With the living caverns a buzzing with the breakfast rush, a pair of crafty twin tots have managed to slip away from their mom while she was busy with gathering up meals for three. To the Nighthearth they have absconded, the little girl leading the little boy right into mischief, as they find extra clever places to hide, their occasional giggling the only thing that gives them away. Not a couple minutes later, a rather irate looking Xanthee marches up to the nighthearth with a tray heaped with breakfast in her hands, her emerald eyes flitting about. "You think you're clever, but you forget that mommy has many eyes." She says out loud as she moves to the table to set down her tray before one hand finds the now obvious bump under her loose shirt. "You're gonna be the good one, right?" She speaks to the baby she's still cooking.

Generally, Phaedra makes it to her own quarters before falling asleep. Generally. This morning, she passed out right after a very early breakfast and is currently snuggled up and fast asleep in one of the oversized, stuffed chairs in the nighthearth. There's a cold cup of klah on the table next to her and her head is in very real danger of slipping off her hand. Not that this matters when children come invading and hiding and giggling. Though, instead of being irate, Phaedra is merely amused. The laughter of children is not a horrible thing to wake up to. She manages to see where the twin trouble makers slip into, so when Xanthee arrives, and Phae is mid-stretch, she grins and uses a finger to point out the little buggers. Hopefully mom notices without Phae having to say anything. Though, it's semi-hard not to laugh when Xanthee asks her in-utero baby if it will be the good one. She's heard this more times than she can count from expecting mothers.

Catching sight of Phaedra's helpful finger, Xanthee offers a smile in thanks to the healer as she heads over to one of the couches that is almost pressed up against one of the walls, leaning over to look behind it. "Ok, enough of this. You two need to eat breakfast so I can get you to the playroom." She says, utilizing her mommy-voice, which causes much whining from the pair of Lexi and Thane as they crawl out from behind the couch and drag their feet over to the table to climb into a chair each while Xan puts a small plate of breakfast in front of each of them with fruits, some scrambled eggs and a piece of buttered bread each. When that's done, the greenrider finds herself a seat in a nearby upholstered chair with a sigh. "Sorry for interupting your sleep, Journeyman." She offers with a wane smile in Phaedra's direction.

Phaedra rubs the sleep from her eyes and stands for another stretch as Xanthee gets her brood in line. SHe didn't mind helping! Honest! She then collects her mug and exchanges old cold klah for fresh and hot before sinking back into her chair with a smile. "It's quite alright, I'll just wake myself up enough here to head home and crash back out anyways. It's probably a good thing you all came in and made noise because I would have been miserably stiff and sore if I'd slept that way for long. So I suppose I should be thanking the three of you." She looks Xanthee over and smiles. "How's the gestation going?"

Xanthee glances back over her shoulder to see that the littles are still behaving and eating their breakfast with as little fuss as possible before turning her attention back to the Healer. "You were on the night shift then?" She deduces from all the clues as she lets one hand come to rest on her baby bump. "Oh fantastic! It's like night and day from when I had the twins, except for the fact that I look like I've eaten a few too many of Ardstelle's baked goods, I wouldn't even know I was expecting. I'm about half-way there now, and can still do most things. Wasn't like this with the twins."

Phaedra nods at Xanthee's first. "I take them when I can, the night shifts are quiet, and generally run smoothly." Generally. Phaedra sips at her klah and tucks her feet up underneath her. No worries cleaning staff! Phae's boots are tucked under her chair. She's not scuffing up or dirtying the furniture! "Good. I'm glad to hear it… and I'm sure someone has mentioned that no two pregnancies are ever the same? Right?" It's an innocent enough question, she's not Xanthee's midwife, so she doens't know what's been said or not. "It's good you aren't too overburdened by it, specially with those two spirited young ones. I have to give it to the mothers with twins and triplets, must be hard. Specially as a dragonrider mom." She may be sifting for information for her notes. Maybe.

"Actually, I think you mentioned it when I saw you wanting to confirm it in the first place." Xanthee points out with a bit of a chuckle. "I'm almost glad I got the harder pregnancy done the first time, I am certainly not complaining." Mention of the twins has Xan peering over again just in time to see Lexi aiming a piece of banana at Thane's ear. "Hey!" She says sharply, the little girl's head swiveling in her mom's direction with a start before she cleverly pops the piece of fruit in her mouth as if that's what she was going to do all along. The greenrider just gives her a look and then turns her attention back on Phaedra. "Twins are not for the faint-hearted… but it's not like I chose to have two at once, so you take what life throws at you." She adds with a bit of a shrug.

Phaedra mmms. "Indeed. I guess you have a point there. But when you have the option of fostering and nannies, I have to give it to the dragonrider parents that parent and take their duties seriously at the same time. It's a lot of work and should be admired." And that really is how she feels about it. Riders don't have to take care of their spawn if they don't want to, so those that do have some high esteem in Phae's books. "I don't know that I could handle twins. Two at once on everything… you really are a power to be reckoned with." Phae winks in Xan's direction and tries to hide a yawn behind her hand before sipping at her klah.

"Oh, I make good use of the nannies, and our kids spend plenty of time in the lower caverns with all the other brats." Xanthee will fully admit without any shame. "But no, I couldn't foster. My mother didn't with me, and she was a single mom when the Pass started, and I was about 4. She was injured bad in one of the first Falls and died soon after." She can say this now without getting too choked up, over two decades have passed since. "So I'm doing what she couldn't. And If Thread should ever get me, well… I know they will have Mal to tell them all about me." A bit morbid maybe for this early in the morning, and so Xan shakes herself out of it with a sigh. "I swear, pregnancy brain makes me say the weirdest things." She offers by way of apology.

Phaedra shakes her head. "Don't worry about it. I think we all have those sort of thoughts now and again, and specially when we're changing." She can't speak to pregnancy brain, she's never had it. So she can't comment on weird preggo thoughts very much. She sips at her klah a bit more, thoroughly amused when Lexi gets caught trying to plug her brother's ear. It's cute, despite the bad behavior side of things.

Phaedra shakes her head, looking sympathetic to Xan's story about her mom. Losing a parent must be hard no matter how long ago it happened. "Don't worry about it. I think we all have those sort of thoughts now and again, and specially when we're changing." She can't speak to pregnancy brain, she's never had it. So she can't comment on weird preggo thoughts very much. She sips at her klah a bit more, thoroughly amused when Lexi gets caught trying to plug her brother's ear. It's cute, despite the bad behavior side of things. (Fix)

"I suppose so." Xanthee replies with a shrug. "It's not like knowing the risks stopped me from taking up the white knot four times before Liowyth finally found me on the sands. It's all I wanted to be. A rider like my mom. So why not be realistic about these things? You only have one live to live, make each day count is what I always say." She adds with a smile before getting up to move over to the table to wipe down sticky fingers and offer small amounts of juice in kid friendly cups to the twins to finish off breakfast.

Phaedra nods. "You've the right of it there for sure. Life is short, do what you can, when you can." Phae drinks up a good portion of her klah, but still looks super tired around the edges and keeps having to hide yawns behind her hand. She really SHOULD go to bed. But this has been an interesting morning interlude and as she doesn't socialize much, it's been nice. She watches Xanthee begin clean up and sighs. "Did you even get to eat? I can help if you want to scarf down your breakfast." She might not know what she's doing with kids much, but cleaning them up can't be that hard, right?

"It's fine, really… I need to get them to the playroom, and then I can come back and finish my own in peace." Xanthee looks almost giddy at this prospect as she sticks a napkin into a handy glass of water and wipes down sticky mouths and fingers most efficiently. Her emerald eyes do unfocus just a touch in the universal body language of a rider talking to one's dragon. "Y'know… if you're too tired to make to it your room in the crafter's complex, I'm sure a cot could be found for you, much closer. But you'd have to put one of these on to get access to it." She says matter-of-factly, turning from the table with a fresh whtie knot danging from her fingers. "Liowyth just reminded me that I have a pocketfull of these to give out, and if you're a journeywoman, you should be about the right age I'm hoping."

Phaedra nods at Xanthee's first. "Alright then, just thought I'd offer." She finishes off her klah and is in the middle of putting her boots back on when Xanthee speaks up. She almost misses what the greenrider says, she's so focused and sleepy. But when it finally does sink in, her gaze flicks up to Xanthee's, kind of wild and bright as if checking to see if the woman is joking. She hasn't been asked to stand for a clutch in awhile now and had thought that perhaps she'd missed her chance at ever finding a lifemate on the sands. But, her gaze lands on that white knot and for a second, Phae has to fight the shock. Another dragon thinking she's good for the sands. How about that? Swallowing, she stands and moves closer to Xanthee in order to accept. "I'd be honored, though I will need to report to the craft to pack and let them know." As if she's sleeping now! "Can I have the day before I have to report?"

Chuckling softly with a shake of her head when the penny finally drops for Phaedra, Xanthee tosses the knot in the healer's direction when she's close enough to not likely miss it even in her sleepy state. "Whatever you need, I suppose. Don't wait too long though, you don't want to be left with no choice of cots in the barracks. That's the worst. Just report in at the barracks whenever, and there'll be someone to get you sorted." Xan smiles a touch nostalgically. "I need to pass this pair off to the nannies then I'm having a quiet breakfast and a long bath. Just me and the littlest one." She adds as she takes her twins in hands and heads towards the inner caverns.

Phaedra nods. "Oh I know, this isn't my first time at this… but thank you for the extra time anyhow. ANd thank you for the offer, give yours my thanks as well." She listens to Xanthee's plans for the morning as she gathers the rest of her things, tucking the precious white knot into one of her pockets for the time being. She'll need to change before pinning it to her shoulders. "I guess I'll be seeing you around rider, thank you again!" There's excitement welling up now, an excitement Phae hasn't dared feel in a long time. Beaming, she skitters out of the hearth and into the living caverns and beyond. She has things to do! People to see!

"No worries Candidate!" Xanthee calls, looking over her shoulder. "Liowyth and I will be looking for you on the Sands." And the greenrider is off.