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[ the eggs ]

Ettiquette Egg -

This pale blue egg is charming - it exudes grace and welcome, and only wants to make you at home. There's a deep peace around it, and an invitation to stay a while. It wants to be your friend - let it be your friend? Oh, is that a new hat? Have you had your hair done? Whatever it is, you look absolutely lovely. Don't stay too long, though - remember that you've got all their brothers and sisters to see too.

Written by Con

Fashion Crime Egg -

This garishly coloured egg is Not Impressed, people. They would like to point out that this whole thing is terribly poorly organised, that your hair looks AWFUL, and that they would Just Like This To Stop Now. They are set well apart from the rest of the clutch, and have an air of grumpiness.

Written by Con

Hear Me Roar Egg -

This egg is emblazoned with an imprint in gold that looks almost like a beast rampant, though one no Pernese has ever seen. The (relatively speaking) huge egg stands at the front of the clutch, as if ready to shield them from everything - and everyone - else. It almost seems to be smoking in the heat, and it exudes heat... right up until you touch it, at which point it is beautifully cool.

Written by Con

Lashings of Ginger Beer Egg -

This mid-sized pale white egg is SO PLEASED TO SEE YOU. So very, very pleased! You're here! You're exactly what they wanted to see! They love you and they want you to be happy. This egg is in the middle of the clutch, surrounded by it's siblings - all of whom it seems to want to cuddle at once, though it seems to be leaning backwards to try and touch The Commander, who Definitely Needs A Hug. Oh, and you! They want to hug you too!

Written by Con

Private Eye Egg -

So what are you looking at, wise guy? This large green-blue egg, dotted with eye prints - at least by the standards of the clutch - is set a little away from the centre of the clutch, and doesn't really seem to want to associate with it's siblings. They are a lone wolf... and they like it that way.

Written by Con

Listening Egg -

Hello, and welcome! Who are you? Where are you from? What is your favourite thing to eat, to do? This medium-small egg (garishly covered in overlapping splotches in all the colours of the rainbow) wants to know all about you and is quite please to meet you - oh yes, quite pleased! Only candidates who come in with a rough attitude or arrogance will be rebuked; a flick on the nose and a wagged finger for you sir! Just why do you think you are better than anyone else is? After the initial rush of welcome or light reprimand this egg goes quiet in the manner of a good active listener, truly it would like to know more about all of you!

Written by Tawny

The Commander Egg -

This mediumish dull grey egg lurks at the back of the clutch. When touched it doesn't seem especially impressed by you, whoever you are; it gives off an air of competent confidence, perhaps of authority. If candidates don't withdraw upon feeling this they will find their mind probed for guilt and secrets, and everyone is guilty of something. Anyone who claims to be completely innocent has got to be hiding something. When the light catches this egg just right candidates may get the strange feeling that they have just witnesses a flash of an impossible colour... a kind of greenish purple?

Written by Tawny

Radish Egg -

This egg is medium-sized red, and appears to have a large and worrying dent in one side. It exudes a lively cheerfulness, although it also seems kind of... greedy. For touches, affection, attention, whatever. Come over here, come see them, don't go, there's still so much to do and so many adventures to have! Their siblings aren't half as interesting as they are, honest!

Written by Con

Seytev was a little nervous.

Not because of the Touching itself - he'd been to the last one, and had a pretty good idea of how the whole thing worked. Candidates approached the eggs, touched the eggs, sometimes the dragonets inside the eggs spoke back - relatively easy stuff. And very, very exciting.

No, his nerves were more because of the circumstances under which the clutch had been laid. Venk still seemed anxious, and Hiraeth...well, he assumed she was making a recovery, but the whole thing had been scary for everyone. He just hoped everyone was doing all right, and did everything he could to appear attentive and focused when Venk gave them the rules before turning them loose. The man didn't need any more stress in his life.

Turned loose, he gave a (somewhat clumsy) bow to Hiraeth and waited for the gold's acknowledgment before righting himself or otherwise moving a muscle. Hopefully everyone else was following the rules, too - he really didn't have any desire for the entire class to get in trouble over something someone else did, and judging by the stress of the moment, it was a very real possibility.

Moving with exaggerated care in an effort not to trip over himself and fall on a fellow Candidate or (Faranth forbid) one of the eggs, he approached the Private Eye egg first. No real reason - it was at the edge of the clutch, and he assumed the rest of the class would probably head right for the larger egg in the middle and its brightly-colored siblings. He didn't say anything out loud as he leaned down to touch it, but he tried to keep his mind open and think welcoming thoughts to the unborn dragon inside it.

Seytev wasn't alone in that.

Seeing Hiraeth look the way she did broke Zarike's heart. It was hard being in a position where there was literally nothing he could do to make things better. He couldn't make Hiraeth not sick. He couldn't make the clutch bigger or make sure all of the eggs were healthy. He wasn't even sure there was anything he could say to comfort Venk without being irreparably awkward.

He didn't want to think that she might be dying. If she could just stop laying eggs she might have a shot but it seemed with each clutch she just kept getting worse. The teenager was heartsick with the desire to just do something! Maybe he was overstepping his position as a 'mere candidate', but Zarike had never let social class stop him. As he passed Venk, Zarike couldn't help but place a hand for a moment on the worn man's upper arm and gave (what he hoped was a!) sympathetic and respectful smile. It was only there for a brief moment before he was bowing low to the Weyrmaster's gold.

Respect paid to both rider and dragon, Zarike approached the eggs slowly, clearing his mind of the negative thoughts and worries. It was hard but he focused on the excitement of there being dragons within the eggs! Living, healthy dragons! It seemed only natural to touch the Hear Me Roar egg first, front and center as it was.

There were times when it was appropriate to greet a grim situation with a smile. Sometimes the best way to soothe frazzled nerves was to distract the owner of said nerves from whatever was putting them on edge. Sometimes a mood could be lightened with a joke, timed well, or a little bit of horsing around to burn off nervous energy in a harmless, safe fashion.

This was not one of those times, and Bakarn was smart enough to know the difference.

Venk wasn’t usually… like this. Then again, given how sick Hiraeth still looked, who could blame him? Bakarn stood stock-still during the obligatory round of threats, not saying a word and not trying to catch anyone’s eye. But as soon as they were dismissed, he ghosted off, moving with all the lightfooted care that he could manage.

In his head, he knew that these eggs were no more or less fragile than any others he’d touched. But maybe the Candidatemaster’s mood was contagious, because Bakarn hesitated before he went to mingle. Instead, he looped around, headed for the back of the clutch where fewer people were. Kneeling by a dull grey egg, he rested his hand on the Commander’s side, trying to clear his mind of the worries that still clung there like shadows.

The Commander is not impressed. Bakarn receives the impression of a very stern staring at, a stare that bores into his very soul and.... Well, alright kid you pass for now but that ego needs checking, and he can wipe that smug grin off his face too. It offered no reassurances about the future but its presence was strong and sure, it was quite obvious that this egg wasn't about to crack up... metaphorically speaking.

Still, as the Commander withdraws again it leaves the impression that it is not as disappointed as it was expecting to be.


Well hello, hello, hello! The Listening egg bursts into Zarike's mind with a song in its heart and deep interest in the hands touching its bright shell. Well well, what had they there? Listening takes interest in all things like Zarike, and in all people; how fine that they have something in common.... And yes, yes it is right to stand up for a person who may be very small but listen first! Always listen! And with that the Listening egg listens, sharing no more with Zarike beyond feelings of welcome and continued interest.

What a different experience from the first egg! Zarike never forgot how much he enjoyed a Touching, but it always seemed new and surprising with every egg. The vibrant colors of the outer shell must certainly represent the bright personality inside.

The acknowledgement of a common interest made Zarike's heart race. Was this possibly the dragon for him? He couldn't lay claim on an egg of course... but it did bring his hopes up and he'd be keeping a close eye on the Listening Egg when it came time for it to hatch! As for the caution to listen, Zarike always listened! He loved listening to people. He didn't need to be reminded to do something he loved. Unless it meant something else... Zarike didn't spend too long thinking about it. He wanted to stay but he should be moving.

He circled around the back of the clutch, waiting for Bakarn to finish before he touched the dull shell of the Commander Egg.

Eggs should not be allowed to give you the mental impression of being shaken.

For a moment, Seytev simply stood stock-still, eyes closed while he puzzled out the curious sensation of dressing-down he had just received. Whatever was in the egg...wanted what was in his brain, he supposed. But there had been a moment of...approval? Something like approval. He wasn't precisely sure what.

What an interesting little animal...

It was, at least, a little bit lighter than the heaviness that hung over the Hatching Sands. Nodding solemnly, Seytev straightened up and moved on, pausing beside a garishly-patched rainbow egg and smiling slightly. This one, at least, was cheerful in appearance. Leaning down and resting his hand on Listening's shell, he waited a moment, mind open and welcoming.