August 4, 2004
Clutching, continued.

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From the galleries, Kaiel casts one last look on the egg he'd been so tranced by earlier before he pushes his bulk up off the bench and stretches, rubbing at the back of his neck and swiping his forehead with a 'kerchief. Moving with the steady flow of people, he eventually makes it down toward the bottom tier and from there the stairs. Taken slowly this time, it's probably safe to say he reaches the bottom without the panting, perspiring image he'd given going up them.

From the galleries, Kaiel heads down the steps in the tunnel to the living cavern.

"She's pretty tired, yeah," Kiora replies, standing on tip-toe to stroke Siramyth's eyeridges. "She'll have a good sleep tonight." The gold's tail slides out to meet Arisvath, and she makes another quiet noise of approval. "There's more than she might have been expecting, I think, but she'll be just fine tomorrow, no worries."

From the galleries, "As opposed to not - tough to tell right off, though. Wouldn't want to say 'good' right off, be wrong." Emani shrugs, standing and stretching idly as she surveys the 'decent' eggs. She hops down a few recently cleared rows, to peer a bit closer.

R'hyn nods solemnly, giving Siramyth a sympathetic glance. "Shall I leave you in peace, then? Arisvath'll stay, I just don't... want to be in the way, or anything."

From the galleries, "Hmm," Olwyn finally says after a long pause beside Yasmin, "I think I am going to work a few ideas down for tomorrow." She studies the eggs a long moment again and then smiles up to her friend, "Coming?" Yasmin shakes her head, "No, I think I would like to stay here a bit longer and take it all in." A sidelong look is given Iker, and then she looks back to Olwyn, "Besides, no doubt you want to go find Sean and learn what kept him from such a magnificent clutching. He better have a good excuse!" She laughs. Olwyn chuckles too and then nods, "I'll see you later then," waving as she makes her way out of the benches and back into the interior proper.

Kiora looks smug as Siramyth's eyelids start to droop. "She's going to take a bit of a nap, I think, and I'm going to get something to eat before she starts getting fussy again. You want to come, maybe?" Food and all. It's good. And gloating and stuff. "Or if you've got other stuff to do, s'okay. Maybe I'll bring something back here."

From the galleries, N'thri admits frankly to Emani's back, "I have no idea what you're talking about. Eggs're eggs." With that eloquent declaration said, he looks back down at his hide, digging around in his other pocket till he finds a stubby, broken pencil.

"I left in a bit of a hurry," admits R'hyn, almost guiltily. "So there are a couple of things I should get done. I'll see you later, though? You should definitely celebrate."

Kiora nods, not looking particularly bothered. "S'okay. I'd hate to keep you from, ah, finishing stuff, and stuff. That's important." Right. "I'll see you ... well. Y'know. Eventually." Beam.

From the galleries, Spotting Yasmin, Iker casually makes his way over till he's standing next to the seamstress. "Nice clutch, ain't it?" he says by way of greeting, eyes roving a bit over the girl. "Funny, how a bunch of eggs can bring such an audience. Did ya win any bets with this one?"

R'hyn smiles quickly, looking tired. "Absolutely. Look after yourself." He trots off, picking up his jacket on his way past.

You leave behind the heat of the Sands.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Emani turns to look at N'thri, countering brilliantly, "No, they're not." Duh! It's then that she notices the pencil and the hide, eyeing him curiously. "What's all this, then?" She waves what he's doing, turning back, not to eye the clutch now, but to watch what Iker and Yasmin're doing. Always good to know.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Yasmin grins and nods to Iker, then looks back at the clutch as he speaks, "An audience, yes, indeed. I think everyone who lives works in a weyr feels a little parental about a clutching. Perhaps that's why." Then she chuckles, turning her attention more fully on the potter next to her, "Bets? No. I never have much luck so rarely participate in the betting pool. Did you?"

Arisvath> From the galleries, N'thri doesn't do more than scribble a few seconds before he pops his head back up, also looking toward Iker and Yasmin. "Did you say you wanted in the betting pool?" He gets up presently, leaving his wineskin and his still mostly full cup on the bench as he starts clambering over empty rows toward the duo, telling Emani as he goes, "You got any money? If so, I'll tell you."

Arisvath> From the galleries, T'ren stretches as he stands from the bench he was camped on for the clutching. He starts down the stairs slowly, jamming his hands into his pockets and muttering about the evil things he'll do to Faelan if he gets his hands on her. He doesn't stop to talk to anyone, just straight down to the living caverns.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Iker shrugs evasively, but there is a smile playing about his lips. "Oh, I maybe threw in a bit of a mark here and there. Can't really remember" His attention is drawn as the blue rider approaches, and the smile perhaps wavers a bit as he sizes up the other man. Nevertheless, his eyes show a spark of interest. "Well, not too much. And I'd want to think a bit... what kind of pool d'ya got going?"

Arisvath> From the galleries, Emani fairly pouts, hopping along the benches after N'thri. "Aw, you're no fun." Then, suddenly, her eyes light up, and she's smiling at the bluerider, all lovely and sweet. "D'you make a lot from this? Like, are you gonna buy me stuff?" To Iker, she says cheerfully, "A good one." Never mind that she didn't know about it a minute ago.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Yasmin turns her attention to N'thri and then Emani as they approach. She shakes her head to the question, but remains quiet as Iker seems more interested in betting than she, herself. She pays attention though, openly curious.

Arisvath> From the galleries, N'thri reveals the hide; if there were trumpets on Pern, they'd sound a clarion call at this. It's just a tattered thing with rows delineated on it. "Standard color distribution bets. You win, you get the loot - minus twenty-five percent, which is my take. Accourse. Got twenty-nine eggs - all you have to do is figure out how many of each color'll turn up on hatching day." He smiles like it's just that easy, including Yasmin in the smile. He adds in an aside to Emani, "I make enough to keep me in the lifestyle to which I'm accustomed."

Arisvath> From the galleries, Iker flashes a toothy smile to Emani for that assessment, and manages to not drool too much. He looks between her and the blue rider, gears almost visibly turning as he wonders if they are attached or just friends. Yet a glance at the hide pulls all of his limited attention, and the potter unconsciously picks at the perpetual clay under his nails as he considers. "Humm, I might have to get in on that." Never hurt to spread the bets around, even if he liked pools that gave a bit more leeway then straight number-color. "You'll have it open till the Hatching, right?"

Arisvath> From the galleries, Yasmin glances between the three of them as they discuss the betting pool. The blond seamstress finally makes an observation, "Well, Iker, it can't be too difficult, can it? After all, aren't there always more green dragons than any other color? I guess it could be hard to guess the ratios, though."

Arisvath> From the galleries, "You better make enough to keep me in the lifestyle to which -I'm- accustomed," Emani points out, peering around N'thri's side, wrapping her arms around the bluerider's waist - that might be the answer to the potter's unspoken question. Even so, Iker warrants a brilliant smile. "Hi." Her smile then turns on the bluerider, shading into a rather pleased, fond one - you learn something new every day. Looking over to Iker and Yasmin, she says, all-friendly-like, "C'mon - we do require a certain amount og upkeep. And I'm not gonna work any harder than -I- have to."

Arisvath> From the galleries, N'thri, to Iker, "Of course, of course. I'ma tack it up in the living cavern tonight or tomorrow morning or something. You can just scribble in your bet, and I'll collect next time I see you." He takes Emani's embrace as a matter of course, only patting her arm briefly with his free hand as he nods ambitiously at Yasmin. "Not at all, love. You've got the right idea already. Y'know there'll be plenty of greens, and obviously a gold. The rest is easy."

Arisvath> From the galleries, Iker chuckles, turning a smile towards Yasmin. "True enough - and there is certainly one color that's easy to bet on. Unless you really like a long shot, one of those twenty nine'll be gold." He gives the seamstress a playful wink, and then shakes his head at Emani's comment. "Women!" he huffs, but with obvious good nature.

Arisvath> From the galleries, The bulk of the show done, Trusilwyn left with others when the crowds started to dwindle. No. Really.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Trusilwyn heads down the stairs to the anteroom.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Emani quiets down to let N'thri do business - after all, that is a decent cut, and the more he makes, the more she can try to make him spend on -her-.

Arisvath> From the galleries, "Alright, sounds like a deal," Iker nods to N'thri. "'Names Iker, by the way," he adds in case the bluerider hadn't caught it from Yasmin. Brushing his palm reflexively across his pant leg, he offers his hand to the other man. "Guess I'll be seeing you then, ...?"

Arisvath> From the galleries, Yasmin takes in each of those around her with a blue-eyed gaze, though it lingers more on Emani with a ever-slight frown tugging at the seamstress' lips. There seems to be a response to the woman only a couple turns her junior when Iker chuckles and speaks, and Yasmin decides apparently to tactfully remain quiet on the point she was about to make. As Iker and N'thri move on to actual arrange the wagering, Yasmin offers the potter an encouraging smile, "I will keep my fingers crossed for you." She looks back to N'thri and Emani and adds, "I should get going now. Take care and good luck. Iker, I hope to see you later?" She favors him with a slightly brighter smile than she did the other two.

Arisvath> From the galleries, N'thri leans to give Iker's hand a good shake, saying, "I think we met a few times before. N'thri. And I'll count on seeing you around." As in, count the mad phat dough he'll be rolling in, yo. Once the handshake is done, he takes a half step back, settling an arm around Emani - about the same time that Yasmin frowns at the dragonhealer. Coincidentally. "Room for you to bet as well if you get around to it," he tells Yasmin. "Like I said, it'll be in the living cavern."

Arisvath> From the galleries, Iker beams cheerfully at the blonde, tipping his head gratefully at her sentiment. "Sure thing, Yasmin. I still have to pick up my trousers, right?" He seems oblivious to the fact that could be taken the wrong way. "Catch you later, then."

Arisvath> From the galleries, Emani blinks at Yasmin innocently, blue eyes wide. Was the seamstress about to say anything? "I'm Emani," she says, generally, since N'thri's not introducing her or anything. Settling in against the bluerider's side, she waves genially to Yasmin. "Have a nice night, darlin'." Iker's comment does cause her to arch her brow, but is it any surprise she'd go to a bad place?

Arisvath> From the galleries, The wrong way? To judge the flicker of a smile that catches N'thri's lips, he took it totally the /right/ way. "See ya," he concludes with a quick wave, totally oblivious to the fact that it would've been polite to introduce Emani. He's clever, this bluerider.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Yasmin smiles politely to N'thri as she starts to make her way past, "I'll give it some thought and let you know." She pauses at the end of the bench and nods, "Yes, I think you'll be pleased with how they turned out," whether in genuine response or as a means to deflect any less than innocent interpretation, it might be hard to say. As in fairwell to Emani, she simply nods, "Until next time . . . don't sprain anything important, m'dear." Smiling sweetly as she heads indoors.

Arisvath> From the galleries, "Sure thing," the potter returns N'thri's shake firmly. Stepping back slightly, he lets a hand trail ever so slightly across Yasmin's lower back as he crosses closer to the exit. "Goodnight," the potter adds as he then strides rather quickly towards the exit. Did he remember to cover that clay that he'd left? Hopefully it didn't dry out!

Arisvath> From the galleries, Yasmin heads down the steps in the tunnel to the living cavern.

Arisvath> From the galleries, N'thri and Emani are among the stragglers hanging around after the big show, arms round one another as they hang out near the front railing. "I think you made a new friend," the bluerider says, his grin visible only briefly before he hides it with a kiss to the top of Emani's head.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Celeste makes her way up the stairs to the galleries, lifting her skirts out of the way as she takes each step. Her progress is slow as her eyes keep sliding out to the sands, flickering over each egg in turn. She offers those gathered a polite if somewhat restrained smile, and settles herself a bit away from the others.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Iker heads down the steps in the tunnel to the living cavern.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Emani watches the seamstress and the potter both leave, waving to Iker. "What a cow," she says, clearly. She doesn't mean Celeste, but given thier past associations, the headwoman could be forgiven for thinking that.

Arisvath> From the galleries, N'thri peers in the direction of the recently departed Yasmin, his brows raising. "I thought she was kinda cu-ow like, yes." He clears his throat, looking away abruptly so that his attention is caught by Celeste's passage. "There's twenty-nine," he informs; just being helpful - not trying to change the subject.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Celeste blinks as the cow comment reaches her ears, straightening a bit. "Evening, Emani," she says perhaps a shade coldly, one brow arching. "Who is cow-like?" The inquiry is made as indifferently as she can manage, her pale eyes flickering around as she tries to spot someone other than herself that Emani might have been referring to. N'thri gets a soft sort of smile for his offering and she nods. "Twenty-nine, a respectable clutch to be sure."

Arisvath> From the galleries, Emani's used to either insults or changing the subject - or maybe both. She shrugs a little, looking up at N'thri fondly a moment before she hears Celeste's greeting. Brushing hair over her forehead carefully, she nods. "Hey Celeste," she says, neutrally. "Oh, just some girl. She just left." It doesn't seem likely, but she's sincere enough about it. "They're all lookin' decent, too. I think this'll be a good one."

Arisvath> From the galleries, "Dunno that I'd call it a respectable clutch, but it's a fair number." N'thri's smile in return to Celeste is tempered, not quite up to its usual charm as he discusses the eggs. "There's a gold, though. Which one was it again, Em?" He looks down at the dragonhealer with an innocent blink. With one hand, he smoothes the hair on her forehead for her, just so.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Celeste eyes Emani with a hint of suspicion, then simply nods. "I see." The eggs seem a safer subject if nothing else, and she straightens a bit to get a better view. Perched on the edge of the bench with 'perfect' posture, she leans forward a bit, folding her hands daintily over one knee. "A gold is there? Well that'll be good for the Weyr I suppose. We've need of all the new pairs we can get and another gold can only help things."

Arisvath> From the galleries, Emani tries to look annoyed with N'thri - really, she does - but she's grinning far too widely for that. "You know which one," she counters, loosing one of her clasped hands to poke him in the side. "Told you - there's other ones I like too." But her gaze shifts back that way again, to the bright feathery egg. "Maybe put some people in a better mood too," she notes. "Never know."

Arisvath> From the galleries, N'thri echoes, "Can only help things." His expression is ambiguous: He smiles, but it never quite reaches his eyes. Which may have something to do with getting jabbed in the side; that can sometimes dampen a beam. He catches Emani's hand before it can do any further damage, pulling her arm back around his waist properly. "D'you gamble at all, Celeste?" he asks out of the proverbial blue.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Celeste arches a brow at Emani, then sniffs. "Goodness knows we could all use a lightening of the mood around here, hmm?" She watches the interaction between the pair with a hint of amusement, then just shakes her head at N'thri. "Well of course not. It's a terribly silly thing to do, not to mention a waste of hard earned marks. Gambling." Another little sniff shows just what she thinks of that concept, if her words didn't already convey it well enough.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Intermezzo: N'thri says eagerly, "Not if you win."

Arisvath> From the galleries, Emani watches N'thri's expression, brows arching curiously, but she doesn't ask. She merely allows her arm to be pulled about him again, holding on tightly. "I think maybe I oughta go," she muses. "Few things I gotta clear up, and you've got business." Celeste gets a bemused look. "Yeah, given the givens, I kinda think so." At the bluerider's quick and ready answer, she grins up at him.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Celeste just shakes her head, tsking in gentle admonition. "Which you can't possibly do very often given the odds. Thoug I s'pose a bet on what color will come of the gold egg is pretty sure bet." She offers a more genuine smile to Emani then, considering the fact that she's leaving. "Have a nice evening, Emani."

Arisvath> From the galleries, N'thri looks a bit distressed as Emani starts talking about leaving, blinking over at her. "Well, it's not /real/ business," he begins, wheedly. "But - if you have to go..." With a forlorn sigh, all kinds of dismal about the idea except that he still addresses Celeste promptly thereafter. "You don't have to bet much. I take 'em as low as an eighth mark. That'd be a good investment if you did win, and not much a pocket-book pinch if you lost."

Arisvath> From the galleries, N'thri looks a bit distressed as Emani starts talking about leaving, blinking over at her. "Well, it's not /real/ business," he begins, wheedly. "But - if you have to go..." With a forlorn sigh, all kinds of dismal about the idea except that he still addresses Celeste promptly thereafter. "You don't have to bet much. I take 'em as low as an eighth mark. That'd be a good investment if you did win, and not much a pocket-book pinch if you lost."

Arisvath> From the galleries, "You can find me when you're done," Emani murmurs to N'thri, ignoring Celeste and any hostility from that quarter for now. She stands in her toes to kiss the bluerider's cheek, slipping her arms from around him slowly. "Don't -have- to have to, but just a little bit. Find me when you're headed up for the night?" To the headwoman, a touch uneasily; "Er, you too."

Arisvath> From the galleries, Celeste politely averts her eyes from the kissyface that's happening a few feet away. When Emani replies she just offers the politest of possible smiles, though it scarce reaches her eyes. "I'm sure I will, thank you." Her attention flickers back to the bluerider easily enough, and the forced smile becomes amused. "Ah, so you are the one taking the bets then are you? At least with the odds the way they are /you/ stand to profit. What sorts of things are you taking odds on?"

Arisvath> From the galleries, Just a very chaste little kiss on the cheek, which N'thri returns in kind. (Trust me; it gets a /lot/ worse.) "All right. Infirmary, or should I just stand out in the bowl and shout for you?" he guesses, releasing Emani and starting toward Celeste, already unrolling a hide from his pocket. "I just take 'em on color spread, see. Twenty-nine eggs, and you just gotta figure out how many of each color. It's good odds, since you just gotta be /closest/ - not necessarily spot-on." He glosses over the part about his profit without comment.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Emani grins, already sauntering off towards the caverns. "Infirmary - see you in a bit, then." And why not give it another go? Politely, "Night, Celeste." And she's off.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Celeste's brows arch a bit at the polite tone from Emani, but she shrugs it off and returns her attention to N'thri. "I see. And what precisely are the odds, then?" Her tone is more polite than truly interested, but she does spare him an actual smile. At least he's not calling her a cow or anything like that.

Arisvath> From the galleries, N'thri sits down on the nearest bench, holding the hide so that it can be viewed with its nice, straight lines and all. "Well, that depends on how many people bet, see. Chances of actually getting it right on the money are pretty slim, but the chances that you'll be the /closest/ - well. That's pretty good odds, I figure. And what's your beef with Emani, if I can ask?" He switches gears without interlude, looking up curiously.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Celeste blinks at the sudden change in topic, addressing his question before the betting. "Beef? I don't really have a beef with her, per se." She clears her throat softly. "I'm not particularly fond of Istans, though I suppose I do appreciate their help. I believe at one of our first meetings I said something not altogether flattering about her choice of dress or some such." A little shrug brings her shoulders slightly upward. "In general not many people are particularly fond of me though, I guess I tend to be a bit off putting."

Arisvath> From the galleries, N'thri seems sympathetic, at least. "I can relate to that. To be honest, I ain't all that fond of them myself, and was least fond of Emani for a while." Obviously, /something/ changed, but the bluerider doesn't relate what that was. "Give the kid a chance, though. Despite her whining about the weather, she fits in pretty well. Can I pencil you for an eighth-mark?"

Arisvath> From the galleries, Celeste smirks as the subject goes right back to the betting. "Well, I suppose so. Why not, right? Though... do I have to give you my guesses just now or I can I let you know after I've taken a better look at the eggs?" On the subject of Emani she lets out a little sigh. "I was nice to her tonight... mostly. Wasn't I?"

Arisvath> From the galleries, "Oh, no," says N'thri, waving his hand airily and finishing the gesture by tucking the hide into his pocket. "I'll have the hide in the living cavern after tonight, and you can just pencil yourself in whenever you wanna." He smiles his charmingest, like that'll somehow convince her. The expression lingers as he adds, "I guess so. Mostly. Obviously, I'm a little biased in her favor. Nothing personal."

Arisvath> From the galleries, Celeste flicks her fingers in a vaguely dismissive gestuer. "Well obviously. Maybe you could help me to see all her wonderfully shiny points and I'd like her as well as you... er... well, somewhat better than I do now anyhow." Another little shrug, "I don't have anything really against her though. I just have a prickly side and so does she and that doesn't make for happy feeling most times. And as for the hide, I will do that. I'll let you take the mark now though so I can't weasle out of it." She turns and fumbles through the small sack that is always over her shoulder, then hands over the eigth mark he specified.

Arisvath> From the galleries, N'thri happily accepts the mark, tucking it into his pocket for safe-keeping. "I'll make sure and note that you already paid," he assures, his winning smile still in place. "Just make sure you come and mark down your numbers so you don't get gypped outta your dough." He lets the Emani thing go, since this is - as she said - business.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Celeste chuckles lightly, a soft husky tone to the laugh. "I see. Well I appreciate your concern for my getting gypped and all. Thank you. If nothing else I suppose I might come out the better for it, eh?" With a sigh, she pushes herself to her feet and smoothes her skirts with a habitual gesture. "For now I've duties to attend to and this is quite enough egg watching for one evening. Sweet sleep and a pleasant eve to you, Bluerider." The smile she offers him is actually genuine and she dips a nod as well.

Arisvath> From the galleries, For a telling second, N'thri responds to that sweet smile with a sort of playful glint, his lips pulling into a slow smirk of his own - but then it goes away real fast and his brows knit briefly. "Old habits die hard," he explains with a quick wink. "Good night, Celeste. I'll look for your numbers," he concludes amiably.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Celeste snorts at the glint that briefly appears, her own smile turning amused as she shakes her head. "Well I didn't mean it in that way anyhow, silly dragonrider." Still, she looks quite flattered by the fact that it even occured to him, a faint rose rising in her cheeks. She clears her throat softly then nods. "I shall put them up when I get a chance tomorrow." With that she turns before she can get any pinker, and heads out.

Arisvath> From the galleries, Celeste heads down the stairs to the anteroom.

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