Log: In which there are fun galleries times
Date: Day 12, Month 4, Turn 26 of Interval 10
Summary: Taikrin is disrupted in her usual gallery-stairs-run by Nathalia and Teris and Warucori's egg-watching. They discuss eggs and hatchlings and how strange brooding dragons are. And there's a surprise twist ending nobody saw coming!!!
NorCon MUSH - 7/21/2011
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Hatching Galleries, High Reaches Weyr(#290RJs)
Ringing the southwestern side of the hatching sands are ample tiers of carved stone benches, the lowest of which is some six feet off the ground -- just high enough to separate wayward hatchlings from unwary viewers, and vice versa. A metal railing on the outside helps prevent anyone from falling off; it also extends up the stairs that lead the way higher into the galleries. While most of the area is open seating, ropes section off some of the closer tiers when dignitaries are expected; those areas even feature cushions in the Weyr's blue and black.
The higher one climbs, the more apparent the immense scale of the entire cavern becomes. The dragon-sized entrance on the ground is dwarfed by the expansive golden sands that glitter in the light. Everything on them is easily visible from the galleries, whether that's a clutch of eggs and a broody queen, or simply its emptiness and the handful of darker tunnels that lead to more private areas than the bowl. Wherever one sits or looks, however, one thing is constant: the overwhelming, suffocating heat.
Commands: +list/eggs | +view/egg <#>
Contents:
Nathalia
Teris
Obvious exits:
Sands Bowl
Despite the crisp chill in the early spring air, the galleries are still sweltering. As such, Teris has removed both her coat and her outer shirt to leave the thin fabric of her under shirt all between her and the heat. You know, except for her pants and everything. She's sitting toward the front of the galleries in the padded seats, but she's not paying any real attention to the eggs on the sand. Instead her eyes are on the tiny firelizard that has curled up and fallen asleep on her pile of discarded clothing.
The former smith turned candidate probably would have bounded up the stairs if she'd had the energy, instead she makes it into the gallery, rather quieter than usual. She recognizes the blonde from the clutch party, though she can't recall ever getting the woman's name. "I am sorry, didn't realize anyone was up here, I can leave if you like." The smith offers politely. Never anger someone who sends people walking with a point of the finger nope.
At first Teris doesn't seem to realize that it's her that's being spoken to. She probably hasn't been paying nearly enough to attention to know if there are other people here or if she's just been sitting here alone. Well, alone with the lizard. She glances briefly over her shoulder toward the vast number of seats behind where she's settled and responds, "I don't think even I could get away with forbidding people from the galleries for very long." Which, by her sudden thoughtful frown, is a shame.
Nat smiles at that, "Not that anyone could blame you with the incident's that have happened so far." Its now that she notices the tiny green as she comes to sit near the woman, though not too close as to disturb the lizard or woman. "I recognize you from the clutching party I think, I am Nat." She offers quietly. "wouldn't have thought anyone could get a fire lizard egg to hatch up here in this weather." She offers with a smile. "Must be a tough little thing."
It doesn't really matter what Nathalia actually means by that first comment, Teris takes it at its most personal. There's a deepening of her frown and a decidedly cool look in her blue eyes despite the heat of the cavern. "I don't recognize you," she admits, not attempting to hide a unkindness in her tone. "I'm sure she is," Teris goes on, "but there's plenty of heat to be had in the Weyr either way." Obviously.
Taikrin is only a couple of minutes behind Nathalia; what the smith lacks in energy, the brownrider makes up for in spades. She takes the steps two at a time in practiced, atheletic motions. She's likewise sans jacket or warm clothes, but from the pink in her cheeks and faint sheen of sweat, she's doing just fine keeping herself warm. Once she reaches the railing she pauses, gaze sweeping across the galleries before she begins her run further up the stairs. It passes right over Teris, the first time, then swings back with a grunt of surprise. "Oh-- Teris, hey. And-- Nat?" She bounds a few steps closer with the loose grace that comes with warmed muscles. Obviously she hasn't noticed the little lizard, yet.
Nat shrugs. "Wouldn't expect you to really. Just transferred from the hall the day of the party." She offers unbothered by the icy look. So much for not trying to make anyone angry today, and she'd done such a fine job too. "Sorry didn't mean any offense," She shrugs, visibly relieved when Taikrin shows up. "Hey Taikrin!" She offers with a smile, perhaps a little surprised that the brown rider remembered.
It's not until the brownrider says her name that Teris really notices her. She probably caught some glimpse of the woman's motion beyond the glance she gives to Nathalia but whatever might have spurred her interest in caring who is was hasn't been seen for two sevens now. "Evening," is what she says to Taikrin, a hand moving unconsciously, protectively, closer to the tiny firelizard. Perhaps some part of her expects the brownrider to bowl right over the hatchling.
Warucori heads up a short flight of stairs from the bowl.
Warucori has arrived.
"Ehh, don't you mind Teris any," Taikrin remarks companionably to Nathalia; she even moves to clap the candidate on the shoulder. "Had a rough time lately, she has. You been alri-- hey, what's that?" Though she doesn't trample over everything, she does slide quite a bit closer and lean over to peer curiously at the little green creature. "Is that-- is it yours, Teris?"
As the Clap meets her shoulder Nathalia visibly relaxes, nodding quietly at Taikrin's explanation. She also made a note to ask the brown rider later, privately, about what had happened to the gold rider that made her so touchy.
Even though she hasn't really been paying any attention to the eggs, once Taikrin comes over and starts talking to Nathalia about rough times, that's where Teris' attention goes, expressionless. At least until Taikrin is sliding closer to look at the tiny green curled up in the junior's jacket and over shirt. "Yes," is the only answer she offers about it.
Warucori has come in alone, although if you count the flask of wine tucked in her arm, that could be her date. She waves at the folks she knows and wanders over closer to where her clutchmates are, "Well, lookie who it is."
It takes a minute for Taikrin's brain to catch up with her mouth; she passes through a series of expressions, from curiosity to surprise to grim realization to an embarrasment that makes her exertion-reddened cheeks all the pinker. "Oh," is her weak reply. The brownrider fidgets, glancing out over the eggs herself, then shrugs and tries an entirely different tact. "So, I reckon you ain't in here for the chance to go runnin' the stairs, then?" Then saved from awkwardness by Warucori! She twists, grinning at the bluerider over a bare shoulder. "Hey, Cori!"
Nat's thick brows quirk as she too turns her attention to the sands unsure really of what to say. She visibly brightens though when Warucori approaches a wide grin spreading for the blue rider. Taikirin's visible embarrassment, makes Nat all the more determined to stay out of trouble, if that's possible and she offers an enthusiastic wave for Cori. "Hey! Didn't think You'd be out of your weyr this early." There's a small friendly tease there.
Teris looks at Taikrin and her gaze lingers there for a handful of moments, silent, before Warucori is making her way up the stairs. There's no smile or anything from the goldrider but she does lift the hand not being protective of the firelizard to offer the bluerider a small wave. "Running isn't really my... thing," she adds, tone slightly less dead in the wake of Taikrin's embarrassment.
Warucori giggles at the tease and bumps her hip up against Nat, "He called mercy." It might not be a joke, hard to tell. "How are the eggs looking?" Her smile hickups when she notices Teris's expression and rubs the back of her neck gingerly. It dawns on her, "Not intruding on you am I?" She flaps a hand towards some empty seats.
"Y'might find y'like it," Taikrin ventures, forcing awkwardness aside in favor of mild flirtation. "Gettin' hot and sweaty always makes /me/ feel better." She leans back against the railing, flashing her grin at Warucori. "Reckon Cori might agree, at that." She waves a hand, dismissing the bluerider's concern-- though she just showed up herself, and is clearly in the middle of one of her infamous exercise runs. "Place's empty, Iovniath don't seem to care... what's to intrude one?"
Nat lifts a thick brow at Cori's explination, curious but not the time to pry. She laughs at Taikrin's idea of relaxing. "I think I am going to like this place a sharding lot better than that shelling craft hall. Back there that usually meant six hours straight in the forge." She laughs, relaxing a bit, standing to sit next to Cori.
"If I was worried about being intruded upon, I'd stay in my weyr," says Teris, all matter of fact and just as serious as she usually is. But the look she gives Taikrin is not quite so serious. Her blue eyes might even flicker over the brownrider before she looks away again. "Getting hot and sweaty just makes me feel dirty. I don't like being dirty."
Warucori's usual cheerfulness bubbles back up, "Oh yes. I always feel better after a serious romp through the sheets. Although, sheets don't have to be involved. Table-tops can be fun, or Oh! Hotsprings." Oh, what happened to that wild-eyed little hold-girl? "I thought for a moment you guys were talking about something and I was butting in is all." But since it seems to be alright she can lean over and oggle the firelizard, "Did you find a clutch?"
"Well /clearly/ I ain't been doin' it right! Don't like bein' dirty..." The brownrider guffaws at herself, then at Warucori. But the smile she angles at Teris is less overtly flirty, and more hopefully friendly. "Cute little thing, I guess," she adds after the bluerider. "What'd you name her, anyways?"
Nat suppresses the start of a giggle at Teris' comment about being dirty. Instead she shrugs. Though her eyes do go a bit wide at the numerous places for 'romping.' Clearly most had never occurred to her. She just offers a smile for Taikrin, and plops down on the other side of Cori.
Teris gives Warucori a look that is undoubtedly disapproving but she doesn't protest the bluerider's comments aloud. There's some of that disapproval for Taikrin, too, but certainly not so surprised as all that. She's at least a little more familiar with the brownrider's ways. "She was a turnday gift," as to where she got her. The tiny green is rousing - slowly - and generally unconcerned about her surroundings despite all the voices. "I let Iskiveth name her. I couldn't myself. She's Battle." Which just noticeably quirks one side of Teris' mouth.
Warucori grins cheerfully in the wake of Teris' disapproval, not much for it really. "That's a great gift. Nice name too." She can't help but keep looking at the itty-bitty winged lizard. As Nat moves to sit with her she turns to the candidate, "So, do you have a favorite egg?"
The same corner of Taikrin's mouth quirks upwards in mirror of Teris'. "Battle. Sounds like a thing she would'a done. Reckon it's a good thing they ain't the ones picking names out for their own hatchlings, yeah? Reckon we would have had a whole set of Flameths and Fireths and Fighterths or somethin', yeah? Could you imagine?" She glances over her shoulder at the eggs, then shrugs. "Wonder how they do come up with their own names, you know?"
Nat smiles watching the tiny green, "Cute, sounds like a good name for her." She glances out at the eggs thinking a moment. "Lets see, probably the one with the pretty red splatter over it, but all of them are so different. Never seen a dragon clutch so close before." She nods at Taikirn's last question though. Thinking it funny how they each came with their own name.
"Yeah," is the distant murmur of agreement for Cori's comment. Teris manages a very small laugh at the idea of either Iskiveth or Szadath picking out their hatchlings' names. "I think we would have had a lot of disappointed weyrlings. Especially since I wouldn't put it past Iskiveth to reuse names. Several times." After that, emotion fades again, like it's too much to hang onto at once even if it was only just a little bit. "I asked her once. When she was just a few days old. She said..." she pauses, recalling, "She said that it was her name. And that no one else could have it or she'd kill them." All straight-faced and serious. No doubt it's something Iskiveth actually said.
"Well, they have a lot of time waiting in those eggs, thinking about their names." Warucori says it, but the way she's grinning hints that she's joking about it mostly. The bluerider doen't really pay much attention to the eggs, but now she tries to find the one the candidate has taken an interest in. "Pretty? Looks like someone bloodied it up. Wonder if that's the one that got knocked around." Her words faulter though, "Did she really Teris? My goodness, I am so glad I got Zax, your lifemate is so--intense."
"Yeah, I reckon they do got a lot of time. I asked Szad and he was-- it was like I asked him how I knew he was supposed to be eatin' meat, or how to walk. But... still. Wonder how he knew." Taikrin hooks her elbows under the railing, then stretches back out over the sands in a fidgety sort of way. "I can just see Iskiveth goin' somethin' like-- 'and /your/ name is Fireth and /your/ name is Fireth and /your/ name is Fireth, and your rider's name has to be P'nch.'" She makes a shooing motion with her wrists, "'Now go away because you're boring and don't have any treasure.'"
Nat's brows lift in surprise at Teris explanation. She laughs a minute at Cori's response to her favorite egg before frowning. "Maybe, but it's still my favorite. Even if it is the one. . ." she trails off as though finding her resolution. "Which ever one it is, I hope it's the strongest most stubborn one of the lot." She's adamant about that as though she believes that with every fiber of her being. She grins though. "Zax is something else, he's so vibrant, I guess is the word for it." And theres a small burst of giggles at Taikrin's description of Iskiveth's probable names for hatchlings.
"It would make it easy for her to call on them, at least," notes Teris, nodding a small frown for Cori's benefit. "Probably a good word for it. Intense. She's better about the way she phrases things now, usually, at least." Small victories are kind of all that Teris has with her lifemate, after all. There is another hint of a smile at Taikrin's impersonation, attention resettled on the brownrider as she absently strokes the lazy lizard with her fingertips. "Don't let us keep you, Taikrin. If you have more running to do. I think I might head back soon myself. I should have brought a skin..."
Warucori laughs softly about the names of the would-be-dragon-children. "Maybe their next clutch, you should suggest it to them." Even if this isn't the best of ideas for the two dragons in question. As for the egg? She gives a nod of her head and a jerk of her chin out towards the sands, "I'm sure it'll be the best little dragon hatched out there too."
Taikrin brightens further at Cori's suggestion. "You reckon that'd work? I'm sure he must'a tried, last time, but-- maybe if they both work on one, they can get it to make its name something interestin'?" That's Taikrin, full of brilliant parenting ideas. She shrugs at Teris' suggestion, leaning backwards then forwards against the metal again. "Don't mind me none, I'm fine." Beat. Then, oh so casually, "You think she might be thinkin' about doin' it again sometime soon?"
Nat laughs at that, moving her head in attempt to lean it Cori's shoulder. Satisfied it seems with the Blue rider's answer, her attention drawn back to the eggs for the moment. She listens and smiles at Taikrin's question.
Teris' eyes finally roam over the eggs with a little more purpose, picking out the one that stands out over all of the others. Or maybe that's just to her. "I'm not sure giving her ideas like that would be very... good. Anyway, I kind of worry about what she'd do with her own gold egg one day. Suppose I ought not ever let her choose anyone but Szadath." Blue eyes refocus on Taikrin, squinting for a moment. "It's been, what... two turns? Could be another turn or two before she bothers again." Granted, considering when she rose for the first time, she's practically overdue as it is.
Warucori lifts a hand up and runs fingers through Nat's hair as the candidate makes herself comfortable. "Is there really so much work to be done with the gold egg do you think? Does the queen just....get more nervous with a gold egg out there?"
Taikrin's grin grows before she can check it, and for a moment Szadath's smug presence is almost palpable. "I ain't never heard anyone give a good proof that a brown can't make a gold just as good as a bronze can. Just 'cause people repeat somethin' that people told 'em don't make it true. I mean, look what they were sayin' about Iskiveth." She seems really certain of this, too, or at least sure of /herself/. Themselves. "Another turn or two, huh. All the same, suppose I ought to make sure Szad stays in shape, huh?"
"You choose who catches in flights?" Nat asks before falling silent again, taking quite happily to getting cozy, enjoying the sensation of her hair being stroked. She listens for a reply for Warucori's question too. A Grin though spreads at Taikrin's notions. "What were they saying about Iskiveth?" She asks.
"Oh, no. Nothing like that. I just... I mean, she's jealous enough of Iovniath having another gold egg. Not sure how she'll get on with another one in the weyr. She'd be so thrilled with her own, I'd wonder if she'd even let some candidate have the hatchling." Teris glances toward Taikrin with a sort of 'you know how she can be' in her expression, though she can't be entirely serious. "I'm not sure what that means, exactly, but do whatever you feel you should do." And then she's glancing toward Nathalia with another of her evidently signature looks; ice queenish. "There's nothing wrong with her." That's for everyone.
Warucori watches Taikrin when she speaks of browns making a gold egg, "I am pretty sure the dragon healers and the records of all the hatchings would go back and point to now brown siring a gold egg." But there's a little smile anyway. "I think it's just great that you've been able to have your dragon have a clutch. Sort of...family like." Jealous just a little.
"Well, there ain't been all that /many/ browns catching golds, and anyways none of 'em were as awesome as Szadath, so." In Taikrin's mind, that's a case-closed. "Ain't nothing wrong with Iskiveth," she agrees. "Except the dragonhealers clearly don't know nothin' and thought maybe she'd have a problem havin' a clutch. Except she didn't." Beat. "D'you think she might try and impress her own little queen? So she can keep her?"
Nat's apparently had quite a lot of experience around ice queens because she just shrugs her shoulders. "I didn't say there was anything wrong with her, a lot of people like saying that something's broken when it isn't just so they can be a little happier in their own misery." She shrugs. Smiling at Warucori's comment, if ever there were a pair to do it, Nat figured it would likely be Taikrin and Szad. Nat offers a grin for Teris at Taikrin's explanation, and a laugh at the thought of a dragon trying to impress her own hatchling.
"You know, Taikrin. There /is/ a chance that he won't catch her again." It's difficult to tell whether Teris is saying this to bait the brownrider or to, well, there's probably not many other reasons she'd say it, honestly. "If anyone were going to try impressing their own hatchling, it would probably be Iskiveth. Worse, she'll probably make the candidates fight each other and try to make the poor thing impress whoever won." It's like she's thought about this before!
Warucori murmurs, suddenly pinkening, "Oh no! Need go. Darn it Zaxameth." She gives Nat a squeeze before standing and waves to her clutchmates before rushing out. Oh, always a green rising somewhere.
Warucori has left.
"Sure, sure, well, he might hurt himself, you know? Or be tired, like, if we're coming back from sweeps." It's pretty easy to tell that Taikrin is teasing: her grin is huge and shit-eating. "You know he'd be right there with her, though, organizing 'em into teams and makin' 'em have plans." She glances up, startled, as Cori leaves, then lets out a bark of laughter. "Szad says Zax's after a green /right now/. He's so touchy."
Nat can't help but laughing. "Well if that were the case I would actually stand a snowballs chance in Igen of impressing a queen." She jokes shaking her head. Like that would ever happen. She pouts a little as Cori darts off, "A green huh?" She murmurs.
Teris watches Warucori make her way out and arches a brow at Taikrin for the explanation. "They rise so often. I don't think I could deal with... that." She makes a sour face and everything. "Bad enough Iskiveth rises at all. Sometimes I think I wouldn't have minded if it had kept her from that," she admits absently.
Taikrin doesn't seem to mind it all that much: she raises an eyebrow pointedly. "Szad don't mind too much, either. Greens are useful." To Nathalia, she clarifies, "If we could predict how to make a queen impress to any one person, I reckon we'd be drowning in marks by now from the betting. It'd be pretty useful." Back to Teris, then, "You didn't seem to mind her rising /last/ time."
Nat offers a tired laugh. "I suppose so." She rubs her eyes absently. "It was nice talking with you guys but I think I better head back to the barracks" She yawns. /especially/ if they had her in the Nursery again tomorrow. She stands with a stretch before heading out herself. "See you Taikrin, Teris."
Nathalia heads down a short set of stairs to the bowl.
Nathalia has left.
"Sort of hard to mind at the time," murmurs Teris, almost defensively, turning her head to sort of nod at Nathalia as she leaves. "I'm sure I wouldn't mind it if I had a green when she rose. At the time. I'd mind in between, though." The junior gives her head a small shake and, left with Taikrin and the lizard, focuses on the former while she idly tickles the latter.
Taikrin frees a hand from the railing to wave a farewell salute to Nathalia, then smirks at Teris. "Oh, so you're sayin' that maybe I did do /somethin'/ right, after all?" She frees herself from the railing to flop down next to Teris, albiet cautiously of the tiny little firelizard. Now that they're alone, she asks softly, "So how you doin', anyways?"
"Maybe. Been that long since anyway." So it's not like Taikrin filled her with any sort of feverish need for more or anything. Teris doesn't seem to realize that they're alone now until Taikrin sits down and asks that question. It takes her a minute or two to actually respond. "Well enough, I suppose." Which is the easy way out of the question. She doesn't try to act otherwise.
"Glad to hear it," Taikrin responds amiably; she doesn't seem inclined to push the issue too much. "Worried about you. Glad to see you smilin', a little. She's from him, ain't she? Pretty little thing. How're you findin' her? Is it... what's it like?"
She's from him. Teris gives a small nod for that, frowning slightly as she does so before that fades, too. "Don't think I'd have normally accepted one, honestly. Seem like such a hassle. But, I couldn't just--" She cuts herself off and picks the lazy little green up to pull into her lap. "So far she doesn't do much but eat and sleep. It's... different. She's there. Small, but there. Nothing like Iskiveth."
"Well, she's a baby, ain't she? Only seems proper." Still, Taikrin leans over to peer curiously at the firelizard. "Think she'll be useful, when she gets bigger? Thought about trying to find one, myself, but..." She looks up intently at Teris, all serious consideration. "Glad you got her, all things considered. Something small and sweet to take care of."
"Would be nice if she ended up useful. But it doesn't matter so much in the end. I'm glad I have her." Would be better, granted, if she didn't stand for a last gift from her dead brother but, well, that's what she is now. "Here. Do you want to hold her for a moment?" she asks, practically dumping the tiny thing on Taikrin as she rises to her feet and reaches for her jacket. She doesn't bother putting the proper shirt back on. "I should probably..." Go. But she doesn't seem to have much reason. Sleep? Drink? Mope? Possibly all three.
"Uh---" Taikrin's eyes go a little wide upon finding a tiny little length of green dumped on her lap, though at least she doesn't drop the firelizard. She cups her hands around it, tentatively, and pulls a face at Teris. "Yeah, sure, no problem, give me your tiny little fragile thing to take care of, 'cause I'm /so good/ with those." Her voice is maybe a tiny bit frantic, and she seems afraid to take her eyes off of it. "Don't, uh, don't let me keep you."
Once Teris has her jacket all pulled on and fastened as well as she's going to bother with, she actually quirks a small smile at the brownrider and the firelizard. In contrast to Taikrin's anxiety, the green seems perfectly at ease and trusting that she won't be dropped or otherwise squished somehow. "You could, uh..." When does Teris use words like 'uh?' "Maybe. Well." She clears her throat and leans down to pick the lizard back up but before she pulls back entirely, she aims a quick, tentative kiss to Taikrin's lips. Then jerks back. "Right. Anyway." She's backing up a step, turning and maybe a little more hurried. "Right." She's going now.
It's hard to say if Taikrin is more surprised that she hasn't accidentaly murdered the firelizard, or by the fact that Teris is kissing her. Voluntarily. In public. She blinks after her, a corner of her lips curling up instinctively, and she doesn't seem to find her voice until after Teris has turned around. Then: "Uh-- yeah. I'll see you later?" There's more than one question there. "Szad wanted to stop by and--- yeah. Later."
Summary: Taikrin is disrupted in her usual gallery-stairs-run by Nathalia and Teris and Warucori's egg-watching. They discuss eggs and hatchlings and how strange brooding dragons are. And there's a surprise twist ending nobody saw coming!!!
NorCon MUSH - 7/21/2011
-----------------------
Hatching Galleries, High Reaches Weyr(#290RJs)
Ringing the southwestern side of the hatching sands are ample tiers of carved stone benches, the lowest of which is some six feet off the ground -- just high enough to separate wayward hatchlings from unwary viewers, and vice versa. A metal railing on the outside helps prevent anyone from falling off; it also extends up the stairs that lead the way higher into the galleries. While most of the area is open seating, ropes section off some of the closer tiers when dignitaries are expected; those areas even feature cushions in the Weyr's blue and black.
The higher one climbs, the more apparent the immense scale of the entire cavern becomes. The dragon-sized entrance on the ground is dwarfed by the expansive golden sands that glitter in the light. Everything on them is easily visible from the galleries, whether that's a clutch of eggs and a broody queen, or simply its emptiness and the handful of darker tunnels that lead to more private areas than the bowl. Wherever one sits or looks, however, one thing is constant: the overwhelming, suffocating heat.
Commands: +list/eggs | +view/egg <#>
Contents:
Nathalia
Teris
Obvious exits:
Sands Bowl
Despite the crisp chill in the early spring air, the galleries are still sweltering. As such, Teris has removed both her coat and her outer shirt to leave the thin fabric of her under shirt all between her and the heat. You know, except for her pants and everything. She's sitting toward the front of the galleries in the padded seats, but she's not paying any real attention to the eggs on the sand. Instead her eyes are on the tiny firelizard that has curled up and fallen asleep on her pile of discarded clothing.
The former smith turned candidate probably would have bounded up the stairs if she'd had the energy, instead she makes it into the gallery, rather quieter than usual. She recognizes the blonde from the clutch party, though she can't recall ever getting the woman's name. "I am sorry, didn't realize anyone was up here, I can leave if you like." The smith offers politely. Never anger someone who sends people walking with a point of the finger nope.
At first Teris doesn't seem to realize that it's her that's being spoken to. She probably hasn't been paying nearly enough to attention to know if there are other people here or if she's just been sitting here alone. Well, alone with the lizard. She glances briefly over her shoulder toward the vast number of seats behind where she's settled and responds, "I don't think even I could get away with forbidding people from the galleries for very long." Which, by her sudden thoughtful frown, is a shame.
Nat smiles at that, "Not that anyone could blame you with the incident's that have happened so far." Its now that she notices the tiny green as she comes to sit near the woman, though not too close as to disturb the lizard or woman. "I recognize you from the clutching party I think, I am Nat." She offers quietly. "wouldn't have thought anyone could get a fire lizard egg to hatch up here in this weather." She offers with a smile. "Must be a tough little thing."
It doesn't really matter what Nathalia actually means by that first comment, Teris takes it at its most personal. There's a deepening of her frown and a decidedly cool look in her blue eyes despite the heat of the cavern. "I don't recognize you," she admits, not attempting to hide a unkindness in her tone. "I'm sure she is," Teris goes on, "but there's plenty of heat to be had in the Weyr either way." Obviously.
Taikrin is only a couple of minutes behind Nathalia; what the smith lacks in energy, the brownrider makes up for in spades. She takes the steps two at a time in practiced, atheletic motions. She's likewise sans jacket or warm clothes, but from the pink in her cheeks and faint sheen of sweat, she's doing just fine keeping herself warm. Once she reaches the railing she pauses, gaze sweeping across the galleries before she begins her run further up the stairs. It passes right over Teris, the first time, then swings back with a grunt of surprise. "Oh-- Teris, hey. And-- Nat?" She bounds a few steps closer with the loose grace that comes with warmed muscles. Obviously she hasn't noticed the little lizard, yet.
Nat shrugs. "Wouldn't expect you to really. Just transferred from the hall the day of the party." She offers unbothered by the icy look. So much for not trying to make anyone angry today, and she'd done such a fine job too. "Sorry didn't mean any offense," She shrugs, visibly relieved when Taikrin shows up. "Hey Taikrin!" She offers with a smile, perhaps a little surprised that the brown rider remembered.
It's not until the brownrider says her name that Teris really notices her. She probably caught some glimpse of the woman's motion beyond the glance she gives to Nathalia but whatever might have spurred her interest in caring who is was hasn't been seen for two sevens now. "Evening," is what she says to Taikrin, a hand moving unconsciously, protectively, closer to the tiny firelizard. Perhaps some part of her expects the brownrider to bowl right over the hatchling.
Warucori heads up a short flight of stairs from the bowl.
Warucori has arrived.
"Ehh, don't you mind Teris any," Taikrin remarks companionably to Nathalia; she even moves to clap the candidate on the shoulder. "Had a rough time lately, she has. You been alri-- hey, what's that?" Though she doesn't trample over everything, she does slide quite a bit closer and lean over to peer curiously at the little green creature. "Is that-- is it yours, Teris?"
As the Clap meets her shoulder Nathalia visibly relaxes, nodding quietly at Taikrin's explanation. She also made a note to ask the brown rider later, privately, about what had happened to the gold rider that made her so touchy.
Even though she hasn't really been paying any attention to the eggs, once Taikrin comes over and starts talking to Nathalia about rough times, that's where Teris' attention goes, expressionless. At least until Taikrin is sliding closer to look at the tiny green curled up in the junior's jacket and over shirt. "Yes," is the only answer she offers about it.
Warucori has come in alone, although if you count the flask of wine tucked in her arm, that could be her date. She waves at the folks she knows and wanders over closer to where her clutchmates are, "Well, lookie who it is."
It takes a minute for Taikrin's brain to catch up with her mouth; she passes through a series of expressions, from curiosity to surprise to grim realization to an embarrasment that makes her exertion-reddened cheeks all the pinker. "Oh," is her weak reply. The brownrider fidgets, glancing out over the eggs herself, then shrugs and tries an entirely different tact. "So, I reckon you ain't in here for the chance to go runnin' the stairs, then?" Then saved from awkwardness by Warucori! She twists, grinning at the bluerider over a bare shoulder. "Hey, Cori!"
Nat's thick brows quirk as she too turns her attention to the sands unsure really of what to say. She visibly brightens though when Warucori approaches a wide grin spreading for the blue rider. Taikirin's visible embarrassment, makes Nat all the more determined to stay out of trouble, if that's possible and she offers an enthusiastic wave for Cori. "Hey! Didn't think You'd be out of your weyr this early." There's a small friendly tease there.
Teris looks at Taikrin and her gaze lingers there for a handful of moments, silent, before Warucori is making her way up the stairs. There's no smile or anything from the goldrider but she does lift the hand not being protective of the firelizard to offer the bluerider a small wave. "Running isn't really my... thing," she adds, tone slightly less dead in the wake of Taikrin's embarrassment.
Warucori giggles at the tease and bumps her hip up against Nat, "He called mercy." It might not be a joke, hard to tell. "How are the eggs looking?" Her smile hickups when she notices Teris's expression and rubs the back of her neck gingerly. It dawns on her, "Not intruding on you am I?" She flaps a hand towards some empty seats.
"Y'might find y'like it," Taikrin ventures, forcing awkwardness aside in favor of mild flirtation. "Gettin' hot and sweaty always makes /me/ feel better." She leans back against the railing, flashing her grin at Warucori. "Reckon Cori might agree, at that." She waves a hand, dismissing the bluerider's concern-- though she just showed up herself, and is clearly in the middle of one of her infamous exercise runs. "Place's empty, Iovniath don't seem to care... what's to intrude one?"
Nat lifts a thick brow at Cori's explination, curious but not the time to pry. She laughs at Taikrin's idea of relaxing. "I think I am going to like this place a sharding lot better than that shelling craft hall. Back there that usually meant six hours straight in the forge." She laughs, relaxing a bit, standing to sit next to Cori.
"If I was worried about being intruded upon, I'd stay in my weyr," says Teris, all matter of fact and just as serious as she usually is. But the look she gives Taikrin is not quite so serious. Her blue eyes might even flicker over the brownrider before she looks away again. "Getting hot and sweaty just makes me feel dirty. I don't like being dirty."
Warucori's usual cheerfulness bubbles back up, "Oh yes. I always feel better after a serious romp through the sheets. Although, sheets don't have to be involved. Table-tops can be fun, or Oh! Hotsprings." Oh, what happened to that wild-eyed little hold-girl? "I thought for a moment you guys were talking about something and I was butting in is all." But since it seems to be alright she can lean over and oggle the firelizard, "Did you find a clutch?"
"Well /clearly/ I ain't been doin' it right! Don't like bein' dirty..." The brownrider guffaws at herself, then at Warucori. But the smile she angles at Teris is less overtly flirty, and more hopefully friendly. "Cute little thing, I guess," she adds after the bluerider. "What'd you name her, anyways?"
Nat suppresses the start of a giggle at Teris' comment about being dirty. Instead she shrugs. Though her eyes do go a bit wide at the numerous places for 'romping.' Clearly most had never occurred to her. She just offers a smile for Taikrin, and plops down on the other side of Cori.
Teris gives Warucori a look that is undoubtedly disapproving but she doesn't protest the bluerider's comments aloud. There's some of that disapproval for Taikrin, too, but certainly not so surprised as all that. She's at least a little more familiar with the brownrider's ways. "She was a turnday gift," as to where she got her. The tiny green is rousing - slowly - and generally unconcerned about her surroundings despite all the voices. "I let Iskiveth name her. I couldn't myself. She's Battle." Which just noticeably quirks one side of Teris' mouth.
Warucori grins cheerfully in the wake of Teris' disapproval, not much for it really. "That's a great gift. Nice name too." She can't help but keep looking at the itty-bitty winged lizard. As Nat moves to sit with her she turns to the candidate, "So, do you have a favorite egg?"
The same corner of Taikrin's mouth quirks upwards in mirror of Teris'. "Battle. Sounds like a thing she would'a done. Reckon it's a good thing they ain't the ones picking names out for their own hatchlings, yeah? Reckon we would have had a whole set of Flameths and Fireths and Fighterths or somethin', yeah? Could you imagine?" She glances over her shoulder at the eggs, then shrugs. "Wonder how they do come up with their own names, you know?"
Nat smiles watching the tiny green, "Cute, sounds like a good name for her." She glances out at the eggs thinking a moment. "Lets see, probably the one with the pretty red splatter over it, but all of them are so different. Never seen a dragon clutch so close before." She nods at Taikirn's last question though. Thinking it funny how they each came with their own name.
"Yeah," is the distant murmur of agreement for Cori's comment. Teris manages a very small laugh at the idea of either Iskiveth or Szadath picking out their hatchlings' names. "I think we would have had a lot of disappointed weyrlings. Especially since I wouldn't put it past Iskiveth to reuse names. Several times." After that, emotion fades again, like it's too much to hang onto at once even if it was only just a little bit. "I asked her once. When she was just a few days old. She said..." she pauses, recalling, "She said that it was her name. And that no one else could have it or she'd kill them." All straight-faced and serious. No doubt it's something Iskiveth actually said.
"Well, they have a lot of time waiting in those eggs, thinking about their names." Warucori says it, but the way she's grinning hints that she's joking about it mostly. The bluerider doen't really pay much attention to the eggs, but now she tries to find the one the candidate has taken an interest in. "Pretty? Looks like someone bloodied it up. Wonder if that's the one that got knocked around." Her words faulter though, "Did she really Teris? My goodness, I am so glad I got Zax, your lifemate is so--intense."
"Yeah, I reckon they do got a lot of time. I asked Szad and he was-- it was like I asked him how I knew he was supposed to be eatin' meat, or how to walk. But... still. Wonder how he knew." Taikrin hooks her elbows under the railing, then stretches back out over the sands in a fidgety sort of way. "I can just see Iskiveth goin' somethin' like-- 'and /your/ name is Fireth and /your/ name is Fireth and /your/ name is Fireth, and your rider's name has to be P'nch.'" She makes a shooing motion with her wrists, "'Now go away because you're boring and don't have any treasure.'"
Nat's brows lift in surprise at Teris explanation. She laughs a minute at Cori's response to her favorite egg before frowning. "Maybe, but it's still my favorite. Even if it is the one. . ." she trails off as though finding her resolution. "Which ever one it is, I hope it's the strongest most stubborn one of the lot." She's adamant about that as though she believes that with every fiber of her being. She grins though. "Zax is something else, he's so vibrant, I guess is the word for it." And theres a small burst of giggles at Taikrin's description of Iskiveth's probable names for hatchlings.
"It would make it easy for her to call on them, at least," notes Teris, nodding a small frown for Cori's benefit. "Probably a good word for it. Intense. She's better about the way she phrases things now, usually, at least." Small victories are kind of all that Teris has with her lifemate, after all. There is another hint of a smile at Taikrin's impersonation, attention resettled on the brownrider as she absently strokes the lazy lizard with her fingertips. "Don't let us keep you, Taikrin. If you have more running to do. I think I might head back soon myself. I should have brought a skin..."
Warucori laughs softly about the names of the would-be-dragon-children. "Maybe their next clutch, you should suggest it to them." Even if this isn't the best of ideas for the two dragons in question. As for the egg? She gives a nod of her head and a jerk of her chin out towards the sands, "I'm sure it'll be the best little dragon hatched out there too."
Taikrin brightens further at Cori's suggestion. "You reckon that'd work? I'm sure he must'a tried, last time, but-- maybe if they both work on one, they can get it to make its name something interestin'?" That's Taikrin, full of brilliant parenting ideas. She shrugs at Teris' suggestion, leaning backwards then forwards against the metal again. "Don't mind me none, I'm fine." Beat. Then, oh so casually, "You think she might be thinkin' about doin' it again sometime soon?"
Nat laughs at that, moving her head in attempt to lean it Cori's shoulder. Satisfied it seems with the Blue rider's answer, her attention drawn back to the eggs for the moment. She listens and smiles at Taikrin's question.
Teris' eyes finally roam over the eggs with a little more purpose, picking out the one that stands out over all of the others. Or maybe that's just to her. "I'm not sure giving her ideas like that would be very... good. Anyway, I kind of worry about what she'd do with her own gold egg one day. Suppose I ought not ever let her choose anyone but Szadath." Blue eyes refocus on Taikrin, squinting for a moment. "It's been, what... two turns? Could be another turn or two before she bothers again." Granted, considering when she rose for the first time, she's practically overdue as it is.
Warucori lifts a hand up and runs fingers through Nat's hair as the candidate makes herself comfortable. "Is there really so much work to be done with the gold egg do you think? Does the queen just....get more nervous with a gold egg out there?"
Taikrin's grin grows before she can check it, and for a moment Szadath's smug presence is almost palpable. "I ain't never heard anyone give a good proof that a brown can't make a gold just as good as a bronze can. Just 'cause people repeat somethin' that people told 'em don't make it true. I mean, look what they were sayin' about Iskiveth." She seems really certain of this, too, or at least sure of /herself/. Themselves. "Another turn or two, huh. All the same, suppose I ought to make sure Szad stays in shape, huh?"
"You choose who catches in flights?" Nat asks before falling silent again, taking quite happily to getting cozy, enjoying the sensation of her hair being stroked. She listens for a reply for Warucori's question too. A Grin though spreads at Taikrin's notions. "What were they saying about Iskiveth?" She asks.
"Oh, no. Nothing like that. I just... I mean, she's jealous enough of Iovniath having another gold egg. Not sure how she'll get on with another one in the weyr. She'd be so thrilled with her own, I'd wonder if she'd even let some candidate have the hatchling." Teris glances toward Taikrin with a sort of 'you know how she can be' in her expression, though she can't be entirely serious. "I'm not sure what that means, exactly, but do whatever you feel you should do." And then she's glancing toward Nathalia with another of her evidently signature looks; ice queenish. "There's nothing wrong with her." That's for everyone.
Warucori watches Taikrin when she speaks of browns making a gold egg, "I am pretty sure the dragon healers and the records of all the hatchings would go back and point to now brown siring a gold egg." But there's a little smile anyway. "I think it's just great that you've been able to have your dragon have a clutch. Sort of...family like." Jealous just a little.
"Well, there ain't been all that /many/ browns catching golds, and anyways none of 'em were as awesome as Szadath, so." In Taikrin's mind, that's a case-closed. "Ain't nothing wrong with Iskiveth," she agrees. "Except the dragonhealers clearly don't know nothin' and thought maybe she'd have a problem havin' a clutch. Except she didn't." Beat. "D'you think she might try and impress her own little queen? So she can keep her?"
Nat's apparently had quite a lot of experience around ice queens because she just shrugs her shoulders. "I didn't say there was anything wrong with her, a lot of people like saying that something's broken when it isn't just so they can be a little happier in their own misery." She shrugs. Smiling at Warucori's comment, if ever there were a pair to do it, Nat figured it would likely be Taikrin and Szad. Nat offers a grin for Teris at Taikrin's explanation, and a laugh at the thought of a dragon trying to impress her own hatchling.
"You know, Taikrin. There /is/ a chance that he won't catch her again." It's difficult to tell whether Teris is saying this to bait the brownrider or to, well, there's probably not many other reasons she'd say it, honestly. "If anyone were going to try impressing their own hatchling, it would probably be Iskiveth. Worse, she'll probably make the candidates fight each other and try to make the poor thing impress whoever won." It's like she's thought about this before!
Warucori murmurs, suddenly pinkening, "Oh no! Need go. Darn it Zaxameth." She gives Nat a squeeze before standing and waves to her clutchmates before rushing out. Oh, always a green rising somewhere.
Warucori has left.
"Sure, sure, well, he might hurt himself, you know? Or be tired, like, if we're coming back from sweeps." It's pretty easy to tell that Taikrin is teasing: her grin is huge and shit-eating. "You know he'd be right there with her, though, organizing 'em into teams and makin' 'em have plans." She glances up, startled, as Cori leaves, then lets out a bark of laughter. "Szad says Zax's after a green /right now/. He's so touchy."
Nat can't help but laughing. "Well if that were the case I would actually stand a snowballs chance in Igen of impressing a queen." She jokes shaking her head. Like that would ever happen. She pouts a little as Cori darts off, "A green huh?" She murmurs.
Teris watches Warucori make her way out and arches a brow at Taikrin for the explanation. "They rise so often. I don't think I could deal with... that." She makes a sour face and everything. "Bad enough Iskiveth rises at all. Sometimes I think I wouldn't have minded if it had kept her from that," she admits absently.
Taikrin doesn't seem to mind it all that much: she raises an eyebrow pointedly. "Szad don't mind too much, either. Greens are useful." To Nathalia, she clarifies, "If we could predict how to make a queen impress to any one person, I reckon we'd be drowning in marks by now from the betting. It'd be pretty useful." Back to Teris, then, "You didn't seem to mind her rising /last/ time."
Nat offers a tired laugh. "I suppose so." She rubs her eyes absently. "It was nice talking with you guys but I think I better head back to the barracks" She yawns. /especially/ if they had her in the Nursery again tomorrow. She stands with a stretch before heading out herself. "See you Taikrin, Teris."
Nathalia heads down a short set of stairs to the bowl.
Nathalia has left.
"Sort of hard to mind at the time," murmurs Teris, almost defensively, turning her head to sort of nod at Nathalia as she leaves. "I'm sure I wouldn't mind it if I had a green when she rose. At the time. I'd mind in between, though." The junior gives her head a small shake and, left with Taikrin and the lizard, focuses on the former while she idly tickles the latter.
Taikrin frees a hand from the railing to wave a farewell salute to Nathalia, then smirks at Teris. "Oh, so you're sayin' that maybe I did do /somethin'/ right, after all?" She frees herself from the railing to flop down next to Teris, albiet cautiously of the tiny little firelizard. Now that they're alone, she asks softly, "So how you doin', anyways?"
"Maybe. Been that long since anyway." So it's not like Taikrin filled her with any sort of feverish need for more or anything. Teris doesn't seem to realize that they're alone now until Taikrin sits down and asks that question. It takes her a minute or two to actually respond. "Well enough, I suppose." Which is the easy way out of the question. She doesn't try to act otherwise.
"Glad to hear it," Taikrin responds amiably; she doesn't seem inclined to push the issue too much. "Worried about you. Glad to see you smilin', a little. She's from him, ain't she? Pretty little thing. How're you findin' her? Is it... what's it like?"
She's from him. Teris gives a small nod for that, frowning slightly as she does so before that fades, too. "Don't think I'd have normally accepted one, honestly. Seem like such a hassle. But, I couldn't just--" She cuts herself off and picks the lazy little green up to pull into her lap. "So far she doesn't do much but eat and sleep. It's... different. She's there. Small, but there. Nothing like Iskiveth."
"Well, she's a baby, ain't she? Only seems proper." Still, Taikrin leans over to peer curiously at the firelizard. "Think she'll be useful, when she gets bigger? Thought about trying to find one, myself, but..." She looks up intently at Teris, all serious consideration. "Glad you got her, all things considered. Something small and sweet to take care of."
"Would be nice if she ended up useful. But it doesn't matter so much in the end. I'm glad I have her." Would be better, granted, if she didn't stand for a last gift from her dead brother but, well, that's what she is now. "Here. Do you want to hold her for a moment?" she asks, practically dumping the tiny thing on Taikrin as she rises to her feet and reaches for her jacket. She doesn't bother putting the proper shirt back on. "I should probably..." Go. But she doesn't seem to have much reason. Sleep? Drink? Mope? Possibly all three.
"Uh---" Taikrin's eyes go a little wide upon finding a tiny little length of green dumped on her lap, though at least she doesn't drop the firelizard. She cups her hands around it, tentatively, and pulls a face at Teris. "Yeah, sure, no problem, give me your tiny little fragile thing to take care of, 'cause I'm /so good/ with those." Her voice is maybe a tiny bit frantic, and she seems afraid to take her eyes off of it. "Don't, uh, don't let me keep you."
Once Teris has her jacket all pulled on and fastened as well as she's going to bother with, she actually quirks a small smile at the brownrider and the firelizard. In contrast to Taikrin's anxiety, the green seems perfectly at ease and trusting that she won't be dropped or otherwise squished somehow. "You could, uh..." When does Teris use words like 'uh?' "Maybe. Well." She clears her throat and leans down to pick the lizard back up but before she pulls back entirely, she aims a quick, tentative kiss to Taikrin's lips. Then jerks back. "Right. Anyway." She's backing up a step, turning and maybe a little more hurried. "Right." She's going now.
It's hard to say if Taikrin is more surprised that she hasn't accidentaly murdered the firelizard, or by the fact that Teris is kissing her. Voluntarily. In public. She blinks after her, a corner of her lips curling up instinctively, and she doesn't seem to find her voice until after Teris has turned around. Then: "Uh-- yeah. I'll see you later?" There's more than one question there. "Szad wanted to stop by and--- yeah. Later."