Difference between revisions of "Logs:Benden Gather: Firelizards!"

Sunniva made the firelizards. :)

"Doesn't work like that." Unfortunately. N'thei watches levelly until Satiet's gone, then it's a matter of exhaling and scratching an eyebrow and letting the reminder of a crowd come back gradually. "Whitesmith," said suddenly, fingers to Persie's back to compel her along the sudden necessity of a task. Apparently retail-therapy isn't a gender-specific coping mechanism.

Persie starts to comply, a step forward taken, but then she stops--well, as much as he allows her to stop, like a reed valiently upright. With the roll of a bare shoulder she resists the press of his hand at her back, holds him barely away with her fingers still at his side, and she searches his face. "What... what for?"

N'thei, not following. "What for what?" In the first place, that Persie would even question him is a bit off-kilter. That she's stopped moving and now the press of his fingers is impotent just leaves him blinking blankly at her, a half-step ahead of where she paused.

Not that Persie manages much surety in her refusal; she's wearing that face again, the one that promises lots of unfinished sentences. Or in this case, no sentences at all. She struggles visibly to figure out how answer him but in the end she just gives up, softens under his hand and starts forward again with her expression downcast.

Good. That makes it easier. Being already a little ahead of her, N'thei changes from pressing at her back to leading her by one hand, holds her fingers firmly in his palm, and works his way through the crowds in a direction that's very-much-not the way Satiet went. Most people move when they see him coming anyway; those that don't get the shoulder-brush in passing. And there's a Smithy tent, one table all gussed and glittered with glass-free jewelry.

Persie is led along, watching his hand around hers more than where they're going or what booths their passing or what looks people have when N'thei parts the see of people so heedlessly. But they come to the booth and she steps up with a breath that fairly shivers. "What are you looking for?" she asks him in a voice made small with anxiety.

That Persie asks saves the attendant the trouble of doing so; he stays near the edge of the table, an eye kept on the precious wares, a ready-to-serve smile plastered in place. "Something pretty," is all the more useful N'thei's answer turns out to be, and he releases the greenrider's hand for the sole purpose of folding his arms and frowning at the display. "There was a little thing with pink stones in it this morning."

Amidst all the goings on of the gather, Persie and N'thei stand beside a booth selling high-end jewelry, the latter looking as imposing as usual with his arms all crossed, the former looking like she might like to run away. Pink. He'd said something pink. Persie draws a narrow shoulder up toward her cheek and chews at her lip frettfully but doesn't offer any suggestion on what might be pretty.

Niena gravitates over toward her former AWLM, smiling toward Persie and saying "Hello!" Then she sees the jewelry and her eyes go all wide in a classic ferret-shock reaction.

A good business goes on in the surrounding booths, what with everything-under-Rukbat (except parasols) for sale, even the tail-end of a runner auction at the corrals up the way. To throw it into sharp focus, N'thei's about to drop a decent number of marks when the attendant whitesmith does the just-the-thing move and pulls out a nice piece in white-gold with small, pink-and-green tourmalines along the chain. Coincidental to Niena's approach, the two men hit a haggling stride.

X'lar walks through Crafter Row, muttering under his breath at a blonde by his side. "... /so/ different." The blonde rider, seemingly in full rider leathers for the Gather, just snickers as she listens to the bronzerider mutter to her. "I mean, I wanted something different, but not /this/ different," X'lar explains. "People are going to think I'm just dressed in my pajamas, Lorina!" The long piece of cloth over his shoulders flaps and gets in his face as he continues moving through the Row. Unfortunately, the Istan bluerider makes a bee line to a booth, leaving X'lar alone and muttering. He continues moving forward and moves toward a booth selling wooden boxes. N'thei's spotted in the crowd at a booth kitty corner to the one he peruses, making the younger bronzerider smirk.

Somewhere nearby, further haggling can be heard -- though not over the cost of jewelry. For anyone with an interest in finding the source, the object being haggled over appears to be a large basket, the cover of it being removed by the seller -- a lanky young man with a weaselly face -- with a bit of a flourish to display the eggs inside. The potential buyer, a stocky fellow with a pensive expression, is hemming and hawing, thumbing through his marks indecisively. Naturally, neither of them notice the eggs are starting to twitch. See? Twitch, twitch.

Persie's hand finds another light perch on N'thei's near arm. "No..." she telling him, barely able to keep the tinge of desperation from her voice, when Niena arrives. It leaves the greenrider blinking, trying to switch gears. "Hi Niena," she says a touch breathlessly. "Are you having a nice time?" Worry pulls her glance to N'thei again, but she manages to put a smile on for the bluerider.

Neiravi is lingering at one of the foodseller stalls, haggling. Perhaps that's too strong a word. She's *negotiating* with the woman regarding several pouches of spices. "I would give you the full mark if the klahbark wasn't so old and the sea-salt of better quality. As it is, I'll give you a half and a quarter, and you know *quite* well that's what you were hoping for, so nod and smile and give it to me." The woman makes a face, but starts making a show of giving in. Ravi just smiles to herself, then cranes her neck to look around. The various wandering riders catch her eye, and so does that basket with twitching eggs. Very quietly, she adds "And two meatrolls, please," to her purchase.

Phara comes strutting into the gather, unaccompanied but no worse off for it. If her wide stride didn't make people get out of her way, the jingling from her absurd necklace might. She sweeps a glance around, standing with her fists planting on her hips before deciding on a direction. "Where's the food?" SHe muses aloud.

"I've seen the glass ones, and they look just as good, so you want to charge that much, fine." The glass ones don't look as good by any stretch of the imagination, and the whitesmith knows it, but the combination of N'thei being imposing, Persie looking terrified, and more people crowding around his table makes him steadily more compliant. Absently, the bronzerider adds, "Niena. Always a pleasure." Busy now. Chat later.

Niena says politely "Weyrleader." She also greets Satiet super-politely, and gives the Reaches' newest goldrider a tentative smile. She seems to be doing a lot of smiling as she greets friend and familiar faces. Then she's paying attention to the shiny things again, not even noticing the eggs... yet.

Persie is barely capable of passing a panicked look to the smith, shaking her head quickly at him. But of course, that could mean 'don't sell it' or 'don't haggle with him', depending on the man's point of view. She tries to tug at N'thei's arm. "Please don't," she begs him.

Satiet walks from the main hold back down to the crafter's row, taking her time in maneuvering through the growing crowds. The pretty parasol over her shoulder matches her dress and while it's likely meant to keep the sun off her head, it has a secondary, more devious purpose. Creating a personal bubble of space around her, keeping most people a nice distance away.

It's just as a price is settled on that the unspeakable happens -- some of the eggs begin to crack and split, with a squalling green spilling out and followed rapidly by a few other 'lizardly siblings. They disperse in search of food, with about a half-dozen eggs left a-rocking. The would-be buyer looks horrified and sputters, "You said they had another sevenday at least!" with the seller trying his darnedest to both catch the stray 'lizards (not working) and save the sale. A food vendor about a stall down notices the commotion and blinks owlishly a few times before declaring, "Raw meat here! A bowl for an sixteenth mark! Meatrolls, half a dozen for an eighth!" If someone's going to make a profit, might as well be him, hey?

Fayre can't seem to pick a spot to stay and mull around in, for she's far too busy trying to see everything at once. First she's over by the food stalls, her eyes alight with excitement as she looks at all the steaming dishes and bubbling pots. "Mmm, I've gotta steal some of these recipes later." Nearly before she's finished speaking, she's off and peering at all the various wares she could be buying with her hard earned marks. Her hand begins to move towards the mark pouch slung over her shoulder, but before she can make any impulse buys her attention is once again stolen--this time by eggs. Fayre begins to inch over that way, but then ah! They're suddenly hatching and she needs raw meat. Back to the food stalls she goes, where she picks up a bowl of gooey meat before heading back towards the clutch.

Like he can't even fathom the cause, N'thei sends Persie a clueless, "Hmn? Don't what. --What do you like, Nien..." The question never quite finishes, for all that commotion has half the tent running out to see firelizards scampering all over the place. The poor whitesmith looks nearly as desperate as Persie, his wares in danger, his sale on the brink of disaster, and now firelizards. "Where were we."

Phara grimaces when she hears the most dreadful sound she can imagine - firelizards. Hatching ones. Eyes stray to the hawking meat merchant and she huffs. "Well, I ain't got any interest in raw meat, but I think I could do for a meatroll or six." And so she ambles that way.

"Did someone say meatrolls??" X'lar calls out aloud, grinning suddenly. His hands move into non-existent pockets and just slide off his pajama-like gather clothes, making the bronzerider just let out a burst of aggrivated air. "Bloody weavers," X'lar mutters. But at a look from an actual weaver, Xie shakes his head hastily, telling him: "Oh, not you. Did you hear someone saying meatrolls?" The weaver just continues to look cross at the Istan teen, making Xie quickly duck out of his line of sight and toward another booth. Niena's spotted now, making Xie lift a hand in greeting, asking the Reachian bluerider: "Niena right?" But then Phara gets his attention, making him laugh and tell the Fortian bluerider: "See, there's someone after my own stomach. G'day Phara." And then someone mentions meatrolls again, "See, I /do/ hear people saying meatrolls and-" X'lar's comment is halted as he sees the eggs. "Oh bloody shells," Xie finally replies, sighing with resignation. Luckily the man's prepared, offering enough marks for some raw meat /and/ half a dozen meatrolls.

Shocking, isn't it? That seems to be the sentiment of the Tattered Veils Egg as it is rent asunder in a heartbeat. The broken shells are flung this way and that as a blue disentangles himself not only from his prison but his own, overlong limbs.

Spirited Lightning Blue Hatchling Long-limbed and lean, this young blue firelizard is all whipcord tail and long neck, sharp angles and sleek spars. Stormy blues start at his muzzle, cloudy and dark around his muzzle and rapidly dispersing into bright, summer skies by the time the darkness dissipates at his flanks. Slate spars hold up translucent sails of mottled cerulean, creating long, narrow wings just meant for cutting up the air. Streaking back from his wide eyes are thin lines of electric blue, the lines converging at the back of his neck and racing betwixt his ridges, only to terminate in a bright burst at the tip of his tail.

Paige arrives with a small contingent of other weyrlings from Fort, unescorted but traipsing around people and stalls with the wide-eyed expression of one who is rather unaccustomed to such nice gatherings. Cheeks suffused with a delighted flush, she pauses near a vendor selling rolls and other such little snacks to acquire a couple, beaming at the man selling them before picking her way down toward another stall to peep in at clothing and jewelry momentarily. Delight gives way to confusion as people around her begin milling toward the cracking firelizard eggs. Glancing down at her two meatrolls, she pauses for a second before picking up her skirt and hastening after them, eyes growing rounder.

Neiravi is surrounded by important personages, it would seem, and her attention is torn between them and the sudden lizardly chaos nearby. She compromises, sidling through the crowd with her head politely inclined, murmuring "I do beg your pardon...sir, madam..." As she passes X'lar, she grins and briefly flourishes one of her meatrolls at him. Then she focuses on those eggs. "How do you go about luring one?" She improvises, tearing away a small piece and holding it on her open palm. Perhaps that blue will notice.

Oh, now the smith is upset too. Persie looks miserable. "We'll come back later," she tells him, turning a hopeful look to N'thei. Her words, of course, are all but drowned out by the sudden commotion of firelizards hatching in the vicinity. She slips her hand down his arm, trying to put her fingers in his, making some attempt to remove him from the booth.

Phara grins as X'lar meets her at the meat. Hah, pun. "I had a feeling if there were Meatrolls you'd be nearby." She says amiable to the bronzerider, winking judiciously at him. She leans against the stall as she waits for her turn at the meatrolls, her bells jingling happily in the summer warmth. "Don't tell me you're going for one of those nasty buggers?" She asks, seeing him going for the raw meat as well.

While their siblings run amok, the other six eggs keep- oh, wait, five now, with one zippy blue springing to the ground with a nimble air. There's a quick check of his body and then he's off! Food!

Even with the shiny distractions, Niena can't miss the noise over by the basket. With quick apologies she dashes over to the booth and purchases some raw meat, then heads toward the basket, watching the already-hatched lizards.

It's time. The Embodiment of the Unknown Egg lurches one way, then the other, before falling still. Some time passes before hope is renewed, the egg simply breaking open at the top. As the shard holding the unneeded 'hinge' falls away, a brightly hued green firelizard clambers her way out.

You'd never know D'kai to be unaccustomed to that itchy gather wear, judging by the way he occasionally tweaks and pulls at it, but it's a gather and it's supposed to be fun, shard it! He's not got much time - from escorting down his single passenger, to taking in all that colour and noise and oh! the /food!/ - before he, too, is drawn in by that bustle and brouhaha of firelizards and such. Where's the meat, now? Right by the food, of course! Lucky Deke. He snags a 'roll or two, of course, (for him, not those chripy little stomachs!) and weaves and ducks his way nearer to the source of all that fuss.

Hopeful Radiance Green Hatchling This exuberant firelizard is clad in mint and meadow, the colours fluttering down the length of her sleek body like so many leaves stitched together to make her whole. Wide eyes have been set under delicate 'ridges, her dainty muzzle forever sniffing and seeking things out. The rest of her is fluid and easy-moving, draped in a radiantly mottled patchwork of dark and bright greens, held together by viridian seams. She carries herself with sprightly ease, her wings seeming carved of so much peridot and oft-fluttering, fey-like, to keep her balance or fly from hither to thither without a care in the world.

The likelihood that N'thei could be bodily removed by Persie is pretty slim, but he does give her fingers a little squeeze that's meant to reassure-- rather than crush. "Go and get a firelizard if you want one, love. Never saw much use myself." Said with a smirk right while Niena goes darting away, and he concludes his business fairly efficiently from there. Bought and paid for.

X'lar gives Neiravi a grin and shows off his half a dozen meatrolls. Someone's greedy. Or rich. "I have one already," Xie tells Phara as he sees her again. "This dark green firelizard that's just... well, she's an attention-hogging priss. Which is why I ended up calling her Prissy." There's a pause before Xie adds to Phara: "If I had another, maybe she wouldn't keep trying to wrap herself around my neck." He flicks the raw meat for the blue, grinning briefly at it before returning his attention to Phara: "I'd heard a number of Thunderbolt wingmembers had made the transfer. How're you finding Fort, Phara?" From the corner of his eye, X'lar spots Paige, grinning wide to the weyrling, calling out over the din, "Paddy let you all out, huh?" The newly hatched green is also given a curious look.

Eggs that couldn't be cracked to make an omelet large enough to feed a minor hold holds no interest for Satiet, and skirting daintily about the outskirts of the gathering ruckus with its shattering eggs and miniature dragons, she returns to the bracelet stand visited before and makes a transaction.

Fayre yelps like a hurt canine when the blue hatchling's egg bursts and enthusiastically sends shell everywhere. She sidesteps to her right, not eager to get any gooey shards on her bright orange ruffled dress. The bowl of bloody meat she's holding will probably make that a bit hard, but for now the weyrwoman has stayed clean. It's hard to miss X'lar and his usual meatroll rants, and so Fayre soon spots her friend and moves over that way, cheerfully waving her free hand in his direction. "You sure were quick to find your favourite snack, weren'tcha?" Phara gets a polite bob of the goldrider's head aimed in her direction. "Don't believe I've met you before, but I bet you're nice if you're a pal of Xie's." She catches X'lar's words and adds, "A new Fortian, eh? Nice."

A blue? And a green? And - "Paige?" D'kai manages to elbow and jostle his way nearer to his fellow weyrling, and offers out to her the bowl he aquired. "Here. I hear they like meat. And, uh, happy feelings. Not that that helped me much with Mickey." He's got a wide grin for Paige, and he nudges a the bowl of drippy meat her way. Take one! "No use putting those meatrolls to waste on 'lizards when I've got loads of to spare." Mm, meatrolls. Speaking of - he shoves half of one of his own into his mouth, and then sets to business, balancing his bowl in one hand, proffering yummy yummy meats to those hatchling firelizards.

The Spirited Lightning Blue Hatchling Oh. Oh is that for him? The blue stares at the meat, uncaring of the source. He sees it, his little 'lizardly rear wiggles and then ... *POUNCE*. If X'lar's not quick, he might well wind up with a hand filled with needly claws -- he can't help it, he's hungry!

The Spirited Lightning Blue hatchling looks to X'lar.

Phara just wrinkles her nose. "Or you'd have twice the greedy guts to feed." She tells X'lar sarcastically, fingering the flower in her hair. "To each their own." Shrugging, her focus turns to Fayre as she approaches. "Oh, hello." She greets simply, eyebrows lifting. "Me? Nice?" A chortle of amusement. "Hardly. I eat rusty nails for breakfast!" Cue Tough-Phara pose.

Meanwhile, back at the basket, the seller throws his hands in the air and gives up, the buyer scuttling off to do whatever. More eggs twitch and spasm, another looking ready to hatch, but not quite there yet. The bright green that's traipsing about is giving the world a look of wide-eyed wonder, the plethora of treats being offered doing two things: making her more hungry ... and confusing the daylights out of her.

Heaving and rolling, the Somber Stone Egg pitches onto a side and sends a spinner's web of cracks along one side. A terracotta paw juts out of the upper curve and a brown firelizard unearths himself from the wreckage of his former prison.

Transcendental Clay Brown Hatchling Ruddy clay has been shaped and sculpted, then seemingly baked for turns under the sun into the shape of this stocky brown firelizard. Though his hide is perfectly smooth to the touch, it looks as if it's cracked and pitted, darker shades streaking and flecking his hide to grant him a world-weary air. Yet, there is a zen-like tranquility about him which can be attributed to the serene expression on his face and his calm, measured gait. His wings are constructed of sandy hues, while the length of his tail is naturally imprinted with strange markings of that selfsame hue, as if secrets were inscribed there indelibly in some long-forgotten script.

Neiravi chuckles at X'lar's armload of food. "You'll attract all of them at that rate? Or is that just your afternoon snack? Oop!" She jerks her hand as the blue lunges at the bronzerider, shaking her head. "Clearly, you know something I don't. They want...prey?" She jiggles the piece of meatroll in her hand hesitantly. She'll be polite to everyone later, right now she has a goal in mind.

"No, it's not that," Persie tries to tell him, but too late. Marks are exchanging hands, as are tourmaline baubles. She lets go of N'thei, stepping back and bumping into some randon person on their way to dangle meat. She hardly seems to notice, the heartbroken look on her face not changing at all. "Please tell me that's for her."

Niena is about to answer X'lar's earlier question when she sees him pounced by the blue. "Yes, Niena. Congrtulations on your hatchling -- he's almost as handsome as Masoth!" She finally gets around to pulling out the raw meat she bought, looking a bit dizzy at the speed of the proceedings.

"Ach!" X'lar yells out. Or something similar as the spirited blue firelizard hatchling pounces his hand. His hand isn't too worse for wear because of it, but the surprise is still etched on the bronzerider's face. "Alright, alright..." Xie quickly says. "Here, here." X'lar begins feeding the blue in earnest. To Fayre: "Oh, Phara's nice, but Tiriana's nicer." He looks to Phara while trying to feed the blue, asking her: "Wait... Did Tiriana move to Fort as well?" He gives Niena a grin, nodding to her simply.

As for D'kai's passenger, she's been conveniently distracted by some fabric a ways back -- with the promise that she'll be quick about it, at least. The firelizard debacle is, thus, one of the many things that Sunniva will be blissfully oblivious to. There are brocades and lace to be looked at! And a first dragonflight to process, naturally; her mind still hasn't caught up on that score.

"Woah there! Didn't know you were so attractive to ickle blues, X'lar." Fayre says to her friend, looking down her nose towards the little firelizard. Her eyes squint just the slightest in response to those sharp claws moving towards his hand. She can't help but laugh at Phara's pose, though it's a happy one without any teasing malice. "Well, if y'ever come to visit Ista, I'll be sure to put rusty nails on the menu just for you." She's quick to frown, though, as she notices for the first time that there was someone actually trying to sell this clutch of eggs. "Oh. Poor fellow. Maybe I should buy 'im a drink after, to make up for his lost marks." As she speaks, she distractedly grabs a clump of meat from her bowl and holds it far out from herself to prevent any blood from dripping on her new dress. She tilts her head when X'lar says the name Tiriana and her eyebrows furrow in thought. "Mmm. I feel like I recognize that name. But I feel...scared for some reason."

"D'kai?" Paige returns in kind, smiling widely at the young bronzerider. "Yeah, I know! Got some meatrolls fer m'self, here, but - maybe they'll want a bit, who knows?" And as the green hatches, her eyes light up. "She looks like Tia, dun she?" Moving around people with a, "'Scuse me, " here and there, she manages to get a bit closer, offering out bits of one of her rolls hopefully. "All o'us!" she calls over to X'lar, waving. "Good t'see ya!"

Right now, it's for N'thei's pocket. Nice little velvet bag to hold it, handshake to the man that sold it, and he drops it into his vest pocket with another hmnn? toward Persie. "See if there's anything left worth eating," he suggests/demands, an elbow toward the greenrider, eyes cast outside the tent to watch everyone pushing at each other to get to the front of the firelizard fray.

Phara shrugs, collecting up her meatrolls from the vender. When the blue attacks X'lar she raises an eyebrow, taking a bite of the first meatroll and letting it dangle stupidly at her side where any voracious firelizard could find it. "No, thankfully, Tiriana didn't. Good riddance, the prat." Scoff. "It's alright. Not as cold, at least. And it's nice to stay with my wing." Not to mention a certain Wingleader. Fayre is eyed and she nods. "Appreciate that. I do like to get my daily requirement of iron."

The little green finally ceases all of her looking and starts moving, wings all aflutter and lean body bouncing along a bit on the ground. She finally finds her wings, giving them a good strong /FLAP/ -- it's enough to get her airborne ... and then to end up, nose-down on the ground in front of Paige. Oh dear!

A couple of the gaudy trinkets at hand, which are then tucked into a velvet blue pouch, Satiet drifts from the bracelets to the brocades and laces near Sunniva. Over a pile of scrap fabrics, a delicate hand sifting through them to find anything worth bargaining for, the pale-eyed weyrwoman looks to the birdlike brunette with that simple, tiny smile of a comrade-at-shopping-arms, possibly looking for the -perfect- item, then continues about her business.

"She's a green," D'kai chuckles, a little breathlessly - whether from all that meat-dangling, or just the whole excitement of the thing - "Of course she looks like Ti- oh!" The bronze-riding weyrling manages a shuffling step backward from that sudden winging approach, slightly startled. "Oh, someone's going to tromple right on her." The once-fisher looks about at the bustle and hustle and expansively moves his arms - not this way people, little fire-lizard on the lam! Though of course he does crane his neck to keep an eye on the /rest/ of the eggs.

Instinctively, Paige drops to a squat, heedless of her skirt touching a good bit of the ground. "Aw, D'kai, lookit her!" And the girl tentatively drops a few meatroll pieces onto the ground near the firelizard's head, expression alarmed. "Trample on her? Y'can' be serious! I mean - they wouldn'!" Or would they?

Persie takes another step back from N'thei, unencumbered this time by passers-by. She watches the little velvet bag disappear with some hint of relief to the way her shoulders ease back down. With resignation taking the edge off her dread, she turns to walk away, addled expression not promising any direct line toward food, in fact a brewer's booth does seem to catch her eye first.

With a pensive look, Sunniva picks through a few more things before giving up utterly, lips curving subtly into a gentle frown. The young woman isn't so oblivious to miss the presence of another shopper, earning Satiet a quick, but genuine smile and a dip of her head with that selfsame sense of cameraderie. With nothing to be had here, she ventures on, bidding the shopkeep farewell.

Despite his hunger, the brown is methodical about /everything/. Check the limbs, check the sand, check the air ... and, ah. Food. That way. With a placid ease, he sets about his quest, eyes spinning mildly -- but a bright, hungry red no less. He leaves his siblings behind, striking it out on his own way.

The Hopeful Radiance Green hatchling looks to Paige.

Neiravi was *going* to do some shopping, but she's been diverted. Maybe later. This is more interesting, and it's not like she could afford an egg in the time-honored fashion. When a chance is offered, take it. "I think she liked being compared to your green," she says to Paige. "You'll have a matched set now, big and small." In the chaos, she missed that brown.

Fayre's chestnut eyes widen just the slighest, betraying a hint of worry. "Um, well. We don't...actually serve metal objects, y'know? We have real tasty things, though, and we're always pleased to serve a hardworking rider visiting from another Weyr." She's quick to defend Ista's menu--that's her home territory, after all! Her gaze follows the green as it finds Paige and she smiles towards the Fort weyrling, raising her voice slightly so she can be heard over the noise of the hatching. "Hey! Congrats there, stranger." She smiles almost proudly when she sees Paige's knot and the rider glances towards X'lar. "Hey, I'm meetin' lots of people from Fort today. These Gather things are great for relations." All the while she's wiggling the clump of meat in her hands.

The fires that are forever consuming the Incandescent Pyre Egg begin to writhe with a real life of their own, shell shards splintering and falling away like so much ash. From the ruins comes a robust gold firelizard, wings flaring imperiously.

Rejuvenated Spark Gold Hatchling This gold firelizard is an energetic, fiery thing, composed of sleek lines and a solid frame. Voluptuous by firelizard standards, she's enrobed in a pure and lucid gold, with freckles of red-gold dotting her muzzle and speckled along her neck like so many sparks. Her hue is otherwise unwavering until it reaches her wings -- there, the sails are heated to a white-gold brilliance at the trailing edges, while the spars are darkened to near-bronze. It is her tail which might get her in some trouble, being overly long and whippy -- just perfect to knock things over with or to smack others in the face with if they aren't careful.

X'lar tries to feed the spirited lighting blue at the same time as trying to feed himself. It looks awkward, but Xie still manages. He tosses another grin in Fayre's direction before waving a meatroll at Paige, sending crumbs onto his shoulders. The Fortian green weyrling is given another glance as the green firelizard finds her, making X'lar chuckle softly before wincing at the blue again, "Shells, /alright/." Phara gets another look after feeding the blue a bit more raw meat, saying to the Fortian bluerider: "Oh, T'rev made the shift as well? Good for him. I can see Fort being just as good of a fit for him as Telgar." In his looking around, X'lar finally notices Satiet, making the teenager go pale very briefly. All the more reason to return his attention to the new gold, muttering: "Shells, what a pretty hide that one has."

Niena smiles in congratulations to Paige, then gives a small frown at Phara's comment about Tiriana, before noticing Persie going for the drinks, which evokes a knowing smile. "They'll be rich from High Reaches marks today." she comments. Having exhausted the P-names, she returns her attention to the unimpressed hatchlings, and remembers to hold out her raw meat.

Neiravi has her hands full--crumbled pieces of meatroll in one hand, a whole one in the other, and that pouch of spices she purchased before the hatching broke out is dangling dangerously by one cord from her belt. "Oh shells," she murmurs, trying to free a few fingers. "If I step on anyone, I apologize--" That gold, fiery and freckled, gets a fascinated, hopeful look...but the spices must be saved, so she drops the whole 'roll on top of the broken one and starts securing the pouch.

Phara glances at Fayre in surprise, her eyebrows raising. "Um. I don't actually eat nails." She offers gently. "Though, I do enjoy eating. Lots." The brown firelizard barreling away from his nest is eyed with some amusement. "Well, there's a 'lizard who knows what he wants at least. Nasty things though they are." She sighs, watching X'lar, her own meatroll still hanging forgotten at her side. "Yeah, yeah, T'rev made it. He's a little down about it, I think. Telgar was his home. He said it felt weird, us being somewhere else. Telgar's where we met, where we stood together. It's where Mecaith hatched, and where he's been riding since he was 17. I can understand his trepidation." She shrugs her bare shoulders, setting off the jingling of her necklace again. Then the gold is eyed, and another shrug. "Eh, not as cool as a dragon."

"Awh, look at you go, Paige!" Grinning, D'kai digs back into his bowl of scraps, all the more eager now that his peer has one, too. He lifts his head, peering about for that little brown, but that peremptory entrance to life by the gold pulls at his attention. "Ohh, doesn't she?" Possibly in response to X'lar, even the lad, too, attempts to feed himself and still lure the firelizards ever closer. Jingle, jangle, goes the meat. Come closer, darlings. Because he's such a /reliable, responsible/ young man, isn't he?

Hm. He reaches a fork in the road, this brown does; to go this way or that, that is the question. Or perhaps not -- he /is/ a firelizard, after all. The dangling bits of meat over /there/ are entrancing to him and, thus, he goes, wings spanning wide as he closes the distance between himself and Fayre. Get up there to get the meat? Oh, no. He'll let her come down to him, if she's ready. He'll wait. ... for a little while, anyway.

The white crescent on the Celestial Shroud Egg threatens to widen in protest to its dark bindings. One twitch, two, and then the darkness relents, making way for a light bronze hatchling that takes a moment to acquaint himself with his limbs.

Dawn's Light Bronze Hatchling Light dances off this bronze's pale hide, highlighting the way the watery hues of his hide have been so delicately layered. His neckridges are tipped in darker bronzen shades, but that soon gives way to a luminous, pale hue that drapes over the rest of him and grows more refined and pure as it travels the length of his robust frame. There's a slight quirk to his colouration that lends it a peachy undertone, though this isn't plainly evident unless the light is just right. His wingsails are likewise accented with that subtle colouration, rendering his hide evocative of sunrise -- if that sunrise were reflected in a bronze mirror.

Paige carefully scoops up the little green and straightens back up with a little 'whew, ' trying to break up the rest of her meatroll into pieces and help the hatchling untangle her wings and get them folded. "Guess so, " she agrees with Neiravi, offering the other a cheery smile. "Paige, Tiasheth's." Head turning this way and that at various calls, she gives Fayre a grin in thanks, eventually maneuvering her way more toward the back of the crowd in an attempt to get a bit more space.

Fayre's eyes again widen, though this time it's thanks to the little gold hatching. "Y'know, you usually gotta be worried about the claws and teeth on these things. But that one's tail...I think that's what you gotta look out for. It's a bit like a switch to be used on unruly youngsters, ain't it?" She suddenly cracks into a grin at this idea. "Mmm. That'd be funny, a 'lizard goin' around whackin' people who misbehave." She moves her meat-holding hand towards her chin as if she wants to scratch it thoughtfully, but she remembers just in time that it's currently occupied by raw meat. Instead, she just notes, "Kind of reminds me of Malsaeth's hide, she does." Fayre smiles sheepishly at Phara and is about to explain herself...until she's interrupted by that brown moving her way. Her smile turns less embarrassed and more endearing as she extends her meat-bearing hand towards the 'lizard.

N'thei, well wide of the gobs of people with their gobs of meat, is a lot less prone to distraction than Persie. She's caught sight of the brewer and he's got a blindspot in that direction, the look he essays to the greenrider questioning her intention there. "Saw the bakers trying to get up a banner earlier this afternoon, just this way." A way that shades toward the edges of the booths rather than right in the thick of them. Getting help from a booth near the firelizards would be nigh impossible, with people still buying out the stock of meatrolls.

While the young gold and the equally newly hatched bronze briefly share a 'chat' -- which involves biting at each other, evidently -- they part to go their separate ways. The bronze is especially particular, muzzle lifted as he seeks just that /one/ thing he wants ... while the gold seems to snub most of the offerings -- meatrolls? Please!

The Transcendental Clay Brown hatchling looks to Fayre.

Niena grins at Fayre as she seems to have firelizard in hand, then looks back at the two newest lizards. The meatrolls have been denied by one, but she's holding raw meat. She wriggles it enticingly toward both, muttering about the unfairness of shiny things at this gather.

Persie blinks back at N'thei as if she didn't realize that his order/suggestion meant for them both to eat instead of just sending her off and out of his hair. She lifts both hands to tuck blonde hair behind her ears on either side and gives a weak nod as she changes direction to follow him. With only one backward glance for the brewer's booth and those delicious mind-numbing wares.

Neiravi has nothing to offer save meatrolls, so she shrugs helplessly and continues to hold out her food-laden hand. "Neiravi of Fort," she answers Paige, who may or may not hear her in the excitement. "Well-met and congratulations...come on, I'm right here!" Just a tad of frustration. How hard can it be to lure something just-hatched with a tiny brain?

"You do enjoy eating," Xie comments. "Lots. And that's why you're my friend, Phara." He gives her a brief grin before suddenly frowning, asking of the word trepidation: "Trep... Trepi-what?" X'lar glances to the weyrlings again curiously, nodding once to D'kai before returning his attention to the blue firelizard in his lap, chuckling softly as he mutters to it: "Mal's just going to /love/ you." He glances toward Fayre and laughs softly, saying, "And I'm guessin' Lieryth will love that little brown too. I like that color too." He looks to Fayre and offers: "Paige's the one who barfed on the sands. She's cool." The bronzerider feeds himself a bit, nipping at a meatroll.

Rolling with a tide it can no longer control, the Mournful Tide Egg submits to forces far beyond its control and falls apart. A green 'lizard is left behind, bewildered and blinking as if to say 'I didn't mean to do /that/'.

Effervescent Elixir Green Hatchling Fey green washes over this rather pear-shaped green firelizard, bubbling over in brilliantly smooth tones of absinthe. Her dainty features and sleek neck pour into a rotund body, complete with a wide stance that lends her a comically enthusiastic waddle. Flecks of chartreuse dot her hide like bubbles, gathering densely at her neckridges and smattering across her muzzle like freckles. Her wings are rounded, coloured a glassy green and held together with slightly darker spars -- that darker colour manifests again on her tail, enwrapping the length of that chubby appendage like a ribbon.

There's just too many people for Satiet to keen to X'lar's notice of her, particularly as she finds some pieces of leftover fabric that would make ribbons and other nice, inexpensive presents for little girls. These too get bought and tucked into her velvet blue pouch with small words of thanks to the vendor, before she's distancing herself further from the firelizard crowds.

Phara eyes the brown approaching Fayre and cringes just a little. "You two are bad luck." She tells them, moving to the side away from the two and their newly aquired pets. The two remaining lizards are /eyed/ in that beady way she has whenever any of those 'flying food traps' are around. "Anyone wat a good laugh?" She asks of her companions, and then, quite sarcastically, pulls a bit of meat from her meatroll and leans forward, offering it with an insincere wag to attract the attention of the hatched firelizards.

The bronze sniffs about a bit more and, unsurprisingly, seems to adore the scent of meatrolls. A sample bite of Neiravi's is met with a funny face -- okay, it /smells/ better than it tastes -- but it's still enough. It's the thought that counts, right? Of course it is! Now, if he can just get at the goodness /inside/, he'll be happy.

Niena notices the bronze moving toward meatrolls and turns her attention to the gold, dropping the current piece of meat and pulling out another bit which she holds in the gold's direction. And moves in what she apparently considers an enticing motion.

D'kai chuckles a bit at that by-play between the clutchsiblings, though with Paige gone, he just kind of swivels his head around with a vague smile to all the other fire-lizard hopefuls: you all see that? But he's quickly back to the tempting shake-shake dangle of meat, a bit oblivious to the spattering of red dripping onto his shoes. "Yum, yummy meat. Yum, yum." Because that's what they all want, isn't it? Yummy meat? Phara recieves a bemused sort of half-grin, though Neiravi's luck with that little bronze earns a cheery, "Oh, good on you!" for the girl.

Now that she has a baby firelizard occupying her time, Fayre has no more use for her bowl of raw meat. After scooping a bit out to give to her brown, she offers what's left to Neiravi with a smile. "Oy, have any use for the stuff I got left? I don't want to attract any more of 'em my way." She snickers X'lar's way as she returns to feeding her new brown. "Hey, you're not supposed to spill someone's embarassing secrets. In front of 'em, that is. Pleasure to meet you, Paige. I'm Fayre, and if Xie gives you any trouble, lemme know. I'll find a way to get back at 'im. An' I've seen plenty of candidates lose more than just their stomach's contents on the sands, and most of 'em don't walk away with a dragon." She quirks an eyebrow at Phara's antics, trying to hold back a laugh. "If one does come stumblin' your way, don't worry. They really ain't so bad."

The last of the firelizards gives a slow blinking of all of her lids, the green just barely managing to glide her way down to the ground without landing with too much difficulty. The absinthe-hued thing waddles a bit, wavering this way and that with a hungry chirrup. Food? Please? Someone? Because, that's quite a long walk ...

Paige returns Neiravi's introduction with a quick, "Nice t'meetcha, Neiravi!" and Fayre's with a sheepish grin accompanied by muttered thanks before weaving around a few eager people in the back who push forward to try to get a clearer view of the hatchlings - and to no doubt provide them with a clearer view of their meat, as well. Tearing through the remainder of that first meatroll, the tiny hatchling still nestled in her hands seems to be slowly growing more sated; the frantic wheeling of her eyes slows to a speedy spin as she attacks the leftover crumbs, accidentally nipping the weyrling's hand in the process, earning her a yelp.

Neiravi looks up from her belt pouch to find a new acquaintance eating from her hand. Just what she's always wanted! "Oh! All right--hold on a bit--and don't eat my fingers--" She scrapes the filling from the meatroll, and while the little bronze gobbles that, she takes Fayre's excess meat with a grateful smile. "Thank you, goldrider. I appreciate it--hey, I said to leave my fingers alone!"

The Dawn's Light Bronze hatchling looks to Neiravi.

As for the gold? Well, she's making her rounds ... but those rounds are bringing her inexorably closer to Niena, who has the raw meat that'll let her keep her girlish- er, 'lizardly figure? Hm. Tail whipping just a bit, she makes her move, maw opened as wide as possible -- and quite liable to nip a finger or two, while she's at it.

Niena gives a yipe as she gets nipped, but to her credit does not fling the source of said bite. With a wince she does, however, pull out another piece of the meat and say, much as she did when Masoth was first hatched. "Here, chew." Tihs time, though, she adds "But not my finger, please."

The Rejuvenated Spark Gold hatchling looks to Niena.

Failing at the whole 'find something to spend marks on' game -- which isn't terribly difficult for Sunniva to manage, quite honestly -- the young woman starts to make her way to where she supposes D'kai's most likely to be. She moves quickly, threading her way through the gathered throng with her head dipping and a 'pardon me' murmured every time she hastens past. As she nears the point of firelizard devastation, she slows, blinking with confusion at all the 'lizards and meat and oh, no, there had better not be blood on the /ground/!

Phara smirks at Fayre as the gold passes her by, "Yeah, so they say." She shrugs, and gives the meat another little wiggle. "I figure it's only a matter of time before the firelizard population explodes and they become a delicacy. Roasted, fried, baked into a pie." Nodnod. "Well, anyways." The green is glanced at. "Bennath likes them, for some reason. They're 'zippy' like him, he says."

Ah! There goes the gold, to a girl D'kai doesn't recognize but offers a congratulatory grin and waggle of his (slightly blood-stained) fingers. The last little green, so piteously hungry-looking, earns a little laugh from the boy. "Come on, darling, you can do it. We can't all go to you, you know." Nope. But I'll wave a stripe of meat at you!

Fayre nods her head at Neiravi and then again at the bronze that's moved her way. "Anytime, dear. And congratulations! Pretty fella." All the while, she's keeping a wary eye on the gold hatchling. She's not eager to get whipped by that tail, and so a sigh of relief is let out when it finds its way to Niena. Fayre is still a little nervous about all this dripping, bloody meat being around her outfit, and thus her feeding setup with her brown is a little odd. She's using the firelizard as a barrier of sorts and looping her arm around it so that the meat is on the side of the brown farthest from her orange dress. "Well, along with no metal foods, I don't think we'll ever be serving 'lizard meat. Least not at Ista." This is directed towards Phara, though the rider's gaze stays on her firelizard.

The greenling settles on her plump haunches, huffing a little with the exertion of moving so much in such a short span of time. Nevermind that her siblings managed it without a hint of difficulty. It's just that enticing /smell/ of meat that finally compels her to move. Oh, /fine/, make me /move/, or so her body language seems to say. When she finally gets to D'kai, she's already worn out -- but not too worn out to gorge herself silly!

The Effervescent Elixir Green hatchling looks to D'kai.

Niena smiles back at D'kai, saying softly "And two turns ago I couldn't imagine ever being important enough to have a firelizard at all." Then she glances at Phara and says "Don't mention that too loudly, now that the pass is over. It's going to be enough trouble justifying dragons' existence, if former intervals are any indication."

"It's not embarrassing, Fayre," X'lar tells his clutchmate. "... it's /cool/." He gives Paige a wide appreciative grin before glancing back to Fayre. He opens his mouth about to speak again, but thankfully the little spirited blue quickly needs his attention again. He grins to Niena and the gold, offering, "Congrats, Niena." And then to D'kai, Xie adds: "... and guy I don't know." He lifts a hand in greeting before offering, "I'm X'lar."

People who haven't picked up firelizards at least find other ways to console themselves. Those booths nearest the hatchlings have done a mean bit of business while the crowd thins, while they pick up trinkets on their way down the rows. Filtering through the throngs now that the shouts are dying down, the sounds of hawkers calling wares mixes with the distant-but-distinct twirl of nearby dancing music.

Phara eyes Niena. "Well, if people can't take a joke, they're stupid." She informs the woman who impressed the gold lizard. "Dragons are far more important than those greedy, nasty things. At least they /do/ something. And I'd be happy to set anyone who thinks otherwise straight." Gaze lowered at the bluerider from Reaches. "/You/ shouldn't even suggest such a thing anyways." A sniff, and she turns to move off and eat her meatrolls on an empty bench.

Shopping complete, firelizards all hatched and found new homes, Satiet's finally made her way through most of the craft alley and down towards the main gather grounds.

Paige, edging away from the outskirts of the firelizard crowd, rather misses X'lar's appreciative grin, but offers Sunniva a beam as she catches sight of her, quickly turning her steps toward Berit's sister. "Sunniva! Yer here!" Then, slightly more breathlessly: "Yer dress ... s'beautiful!" Cradled snugly in two small, warm hands, the green hatchling finishes stuffing herself and curls up comfortably, eyes blinking drowsily.

Madilla and an older, shorter woman weave their way through the booths, the apprentice carrying a basket of purchases and staring around in round-eyed wonder at -- well, everything. Delifa, the Journeywoman Healer, pauses at another booth, lifting a skein of fine wool to examine against the light; Madilla turns to watch people disperse from the firelizard hatching, curiosity visible, though she obediently waits for her mentor.

Neiravi is feeding the bronze with one hand and gesturing very quickly to a stallkeeper with the other. Laughing, the man takes a coin from her and passes her a pretty black scarf with blue and green embroidery along the edges. In a few minutes, she's rigged up a sling of sorts so her hatchling can lounge and doze in comfort. "Well, maybe no dancing for a while," she says wryly to him. "But you'll make up for that. Yours is lovely too, goldrider," she tells Fayre, a little late. "They all are."

N'thei, big mouthful stuffed in his cheek, gets a glance of Madilla over the heads of however many people are jammed between him and the young healer, and he tells Persie absently, "Know that girl." But dancing! Party music! He's generally if sloooowly headed in that direction.

"Oh. I didn't /mean/ it," D'kai says, a bit startled, as the green waddles on towards him. But, okay - I'll take it - his shrug seems to say as he collects up the little fire-lizard, digging into his bowl of scraps to offer, piece of piece, the green her first meal. "D'kai, bronze Mikhuth's," he replies, to X'lar, and then with a vague sort of waggle of his head, everyone else unknown to him. But his attention, for the most part, is fixed on the 'lizard, as he scuffles to get a bit of room out of the way of the commotion so he might sate his new, ah, acquisition.

Fayre's brown gives a pitiful little 'I'm full and sleepy' yawn before curling up in the hook of her arm and falling asleep. Her shoulders lose some tension and slump downwards. Ahh. She doesn't have to deal with raw meat any more. The rider ditches what she has left and gently gets to her feet, so as not to disturb her new companion, and grabs a few nearby napkins to wipe down her hands to clean them of blood. Her face lights up when Neiravi gets the idea to pay the former clutch owner. With a grin, she tosses a small denomination of a mark his way as well. She turns back to Neiravi, saying, "Why thank you, kind stranger. I'm Fayre, by the by. If y'wanna do me a real big favour, you could come up with a name for this fella." She raises her arm bearing the brown firelizard. "'less you're too busy coming up with one for your own."

A quizzical sound escapes the young woman as she hears her voice, eyes widening just a little until they settle -- with notable relief -- on Paige. "Oh! Paige! Hello!" The greeting is cheerful, paired with a sheepish little wave as Sunniva takes a hesitant step closer. The compliment earns a brief flush of colour to her cheeks and a dip of her head. "Oh! Why, thank you. You look rather lovely yoursef, today," she assures with a warm smile, her eyes flicking from Paige's face down to the green in her hands. Blink. "... a firelizard? How did you ever get one of those?"

X'lar spots Sunniva in his watching of Paige before returning his attention to the satisfied spirited blue firelizard, the older girl receiving a surprised look. The bronze rider's attention returns to himself as gets up a little awkwardly while eating another meatroll. Those pastries did seem to vanish quickly. To D'kai, X'lar tosses an amiable grin. "Nice to meet you, D'kai," X'lar offers. He takes a number of steps back, out of the chaos of the firelizard crowd as well.

Neiravi squints down at the bronze, who's sound asleep and making a whistly little noise as he breathes. "His name is...Beck, I think. He looks like a Beck. Yours looks like..." Another squint. "...Raku, maybe? Or Benyar? I've never been asked to name anything before." Laughing, she adds "And my name is Neiravi, of Fort. Very glad to meet you, in circumstances like this."

Persie eats without enthusiasm, breaking off a little piece here and a little piece there and ultimately handing over the rest for N'thei to cram in his mouth. She watches the noted girl pass and gives a little nod, but generally she's still subdued as she follows his lead in the general direction of dancing. At least she's starting to glance at the booths they walk by. Another of those cheap glass jewelry stands catches her eye and she frowns to herself.

Paige likewise gives an abashed grin for the return of the compliment, carefully tipping hatchling and what's left of her meatroll into one hand to twitch self-consciously at her pale skirt that's now edged with bits of dust and dirt after having met the ground for a short period. "There was a basket back tha'a ways with eggs, " she points over to where the remains of the clutch rest, "and everyone jus' kinda swarmed in tha' direction. So I followed and - ain' she purty?" There's a thoughtful look soon after. "Y'plannin' on a'dancin' any?"

Phara finishes her impromptu meal and daintily wipes her fingers off on a hankercheif to keep her gather dress clean. She returns the basket the food came in to the vender and then sways down the row of booths, browsing more than attracted to any one thing at this point.

Madilla makes a vaguely confused sort of face, her attention in the right direction at the right time to notice Persie's nod, but failing to notice N'thei pointing her out. Anyway: Delifa is on the move again, though this time she takes the basket from the girl, telling her, "Go off and enjoy yourself. Have fun." Madilla looks, for a moment, truly terrified. Whatever more the Journeywoman tells her gets lost to the crowd - but she pushes her away, gently, and the girl begins to move into the sea of people, glancing this way and that.

Another "Oh," escapes the Holdbred lass, who leans in a bit to look at the wee green, but keeps her hands resolutely to herself. Sunniva wonders of Paige, "Oh, she /is/ lovely. What have you decided to name her?" Green eyes flick back up to Paige and the young woman straightens again, hands folding demurely before her. "I rightly don't know if I will. I suppose it all depends on any prospective dance partners." Her head tilts. "Do you dance at all?"

Fayre mmms thoughtfully and gazes down at the brown, hoping inspiration will come. She nods slowly, "Raku is...almost it. I think he's too solid lookin' to end with a vowel, though. Y'know? Maybe...Raken? Or Ruken? Hmm. I think Ruken is the better o' those two, an' it still sounds like your good suggestion." Fayre isn't so absorbed in her new charge that she's forgotten about her buddy X'lar, though, and she notices him meeting a new person. Well, a person she doesn't recognize, anyway. "Oy, how come you're so much better at meetin' new folk, Xie? It ain't fair." She nods towards the unfamiliar bronzerider. "I'm Fayre."

Probably coincidence that, right when Sunniva and Paige start talking about dance-partners, a cluster of gents in their twenties at best are hovering in range. They all have the corn-fed look of holder lads about them, wearing hand-me-down gather clothes, their natural sunburns made worse by the bright blushing when they finally get the nerve to approach. Two of them hem and haw and finally the older of the two just blurts out, "We wanna dance with you girls." Ahh, good ol' country bumpkins.

Neiravi looks up at X'lar and smiles, quick and mischievous. "Say you have meatrolls, that will get his attention again. Ruken is a good-sounding name. Predatory." Because nothing says 'predator' like sleeping baby fire lizards, to be sure.

"I just travel more than you, Fayre," X'lar remarks, grinning back at his clutchmate. "Besides, I talk. A /lot/. Sometimes people just can't get away from me because of it." There's a brief laugh at this before going on to make introductions for D'kai, "D'kai, this is Fayre, rider of Lieryth. Fayre, this is D'kai." He looks to his blue again before chuckling softly, telling Fayre, "I think I'm going to call him Spirit. Because he really does seem to have a lot of it." He glances to Neiravi and looks around himself, saying, "Not any more! I /ate/ them." Unlike the bumpkins talking to Paige and Sunniva, dancing appears the farthest thing from X'lar's mind.

"I dunno what t'call her, " admits Paige, peeking back down at the hatchling. "I was thinkin' - maybe I'll figure one out later. Somethin' - green, though." Naturally! As for the other holdbred girl's inquiry, her expression just lights up. "I love dancin', " she answers earnestly, "and I was a'wonderin' if'n y'could watch her fer me if'n yer not dancin' when I am or - or somethin'. Dun wanna disturb her rest." About to say something more, she instead stares wide-eyed at the young men who approach, blinking bemusedly at them for a moment. "Oh! Er, I'd be glad t'dance with y'all, " she says quickly, all enthusiasm.

"And you, X'lar." The new aquaintance recieves a brilliant grin from D'kai even as he tickles at the green fire-lizard's stomach, who merely flops over in the crook of his elbow. "S'not hard," the lad nods, "You just go and say hi, or your name, or whatever, and unless they're a complete cad," (which clearly I am not, the breezy wave of his hand, says) "Then you've made a new friend! Well met, Fayre." He begins to offer his hand, but - oh, oh. But someone else's caught his attention, Deke rocking a bit forward on his toes so he might spy a pair of girls a bit farther distant. He lifts a hand in greeting, calling, "Sun-" but the name is suddenly broken off by the approach of those two asking Paige and Sunniva to dance. "Oh. Huh." Deke turns back. "Anyway. Oh, I guess we do have to name them, don't we?" The lad looks a bit bedazzled by this prospect.

Neiravi just smiles, and lets herself fade back into the background. Once baby lizards are dealt with, she can get back into the social whirl.

"Oh, well I would be more than happy to-" She starts to say to Paige and then ... oh dear. Head lifting, Sunniva regards the two gentlemen with an even expression, one best described as 'aloof' in the way that only one of her particular rearing can manage. "While the offer is appreciated, I must decline-" D'kai's presence is noted from the corner of her eye, a hand lifting briefly to him with a sudden and bright smile. Which ... he probably misses, but hey. To the gentlemen, she adds, "My apologies," in a curt tone, her gaze flicking to Paige, only to regain its warmth. "As I was saying, I would be more than happy to watch her while you were dancing."

"Ruken it is, then. I have a Jaida, too. She's a green one. I think the names go well together, 'cause neither is all that short or long." Fayre muses out loud and, now that her hand is clean of bloody meat, she's free to thoughtfully tap her chin. "They look so innocent when they sleep, don't they? You'd never guess they're little finger biters." She rolls her eyes at X'lar and cracks a grin. "Oh please, Xie. You think you talk more than me? /Me/? But anywho. It's a pleasure to meet you, D'kai." There's a smirk for the holders asking the two to dance nearby, though there's also just a hint of jealousy hidden in that smirk. "My, my. Who knew a person could resemble a redfruit so much, eh?" She's referring to the poor boys' blushing, of course. "Seems those two beat you to the punch for dancin', eh D'kai? And Spirit is a nice name, X'lar. Suits him well, I think."

"Great!" Aw-shucksy in voice and smile, the tall kid throws his elbow out toward Paige just like his momma raised him, leaving his stockier brother to blush that much brighter when he turns to Sunniva. "N-no?" His feet scuff the ground dejectedly while watches his brother doing a heckuva lot better. "Um. All right then." All he can hope is that the crowd will swallow him up before his ears light on fire with red embarrassment.

X'lar leans back a bit now, as the crowd comes and goes, the conversations a-brew. X'lar nods once more to Fayre, telling her: "Oh trust me. I talk /way/ more. Ask Phara." But soon his attention is focused upon the two bumpkins and the green weyrling, as well as Sunniva. He winces as he watches the poor tall kid and his brother get rejected by the green weyrling and her friend. "Ouch," X'lar offers. "That had to hurt." He rubs at his right arm before moving fluidly into a booth with glassware in it.

"Redfruit, yeah." D'kai echoes with a distant nod, and then a poorly-concealed grin as that other boy is turned away. "Maybe not," he says, to Fayre, with a bit of a chuckle. "Not that I'm all that good of a dancer, myself." The rotund green nuzzles into the lad's arm, and he automatically runs a long finger against her head. From his pocket he produces a meatroll, which he chews on thoughtfully while he nods. "Spirit, Ruken. Good names." There's theirs else settled, but what about him? "I think I'll think on this little one for a while, unless anyone else has any suggestions?" And that's the floor open to discussion.

Fayre stubbornly shake-shake-shakes her head. "No way. Noooo way. I'm the gossipin' one of us two! All you talk about is meatrolls anyhow." She'd certainly fold her arms if there wasn't a sleeping firelizard in one of them. She takes note of D'kai's expression and tone and glances between the rider and where he's looking. "Hmm. Why do I get the feeling y'wanna go ask that gal to dance? Go on and do it, before another silly holder asks!" She shoos the bronzerider with her free hand, though she still partakes in the whole 'name suggestion' business--so maybe she's not too determined to be rid of the man. "Mmm. Naru?"

"Oh, great, " Paige says, relieved, carefully reaching over to pass the drowsing green and what's left of her remaining meatroll to Sunniva. "Thank ya! If'n yer still over here, I'll come and find ya afterwards - or uh, come find me near the square - somethin!" And with a grateful smile for her, she turns her attention to the tall guy, tucking her hand into his arm with a beam the way her mother taught her. "Paige, green Tiasheth's, " she introduces politely, following easily wherever he leads them.

On second thought, the rebuffed boy doesn't look so dreadful when he hears Paige's introduction, his attention snapping up while he peeeeers back at what turns out to be a greenrider, then rushes to shake his head at his brother. The taller lad waves off his warnings and keeps going, answers pleasantly, "Lovely to meetcha, Paige, didn't know you were from the Weyr." As if they were all one massive organism. "'M Henrit, that's my brother Garrim. Prolly you're good at fast dances, huh?"

X'lar returns from the glassware booth, holding a wooden box in one hand and the new firelizard in the other, grumbling under his breath. He makes his way through the crowd back to Fayre, asking her: "What'd you end up calling your firelizard, Fayre?" The bronzerider sets the small wooden chest down to juggle the blue to his other arm.

Hiking her skirts up just a bit with a gloved hand, Sunniva inclines her head to Paige. The firelizard and roll are taken up in her other hand, with a slight grimace -- crumbs! On her gloves! -- being quickly masked with a warm, amiable smile. "Enjoy yourself!" With slight twitch of her skirts, she excuses herself, the green napping in the curve of her elbow and the meatroll held daintily between her fingers. She watches Paige go with a final look and then she's on the move, picking her way with ladylike haste to where she spotted D'kai and his company, her head bowed just enough to conceal her face with her hair -- as if that might somehow help deflect further dance offers.

N'thei's made his way, presumably still with Persie, away from booths toward dance-square.