Something to look forward to [Open]

[Sparrow]

Nayarath had finally risen, and finally Jackie had a bit more of a reason to be a Candidate. Maybe they would get some more Candidates in as well... the barracks were a bit empty at the moment and, thus, quite dull. That left Jackie sitting cross legged on the floor of the barracks, watching Quip eat some sort of broad leaf for entertainment. Not all that great.

Naturally, Jackie had been rooting for Apolloth to win, but she wasn't horribly disappointed by the fact that he hadn't. She had simply been told (by Karisna, who she figured was a good source) that if any Tan was going to catch a Gold, it would be Apolloth, and Jackie thought it would be neat to see that happen seeing as it hadn't before.

Wuith was a perfectly good alternative- quite possibly even better, since it did seem unfair for one dragon to win two queens.

"As long as there are plenty of Greens, it'll have worked out well for me though, huh Quip?" Jackie looked down at the kagen. Quip was still occupied with eating and didn't answer.

"You were horribly named, you know that?" Quip only gave her a look. That wasn't exactly the greatest insult when the name was Jackie's fault.

[ShadowReine]

Karisna breezed into the barracks. Tan plus gold meant likely no gold egg, about which she...well. To be honest, she did not think of herself with a queen and, thus, did not care one way or another.

"Good long flight, from what I hear," she commented, her firelizards flitting and flowing around her in a dance of their own.

"Hopefully plenty of greens and barreds. I think I'd prefer a barred, if I had the choice." They seemed a little more sensible. But a green would be better than what she had walked away from the *last* Hatching with. She had, though, mostly got over that.

Mostly. "But I don't really care. Jackie, you like the greens, right?"

Wave flitted over to annoy Quip, chirpling at the kagen entirely too cheerfully. No doubt, he was catching the mood of the human to which he and his brother were bonded.

The blue and green riders...and she did wonder if barreds Searched...would be busy filling this barracks before Nayarath clutched what would, hopefully, be a good sized clutch. They definitely needed to find some *boys* to Stand or...another bronze might choose a woman. That would be quite a stir, wouldn't it.

[Sparrow]

Jackie smiled as Karisna came in. She would make far better company than Quip. Had she had the choice, Jackie would have gone out looking for her but she was... kind of in trouble at the moment. Being stuck in the Candidate barracks was far from the worst punishment she had ever received though, so she was waiting it out.

"Yeah, although I don't really see why that's any help." Wouldn't a longer flight just wear them out? Jackie didn't know a lot about dragons, but she had trouble just accepting everyone's joy over that. It didn't make much sense.

A lot of things about dragons seemed to be mysteries, or so Jackie had found thus far. It was a bit annoying. Hopefully Impressing one would help. "Yeah, I like Greens. But I sure wouldn't say no to a Barred- they are pretty."

Greens seemed to be lots more fun though, and Jackie figured she would opt for that. No one was going to lock up a Green either- being a Greenrider would pretty-much get her out of any sort of trouble.

"And from what I've heard, there ought to be a lot of them." Apparently people had low expectations for a Gold clutch sired by a Tan. She had heard people sigh about how there was no chance of a queen eggs and potential for only a few Bronzes. But hadn't Apolloth sired Bronzes? Out of a Violet, even? Jackie didn't quite get where all these complaints came from.

Quip crouched and snuffled at Wave uncertainly, not entirely sure what she thought of the young flitter coming along and suddenly attacking her with noise.

[ShadowReine]

Kari shook her head. "I don't know exactly how it works myself, but a long flight means more eggs." She considered that. "I dunno. Have we had a tan-gold clutch before? My guess is no gold, low chance of a violet, but there should still be plenty of bronzes. The Searchriders need to go find some boys."

She grinned. "But I don't really care. I know what I'm expecting, and there should be a few in the clutch. I honestly think the reason I didn't Impress last time was because for some reason Apolloth and Jorindath's clutch skewed towards male dragons. I don't see myself as a future bluerider, really. I mean, if it happened, I'd accept it. I just don't see it. Barred or maybe green for me."

[Sparrow]

"Huh." It didn't make a lot of sense to Jackie, but apparently she would just have to live with that. It wasn't like she was ever going to be dealing with dragon eggs, so not a huge issue.

She raised her eyebrows. "I thought you said there hadn't been?" Hadn't Karisna told her a Tan had never caught a Gold? But the talk around the Weyr... it definitely was the first time. "We could definitely use a few more boys around here," Jackie agreed with a laugh. More boys than girls would Impress at each clutch, so the barracks were probably always more lacking in them after a hatching. Hopefully the lack wouldn't last much longer now.

Jackie nodded. "I sure hope I'm not a Bluerider but... I guess I could live with it if I was." She would have a dragon, at least.

[ShadowReine]

"I'm trying to think if there has been a tan-gold firelizard clutch," Karisna corrected. "Might help us on what to expect. Of course, flits are different. Barred flits clutch, even greens do, although your chance of finding their eggs is pretty slim."

She considered that. "If a blue picked me, I would love it, because I'm told Impression's a bit like falling in love. I just can't see it. It would have to be a very *odd* blue to choose me."

Wave chirpled in her direction. "You don't count, Wave, you're just a silly firelizard." She said it in an entirely complimentary tone and the foolish blue crooned.

"See. He proves it right there. Now, where did Lightning go? These two are the only male draconics I want."

[Sparrow]

"Oh. Well, I have no clue about that." Flitters were impossibly hard to keep track of. There were simply too many, plus, unlike dragons, they lived wild. Possibly out there along the shoreline, a Gold and Tan had mated that no one would ever know about. Jackie wasn't even going to try.

"I can't see it either." For her or Karisna. She didn't have anything against Blues, but even in her limited knowledge, a male dragon felt wrong. Greens were the most common and she would keep up her hopes for one of those.

Jackie looked around. "I thought he was bugging Quip." Not a hard thing to do, especially lately. Although the kagen was recovering slightly from her constantly-bugged phase.

[ShadowReine]

Pop. Lightning reappeared, with a scrap of meat in his talons that he started to munch on. "No, apparently he slipped off to bug the cooks instead."

Successfully, it seemed, whether he had acquired that by begging or stealing. Either way, he was occupied with it right now.

Wave shot Lightning a look that was very clearly 'How dare you go get food and not bring any back for me'. The tan turned his back on the blue.

"Wonder if Lightning will ever fly a gold," Karisna mused. "Of course, you're right. He might and me never know it."

[Sparrow]

Jackie laughed. "I guess Quip made him hungry." Their diets were entirely different, but she was eating. With the fire-lizards occupied elsewhere, she was nearly done with her leaf, and rushing to finish.

As the little episode between Karisna's fire-lizards transpired, Jackie grinned. Yes, she definitely wanted a flitter. It was just a matter of getting one.

She shrugged. "I've seen a couple Golds around here. Maybe one day you'll see it." But not, Jackie guessed, one day anytime soon.

[ShadowReine]

Kari grinned. "If I had a breeding female, I'd make sure you got an egg, but I don't." Her tone was thoughtful. "Rather glad I don't, to be honest...then I'd likely end up with two proddy draconics and knowing my luck they'd synchronize."

That was already something of a problem in the Candidate barracks, with the number of girls they had in together. Would only get worse as the Searchriders brought in more. But it was temporary, this lifestyle. Once she had her dragon, then it would only be a matter of time before she got to enjoy more privacy than almost all Holders experienced.

[Sparrow]

"It's fine. I bet I'll find one before too long." There were plenty of fire-lizards at the Weyr, and Jackie had a knack for acquiring things she wanted. "I think I'd rather just have male flitters too." Originally, maybe not, but she had changed her mind.

"I've already got a girl, and am possibly destined for a second, anyways." What if Quip somehow managed to come in heat the same time as her hypothetical female flitter? Two broody pets would be bad news. What if Quip, the fire-lizard, and the dragon managed that?

Not good at all. Jackie had hardly considered this, but now she was slightly horrified.

[ShadowReine]

Kari reached to rub Wave under the chin. "These two are a lot of fun and a lot of trouble. I suppose that's the way firelizards are supposed to be."

She wondered if dragons were trouble too. Likely, it depended on the dragon, they were as different as people and not all of them chose a rider that would always agree with them.

Heck, that would be boring. She'd rather have a dragon who was just a little bit trouble, enough to make her life interesting. But not a blue. Definitely not a blue. "Wonder if a girl will ever Impress a charcoal. There's a male barredrider around somewhere..."

[Sparrow]

"Trouble is often fun," Jackie pointed out. Not at the moment, but usually. Silly trouble like fire-lizards would be.

Quip starting grooming herself, with an occasional glance at Jackie as if to remind her how not-troublesome and yet still wonderful she was.

"I haven't even seen a Charcoal yet," Jackie sighed. They sounded like neat dragons too, although they were also male so she wasn't as interested in Impressing one. "Or the male Barredrider. But if a girl ever does, hopefully it's not me. I hear they're pretty grumpy."

She already had one of those in her group.

[ShadowReine]

"I think I saw one from a distance...they're fairly distinctive. I've also seen the white...now that is a gorgeous dragon, but there appears to be only one of him."

There were two whites in recorded history. "I'd definitely rather have a barred than a charcoal. They're a little steadier than greens."

But green would be fine too. Either way. Or...well. Who knew? There might be an entire new color, this being a combination of sire and dam color not previously tried.

If there was...well. She would see what eggs cracked on the day, and keep her hopes high and her expectations low.

[Sparrow]

"Yeah, I wouldn't bet on getting a White." What it was that made them so rare, she didn't know. But it had been hundreds of Turns since the last one, so Jackie expected lots of time to pass before a third ever hatched.

"At least Charcoals aren't likely to come from this clutch, right? Unless they have to do with Tan sires, I guess." What she had heard said that people thought the Charcoals came from a Violet and Tan, but a Tan had never caught a Gold before. It was possible they would see Charcoals.

Jackie would try and avoid them though. They were lower on her list than Blues, even if they looked neat. A stealthy black dragon would be fun, but she didn't like she she had heard about their mood.

Thinking about what dragon she wanted to Impress felt a lot like picking out runnerbeasts or canines. Pity she wouldn't have much choice at the actual hatching.

[ShadowReine]

Kari grinned. "Don't think I'd want one, anyway. They're male, even if they don't chase." She considered that. "I definitely don't want a male dragon."

She knew she had no choice and would love whatever she happened to Impress. "And we'll find out. The record keepers will be hovering at the front of the Stands with hides and styluses to make a note of every detail of what happens."

Which they would anyway, recording which Candidate Impressed which dragon. There would be so many people watching this clutch...

[Sparrow]

Jackie nodded. "It wouldn't be much fun to have a dragon that didn't do flights." They did sound risky, but what was dragonriding without a little risk?

"How long does it take eggs to hatch? Or even for Nayarath to lay?" Jackie wasn't looking forward to the long wait when it came to finding out. The months she was pretty sure it took dragon eggs to hatch were going to be agonizing.

Even the record keepers would have more to do than her until then, excepting menial chores.

[ShadowReine]

"Two months from flight to clutching, five sevendays from clutching to hatching. On average. I've only been here for one clutch, but one of the riders did tell me it can vary a little, just like with any other females."

It wasn't that long, really. A bit over three months and she would know whether she would have more luck with this hatching than the last one. At least it might have more eggs in it. "Golds generally lay larger clutches than violets, too. The fact that the sire was tan not bronze might make it a little smaller, or might not. Plenty of eggs anyway."

Plenty of chances, and she let the bright hope rise within her, even knowing it might end in bitter disappointment.

[Sparrow]

"I guess that's not too bad." She could survive three more months of chores and Meagen. "I hope it varies shorter though." Jackie would bet that even Nayarath hoped for that.

A little over three months and she would be in the weyrling barracks instead, bouncing about with a hungry baby dragon. It sounded like a pretty good deal. No more Meagen. Who was over the weyrlings though? She had no clue. Hopefully someone more fun.

"Even with a Tan, I'm sure Nayarath's clutch will be bigger," Jackie figured. Jorindath's clutch had been sired by a Tan, and a Tan and a Gold could only make more eggs than a Tan and a Violet.

Lots of chances for her dragon to be in there... just an annoying wait until she got to see it.

[ShadowReine]

"It should be. We'll have to see. It was a decent length flight, at least. And Nayarath makes good hatchlings, I'm told...although I didn't see her last clutch."

Nayarath was, of course, the senior, but that did not always mean the gold who laid the most eggs. She was in her prime, though. "I would like shorter, too. We can't be sure. Even the queenriders can't always predict...which reminds me. Once they've been on the Sands for three-four weeks, you got to be ready at any time. Even the middle of the night."