He was quietly pleased to see so many familiar faces join in the contest, though he did not pause his own shell gathering. Quality mattered, but so did quantity. They would need enough to place around the entire Coast, after all. No small task, and every pair of willing hands picking up a basket and wading into the surf was welcome, no matter their reason for being there.
He nodded a warm welcome to Ronin, ambling a little closer before reaching down to sift his fingers through the sand as the water rushed over it, tumbling new treasures into reach and uncovering old ones as it pulled back a little farther, the tide ebbing outwards. "Ronin. Good morning. Will your husband be joining us today?" Simple curious courtesy, though it was not uncommon to see one Taliesin without the other.
He glanced over as Sohalia joined a ways off, and he watched the young woman quietly for a moment as she chose and then discarded her first shell. He remained silent, thoughtful, but soon enough Nova's caffeine-fueled laughter drew his gaze to the children of Safrin and his expression lightened. He might have even caught his name on the wind as Nova danced through the water like a flower made of spindrift, her basket already containing several shells.
He rose with another shell in hand - pale pink with dappled spots of deep brown, or was that maroon? - that was intact and a deep, shiny coral color on its interior side.
He nodded a warm welcome to Ronin, ambling a little closer before reaching down to sift his fingers through the sand as the water rushed over it, tumbling new treasures into reach and uncovering old ones as it pulled back a little farther, the tide ebbing outwards. "Ronin. Good morning. Will your husband be joining us today?" Simple curious courtesy, though it was not uncommon to see one Taliesin without the other.
He glanced over as Sohalia joined a ways off, and he watched the young woman quietly for a moment as she chose and then discarded her first shell. He remained silent, thoughtful, but soon enough Nova's caffeine-fueled laughter drew his gaze to the children of Safrin and his expression lightened. He might have even caught his name on the wind as Nova danced through the water like a flower made of spindrift, her basket already containing several shells.
He rose with another shell in hand - pale pink with dappled spots of deep brown, or was that maroon? - that was intact and a deep, shiny coral color on its interior side.
