I'd almost wager she's only half done actually," he replies idly before his attention is caught by the next deliveries care of Cadgwith. "Oooh, I like the crimson."

On the sands, Pyrene duly inserts "Oooh" and "Aaaah." Then gives them a second critical look. "Remind me of the brats, that pair," she declares helpfully.

Taesha sits forward to point a finger at Livia. "It was her, mum, she threw her sweet at someone..." Taesha sticks out her tongue to prove she still has her sweet - the few last fragments, anyhow. Livia sticks her bare tongue back out at Taesha, which earns both girls a small slap on the knees from their mother. "Behave!" Catia's mortified.

Phea ceases her obnoxious movements, perching on the edge of Squaln's lap to view the eggs better. "M'sorry, darling -- ew, that darkish egg isn't very pretty. My shiny one is prettier!" She flutters her hands over at Marianne, careful not to fling her sweetstick -- as she just witnessed -- at any poor person. "The orange one is pretty. Like my flower! But the shiny one is better, so.. ha." Or something.

Surupa frowns quickly towards Seif, her head shaking and a finger soon waggled his way. "Well, if you will actually behave then I will stop hitting you. Really Seif, I believe that you acted more mature in a dress than ever." After a strern nod is given, the Herder simply hides back under the heavy blanket, sniffing, sneezing and shivering. "Sure you are, Cris. Sure you are..." And that is all that can be said towards the direction of that Herder there. Pay attention to the eggs, now.

Squaln peers at the eggs and blinks blue optics at them. They seem so attractive to look at - all the colors and swirls that they pocess can surly tempt anyone to try and touch them. But, not wanting to deal with a maternal golden queen, he wouldn't dream of it. "Oooo.. aaah..." he says finally. His attention is turned back to Phea and he pinches her again. "The dark one is better!"

Lis attempts to pluck the sweet-stick from Donis hair, wincing in anticipatory pain. "Just hold still, Donny. It'll hurt less if you don't move..." Fingers fing the offending object, and tug gently. At least it's starting to come off... "D'renn," she addresses her weyrmate with faint sweetness through clenched teeth, "could you be a dear and find out who did it?"

Not that Taesha's remark wasn't incriminatin enough...

Merra's willing to stop hiding and talk to Marianne. Now that she's not confined day and night with the harper, she's regained civility. "Marianne! Hey, what do you think of this clutch she's laying?" Never mind that G'deon answers over her. She edges away and towards her former partner in crime. Or, at least one of them. "There really is something... different about a clutching here. Maybe because it's home for me, or some other sappy sentiment, I guess," she confides.

"Awful job.." Khaye tears her eyes away from the sands to peer at Cristen's boot. "Yup. Awful job." Her? A critic of leatherworking? "Actually. Um. What part's awful?" Surupa is awarded a grin. "Of course he did. It's... my sister's dress' influence!" Thankfully, she doesn't have any more of her sister's dresses. And even more thankfully, they're not on Seif.

D'renn waves a hand, the one containing the shiny thing. "I'll find out later, I promise.... Lis, look!" he demands. Never mind that she's tending to their son, he has something for her.

On the sands, Cadgwith attempts more shiny eggs. Brats are, afterall, a force to be reckoned with. If they ever banded together to rule the Weyr...She placates with two more eggs.

Tristram walks in.

"Just look at those colors...they're so amazing!" Tevya exclaims to no one in particular as she cranes her neck to glance at the eggs. "I wonder what the next ones will look like?"

On the sands, Cadgwith picks up the pace, wasting no time to rest before spitting an egg into the black sand. The rust consumes it, a ruin of an egg with the faint tinkle of a bell accompanying it. And maybe the next egg is prettier, hothothot!, va-va-voom! and all, but poetry fizzle in both, albeit in different ways.

On the sands, Rusty Bike Egg
On the sands, Crimson and gold struggle a feeble fight against the overwhelming crackling of rust steeling the paler faded russet lingering down one long side. Bars spike the argent spume spattered haphazardly 'cross broad shell, polarity recalled in the dull cream lined mutely, edged faintly by a foxy red striping that tatters shivering chalk. Hope buried amongst the dim gleam of blackened copper, dismal ruin claims this egg's perfectly round form.

Shaela will also have to bite her tongue so as not to dig in on D'renn and Lis' parenting skills either. She'll just turn a blind eye to the whole incident and focus her attention on the one shining, lovely child present: Taesha. Well, shining and lovely so long as she stops ratting on her sister and sticking that tongue out. "Psst," the goldrider whispers into the girl's ear, "Just ignore Livia, she's not a little lady like you are."

On the sands, Sleek Red Convertible Sports Car Egg
On the sands, Work it, baby! This egg is /hot/, and not because it's out there, frying on the sands, sizzling in the sweltering heat that clings to its hardening body. And it's not hot because of the beats of boiling moisture adherent to its hard eggshell, condensing from the steamy air that dwells inside the hatching sands. But it /is/ hot because of its color - vibrant, rich, scarlet red, blazing with intensity and illuminated with light that its surface swallows to give a perfect, polished exterior. Shining with the brilliance that any top of the line automobile... err... egg, should have. And it's obvious that the tepidity outside doesn't affect the occupant, for this egg provides a comfortable, cool interior. Cool, like the brushes of ice blue over its body, wind swept across the horizontal axis with fast, furious swipes. Why stick to the speed limits?

"I was not more mature in a dress. It just made me look sexier, but I look sexy enough as it is," Seif informs Surupa sagely, posing in a strangely effeminate manner. "Just because I'm attractive, I get a kiss from all three! Who's first?" Eyebrows are waggled seductively, lips curled in that wicked smirk. "Just don't whack me or nothin'."

Tristram has disconnected.
Tristram falls asleep.

Tierza eyes the eggs a little breathlessly. Drawn to the sands and memories. Ah well.. These are so different and stunning.. A favorite? She couldn't say on pain of death. But then, that crimson and gold one.. Maybe?

Tinkling, silverly laughter comes from next to Phea as Marianne leans back in her seat to crane her neck around to G'deon. "Having *one* child is hard enough work, or so I'm told at every opportunity by the mothers who come along at Harper Hall.. can you imagine having one after another and another.. Well.. at least they're guaranteed to not cry late at night," she grins at G'deon and now at Merra as she peeks out. "Well. I've just arrived, but if the oooohing and ahhing is any indication, it will be the most beautiful eggpile I've ever seen.. not that I've been able to see for my own eyes.." She gestures at the blocking crowd with a twinkle, poking Phea playfully in the side.

Litrov's already on the lookout for the one who threw the sticky sweetstick at Donis. His sharp (or so he likes to think) eyes sweep the galleries for the culprit. Hmm... Weyrbrat Justice 101: Whoever throws candy is just /asking/ for retaliation in the form of a foodfight later on.

"Oooooh," G'deon can be heard to emit as he leans forward suddenly. Yes, that second of the two eggs has caught his eye, no doubt about it. "I think I've found my favorite. Green. Definitely green."

On the sands, Cadgwith finds a free spot of sand just below the galleries, and waits not an instant to present her next treasures.

On the sands, Pyrene studies. "That one's not /really/ shiny," she points out about the rusty bike egg. "Still, pretty. Just not shiny. And eggs /don't/ have to shiny." For all these platitudes, her eyes linger with rather admiration on the second egg of that pair. Va-va-voom, indeed!

Taesha sits up straight. She's the only girl in the Weyr to get deportment lessons from a Weyrwoman, so... she listens. "Yes, Shaela," she promises her sister-of-sorts, peeking round Catia's back to make one last face at Livia before looking straight ahead at the eggs. "Look, there's another reddish one... I like those best."

"Look at that crimson one!" Squaly practically screams. He's tempted to jump up and get a better look at it, but, he just leans forward as to not flop Phea. The lad's eyes fix upon it and he just /stares/... what an egg!

"You'll get a whack before a kiss from me," Khaye mutters under her breath, eyeing the latest egg. Just for proof, she reaches behind Surupa again and gives the herder a thwack on the back of his head before returning her attention to the sands. "Hey. That red one. That'll be a brown for sure. Just like Taz. Only... um... not. It is real pretty, though." Just like... a sports car. Woo.

On the sands, No rest for the wicked. Cadgwith scatters the sands with first dreams of flight, four wings in the making, two eggs, no dragonets quite yet. She takes time to make a sandy basket for the first egg, spherical and decorous, and then struggles with the controversial notion of even laying the second. But technology gets its way, and she grudgingly makes a space in the black, black sand for that silver-shiny second shell.

On the sands, Montgolfier First Flight Balloon Egg
On the sands, Almost verging on the spherical, and resting in a heap of sand that looks like a small basket, from a distance, this eggshell is bathed in vivid blue and seems almost to be emblazoned with elaborate decorative gold leaf artwork, depicting various creatures, fleur de lys and faces etched into the sun, styled in a baroque fashion. It has a light and airy feel, almost as if it might lift off the sands and float away....

Lis' children have all managed to survive, no? That should count for something... Having removed most of the sweetstick, she gives it a gentle tug to get it off completely, ignoring any protests - or wails - of 'Ow!'. "Yes?" asks the greenrider expectantly, looking at the shiny thing D'renn's got.

On the sands, International Space Station Egg
On the sands, Silver metallic pieces float in the foreground, a half-finished project still in construction. Short squat cylinders fix against a long central backbone, and rectangular panels attached haphazardly. The black backdrop for this is dotted sparsely with tiny twinkling points of light; part of a large blue orb, covered with green spaces and feathery white strips, hangs dominantly in the background, overshadowing all but the mysterious contraption.

"The dark one is /not/ pretty!" Phea argues vehemntly, waggling her sweetstick stubbornly in Squaln's face. "The shiny one is, so /ha/." And, the finality of that statement proves she will not be budged. So, /ha/ again. "Oooooh, the red is pretty! Look, Mari! Looklooklook!" As she's poked in the side, she retaliates with her own poke, gesticulating toward the sands.

Siannen is ever-helpful...so long as she doesn't have to actually -do- anything, right? Right. "Lis, don' worry about it - it aughta come out right quick once y'get'm in the baths..." Her solution to everything, right? "Ooh!" Squeal. "Pretty!" Yes, she's mature. "Oh...nevermind, Lis." Because the greenrider fixed it.

Cristen waves said boot around, until finally Khaye recieves a grin as she takes notice. "Well, lookat it, it's just awful!" is declared as said boot is promptly proffered to Khaye, shoved in her face, more like it. "See? Just -look- at it." is declared, while bouncy gaze returns to the sands for split second. "No, 'course not, Khaye. The red one isn't brown, it's -bronze-." So there.

On the sands, How many by now? Cadgwith doesn't count, just sits back to admire. Hey. Look what I did. Galleries-watchers get a moment of regard. Are you looking? I don't see you looking. Bad galleries. Have a firelizard.

"That hurt," Donis wails - attention immediately grabbed away from pain to that bright shiny red egg. "Bet that's a bronze!"

Surupa eyes the last two eggs, eyes blinking down upon the sand as she studies the clutch curiously. Interesting, really. "Who can really tell what will come out of which egg, though if it is a queen egg." Nod. She chuckles softly as Khaye smacks the boy again, giving him a stern nod. "You would never get a kiss from me, that's for sure. I'll rather pull out your tounge if you dare approache me, Seif." Bronze, brown, blue, green. Too many possibilities.

Snore.. Yes that's right, Kinecha is sound asleep at this point, missing everything going on down at the sands. Really, she's not doing it to be disrepectful. She's just tired and it was sooo hot in here, and there was no way she could stay awake anymore. Good thing her snore isn't loud and irritating like most others. Just a little loud breathing, is all.

The housekeeper arrives to cart Tristram off to bed.

Livia sits back and sulks, watching the eggs under her mother's careful eye. Doesn't look like she's going to get away with anything else, except perhaps making faces at the boys her own age down there.

"Me, too," Shaela agrees with a broad grin for her attentive protege. "That last crimson and gold one almost looks like a Chayath egg, if it weren't for the dingy brown touches." So unfortunate for Pyrene that her lifemate just isn't, well, beautiful, like Chayath is.

Squaln just /stares/ at the crimson egg as it seems to have his undivided attention. It truly is special... he likes it alot. Silence has fallen over him as Phea is mumbling to him; he's not paying attention. "I like the Sleek Red egg.." he finally says. He really does..

Litrov halts his investigation to take a quick look at the egg Donis is so sure contains a bronze. "Bet it's not -- bet it's a green!" he calls. Whether he actually thinks so or whether he's just being contrary is another matter entirely...

On the sands, Pyrene applauds some more. She's looking. She'd never hear the end of it if she didn't. "We past the halfway point now, y'think, love? You /look/ thinner." Deflated would be a better word. "And there's.... 20. I think it's 20. Did you just roll that egg over there or was it there to start with? About 20, anyhow. And you did 27 last time." That's important. See... there's a record to beat there.

Lis lets out a sigh of relief, as Donis is so easily placated. The sweetstick is neatly crushed under her foot, leaving a sticky spot for others to step in. Lovely.

Merra perks, craning her head around to look back at G'deon. "Green? Did you say green?" Words - ones that seem from long ago but aren't - come to mind, and the woman pushes them away quickly. Darned if *she's* gonna be hopeful this time. She returns her attention to Marianne. "It's going to be even lovlier than our at Ista was. And that egg," she points at the balloon egg, "sure has a lot of gold on it."

Phea sticks out his tongue, just to spite Surupa. "You know you wanna kiss me. Every girl does! It's their /nature/." Or something like that. Attention drifts eggwards, 'brows ascending slowly. "I like the one that reminds me of me. The pretty one." So much for clarification.

Seif sticks out his tongue, just to spite Surupa. "You know you wanna kiss me. Every girl does! It's their /nature/." Or something like that. Attention drifts eggwards, 'brows ascending slowly. "I like the one that reminds me of me. The pretty one." So much for clarification.

D'renn pushes something into Lis's hand, something all shiny and pretty. "There. A present for you. Because of.... well, you know." Giving her another soppy look, he then turns his mercurial attention to the eggs. "I like that one...."

D'renn hands Rainbow Bracelet to Lis.

Epona watches, quiet for awhile, before noticing Tierza. She waves and smiles a "hi" before turning back to the actions on the sands. Watching Cadgwith drop another egg, she wonders how many eggs there will be total. Already having picked her favorite, Antique Landscape Oil painting, She watches the others as Cadgwith clutches and makes guesses as to what they contain. she can be heard murmering "a brown for sure" or "that's a bronze if ever I saw one."though she hasn't seen one, she's still sure. She know these things. Ok maybe not, but she'd like to think she does.

"I can't help but look, Phea," Marianne assures her wryly, standing up on her chair as she finally gives up on sitting down and being polite. Jump. Yes, jump. Marianne jumps on her chair, due to her rather short stature, and she still can't see it. Sigh. A nearby tall man is eyed temptingly, her eyes twinkling, but she appears to debate and then decide against it. After all. This is a clutching. Respect and all that. "Well, yes, it might, Merra, but... according to the polls of hte audience clapping, I'd say that the red takes the prize for widespread appeal. I'll just bet an absolute charmer bursts from it.. self-centered, but a charmer.." She twinkles as she looks out, attempting to see the sands again bettter by climbing to a higher row.

Tierza catche's Epona's wave and hello and returns them both. Hot enough here yet? Hard to believe it's Reaches in winter! Still eyeing the crimson and gold dulled egg, but casting a glance at the obviousness of the red.. gotta be a green.. What else would be so blantant?

On the sands, Hey look! I'm a balloon! Luckily, Cadge has never -- quite -- popped. Being fat with eggs is close enough, though, feeling-wise. She relishes in the ability to see her hind feet. Toewiggle. Hiya!

Tevya has disconnected.
Tevya kicks off her sandles before climbing into bed, where she slowly drifts off to sleep.

Surupa proves it to Seif, attempting to snatch his tounge in the process and giving him another whack instead. "Don't you dare get me mad, boy. I will most likely lock you up with that shardin' 'lizard of mine and allow her to strip you to pieces and then keep your tounge in the Hall's lounge. That'd be a nice ornament to place around, I believe." Yes, it isn't one of Rupa's good day. With a last sniff she stares off onto the sands and the eggs.

"Chayath's eggs were really pretty," Taesha says loyally, trying not to fidget too much. It's hot in here.

Phea suddenly topples off Squaln, for no other reason than she got bored with sitting there. "Ow. That hurt. And I dropped my sweetstick! Um.. five-second rule!" To which she promptly complies, sweeping up the 'stick and nibbling on it again. "Here, Mari, I bet Squally-darling 'ill let you sit in his lap. You can see better!"

On the sands, Pyrene is duly impressed with all of Cadge's many and varied abilities. "They're lovely toes--er,eggs. Any more? You can't be done yet..."

On the sands, Cadgwith, significently through this ordeal, but not done yet!, now communicates weariness from the simplest -- a frustrated bellow, and a digging of claws into sand -- to the most advanced levels -- a flicker of salt-stained complaint to fellow dragons. But eloquence yet pervades, spilling two more eggs onto the sands; one resplendant in tiny plastic-black, and another as old and tenuous as High Reaches' seven spires.

On the sands, Latest in Cell Phone Technology Egg
On the sands, It's so small, it's almost not there! Coil upon coil of wire-slim silver compacts itself across this distinctly tiny egg, lacing the predominant plastic-shiny black with more material than rightly belongs in that small a space. Cheapened unto commonplace, strings of tiny bright dots in jangly, digitized greens and reds, make their marks at the equator; everything is miniaturized, save the fingers of people who use them, awkward apricot flecks bunching together on one side, like a wrong number unsure of where to be.

On the sands, Crumbling Papyrus Egg
On the sands, Earthen tones crinkle their way o'er shadowed shell, picked out by the creamy, crisp hue of papyrus paper, disintegrating around the edges, hue dissipating into a coffee-stained crumbling mess at the base of dusky spheroid. Faint striations are visible against the natural hues, painted over with near-nondescript decorations in bold red, mellow yellow and true blue, black script weaving its lonesome way in and out of crudely represented figures, indecipherable as it's faded over the years.

Lis is captivated by the colors of the rainbowey bracelet pressed into her hand, briefly forgetting Donis' sweet-in-the-hair trials as she insists in putting it on, admiring it on her wrist. "Oh! It's lovely!" she enthuses, leaning over with arms outstretched to embrace D'renn.

"Yeah! That was good, Rupa. Except.. Don't /really/ touch his tongue, 'kay?" Khaye squeaks, peering around the herder in time to see her attempt to try and grab Seif's tongue. Ha. Haha. Ha. "Hey, look at that little silver egg! With the shiny black? Yeah. That's cool."

Merra shrugs. Just call her a rebel against the popular vote, in that case. It's on the balloon egg that her eyes rest on now, and that her eyes plan to keep resting on. Except when they're needed elsewhere, of course. "Nothing, nothing can top that egg with the gold leafing. Nothing, nothing, nothing," she says, both stubbornly and to no one in particular. "Though that's a close second," she adds, nodding towards the papyrus egg.

Shaela sets a good example for Taesha, of course, keeping her back straight and her knees together, seemingly ignorant of the heat. "I'll let her know you thought so," the rider says, fairly expecting to see the girl beam at that.

The housekeeper arrives to cart Tevya off to bed.

Siannen blinks at the first of the latest two, grin flashed - quietly, this time. "I like that one. It's little. Like me." Or some such.

Seif recoils, swiftly enough to evade losing his tongue. Yow. "Shells, Rupa, why are you so grumpy? Hmph. Even Khaye's not that bad." He's too dense to realize that'll earn him another smack. "I still like the other one.. um.. the one that looks like me. It's better than she black-and-silver one."

D'renn is happy to be embraced, despite the heat and sticky Cerise. "As lovely as you..." What a soppy old man he's becoming. "Mind you, I like that egg down there too."

On the sands, Cadgwith drops one egg all alone in isolated fanaticism, purposefully going as far from the galleries as possible to lay, despite weariness. Nothing to see here, move along. That neon wiring and malevolent shadow might seem to say otherwise.

On the sands, Wild and Wicked Internet Egg
On the sands, It looks as though this egg was dipped in the internet and given a good swirl, so frantic is the blaze of color that runs in wire-slim shades of crazed neons, engulfing the ovoid surface. Blinding yellow and shadowed crimson slink 'twixt indigo-emerald ribbons, gleaming past silvered overtures and drab shades of gray, while alabaster banners are the background to turquoise, plum, and golden pictures all twisted into indefinable blobs. Search engines, task bars, and advertisements all whirl by faster than the eye can see, but malevolent shadows of the darkest black provide a glimpse that warns of ever-looming danger.

Tevya walks in.

On the sands, Pyrene does not linger over the internet egg--quite frankly she fails to see a reason why anybody would spend more time on it than they had to. She approves duly of the eggs that came before. Cell-phone and papyrus...very nice. "Beautiful... Are we at 30 yet?" It's quantity as much as quality, you know.

Catia chuckles softly as Taesha mimics Shaela. "I wish I had someone to give Livia a good example," she murmurs to Shaela over the top of Tae's head. Livia sullenly watches the egg-laying in complete silence.

"Oh, what a.. charming offer, Phea," Marianne laughs down at her from the chair she's managed to scramble onto. "But I wouldn't want to impose myself upon 'Squally-darling," she copies in a sweet, drawling voice Phea's words, sending a laughing glance her way along with her rich tone. "Oh, but Merra, like in life, why commit yourself now? We haven't even seen all the options yet! Perhaps a better offer will come along!" She nods to the egg just laid with such whirling colors and black against it. "For instance, look at that one... They get better by the second. Personally, I think her last will be very interesting to see.."

Surupa shrugs her shoulders, grumbling softly and muttering something about the sharding Herder-boy. "Faranth, Seif. Do you /ever/ shut that large trap of yours? Dimwitted wherry, having nothing better to do than perk up and chatter. You're worse than a firelizard, I should say!" Growls and glares are sent towards Seif, almost piercing through him as she shoots daggers. To respond to Khaye, she just mutters, "I'll get Ambi to get his tounge and place it in a jar."

Lis doen't mind the soppiness, and grins broadly at all the eggs in welcome. She's got a bracelet, a doting weyrmate, three kids and a fourth on the way - what else could a girl ask for?

On the sands, Cadgwith will count later, when she's all alone to covet her babies. Well, her and Orbyth-stud. For now, she gives a brief, less-than-doting glance to the Internet egg, and moves on.

Sinead walks in.

Khaye, once again, is forced to reach around Surupa and give Seif another good smack. "When'll you learn to stop talking?" Of course, if he stopped talking if would give her less of an excuse to hit him again. "You should, Surupa. Gotta put that freaky lizard to some purpose other than tearnig up your room."

Tierza watches and listens. All the eggs are eyed and admired.. and what will be next, she wonders? Her linger glance on the rusty one that arrived just before the red.

Cristen squeaks from her standing place settled just behind the row of seating herders. Wiggle wiggle, hop hop. "Heyyy! It sure is warm in here. I hope it's over soon. And that," pointing finger shoots through air between Rupa and Khaye, "is going to be green. Or blue. Or brown or bronze or gold. Y'know how it is, right?" is innocently commented from back behind as Cristen grows bored, standing on tip toes in attempt to see over herders. "Khaye. Why haven't you shrunk yet?"

"That's an interesting one..." Quayna hasn't totally given up making remarks about the eggs, even if she is on her own and no-one's listening. That's life...

Lis has disconnected.
Lis's eyelids get heavier, and heavier and soon she's gone and passed out.

Squaln leans back in his seat again and smirks; his gaze still trails back to the crimson egg every now and then. It's so.. pretty. Yes, pretty. That egg will be a bronze no /doubt/. Sigh. What a sight.. and what about this internet egg? Hmmm. Interesting enough, eh Squaly? Yiisss.

Shaela won't say 'your own stupid fault' but that certainly doesn't stop her from thinking it. So long as it's not obvious, right? Again with the setting a good example for Taesha. "I'm sure if you fostered her to a good woman she might be put into line," the goldrider notes with a quick glance at Livia, over her older sister's head.

Merra stares hard at Cadgwith and at the egg she's attending to. There's nothing special about it. At least, nothing the resident sees. "G'deon? Do you remember the last time we saw a queen act like that with an egg? It was the gold egg in Quarith's clutch. Though she isn't acting much more protective than that," she admits dubiously. Marianne gets a wry smile that turns into more of a grimace. "Because, unfortunately for me, once I know what I want, I'm content with nothing less." Insinuations? Of course not.

Khaye eyes the sands, waiting for another egg to pop out. That internet egg is just.. boring. And weird-looking, but mostly boring. Yuss. "I wasn't supposed to shrunk. I mean, shrink." An amused glance goes to the shorter Cristen. "You're supposed to grow. You're /older/ than me." Speaking of which. She reaches around Surupa to poke Seif this time instead of smack him. "You forgot my Turnday. Again."

Phea shrugs as Marianne declines the offer, content with sitting their and fiddling with her flower as well as watching the appearance of more eggs. Whee. "You still like the red one, Squally? I like the shiny one, yep. It's really shiny. That's why I like it. It's shiny." Ramble, ramble, ramble goes Phea.

On the sands, Pyrene sends Zi'n and Orbyth a wink. They've got another few months of this yet. "C'mon then... Just a few more and you'll break 30," she urges Cadgwith. "And then I'll win my bet." Hah.

Catia screws up her face rather, looking back out over the new-laid eggs. "Fostering, hmm. I let Cal be fostered when he was little, and said I wouldn't too much with the others... Did you hear about Calissan?" she changes topic, Livia piping up importantly, "It's /C'ssan/ now, Mum...."

"Got that 'lizard just to tear up Seif, exactly Khae." Surupa mutters as she bobs her head with quite a dull look to her pale eyes. The heat isn't enough, as the Herder continues to shiver under her blanket and sigh. "Really, I don't know why I am to come to 'Reaches to see eggs popping out. I can see 'em some other time, when it is warmer. It's too cold, right?" But of course the Gar Herder doesn't have a reason to be here, so she doesn't have to worry on /returning/. The eggs are watched and the eggs are counted. "Shards, when does she stop?"

On the sands, Cadgwith wells. If it's for a good cause...

Seif almost looks.. afraid, of Rupa, just maybe. "Wow, Ruppy, m'sorry. I mean, I mean, I mean.. I didn't mean to make you mad!" Okay, so he did; just not /that/ mad. To Khaye, he pokes her back nonchalantly. "Shells, you've forgotten mine before," he tells her mendaciously, shrugging.

D'renn gives Lis a break, lifting Cerise over onto his own knees - although the small girl is drooping sleepily in the warmth and lethargy of the clutching. Donis wriggles a bit, muttering excitedly to his crony: "I reckon that last one will be extra special important."

On the sands, Cadgwith's attention is monopolized by the laying of the next egg now, and she toils with manifest frustration. Tail lashes, misses smacking another egg by mere fractions, and finally -- blessedly -- the frozen, bug-ridden egg is heaved upon the sands. Stay. Good egg. Have a biscuit. Another egg slips quite unnoticed, despite brighter colors and more positive vibes.

On the sands, Microsoft Windows Egg
On the sands, Drab and dull, a faded beige stains lifeless this egg's angular countenance, creeping with near-deliberate sloth around the apex and hidden well by a large splotch of black. The dark void of cyberspace is dotted with tiny gray speckles: interconnected explorers, each a step larger than the last but still the same shade. And without warning -- the black freezes, cutting back to an immobile tableau of a user's irritation manifested in bland mouse-gray, crashing to carbon oblivion only to restart quietly in a blossoming of fresh taupe.

On the sands, Byte After Byte Egg
On the sands, Silent patterns of technical plugs and chips and wires, the complicated roundable is full of color and complex figures. From red to blue, the never ending lines propel themselves forward to nearly every extent along the surface, looking almost tangible from the rest of the egg itself. Placed promiscuously along the larger end are glimmering specks dotting their way around almost outlining the rim around the egg upon the sands. Technical, confusing, and unable to keep focused, adjacent shades from a dark pine to khaki green form the layers of this labyrinth.

Squaln nods. "Yep, that red egg will be a good hatchling one day." he replies to Phea's comment. It surly is a different shaded and toned egg; it's bound to be something great. The Sleek Red egg will be his favorite when the entire clutch has been laid. "I like it."

Kinecha's not aware of anything happening around her, still sound asleep, while her tunic is slowly getting soaked by sweat, under the armpits and on the back. The eggs may be on the sands, but the guard wasn't interested in that anymore, chin on chest her breath even and deep. Somebody wake her when all this is over, eh?

The housekeeper arrives to cart Lis off to bed.

On the sands, Pyrene flinches at the next egg, and retreats nervously. "Oh, dear shells..." she mumbles, before quavering to Cadgwith. "Lovely dear! I'm sure it'll hatch a lovely blue too!" A few words are then muttered under her breath, thankfully inaudible.

"C'ssan? No, I hadn't heard! Congratulations!" And for that Shaela does smile, as youngsters growing up to become dragonriders is near-always something to be proud of. "I knew he was Standing at Fort.. what did he Impress?"

"No." is pouted stubbornly from Cristen as she hops up and down, still trying to peek over tall-Khaye. "There!" Bounce. "Look!" Bounce. "I see!" Thump. Cristen finally stops bouncing, hands on hips, and glares at Khaye. "Khaaaye." is whined from the herder stuck in a spot behind. "You were supposed to shrink and you didn't! Too bad you aren't a herder anymore or I'd put you on double chores." Humph?

Tierza goes home.

Surupa shakes her head calmly towards Seif, simply staying silent as she watches the newest pair of eggs pop out. She does listen calmly towards Cristen and Khaye, 'brows furrowed together as she attempts to make out what they are saying. Perhaps the cold has gotten to her ears as well? "Shardin' winter," murmurs Rupa as she tightly twists the blanket around herself.

"Bronze." Catia beams with pride, her daughters happy too, it seems, with Livia jiggling in her seat. "Bronze Landoth and once he's big enough, Cal's going to come and visit me..." Livia exclaims.

Khaye shrugs, waving a hand nonchalantly at the bouncing herder. "'Course you wouldn't have." Another glance goes to the pair of scary byte-ish eggs. "Hey. That first one's boring.. Oooh. That other one, though. It's kinda colorful." And that means it's worth looking at.

On the sands, Cadgwith fixates. Almost done. Almost done. Almost done? Probably not. Pyrene hasn't hit 30 yet.

On the sands, Overlooked, Cadgwith drops a pair of old, overgrown spheres in the sand, a pair almost immediately tucked into pockets in memory and mind. Display doesn't sit right on them, although they are equal in metallic glitters and precious patterns.

"Well, not necessarily unfortunately, Merra," Marianne says with a slight smile on her face as her eyes wander from the eggs appearing one by one upon the sands due to the efforts of their mother again and again. "That kind of determination is a good thing.. at least you aren't flighty and fickle. That's a trait to be applauded. Perhaps you can make up for my.. err.. faults in the other direction," she grins rougishly at Merra and then her eyes wander back to the eggs appearing, her eyes centering musingly on the new arrivals.

On the sands, C'mon.. 30! Mamma needs a new pair of shoes!

On the sands, Mouldy Old Celtic Copper Ring Egg
On the sands, Settled, almost forgotten in the sands fire flashes along the sides of a shadowy egg in coppery curls, reaching up through mossy green to crown the egg in flaming glory. Deep turquoise binds green and copper so they flow in oddly smooth ripples, undulating in a series of rings about the spherical shape. Upon this canvas of forest floor and forest fire faint etchings of stylised almost creatures appears to march. Coiling and interwoven the etching seems to reveal and conceal the fantastical creature within. Metals polished smoothness battles with grainy mossy growth as the surface of this egg progresses towards the light. Though this egg may be frequently overlooked it still is something precious, but only if you look closely.

On the sands, Heirloom Bronzed Jade Brooch
On the sands, Symmetric and smooth, flowing jades mix together, forming darker lines of a forestry mix. The colors swirl together in a marbled pattern. Blue-greens weave themselves throughout the outer edges of the egg, framing the gentle play of pea, forest and jade. Only the outermost edges are framed with streaks of gold and bronze, almost subtle to the eye.

Tevya has connected.
Tevya yawns softly 'fore opening her eyes and looking about.

Phea nods, concurring with Squaln's fondness of the red egg. "I like that one, too, even if it isn't as pretty as my shiny one. And my orange one." Look, she's getting possessive now. "Look, Squally!" She squeals, abruptly. "I have a red flower! Do you want it? It's like your eeeeeegg!" Said flower is flapped in the herder's direction.

On the sands, Cadgwith forgets about the last two almost the moment they're laid. She intrudes upon the already-laid Harp egg to lay another set close by.

Squaln quirks an eyebrow at the Phlea. "No thanks." he says as he moves her from his view of the egg. "You're blocking my view of the Sleek Red egg." Smirking his normal Squaly smirk, he snickers as he does. Blue eyes fix up the egg again.

On the sands, I can too lay pretty eggs! Cadgwith lays three treasures on the sand, the highlights of the collection, curling them carefully into the velvet-black. The first, in silvered starlight, is given a few shifty looks. This has been in her womb the entire time. Honest. The latter two are simply jewels, although the sadness of a love story accompanies her looks at the last.

Kiriya comes up the stairs.

Epona exclaims, "Ohhh! That's pretty." she looks at the Mouldy Old Celtic Copper Ring Egg . I like that one. She wonders what its gonna hatch into. Her eyes are fixated onto that egg. She glances over to Cadgwith every now and again, watching her clutch, even more eggs yet.

Squaln has connected.
Squaln wakes up from his slumber

On the sands, Silvered Russian Egg
On the sands, Silver stands out from the shell of this egg like the light of the stars, dark and bright arranged with the artistic eye of a master jeweller to rival any ring or necklace. Blackened sands and their shifting heat add a twinkling appearance to the mirroring of the silvered egg, strengthening the suggestion of it being plucked from the night sky by an envious Cadgwith.

Kiriya's eyes widen at the sheer /number/ of people there...She looks over to Phea. "Phea! Over here!" She calls, waiting for her friend to notice.

On the sands, Ancient Egyptian Cloisonn-Work Egg;
On the sands, Sand strewn and dusty, the glittering facets of this bejewelled egg twinkle, evocative of a richer, more spiritual age. Electrum seems to be soldered in intricately ordered patterns, shaped into the forms of scarabs and cobras, over the ovoid amulet's sandy surface, and within each minute golden enclosure glows the fire of inlaid desert stones, a myriad of orange/red carnelian, green feldspar, turquoise, mauve amethyst and rich blue lapis lazuli. The base of the egg seems to be entwined with the delicate twining foliage and blooms of regally exotic lotus, again, created from semi-precious stones and outlined with tiny gold wires.

On the sands, Enamelled Blue Faberge Egg
On the sands, Gradients of azure hues and brilliant rosettes of green and gold enfurl the delicate, warm-pulsed surface of this egg in the semblance of an aurora's flame veiling the night with wondrous vibrancy. An homage to the infinitely precious contents within, it seems to gleam translucently with bursts of cloisonnes of dawn-gold, circlets for enamelled silver, crystalline glints and flares of pearlescent sheen shining out. Even as it appears so, upon close examination the jewels become a carefully painted pattern. Yet growing inside is false beauty is new life, a work of art surpassing the shimmering sapphrine shell.

"Taking after T'vim, eh?" Shaela drops reference to Catia's long-time bronzerider mate. "Well, send him and Landoth my best wishes, if you're down to visit sometime," she says, then nudges Taesha. "You gonna be a dragonrider someday?"

Hinaka walks in.

Merra opens her mouth to answer. Snaps it shut. Stares at the Celtic egg. "Though I can be persuaded to change my mind under the right circumstances," she mutters, eyes widening as she takes in the ovoid now resting among the other eggs. "It's gorgeous. It's fantasical. It's... but so are those. The ones like jewels." A lover's death, perhaps, that changes the tone of the jewels from triumphant to tragedy? She shakes her head quickly to clear away such fantasies.

On the sands, Pyrene is having a whispered consultation with Zi'n (who is better at counting than she is). It's terminated by a whoop and she goes rushing across the sands again, gleeful in victory. "That was 30! Zi'n said! You broke 30! and they're so pretty too! But 30!" Priorities, priorities...

Hinaka goes home.

Phea's attention is sufficiently grabbed, and she turns slightly to waggle her finger gleefully at Kiriya. "Hihihihihi, Kiriya! Come 'ere and sit with me!" Back to the eggs she peers -- and is enthralled by the last egg lain. "Oh, Squally, /look at that one!/ It's perfect. It's better than my shiny one, and my orange one, and all my flowers put together! It's the best one!"

"I'm in love," Marianne declares as a rather hidden egg comes onto the sands, but not hidden entirely, not at all. Under all that.. it's just as fascinating.. just not as flashy as the attention getter red. "Ooooh... such meaning, such... I am in love," Marianne breathes ardently, striking a hand to her heart as Merra changes her mind over the same egg. "You see? This is why I wait... to see if the shocker will walk through the door.... Do you think we could possibly break off pieces and share?" Her eyes dance as she teases teh woman.

"That was 31!" D'renn yodels, waking up Cerise and causing Donis to yodel along with him. "Lots and lots... Shame I put a bet on only 33."

Cera walks in.

On the sands, Cadgwith obliges Pyrene with a cheer. Or, rather, a bellow. Yay! Unfortunately for her, she's still got eggs to deal with. Oh, yuckpuddles.

Kiriya sighs. "Wish I'd be Searched, and then I'd be able to ride one of them little beauties." She looks over to the sands. "31 eggs? There's going to be /quite/ a number of weyrlings this time around..."

Catia coughs, rather. "Calissan's father is T'lis, a bronzerider at Ista..." she mentions softly to Shaela. Taesha just bounces a bit in her seat. "I want a dragon as beautiful as Myrineth and Chayath..." Catia shakes her head a little at this, but says nothing. Even when Livia just grunts.

Sarah walks in.

On the sands, Cadgwith contains no turmoil well, and this maelstrom of an egg inside is no better. A mushroom cloud seethes forth from between those fatal loins; the hissing pressures of increasing technology lead to an acid-orange shell, left to be nudged cautiously by its dam -- Detente.

On the sands, Nuclear War Egg
On the sands, Seething and hissing, bubbling and oozing, this egg is splashed lasciviously by orange so bright it seems radioactive and green so vibrant and fluorescent it glows. Eyes, deformed eyes of vicious red watch mutated and disfigured horribly, stretched out and distorted in an acid dream polka dot sequence, mixing with hot pink flecks and backed by unforgiving black in a sort of twisted array of warning lights. Spiralling and burbling tumultuous amidst the black is a tangle of charcoal, rising in a horrific climax to hover in a gunmetal, cinder gray mushroom-shaped cloud.

"This is great. Look at that silver one!" /Which/ silver one? Khaye's tendencies and preferences of egg colors are pretty easy to tell. And.. "Eeeew. That's a really /gross/ egg. It's orange. And green. Horrible."

31 eggs, eh? Surupa doesn't seem at all surprised, though she does smile slightly towards the last three eggs. They are all nice and all to watch, though her mind is soon upon the warmth of the island and her room-- or not. 32. Poor Rupa can only stay here for awhile and count the eggs, and what else after? "How many /more/ does she have in there?"

On the sands, Pyrene wrinkles her nose at that last. Another lovely blue, obviously. "Still going?" she wonders of Cadge, reverting back to the numbers again. Numbers are nice.

"Oh, oh, ohhh..." That would be Sian, again. "That...coppery one, I like that one, too - it's kinda the same color as my hair, only...with green, and tuquoise...and it's just -pretty-." Eyes shift to the eggs deposited soon afterwards, widening in awe. "And...those are just.../pretty/." Pyrene's shouts catch her attention, and the redhead bounces up and down with a whoop of delight. "Way to go, Cadge!" And then she just..blinks. Again. "Oh. Uhm."

Quayna makes a face at that last egg, unable to help herself. "That's thirty two, isn't it?"

On the sands, And going, and going, and going...

Kiriya takes a seat down by Phea, and looks up at Cadgwith, the big gold beauty laying eggs on the sands. "I'll wager thirty-five eggs...hey, Phea, I'm planning to join the Healer Hall sometime today..."

"Ewwwww....." That's Donis' reaction to the last egg. "Don't like that one, Mom.. Bet you a sweetstick it's got a green!" he adds to Litrov.

On the sands, Cadgwith, apparantly, is good at making blues. However, gaps between eggs are lengthening, and it's a long wait before she can cajole the next eggs out of hiding.

Cera goes out.

Sarah moves over past people and patiently attempts to find an open seat. "Shards," she mutters, wide-eyed as ever at the site of eggs. Kinecha and Kiriya are given nods as she passes and Daeyn is given a smile. "Phea?" she asks, hearing a name. "I believe you attended my Journeyman Project," she says, contemplating the thought as she takes a seat, eyes darting all around her. "32? My," she exclaims and blinks to herself. At this rate, all applicants could impress!

Shell shock..Tevya is curently shell-shocked. Thirty-two eggs. That was the most she's ever seen and even though this was her first ever clutching..thirty-two eggs was a record. "Wow." A simple utterance before she leans forward in her seat to watch as more eggs are lain.

"Then again, I'd think that an egg would be rather a hard thing to hold onto in any kind of relationship," Marianne laughs softly, her eyes still turning sparkles as she looks down from her high perch. "Besides, after it was broken into pieces I'd have to paste it back together again... Ah, fare thee well, fair egg," Marianne laughs and blows it a mock kiss from the stands as her eyes travel on again, taking note of the running counts all around her.

On the sands, Solace is sought, and claimed, and heaved by labor's anguish. Out, out damn spot! Cadge-the-Great redeems herself in the grandeur of Wurzburg's Romanesque Cathedral Egg, prays a moment in a shrine of 'pleasenomoreeggsleft, pleasenoremoreeggsleft', and then frenetically takes comfort in the fact that the next egg is a small one. Fads rule! The muddy browns of that one slosh the sand behind her.

"Oh, of course, but didn't he live with you and T'vim?" Shaela certainly seems to remember Calissan being around off and on when there was those horrid 'family' dinners. Attention reverts back to her half-sister with a grin, "I'm sure you'll make a lovely rider someday, Taesha," she promises the youngster. "Maybe even to one of Chayath's children!" There's no harm in giving her ideas, is there? Shaela certainly did well for all her starry-eyed notions of becoming a rider someday.

On the sands, Wurzburg's Romanesque Cathedral Egg
On the sands, Domed cherubs become the crowning glory layering this egg, delicately brushing pastels of precious metal and antiquity upon its surface. Oh how they dance, those stymie morsels of blue, across her milky pillars, the excitement of this time of riches and glamour! Unravished by the fervor of time, those bronzen guardians polish slothful shapes down its gracefully jagged sides. A true monument of pearly trace to shelter the salvation within; a breaking out in sun-feathered memoirs begets its shell. Humble russet beggars the foundation of such grandeur, a place for kneeling amidst these daunting hues.

On the sands, A Starbuck's on Every Corner Egg
On the sands, Crusading chocolate smears itself in barely-sugared streaks across an endless rhapsody in brown, mingling with the iced pale of chilled sienna and the headier spice of rich chai. It's only a heavy dose of cream -- whipped and liquid-slick -- that thrives across it all, and even that is overridden by fervent speckles of cinnamon-dark.

Cristen squeaks, arms folded across her chest as she pouts from her place behind the herders. In her experiance, herders make better doors than windows. "I. Want. To. See!" is muttered under her breath as Cristen starts up her bouncing again at to better way to squeeze in a peek at the loverly eggs. Bounce! "Wow!" Bounce. "Oooh!" Bounce. "Oh, forget it." is muttered as she lands with a thump. Heey, Cristen has a better plan. Pokepoke. "Khaye. Move!"

On the sands, Pyrene tips her head in approval. Not blues, if that makes Cadgwith feel better. "That it then?" she asks. The last egg made her hungry and she'd be quite happy to stop for refreshments now.

Catia nods to Shaela placidly enough. "Calissan started living with me once I moved here." And T'vim then moved in later, and weren't there ructions? "Hey, look at those new eggs, Livia, Taesha: what do you think of them?" Change subject again.

Merra laughs softly, back to a reasonable semblance of a good mood, and points at the Celtic egg again. "No, no, I have definitely lost my heart to that one egg. It'll be hard watching the hatchling inside Impress to some lucky candidate. And an egg can sometimes be a better companion then a man," she retorts to Marianne, winking to take away the sting of the words. "Oh, my, she's just full of eggs, isn't she? Is that thirty-two or three? I lost count."

Phea giggles gleefully at Pyrene's cheering, waving victoriously at the gold. "Oh, yay! Lots of eggs!" She's yet to realize lots of eggs mean lots of dragons. "I'm not betting; I don't think I 'ave enough money, and I wouldn't bet my sweetsticks or flowers 'cause they're too special." Healerlet angles her head toward Kiriya, beaming radiantly. "Oh, good, good, the healerhall is veryveryvery nice! I'll help you an' stuff, but you'll need a mentor, too." The latest eggs are eyed specutively, but she refrains from commenting too much on either. "My colorful one is better. Then would be the shiny one and the orange one."

Squaln beams at all the eggs and the prophecy has come true - the Sleek Red egg is still his favorite. He hopes that it'll be a sturdy brown when it Hatchings. Or maybe a bronze; it'll do it's parents proud! Squaly grins and watches..

Khaye scowls briefly at the poke, but moves aside obligingly. "Don't make me move anymore. It's not my fault you won't grow. But.. look! At that one! The brown one? Yeah. It's pretty. It looks kind of like Taz's egg, too." What she can remember of Taz's egg, at any rate. "Pretty."

Kiriya's eyes widen. "That's a /lotta/ eggies...Whoa, thirty-five! I bet exactly! WOOHOO!!!" She jumps cheerfully. Or was it thirty-six?...

Hinaka walks in.

On the sands, Aha. You'd like to /think/ that, wouldn't you? Cadgwith isn't done. She plans to lay eggs forever, and ever, until High Reaches is drowning in dragons. She wins! Booyah.

"34! I lost my bet!" D'renn jumps up, waving his fist at the Sands. "Cadgwith, I lost my bet! And you broke all the ice in the lake..." /Who/ made this man Weyrsecond?

Etain walks in.

It was when T'vim moved in with Catia that Shaela moved out, so yes, it definitely was a huge fuss. "At any rate, fostering is a wonderful way to get your children educated and, if necessary, put into line. Leave mothering to the professionals, that's what I say," Shaela finishes the thought begun long before.

On the sands, So many eggs, so many choices for viewing pleasure, but where to stop? Every clutch ends somewhere, and -- unfortunately -- this isn't the best place. Frantic colors jump with the twitch of Cadgwith's thighs, rolling out onto the sands with a flicker of eye-candy. The Boob-Tube Egg goes through channel after channel over its mellifluous sides, pausing when it grinds to a stop at...Hey, now that next egg looks interesting. Chaos ensues among the junk of Antiques Road Show Egg, full of uncertainty; is it junk, or treasure, which is to be discovered?

On the sands, Pyrene likes to think a lot of things. But currently she likes to think very much of somewhere to sit and a cool glass of redfruit juice to drink. "Is it /very/ many more... Oh!"

Catia's eyes narrow a little. "Well, after three, I'd hope I was doing alright..." Calissan wasn't so bad, Taesha's a darling... It's just Livia. Who pokes her mum. "Can I have another sweet, please?"

On the sands, The Boob-Tube Egg
On the sands, Pizzazz! Luminance explodes down the shell of this egg, a conglomeration of the world of color. Excitement strains its casing, reds and blues darting in uneven strips down, around, about its shell with no rhyme or reason. Oh, but why to be contained when vibrant greens flash mind-numbingly? Infinitesimal patterns, millions of way to look at it, ever changing, rearranging, there really is no ending what is possible! Drama, suspense, all outlined so clearly within the browns that beset its pearly background. Braincells may very well fry when affronted by those luscious strawberries and crowning yellows, but there is simply no glancing away from the addiction that is this egg.

On the sands, Antiques Roadshow Egg
On the sands, Muddled hues and shades turn every which way becoming lost in the chaotic mass that covers the mottled egg. Splotches and whirls crunch and crowd, attempting to streak across the surface and get somewhere important, but not liking to have to wait in the mass crowd for their turn. Lighter spots glint like treasure to behold, but darker spots also adorn, mocking the brighter speckles whose value is far greater. Loud, the colors reflect the jumble of strokes and spots that cover a smooth, iridescent shell.

Hinaka walks in and looks around, only noticing one person she knows. "Squaln!" she calls and stumbles over people, muttering apolgies along the way. "'scuse me!" she says and takes a seat beside him. "Hi," she says loudly, to get it over the roar of the crowd.

Squaln cheers! Stands up whistles loudly at the golden dragon and a glance is given towards Hinaka. "Hey, doll! How goes?" he asks of her. Grinning still, he turns his attention back to the Sands and cheers louder.

Cristen beams appreciatively at Khaye as she moves aside, shuffling up to peek through the small airspace between brownrider and fellow herder, Rupa. "Hey, they're nice. Unfortunately, somebody's been blocking me from seeing them all this time when that's the only reason I even -came- here." Humph! Meanwhile, hands are clapped over her ears as Squaln suddenly gets the idea that cheering very loudly is a good thing. "Squaln, shuddup!"

Kiriya frowns. She lost the bet... "And I was so close! I thought Cadgwith had laid enough eggs...that's a /lot/ of new weyrlings for the Weyr..."

On the sands, Only time will tell what is to be learned from this clutter of past and present. Meanwhile it sits among the blacker-than-thou Sands, clustered in threes and fours and, Faranth forbid, twos. Each cluster gains an imaginary glass wall and alarm system, provided by Cadgwith Security(inc), while the gold herself turns her back on the tour group. Ahem. Show's over.

Surupa actually smiles towards the last egg layed, her eyes darting behind her to look towards Cristen. She hasn't seen one, or has she? She simply shrugs back her shoulders and heaves a sigh. "This is never to end, is it? I had though that dragon clutching is like dragon hatchings." They all just go /POP/ and that is it, quick enough right? Of course. Rupa crosses her eyes and stares down, her eyes paling once again. "Yeah, 'course they are nice Cris..."

Siannen is still watching the sands, though her ears have picked up one of her favorite topics - thus, Catia and Shaela are meandered towards, the redheaded nanny helpfully offering, "Fostering is a good thing, you know - R'sli fostered me...which meant T'lendel kinda fostered me, too...but'm -glad- Ris fostered me." And it's all Pyrene's fault that she had Siren, anyway. So hah.

"Is that it?" Donis asks curiously, rather sulkily.

"Yes, but why not let her out and see the world a bit?" Shaela's a big fan of the whole fostering thing -- after all, she got T'vim in the deal, and isn't he quite the catch? "Send her down to Ista -- I hear they have some fabulous women down there, and their harpers aren't too shabby either. Just for a turn or two to get her into line. And you do have Myrineth, so visiting isn't too much of a challenge." This could also be a ploy to get the bad influence of Livia away from her Taesha, of course.

Laughing as carefree as ever, Marianne turns to Merra. "I absolutely agree with you.. they can't talk back, they can't yell, they can't drink, and most of all.. they can rock and roll when they're excited!" She grins rougishly not only at Merra but at G'deon beside her, her head set at a rakish angle before she turns back to the sands watching, her head tipped slightly up. "And that is one *strong* woman out there... Thirty-three children or more? Can you imagine having that many to take care of at once? I could hardly manage one.."

Squaln snickers at Cristen and continues to cheer in spite. This time, he whistles shrilling and loudly for the eggs and the queen - how quaint of him. "That's a good clutch!" he finally says.

Hinaka smiles at Squaln and enjoys being called doll. "I'm good, you?" she asks, sly smile crossing her lips. Attention turns as well to the triumphant gold-mama-draggie. "Yay!" she calls and sits herself down, so she won't strain her voice. Aurburn hair is pushed back from her eyes playfully as she stares around.

On the sands, Pyrene wanders around, cooing and oohing and sending happy thoughts to Cadgwith before turning to the galleries and announcing: "36! 36 Eggs! Thanks for attending... if you can quietly make your way along the aisles, down the stairs and outside, there will be refreshments in our lower caverns."

Epona goes home.

Litrov goes out.

Sinead goes out.

Kiriya squats down. "One more than my bet..."

Shock over, Tevya blinks gazing from one egg to the next, her smile widening with each passing moment. "They are so lovely..all of them!" Standing, she brushes at her tunic pants, more or less to bring back feeling in her legs than to brush off non-existant dirt. "Congra- oh..okay." Oops, Tevya stops mid call of congratulations and follows those infront of her out.

Tevya goes out.

Seif goes out.

Juperon blinks in from ::between::!

Squaln goes out.

Khaye mutters under her breath, standing and scooting tot he side slightly. "If you think he's loud now you should've heard him at Ista's hatching.. I think I heard him from the sands." Insane cheerleaders and herders. Scary.

Khaye goes out.

Cristen goes home.

Merra stands as soon as it becomes obvious all the eggs are laid. "We're not together anymore, Marianne," she explains, her smile fading for a moment before reappearing quickly. "Come on, let's go where it's warm and get something to eat," she invites the harper girl. "You, too, Daeyn! Come to the caverns with us!"

Surupa blinks towards the sands. "That all? Well, /finally/." And Surupa gets up from her seat, most likely the seat imprinted on her rump. "Oh no, I won't be going away from here... Khae?" And she gives her friend an innocent look and smile. "You think you can give me a ride back to Gar, perhaps?" Though she simply follows out...

Catia gives Shaela a little shrug, and Siannen a smile as the young redhead approaches. "Well, if you want to foster Livia, Siannen, she's all yours.." Livia sits up attentively, looking from her mother to Siannen - who's already her nanny, sometimes.

Surupa walks out.

Kinecha opens her eyes just in time to see people filing out, her mouth turning into a little 'o'.. "Why didn't anybody wake me," she mumbles as she bends to pick up her jacket at her feet. Looking down at the sands, she blinks slowly as she moves down the steps. "Whoa.. Tha's a lot of eggs...."

G'deon stands up slowly, applauding the new parents on the sands below, all four of them. "A fine clutch indeed," he comments, leaning against the ledges to let others move past him as they escape the sands' heat for the Reaches' winter outside.

D'renn yawns, stands, stretches, and collects his family together. "All over, Donis.... come and have some lunch now. Or whatever time it is..."

Kinecha goes out.

D'renn goes home.

Quayna goes home.

Diana comes up the stairs.

Phea goes home.

Diana goes out.

[End of log]

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