Hepaticath's Clutch of 13-- Chinese Zodiac Clutch

[kysseh]

Gold Hepaticath and Bronze Ciceroth proudly present...

The Chinese Zodiac Clutch

Arranged in a roughly triangle pattern in a very, very small area of sand near the queen's couch, the Chinese Zodiac clutch is an interesting mixture of dull and brightly-colored shells. The clutch is bunched tightly enough together that Hepaticath can cover the entire lot with wings and neck if she so desires.... and desire, she does. The queen is ridiculously protective of her clutch and is liable to hiss at anyone for the silliest of reasons. Candidates and curious onlookers are advised to tiptoe around the grounds while the queen broods.

Rooster
This is, without a doubt, one of the largest eggs in the clutch, close in competition with the Cat egg for the honor of being largest. It is positively massive and flawless in its shape. Its color, though, is what holds the attention of the onlookers, for this egg is a startlingly bright shade of white all over. On one side of the egg, intertwining ribbons of color come up from a central point near the bottom and branch up and outward. The shape resembles that of a tree bare of leaves, though the color is alternating streaks of brilliant scarlet and glistening gold. This egg basks in the attention and its central position in the clutch, and given the attention that Hepaticath bestows it—positive or negative—it is undeniable that a strong, ranking dragon is curled within.

Ram
This egg is average in size, neither very large nor very small. Its coloring is unobtrusive, an odd shade of grayish brown that quickly fades to white at the bottom. Two perfectly symmetrical, light brown spirals decorate the top of the egg, one on each side. These spirals feel rougher to the touch than the rest of the shell, almost as though made up of many, many small ridges. Settled carefully near its much-larger clutchsibling, the Cat egg, it is not an egg that will be easily noticed. However, those who do touch it will find themselves suddenly insecure, as if the creature inside is projecting its own shyness onto those around it. This is not to say that the egg does not enjoy the attention, though, for, if anything, it seems to crave and almost require it.

Tiger
Headache, anyone? Of the three points of the triangle, this egg is assuredly the most bewildering. Its shell fades between a vivid orange-yellow and muted brown-black in alternating stripes with no real pattern. Some stripes are more like blotches, while some go all the way around the egg in multiple spirals. Anyone attempting to trace a discernable pattern will undoubtedly get dizzy, a problem that is only amplified by the seeming surges of energy and emotion radiating from the egg. This egg generally radiates generous good feelings, and the almost-silky quality to the shell will undoubtedly also lead people to linger.

Monkey
This smaller sort of egg is a bright blending of colors, providing a beautiful contrast to the largely unmarked Cat egg that it sits near. The egg is swirled in shades of tan, brown, black, chestnut, and white, providing a lovely color palette to look at. It is pretty enough and not so intimidating as to chase people off, even if the swirls are a tad chaotic. The growing dragon inside seems delighted with the attention it receives but can be immediately made jealous if candidates spend more time with its larger clutchsiblings. Expect to be overcome by sullenness in that case. How dare you ignore such a bright thing.

Ox
This larger egg forms one point of the triangle of the clutch and is among the strangest of eggs in an already strange clutch. It is smaller than the impressive Rooster egg and lacks the magnificent coloration of some of its clutchmates. Very odd, however, is that the egg is all around quite bulky and looks almost uneven, especially considering that Hepaticath seems to have half-buried it in sand just to keep it from rolling around uncontrollably. Odd patches of white and two hand-sized triangles of black near the top break up the otherwise-unremarkable dusty brown of the shell. Perhaps most strange is the stability of the emotions radiation from this egg. Unlike the chaotic sort of feelings that can be felt from some of its clutchmates, this egg seems to generally radiate placid good will. We hope.

Snake
Though the clutch is clustered close together, the Snake egg has a good bit of sand all to itself. No other eggs seem to sit within easy distance, but this lovely dark egg hardly minds not being overshadowed. All the better to appreciate its beauty, no? The shell seems like a uniform shade of attractive dark green from a distance, but closer inspection reveals small blocks of dark brown and black, carefully arranged in neat lines that go from the very top of the egg down toward the bottom. It takes a careful eye to discern these subtleties, and the creature inside seems well aware of the appearance of its egg, almost reveling in the attention it receives.

Dog
This egg is somewhat chaotic in appearance. The entire shell is a patchwork of colors. The patches vary in size and shape, and the colors are every shade of brown from the barely off-white to dark near-black. A few spots are almost a chestnut color, and the effect given by the varying patches is one of friendly energy. Nothing about this medium-sized egg is foreboding, and looking at or touching it is nothing shy of a very pleasant experience. Unlike its attention-hogging Rooster sibling that it sits very near, the Dog egg does not seem to need the energy of those around it, though it could hardly protest being attended to.

Pig
Pink. Pink, pink, pink. Sure, there are a scattering of brown spots near the bottom that break up the otherwise-monochromatic shell, but even those spots can not diminish the effect of the washed-out shade of pink of the shell. Masculine candidates will probably give this egg a wide and rather undeserved berth simply because of the color, and even Hepaticath seems to be mildly bewildered by the almost pastel shade of the shell, a very strange break from the bolder or more natural shades of its clutchmates. Still, the fact that the egg is small and pink will probably attract plenty of attention from the more effeminate candidates, and this egg will pleasantly receive any attention it gets. Hopefully the dragon inside will not develop a complex from its shell color.

Horse
This lovely little egg will undoubtedly be a favorite among the girls and perhaps some of the more effeminate boys. Everything about the egg exudes a feeling of luxury, especially the soft texture of the shell as fingertips are drawn across it. Its color is a dark, rich shade of brown that deepens to black at the tips of the shell. An uneven, smooth-edged white splotch decorates one side of the egg, almost as if a child squashed an odd handprint onto it. Littered around the bottom of the egg, mostly hidden beneath the sand, are tiny bands of white, about the length and width of a finger. The creature in this egg seems to thrive on its own popularity, though there is a certain edge of caution to this enthusiasm. Sitting near something as significant as the Tiger egg would make anyone nervous, though.

Rabbit
A furry egg, anyone? No, it isn’t fur, but this egg does feel rather like short coarse hair. It isn’t entirely an unpleasant feel, but it is rather strange. A closer inspection would reveal the entirety of the shell to be covered in tiny bumpy projections that are an odd gray in color over the basic brown of the shell. The result is an odd three-dimensional quality to the shell that many people will find quite fascinating, though others will only be nauseous. The Rabbit egg exudes a great deal of energy as well, energy that is radiated in shorter bursts as candidates happen to chance by it. The creature inside is a rather jumpy one, and candidates would be well-advised to not experience any sudden surges of emotions nearby. It might instigate a less-than-positive response.

Rat
An strange little gray egg, this one is. Gray… or perhaps it is brown? All that one could say about this egg is that it is completely nondescript in size, shape, texture, and color, a literal mystery sitting just beside the Cat egg and almost near enough as to be touching it. Hepaticath is strangely protective of this egg, which is likely why it is tucked so near to her couch. Were it not in such a prized position, it would likely be overlooked, forgotten. Perhaps that is its intent, but the emotional ‘silence’ surrounding the egg is possibly more telling than the presence of any real sensation. Something is alive in there, though.

Cat
Unassuming as this egg is, it is undeniable that it is very large, nearly the largest of the clutch. The majority of the egg is a very light silvery-gray color with just enough metallic sparkle to make a person take a second glance if viewed in the proper light. The color darkens just a shade or two at the opposite ends of the egg, though it is scarcely noticeable without close inspection. What is noticeable, though, are the two perfect eye-spots on the egg, each a perfect, glittering shade of light gold that is bisected by a vertical slit of deepest black. This egg gives the impression of watching every candidate that passes, undoubtedly raising the hair on everyone’s neck as they gaze at it. It forms one point of the triangle of the clutch, the closest egg to Hepaticath’s couch.

Dragon
The smallest egg in the clutch--though it is still far from tiny--this egg is undoubtedly one that many will be attracted to, especially since it lingers close to Tiger egg. The very top of the egg is marked by a tiny white spot, surrounded by a uneven ring of black to form a very odd sort of crown. From this black crown, ribbons of pale orange and green streak in uneven patterns down toward the opposite end of the egg. This egg is very precariously balanced in its mound of sand, and those who want to touch it should do so with care. Hepaticath will snap at those who accidentally knock it on its side. For those who are brave enough to touch, though, an overwhelming feeling of energy will be their reward. Zealous is the creature inside, though whether that is good or not remains to be seen.