It's a cool night, very Spring-y. The storm in the distance is still a good distance away, leaving the sky above the Weyr nice and clear, though the oncoming storm does bring with it an occasional breeze. A certain greenrider finds herself making her way down to the shore, a gold firelizard chirping irritably as she flies around Selaine's head, eliciting an annoyed look even as Akitith flies down from above to settle by the shore. Once close enough, Kina flies over to a particular corner on the shore, a small little mound that's barely noticeable in the dark. The little gold hovers nearby, chirping at Selaine as the 'rider sets down a basket full of meat that she somehow managed to grab from the kitchen. "Not too long now, hm?" She comments, petting the irritable gold.

An entire herd of goats, strung out in family groups, udders swaying and kids a-dancing along with capering prances and swinging heads, is followed by a man with a coiled whip secured to his belt. The first caprines make it to the edge of the shore, fairly near the gathering of people and the lizard, though the dragon does skitter the entire herd for a few moments. But they are curious creatures, and though the adults remain wary of the dragon, a few of the younger creatures hoof it over, with their owner following, to see what the group gathering is about.

Its such a nice night that rather then being cooped up in the crowded, stinky, noisy candidate barracks, Ephrem is out by the lake already. He is actually relatively close to that mound, though he doesn't know it yet. He's sitting on the white sand, clothes heavy enough to protect him from whatever chill might be in the air, and dark enough to make him stand out against the white sand, and blend into the dark sky. The dragon landing nearby is noticed, because..well, dragon, -big-, and the sand the beast kicks up causes Ephrem to draw his headscarf up about his mouth and nose to protect them. The landing masks the sounds of Kina approaching, though he soon enough catches on, and frowns a little. What's going on there? Not asked out loud, but curious, dark brown eyes are not shy about staring in basket-wielding rider's direction.

" … it'll just take a minute!" A girl swears into the face of a bemused man whose knot cords identify him as a Southern rider. Twining her fingers together around the man's much larger hand, she begins tugging at him in a futile attempt to get him moving faster, already. Toward the night-darkened beach, and whatever mischief she's plotted there she drags the unwilling man, grinning like a small and deadly little ray of sunshine. "You promised, remember? If I came here with you, and did all the chores you asked of me, we'd go to the beach. Since I did what you asked, you have to do what I asked, right? RIGHT?"

It's a beautiful night for a walk. Brynn is doing just that - carrying a large walking stick. Why is she always carrying a stick? She looks tired and worn; it's been a long day of candidacy. She hears chirping and spots Selaine and a few others down by the shore and heads over, curious. She sees the outline of eggs in the darkness and sighs. Oh great. More eggs. But at least they're smaller ones. Maybe they aren't as emotionally scarring as dragon ones. She stands back, behind the crowd, observing.

F'in is walking along the shore, Rhakanth is a banded blur overhead, returning from a hunt for Zsaviranth, the mewls of the beast in his jaws fading with distance as the dragon passes. F'in tracks the arc of flight across the sky until he can only feel the direction Rhakanth is in and then returns thoughts and senses to his surroundings. The arrival of Akitith brings a smile and he makes Selaine out in the darkness, a hand lifted in greeting. The brighter living bawl of goats draws his attention and his further smile — kids. Their pronking is impossible not to enjoy. Unless you're the poor soul tasked with wrangling them. He moves closer to Selaine, espying one of the Candidates who ventured onto his Sands. Rhakanth's recognition flares along his nerves, "You." F'in points, "What are you bringing onto the sands next time?" He slews a look to the woman dragging the rider and then skips to Brynn, smiling, the pointy finger of doom lifting into a cheery wave.

It's curious that there are so many people out and about at this hour, but Selaine's not really one to judge. She spies those looking on and gives them a small smile, waving over a few of the Candidates that stand and observe nearby. The merchant to. "Come on over! They're about to hatch!" Kina chirps as if to confirm and it's then that one of the eggs rock, drawing their attention. Selaine moves the basket to an accessible area for anyone vying for one of the eggs to get to. And just as F'in comes near, one of the eggs show a visible crack.

Was she talking to him? Virgilio, normally a keep-to-himself kind of fellow, none-the-less looks over at Selaine (and again at her dragon), but he succumbs to the sort of curiosity that marks most humans and all goats. And, handily, a few of his yearlings are already on their way over, to see what might be in the basket and that's enough for the goat-herd to hasten his steps. He reaches to catch one by the collar, and touches her rounded nose with his other hand, "Shhh, you. Nothing there for you, lass." The man's murmured tones melt into the babble of collar-bells and human voices.

Shifting Abstract Egg shatters into a thousand fragments, leaving its occupant out in the open.

Goats and riders and firelizards…oh my. Ephrem its up straighter as F'in points, and he promptly looks over his shoulder in the opposite direction, searching for someone to his left that must be the target. Still tense, he frowns back to F'in and after a bit of nervous silence, says, "Not myself?". He still remembers all the unwarranted poking and prodding and violations of his personage. Lips draw into a tight line beneath the scarf, and eyes quickly shift to Selaine. "What?". Realization hits him. He hasn't lived in a sinkhole all his life, so chances are he has indeed seen firelizard hatchings before, but.. He's always been the one to head away from them rather then to them. So at first, conflicted, he doesn't move. He just sits there, unnaturally straight-backed, the hare ready to bolt.

Peachy Egg shatters into a thousand fragments, leaving its occupant out in the open.

"What's about to hatch?" Chayla's leashed curiosity is jerked sideways, and she careens toward Selaine and her basket, having forgotten all about that poor, irritated rider behind her. Pulling herself up short as a new-hatched brown tumbles into the world, her eyes form large round saucers, her mouth wide in surprise. "Oh, he's so cute!" She would make grabby hands at the poor hungry thing, only her hands are busy tangling beneath her chin as she stares.

Brynn nods briefly to F'in as he waves at her. She hears those bells and decides the goats are temporarily more interesting than eggs, although she did just spot that firelizard bursting out. Her hand reaches to pet one of the kids, but that brown is staring at her, creeling disgruntedly. DEMANDING, he hops over to her, and lands on her foot. The girl doesn't move, dropping a bit of wherry jerky she just happened to have in her pocket onto the sand. He gobbles it up. Impression is made.

Irritable Brown Hatchling's cries turn joyous, and he turns towards Brynn, creeling piteously.

Jovial Saffron Egg shatters into a thousand fragments, leaving its occupant out in the open.

Mint Flake Egg shatters into a thousand fragments, leaving its occupant out in the open.
Once he's realized exactly what is going on over in the sands, with the circle of people, the roughly-dressed fellow, with stains telling the stories of this day and so many others, steps abruptly in front of the next wayward goat who was determined to also see what is up, "Would you give me a break, just once, ladies?" Again, Virgilio pits his weight against the young adult, and he's able to redirect her briefly. Toward the dragon, of course. That has the fellow sidestepping once more, with a quick look in at the newly-hatched lizards, to again catch the collar of the doe, while he mutters something unflattering about her chances of surviving in the wild. When finally the fickle gods of caprine nature smile upon Virgilio, he sees his 'girls' all heading generally, slowly, toward the lake again, and he'll turn to try to insinuate himself into the circle of people.

Chayla plops herself right down, quite unashamed and unaware of being observed. The Impressions roll forth, written in the theater of her mind as she hugs her skinny legs to her chest and takes it all in with shining eyes — but wait, there's another one, out of its shell and gleaming wetly. Does she dare reach out a hand, offer it meat and attempt to draw it to her own hyperenergetic person? "Oh, I shouldn't!" And yet, her votes are not entirely her own; a small bronze head shifts itself out of the wild frizz of her hair and lays curious eyes upon the new-hatched green. Croons bubble up, encouraging, and Chayla gives in, finding a bit of sandy, dusty sandwich leftover from her lunch to proffer to the little green. "Oh, please, oh please!" She squinches her eyes shut, probably praying to Pern's Gods of Impression. Oh, to be thirteen — it worked before, why not this time?

"Flowers." This to Ephrem. And the other Candidatates here. "Brynn, y'oughtta tell 'Nari to set up a stand 'n sell ta folks entering the Caverns. Be a good piece o' business, that." He eyes the Candidates. Brynn isn't getting the stink-eye, classic nepotism. But woebetide the young woman if sh—- oooh! BABY FIRELIZARDS! F'in is nearly a match for Chayla's enchantment.

Brynn waits for the brown to move off her foot, and then sits down in the sand, staring at him. Not exactly in wonder; just staring. He's crawling all over her, trying to impatiently get into her pocket. She looks up as F'in calls her name. She squints at him. Something about Onari… she's distracted right now. Forgive her. The girl pulls out more jerky and will continue to feed her brown until he falls asleep. And then she'll be stuck where she is for a while, not wanting to move him. So, she's here, watching people, watching goats, watching baby firelizards, taking it all in, at least until someone tells her it's ok to move her sleeping firelizard. And then she'll act like she knew that, and go back off to the barracks, secretly hoping they won't take away this guy like they did her staff. "Staff…"

A sigh is expelled, a possibly stinky puff of hot air in the cool night air. A decision is reached, profound to his young mind if no one else's (gotta love teenaged angst!), and he pushes up from the sands. He's halfway to his feet when he hears F'in's proclaimation, and..that just draws a confused look across his features. "Flowers? Why flowers?". Its this excuse that he'll use to move closer to the small circle of people, eyes darting to the tiny creatures screeching and fussing and searching for their first meal. Fingers find the basket of meat the woman'd brought down for these creatures, and they hesitate over the feel of it, raw or cooked, and his nose wrinkles a little. "This better make her happy.". Lets face it though, at this point, Ephrem isn't doing this for Nasrin. This is inspired by curiosity. He wants to know what his sister sees in her own gold. So, crouching down, he holds the bit of meat out towards the remaining hatchlings, both green and brown.

Both Amusing Brown Hatchling and Small Green Hatchling are tumbling over each other to try and grab that piece of meat in Ephrem's hand. Mine! No! Mine! Or so it seems like they're saying. But neither one is settling. Yet.

"Yes! Firelizards!" Selaine confirms, though there's really no need as the small creatures hatch from their eggs as people begin to gather around. Selaine waves over to Virgilio, gesturing to the basket. "Just grab some meat and try to feed one!" she urges him. The others obviously need no urging, apparently. Kina chirps as she watches her babies fight but does nothing to stop them.

An observant sort, Virgilio realizes that someone knew this hatching was going to happen. Someone - the dragonrider? - brought a basket of meat. With a glance sidelong in both directions - at F'in and at Ephrem, the goat-herd also settles near the basket. At Selaine's urging, he'll look at that woman for a long moment, before nodding and dipping his hand into the basket. "Thank you." Keroon/Igen native backwoods accent, there, though clearly spoken. Virgilio glances sidelong over at Ephrem's two, and he'll cast his own attempt to the side of the brown and green, in case one or the other gets distracted.

Ephrem 's eyes widen as his hand is snapped at by the two hungry hatchlings! Or at least, it appears that way at first, and so he flinches, drawing back just a little. Then he realizes what is happening, like two street urchins fighting over a scrap of meat, and he swears quietly before reaching towards the basket for another piece of meat. Its then that he notices Virgilio's approach and attempt, and nods, scooting over just a bit to give the man room. "Here.. I'll try..". He reaches out a hand, trying to shoo one of the hatchlings away from its other one, and offering the meat to just the brown. Though he might very well get his finger bit on by the green for his attempt at separating them in a very brusque way!

Amusing Brown Hatchling's cries turn joyous, and he turns towards Ephrem, creeling piteously.

It was a long day, this day, and Virgilio already spent much of it on his aching knees. But firelizards! Ephrem is given a quick grin, another mild, "Thank you, " even as Virgilio tries waggling the meat, much as one might jiggle a fishing pole to make the bait at the end evoke some sort of predatory response on the green's part.

Small Green Hatchling's cries turn joyous, and she turns towards Virgilio, creeling piteously.

Active Green Hatchling's cries turn joyous, and she turns towards Chayla, creeling piteously.

Oh, they're fighting — that can't be good, can it. Chayla hurriedly tosses her bit of sandwich into the general vicinity of the pair, then plunges her hand into the basket of — she'll cringe later — gooey wet meat, bringing up a hearty handful to wave vaguely about, hoping the smell of blood will attract the green towards herself. "Look, babies! There's more food over here!" Or in Virgilio's hand or… anywhere but at each other's throats. However, the green turns toward Virgilio, and Chayla's dismay at being too late shows in the slump of shoulders, however brief. There are more eggs — she'll just offer her meat lumps to the rest as they come, like an irrepressible little manic bunny. But wait, while the girl was distracted, a creature landed in her lap, stealing bits of meat. "Oh! Oh, oh oh! Where'd you come from!" Happy squeals ensue, all else forgotten.

Aching knees forgotten, Virgilio finds himself tugged into a quick, tight bond with an alien entity of boundless energy and currently hungry. No need to be told what to do now; he scoops the thing up as he would a kid, and reaches for more meat, to offer the creeling creature. Smaller pieces, he'll instinctively find, even biting off a piece of a larger chunk of the meat, pragmatically, to yield a smaller piece for the green. These manners are not from the Lord caste, no sir.

The tension drains from Ephrem's shoulders. Well. Its done. His father is going to kill him. Really, this is not happy circumstance. Except, as the little brown's raucous cries turn into croons of excitement, tiny teeth latching onto the meat in Ephrem's hand, the boy can't help but feel..awed? There's no instant love connection (because that would be weird), but there is a strange sense of joy. "Wow." He states, with not a lot of inflection, but actually a good deal of meaning. He sits down on his rump right there in the sand and reaches for another piece of meat, feeding the creature. "Its not as slimy as I thought it'd be.". The firelizard or the meat, who knows.

Happy Birthday Gift-Wrapped Egg shatters into a thousand fragments, leaving its occupant out in the open.

Gentle Zephyr Blue Hatchling's cries turn joyous, and he turns towards Ephrem, creeling piteously.

Mistletoe Egg shatters into a thousand fragments, leaving its occupant out in the open.

Lattice Bronze Hatchling's cries turn joyous, and he turns towards Chayla, creeling piteously.

Flowers because I said flowers!" There's a fierce look to F'in, uncharacteristic, if you've much exposure to the man. He shakes himself, vision clearing, and in a more genial tone adds, "Zsaviranth likes 'em an' none o' you lot ha' been bringin' 'em. See that ya do." He gives a look to the candidates and their new impressions… in miniature. There's a grin for that. It's a cuteness overload. Kids and baby flits and … flowerless candidates. >:|

Selaine has a very big smile on her lips as she watches the little 'lizards Impress and the looks on their new 'mates faces. The greenrider glances over at the little group even as Kina stretches her wings, satisfied now that her babies have found a home. She lets out a soft croon and finds her perch on Selaine's shoulder. "There's plenty of meat left in the basket, everyone. Feel free to help yourself, as I'm sure they're all very hungry." With a soft chuckle in F'in's direction, she pats his shoulder. "Easy does it there. I'm sure they didn't realize until now. Cut 'em some slack, hm?"

"..Aren't flowers girly things?". Oh Ephrem is about to make /friends/! But he's distracted and he really can't understand the appeal of flowers and F'in's insistence in flowers. (Please don't eat him! or crush him. Or set him on fire.). The boy feels another tug on the meat on his hand, a tug which robs him of the last bit, and so he reaches into the basket for another piece without looking. And..he pulls up a firelizard. This time, a tiny blue that had dived right into the basket instead of waiting for these people-things to supply him with food. Ephrem's eyes widen in surprise as he looks at the warm body in his fingers..a firelizard with a piece of meat hanging from its mouth. Well helloooo there! "Oh crap.. No. No, here!". he drops the blue back into the basket. But its already too late, and the blue is dragging its self out of the basket, meat still in its mouth, as it climbs onto Ephrem's lap.

Pink Cashmere Egg shatters into a thousand fragments, leaving its occupant out in the open.

Cave Lion Green Hatchling's cries turn joyous, and she turns towards Ephrem, creeling piteously.

test shatters into a thousand fragments, leaving its occupant out in the open.

Upside-down Green Hatchling's cries turn joyous, and she turns towards Virgilio, creeling piteously.

"Aye and it's a big girlie who wants 'em, ya ken?" F'in shrugs out from under Selaine's shoulder pat, "We tol' their handlers and th' message isn't gettin' through. I don' think ya know how much that gold likes 'er flowers." His eyes go a bit wide. He's got a sense of it, via Rhakanth.

Busy feeding the first lizard, Virgilio doesn't notice for a few moments, the clambering of the second. But his first is shorted her next bite, when he'll offer it, instead, to the other green. It's a big grin that shows, ever-so-briefly, across the broad man's features when the second dainty creature touches minds with him as well. Two green firelizards! Poor man has no idea what he's in for.

Chayla has her hands full of firelizards, both green and bronze, and struggles happily to feed them all with giggles aplenty. "Oh, this is so much fun!" She squeals, the typical young girl out on a lark who has been granted her most cherished wish: a basket of kittens! Flying kittens in this case, but kittens they are and kittens they shall remain in the empty, cobwebbed recesses of her head. Finally, she manages to make her way to her feet, beaming upon Selaine with a bit of hero worship in her eyes. "You're nice to let us try, thank you so much!"

Ephrem has the look of a desperate man. The blue happily munches on a piece of meat that is almost as big as he is, while the brown does circles much like a canine before settling down to sleep, curled up in a tight little ball. And now….it pounces out of no where, landing right on top of the blue! MINE! It roars its demand at the top of its voice and steals the meat right out of blue boy's mouth. This sets up an aweful keening from the creature that causes Ephrem to groan. "H..here! Stop just..". He's flustered and out of sorts as he reaches into the basket and grabs a handful of meat and just dumps it on the firelizards. He turns haunted, overwhelmed gaze to F'in. Something about flowers. "Oh!" comes in a muted squeak, his voice breaking. "Yeah..yeah I will.". Bring flowers in sacrifice. He looks down to the green. "Flower.. that's actually kind of good."

After a few moments, when he realizes the lizards are sleepy, Virgilio will ask the others for the brief description of How to Care For Firelizards. Several aspects are reviewed and repeated and a couple questions are asked, before he tucks the sisters into his shirt and rises, thanks all around (he didn't have to pay for them?!), to rally the cloven-hooved troops and head back to the barn and the chores that await there.

Selaine purses her lips slightly, not having a reply to that. Are the handlers slacking or are the Candidates? She turns her attention to Chayla though, when the teenager addresses her. "Of course! It's better for them to Impress than to roam about on their own." Once she's gone and the others look preoccupied with their new 'lizards, Selaine turns her attention back to the bronzerider beside her. "So… I haven't really had a chance to ask but.. how've you been?"

F'in watches the candidates shuffle and youngun spring and a herd o' caprines pronk away, before turning on Selaine with a big smile and open arms, "I'd ask th' same o' you!" If she takes the cue, he'll hug the stuffing out of her and then, with a puzzled look, canine consternation writ in lines upon his forehead, F'in blinks at Selaine, grinning, "First I knew o' ya bein' back was Akitith," Akitith, Akitith, "Goin' up!" He grins over at the green, "'ey there girlie," he turns loose of Selaine and picks goes at a trot to where the green rests, hands outstretched. "Good ta be home?" Selaine or Akitith. Both!

There's a crooked grin that F'in gets when his arms go wide. She does take the cue and goes into the hug. It's a squeeze alright and she lets out a light laugh. "Easy there!" If he notices, he might feel a small bump around her belly, though it's not quite visible, especially not in the moonlit darkness. Her eyes widen at his comment as she looks up at him. "Oh… that's true, huh. I did try to find you but you seemed busy. And then I got busy with getting settled and all…" she tries to explain before he's trotting over to Akitith, who watches the bronzerider with curious eyes. The outstretched hands are met with her snout and she huffs playfully at F'in. Selaine slowly walks over to the pair and chuckles softly. "That's a yes, if you couldn't tell."

"Yer one o' th' first dragons I met, yanno?" F'in puts palms on Akitith's muzzle and leans into some serious scritching, face fallen into fond planes. He sotto-voices to the green, "When I hugged yer girl there, she felt a little funny. Ha' ya noticed?"

Those double-lidded eyes close in pleasure from the scritching. If she was a cat, she'd be purring. When his voice lowers, one of Akitith's eyes open and Selaine's close enough to bat at F'in playfully. "Who's feeling a little funny now?" The fondness on F'in's face is mimicked by Selaine as she, too, offers Akitith some scritches.

"You!" F'in takes up on one side of Akitith's muzzle, scritches moving along the crest of flared cheekbone, he grunts with the effort, really digging in there. There might be a pointed look at Selaine's midsection. You better believe F'in noticed! He's got a good tactile memory and that bump was not there before and it doesn't feel like Selaine's been binging at Ravene's.

As F'in's gaze goes to her belly, Selaine's eyes follow before flickering back up. "Ah, right." There's another soft chuckle from her even as Akitith closes that other eye again, really enjoying the attention and scritches. « Can I keep him? » There's a roll of Selaine's eyes. » He's not a pet. « She's not sure if she should tell F'in that her dragon just asked to keep him. Maybe letter. Back to the actual subject. One of Selaine's hands goes to her midsection and grins a bit wryly. "It's been about 3 months," she admits. That can only mean ONE THING. Right?

F'in beams, "Oh, now that's great." F'in's face screws up, he's thinking hard, and then brightens, "Oh, does tha' mean you'll be comin' ta fly with Mirage?" F'in flies with Mirage! His face screws up again, "Though." He tilts his head. He hasn't been flying with Mirage so long that he's flown with pregnant riders. And most of the time Rhakanth has been on the sands, Dutiful Sentinel.

Selaine nods slowly. "Yep." She absently continues to scritch Akitith, though without the vigor that F'in displays. The greenrider watches F'in's expressions, chuckling quietly to herself as it changes rapidly as he changes from thought to thought. "Though?" she echoes, a curious brow rising.

"Well," Akitith may notice a change in the force, a focus. "Ya aren't goin' ::Between:: are ya? Th'bek's not makin' ya?" There's a dark Thread there. F'in hasn't put together the timeline of Akitith's flight and the man who won. That was about three months ago, wasn't it? But the tone implies he'll have some hard words for the wingleader if he is. "Yanno, Southern's got a thing I heard about, where if their riders 're pregant they c'n sit out a spell." He lifts brows to glance at Selaine, but looks quickly back at Akitith, bending to scritches again. He's rounded the curve of cheekbone and is working up behind brow ridges.

Selaine's eyes widen at his question and she quickly shakes her head. "Of course not! I told Th'bek as soon as I found out…" She purses her lips as she thinks, brows pinching together as F'in tells her about Southern's policies. "Oh?" That's definitely interesting. "Dunno if that's something they'd consider here…" Selaine notes. At least, considering that most of the men were quite traditional at Igen. Th'bek being one of them.

F'in flinches a bit at Selaine's disavowal, chin tucking a bit as he re-refocuses on Akitith's brow ridge. "Maybe? I mean," F'in shrugs, "It couldna hurt ta ask, yanno. An' then y' c'n stay in yer wing." Not learn a whole new scheme and all that. "What are ya doin' if ya aren't goin' ::between?::" She can't fight Thread. Maybe he should change the subject.

Selaine's not pessimistic… not really. She's just being realistic. "Maybe.." she replies with a noncommittal shrug. Perhaps if she can get a few of the other female riders to pitch in, they can convince the weyrleader? There's some brow wrinkling at F'in's next question. "Paperwork. I was a wingsecond at one point, remember?" She can still help the wing a bit, even in her state.

"What d'you think about alla this, eh?" Tossed to Akitith as F'in continues his ministrations. "Who's yer beau?" F'in, despite his sunny demeanor and wideranging love of creatures great and small, male and female, is one of those traditional minded Nowtimers, steeped in the traditions he grew up with.

Akitith merely opens one double-lidded eye in response before closing it back up as if to say 'Less questions, more scritching.' Not as though he can hear her anyway. F'in's next inquiry is met with a small moment of silence from Selaine as her gaze shifts. "… Th'bek." Y'know, the one that one the flight? Though 'beau' was probably pushing what she might consider him.

Sorry Akitith. F'in's hands stop moving. As if his brain were a pachinko machine, that revelation rattles around in F'in's noggin until he does the math and brightens like, the glowbasket thrown open, "Oh!" A beat, still the pachinko ball bounces, "Oh." He looks at Selaine briefly, unable to hold her gaze long, and then he brightens again, "Oh! But congratulations!" Scritching resumes… never fear, Akitith. Akitith. Akitith.

When there's no more scritching, Akitith's eyes open to gaze at the bronzerider before focusing her attention on her lifemate, who says nothing as F'in processes what he's just been told. Selaine's chuckling fills the silence as her companion finally resumes his hand movements and Akitith closes her eyes once more. "Thank you. It's been a trial, honestly." Having Th'bek as her 'beau' or being pregnant? Both maybe. "I was kind of useless in the beginning. Was sick all the time." ALL THE TIME. Bleh.

"Are ya past that bit, then? Tha's good." F'in grins. He's got a raft of cousins and the like who he's seen through the stages through the Turns. He falls silent a bit, thoughtful. "D'ya have 'ny 'elp? Are ya movin' to a groundweyr?" It'll be a while before any of THAT is necessary. But not that long! He opens his mouth to ask another question and then tips his head, "Ach. My own 'fatherly' duties call." He digs in a few more good scritches for Akitith as expression shifts from thoughtful to fond, "C'mere." He meets Selaine half way and kisses her on the cheek before — carefully — squeezing the dickens out of her, "We c'n all hope th' babe takes after you, eh?" With a wink and a wave, F'in backpedals. He makes wiggly fingers at Akitith and then spins on his heel to trot back towards the hatching cavern.