a shiny for sale~ [Complete]

[Avu]

His pouch of marks, dangling against his hip, was heavier than it had been before, and Tr'esn was both delighted and slightly embarrassed that he'd gotten marks from someone else. It hadn't been entirely given, per se -- Tr'esn had helped Meira in the Infirmary, fetching out supplies while her queen was otherwise occupied and generally keeping her company, and at the end of the day, once he'd decided he liked her, she'd handed him four marks. Four. Which elevated his spending money to ten marks -- ten full marks. Six of which he'd scraped up doing chores around the Weyr, since the beginning of Candidacy, and she'd so casually offered him four marks -- which he couldn't possibly spend on himself. He had everything he needed, and more besides -- a clear sign of which was Moth, who was riding in his shirt, her head peeping over his collar, wide emerald eyes appraising the festivities as Tr'esn made his way inobtrusively to the Egg Stall.

He wanted a fire lizard egg. Not a small one, but a larger one, and not for him, but for Vashti. She had missed the fire lizard Hatching, and hadn't she wanted one? Probably too busy in the Drumheights -- Tr'esn would have to ask Wymeth to make sure Hers didn't overwork herself or something, for even he had heard Hepaticath's broadcast for the Hatching in question. The small greenweyrling slid through the crowd, glancing around, vaguely hoping to catch sight of Meira so he could thank her (again), unaccustomed as he was to receiving any marks at all, much less four from someone he'd just met. (He was under the impression she wouldn't be coming, though. She'd said something about that, hadn't she? Tr'esn thought so.) Curling his fingers protectively around the bag of marks, a discreet smile tugging at his lips, Tr'esn caught sight of the Egg Stall and increased his pace, eager now.

Oh, Tr'esnmine, it's ever-so-sweet of you to buy Vashti an egg. Do you think she'll like it? Can we maybe get a little baby egg for ourselves, too?

Oquith's voice was hopeful; the green was flopped on the outskirts of the Caravan, her head poked between the Egg Stall and its neighbor, eyes whirling rapidly in excitement, tail twitching, neck craned to see Hers. Tr'esn smiled slightly, stepping past the Egg Stall to rub the offered muzzle as Oquith jabbed his cheek lightly and huffed, making Moth, squirming in Tr'esn's shirt, mrow for attention, one paw snaking up and out to pat the green's nose with carefully sheathed claws. I am sure the Moth would not mind to share you with a little brother or sister, Oquith pressed hopefully. "Sorry, Qui," Tr'esn answered, planting a kiss on the green's nose. "I don't want one. Maybe I'll try for one at a Hatching, or something...but not an egg. Besides, I won't have enough marks anyway..."

You have ten. Can't you buy two Mystery Eggs? Pick the big, flitter-like ones. "No! What if one Hatched a -- a tunnelsnake, or something? Nah. Sorry, lovely one, there'll be other Gathers..." Oquith crooned sadly, but her excitement was not to be contained and soon her eyes were whirling excitedly again. Go buy one for Vashti then. She'll like it, won't she...? Oh. K'iel. What about K'iel? He won't be sad, will he? I'll make him and Qualuth shinies so they won't be left out. And I'll make one for Wymeth too, so that /everyone/ gets a lovely present even if Vashti's is the best... The green nodded, pleased, as Tr'esn backtracked, one hand possessively around Moth to keep the kitten from squirming out, and nervously approached the Egg Stall, his voice, as always when he was nervous, soft.

"E -- excuse me, please...I'd like..." His eyes flicked over the eggs and he bit his lip. "...I'd like the Medium Fire Lizard egg, please...what colors does it generally Hatch, d'you know...?" It was the best he could afford anyway...

[nightingale]

The stall’s owner smiled kindly, resting his arms on the display table so as to discretely even out the severe high difference between Tr’esn and himself.

“Those ones are usually brown, but I’ve heard that a coupla blue ones have hatched outa the little ones. Sound about right?”

Several of the animals in the nearby fenced-in area seemed aggitated by Oquith's presence, but the young man made no move to chide the green or her rider for it.

[Avu]

Tr'esn didn't do so great around crowds. And definitely he didn't do well at striking a bargain. He shifted uncomfortably, pushing his hair out of his eyes, but Oquith's presence, as well as the stall-keeper's smile, relaxed him slightly. He was too occupied staring at the eggs, fiddling with his marks nervously, to notice the young man's leaning against the stall. Brown or blue? Brown was good, and blue wasn't bad either -- most people, Holders, would love a fire lizard of any color, and Vashti wasn't the type to complain...unless he bought her a Mystery Egg (and then he could afford one for K'iel, too), but what if that didn't even Hatch a fire lizard? No...he'd stick with the Medium Flitter Egg, and hope for a brown...browns were steady, loyal, quiet companions, weren't they? By stereotype, anyway...

"A -- " he started, but at that precise minute, Moth decided she wanted to play. The man seemed kind...squirming out of Tr'esn's shirt, the kitten sprang carefully to the display table, only to be hastily snatched up again by Tr'esn, who had turned a decidedly anxious shade of pink as the small feline came far too close to the Mystery Eggs. With an affectionate nibble to his thumb, Moth purred, reminding the greenweyrling that she was the epitome of graceful and would never, ever knock anything over. It wasn't a chance Tr'esn was willing to take, though, and he dropped the kitten back down his shirt again, flushing slightly as he raised his gaze back to the stallkeeper's, lips curving into an embarrassed smile. "Sorry about that," he offered quietly, rubbing the kitten's scruffy fur soothingly as Moth poked her head back out again, blinking emerald green eyes solemnly at the shopkeeper and meowing again.

Brown or blue? The green dragon's eyes sparkled with excitement. Ooh, yes. Vashti can get a mini-Qualuth, maybe! Then, crooning in delight to the shopkeeper, the green weyrling dragon addressed him directly. Mine wants to buy it, please! It's for VashtiWymeth's. How soon will it Hatch? I need to find Vashti... she added distractedly, glancing around as if expecting the other greenweyrling to pop up out of nowhere. Tr'esn stifled a grin at the green's enthusiasm, and then nodded. "Um, yeah...I'll take that one." He pointed towards an unobtrusive egg of a greenish-blue color, labeled as Medium, and picked out nine and a half marks from his pouch, sliding them across the table to the man. "And -- how soon will they Hatch? ...are they very hard, yet?"

[nightingale]

It was obvious by the way that the young man's eyes widened upon hearing Oquith's voice that he wasn't used to having dragon's speak to him.

"Uh...we don't sell them until they're hard enough to handle."

He offered dimly, glancing with confusion toward the little green before carefully levering the greeny-blue egg free of it's basket.

"I'd say, two days or do if you're careful with it."

He handed it to the greenweyrling with a small, awkward smile.

[Avu]

Oquith didn't notice the surprise on the young man's face. She really didn't. And even if she had, she wouldn't have understood it. It simply didn't register upon the green that anybody would be surprised at hearing a dragon speak to them -- mostly due to the fact that Hers was completely accustomed to hearing Qualuth and Wymeth address him, and Oquith spoke frequently to K'iel and Vashti without any objections whatsoever, and indeed, neither blue nor greenweyrling showed any surprise upon hearing her voice. She crooned again to the young man, blinking happily at him as she sent a wave of affection to Hers. He is nice to you. I like him, the green informed Hers solemnly, ignoring Moth as the kitten stretched one paw towards her excitedly, eyes blinking rapidly -- a direct match between the kitten's eyes to the green dragon's hide, Tr'esn had noticed before with no little delight.

"Thank you," Tr'esn muttered, carefully taking the egg from the man and cupping both hands around it, wrapping one arm under it and the other around it and cradling it against his chest carefully. Moth peeked at it, one paw patting the smooth surface, but the kitten lost interest and focused on the man again, mrowling happily at him as Tr'esn smiled one last time and then moved towards Oquith. He'd been planning on buying the egg, so the green was wearing a saddlebag, hooked to the riding straps. He'd fashioned a kind of cup-holder like object to it, in which he had poured sun-warmed sand in until he could find a place for it on the hearth of a fireplace, and it was into this that he quickly plopped the egg, pushing sand around it and scooping some out to form a hollow for the smooth shell.

Oquith craned her head eagerly to eye his motions, and her tongue flicked out to touch his shoulder affectionately. Oh, Vashti will be so pleased, she stated happily, and as Tr'esn secured the bag, looping a string around a knob to keep it closed, he patted her shoulder. "I hope so," he remarked lightly, grinning. "Now, do you want to go back to the Barracks first, or d'you want to stay out here a bit longer? -- you'll have to be very careful if we stay, you know..." Oh, let's stay. Maybe we can find Vashti or Wymeth or K'iel or Qualuth, and then that would be /lovely/. I promise I won't hurt the pretty little egg...

((Baaah, short...x.o;))