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 Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 1:08 pm
This is our PC clutch. =D Eggs are liable to change- added to or subtracted from, but for now gaze in wonder and TREMBLE. There's a little place where Candidates can peep in on the Hatching Grounds to look at the eggs, like every good Weyr should have, but they have to be careful that the Queens don't notice, or they're liable to get quite angry.
Grevy’s Zebra Egg- This egg is easily one of the largest in the clutch. It stands near a ring of smaller eggs, almost as if it is providing a sort of benevolent protection to them. Its creamy white shell is marked by random stripes of dark brown and black that range up and down the egg, occasionally punctuated with a dot of the same color. It’s a rather crazy and chaotic pattern, and some people complain that it gives them a headache. Never the less, there is something soothing about the sheer size of the egg that sets most people at ease.
Lion Egg- Were not this egg so small, it could be mistaken for a Queen egg. It’s a tawny gold in color, ringed by a darker brown at the top and bottom. Towards the center, the hue of the egg turns amber, very bright and piercing. It is a smaller egg, though not quite as small as some of the others. It lies near the Zebra egg, resting slightly against it, as if it’s too lazy to stand on its own. The way the egg lies seems to be in direct contrast to the energetic color in the middle of the egg, though you can never tell, can you?
Masai Giraffe Egg- This is an egg medium in size, with a distinctively ‘stretched’ shape. Like its sibling the Zebra egg, the base color seems to be a cream color. Medium brown, rich hued brown blotches are all over the shell, continuing the trend of thus far ‘natural’ colors. It stands a bit apart from the Zebra egg, and presides over a few more eggs smaller than itself, as if its eager to show that it can be as good of a protector as the larger egg. The warm colors are calming to look upon.
Crowned Crane Egg- This is one of the smallest eggs in the clutch. IT stands close to the Masai Giraffe egg, though it is by no means hiding in the shadow. An egg with these colors could hardly hide. With a base of the black, the spikes of yellow, almost like a sun, in the direct center of the egg stands out like a clear flag. It’s a cheerful color, edged at the bottom by a deep red that seems almost seductive. The top of the egg is black, shot through with dashes of yellow similar to that that is in the middle. The very edges of the egg, from where it lies in the sand, are white in hue, again dashed through with yellow. This egg is simultaneously extremely colorful and extremely… well, extremely grey.
Hyena Egg- Another small egg, but a powerful one. It sits short and squat to the ground, its golden color dashed with brown, and sprinkled liberally with black dots. It sits directly between the Zebra egg and the Giraffe egg, as if unwilling to associate itself with either. It seems almost independent, if an egg that relies wholly on the protection of its mother can be so.
Gemsbok Egg- A medium sized egg with a striking grey and black pattern. The shapes of the black are very clear and angular, and are occasional interspersed with white. The egg itself is quite visually arresting, and its medium size holds all sorts of promises. What will come out of such an egg? No one knows, but plenty are eager to find out. The sharp patterning lead some to think that despite its medium size, it might even hold a bronze, but no one will be able to tell until the dragon inside breaks shell. The Gemsbok egg sits close to the Grevy’s Zebra egg. Together they make a striking pair.
Sable Antelope Egg- This egg looks like the smaller twin of the Gemsbok egg, in darker colors. It is extremely dark brown, almost black, in shell. It’s another rich color, which this clutch seems to have plenty of. It has fewer markings than the Gemsbok egg, but they are in white and are extremely distinct once again. The dark color makes this small little egg look rather depressed, doesn’t it? But it seems happy enough, lying close enough to touch the Gemsbok egg, in range of its mother to be poked and prodded. Parts of the egg fade to a lighter brown, though most if it is dark.
Flamingo Egg- Yes, you guessed it. This is the most colorful egg of the clutch, and also the smallest. As if it to make up for the size, the egg is almost blindingly pink, only broken by a thin band of black across the center. The pink almost seems unnatural on Pern, and this egg certainly attracts attention. It doesn’t seem to mind though, even if the Queen gets a bit annoyed and sometimes halfway covers it with sand. Well, it is bright. It stands apart from the first main group, compromising the second grouping of eggs, those that lie closer to the Queen than the rest. Its tiny size and bright color give the egg a quirky feel that attracts the odder Candidates.
Hippo Egg- This egg also has a pinkish tone, though it’s not nearly as bright or as small as the Flamingo egg. Its pink is tempered with grey, and the two mix together in a way that is strangely pleasing to the eye. It’s another large egg, and leans close to the Flamingo egg, as if it is somehow shielding it from everyone else. Or perhaps its just annoyed that its developing eyes can see only glaringly pink through the thick shell. Either way, this grey and pink egg seems to be larger than it really is. Most are surprised when they come close and its not quite the size they imagined.
Nile Crocodile Egg- The texture of this medium-small egg is almost rough, compared to that of its siblings. It too leans close to the Flamingo egg, the tip of its shell just barely, lovingly caressing the pink egg. It’s a nondescript brown in color, and might have gone totally unnoticed were it not for the odd texture. There is speculation over whether or not a dragon will actually hatch from the egg, or whether it will be stillborn. Such things happen in dragon clutches, especially when the egg appears to have some kind of deformity as this one does. But is it deformity, or is it simply a quirk?
African Sunrise Egg- While not quite as bright as the Flamingo egg, this small egg comes close. The smallest in this clutch seem to be the most colorful, and this egg is no exception. It is a riot of colors, beginning with a deep violet that gradually fades from red to yellow to orange, spread evenly in peaceful swirls and blots. It’s a peaceful egg in general, with the extreme points fading into navy blue. It lies near the Nile Crocodile egg, on a careful pile of sand laid out by the Queen. It’s slightly larger in size than the Flamingo Egg, though not by much. There’s something sleepy about it.
Elephant Egg- One of the largest eggs in the clutch, this egg elegantly blends both ivory and a soft, misty grey in a dream-like palate of colors. Despite its large size, there is something delicate looking about the egg. It almost looks like it could be pushed in and destroyed easily, which makes some uneasy about touching the shell. Still, they shouldn’t fear, for the shell of this egg is as strong as the others, and the monochrome palate is appealing to both males and females. You never know what might come from the shell, after all. The Elephant Egg sits on the very edge of the clutch, though it is by no means ignored.
Jackal Egg- A primarily grey and mottled egg, the Jackal Egg is medium-small, and splashed with liberal amounts of tan. The speckles themselves on the grey are an ecru color, almost like bone. There is no distinct, set pattern to this egg- on the whole, it seems rather chaotic. It’s another egg that doesn’t have wide appeal, but to the right Candidate, it seems full of promise. The size could be several different colors, really, and its position in the clutch, near the edge, is no indicator of what lies inside. There’s a rusty red bit of color on the side facing the sand that sometimes shows when the Queen turns the egg. It looks almost like blood.
Cheetah Egg- A medium orange egg with irregular black dots. The orange fades to dull tan towards the middle, and is brightest near the edges. The black dots are fairly small in size, and almost uniform in shape. The whole egg is very sleek looking, and there’s something proud about its entire bearing. It’s another egg that seems to invite speculation and betting. Mayhap people just like to bet… a lot. The Cheetah Egg lies near to a remarkably similar egg, the Leopard Egg.
Leopard Egg- This egg is almost an identical twin of the Cheetah egg, and lies close to it. It is of a similar size, though it is marginally smaller. It takes a good eye to notice that the black markings on this egg are slightly different- they are shaped more like rosettes than dots, and are more irregular in shape. The patterning is quite complex, when you come up close. The color of the egg is also more golden in hue, rather than orange. Something about the way this egg leans on the other seems to indicate a deep friendship engrained in the shells, though it looks oddly like the Cheetah Egg is trying to tip away.
Tribal Egg- The top part of this smaller egg is a cheerful red, that takes up about a third of the egg, and gradually becomes darker, into a rich brown. The brown darkens to near black in the center, then gradually begins to fade. After taking up another third of the egg, the last third is taken by a rich, forest green. The fading is quite lovely, and the colors are almost startling. The egg is smaller in size, and lies near some of its siblings gracefully. It doesn’t lie as jumbled as the rest. There’s a very dignified air about it.
Gorilla Egg- A medium-large egg, it blends a dark grey almost seamlessly with dark, rich green that puts one in mind of mysterious mountain rainforests. The dark grey is dominant over the green, though only marginally. It’s a mysterious looking egg- not quite bold enough to be a bronze, perhaps, but too large to be many other colors. Let the betting begin! It lies further apart from the clutch, near the Queen’s tail. She has the very tip rested protectively on it at all times.
African Wild Dog Egg- Wildly patterned and large in size, the Wild Dog egg commands attention. Across the entirety of the egg, dark brown, silver, and gold fight for dominance, blotching over each other and bleeding into each other. Its large size has warranted it a place close to the Queen, presiding proudly over both a smaller egg and the larger Queen egg. Whatever is in the egg seems to be determined to be noticed. It’s certainly a forceful little bugger, whatever lies within the shell. Putting your hand against the warm surface, you can almost feel the dragonet within struggling to get out already.
Bongo Egg- Lying in the shade of the Wild Dog egg, this little egg would go unnoticed where it not for its rusty red coloring, striped with white. In a clutch of many distinctly patterned eggs, the rusty red does help this egg stand out some, though it seems like people always want to pass over the poor thing for its bigger sibling or its golden sister. Never the less, the Queen keeps it close to her chest, indicating that she wants others to acknowledge it for what it is- her child.
Springbok Egg- This is it. The big cheese. The Queen egg. It’s the largest egg in the clutch, and brilliantly golden. The gold is fairly uniform, with mild mottling of a darker color across the shell. The Queen always has an arm about it, but will reluctantly let female Candidates step forward to briefly stroke the shell, before she hisses and shoves them off. This egg is also rather delicate looking, despite its size, and seems almost… sprightly. Who knows what it has in store with this little Queen?
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 10:13 am
[[OOC: First, I'd like to provide a basic rundown on what happens during the Touching/basic etiquette. The Candidatemaster will come and wake the females up, then the males (no reason for that order, just felt like it). She'll tell them to hustle to the Hatching Grounds. For this occasion, they can wear their normal clothes; however, any fire lizards they may have need to be left in the barracks or told to go elsewhere.
The Candidates enter together. Make sure your Candidate bows first to the Queen dragon (dragons in this case). It's not necessary to wait for me to reply her acceptance, but it is necessary to be polite to the Queen at all times. Your Candidates should remain quiet. They are allowed to touch the shells of the eggs. They shouldn't worry about breaking them, but they shouldn't like... slam their fists into them either. One Candidate at a time to an egg please. They'll have to sort that out on their own. All the heterosexual female Candidates will be asked to (BRIEFLY) touch the Queen egg. They can also touch any other egg they feel like. While some of the eggs have 'feelings' associated with them written into the description, please do not have your character form this amazing insta-bond. That's just going to make me less inclined to want to give you a dragon in the end.
In the end, the Candidatemaster will call them all out. Straggles will not be tolerate- nor, I'm sure, will they want to face an increasingly grumpy Queen dragon. The Queens tend to be very grudging about this whole Touching business, even with their riders there to placate them.
This event is for Candidates ONLY. No other spectators will be allowed. Your character must have been Searched and must be on the grounds at the correct time to be allowed in.
While this is not a mandatory event by any means, it will help me better understand your character and their respective motivations.
Thanks. I'll be making a post for this soon. Please don't post until I say it's okay.
-Sil
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 10:56 am
"Wake up you lazy wherries! You all have to be on the Hatching Grounds in ten minutes, no exceptions. You going to sleep all day?" The Candidatemaster's harsh voice echoed first in the girl's barracks, and then the boy's, as she called them all to order. It was not entirely an accurate statement- the poor, exhausted Candidates, who spent most days doing manual labor already, were woken just as the sun was rising, spilling red light across the Weyrbowl. Bleary eyes and rumbling stomachs would be in order for everyone involved, including Astrisabe.
She was used to getting up at such an early time, but that didn't mean she had to like it. Shards, she thought this sort of thing would be gone when she came to the Weyr, but apparently her guess was incorrect. She didn't mind hard work, but she felt as though what they gave the Candidates was mostly to keep them busy and out of the way of the dragonriders, and she wouldn't be incorrect. While they had important lessons about feeding their dragons and the eventual care of the hatchlings, they also spent a great deal of time getting underfoot in the kitchens, or cleaning up herdbeast dung. Much of the work was pointless and thankless, yet Astri did it without complaint. This was the way the world worked, right?
The Candidate groaned again as she pulled on her day to day clothes, making sure that the boots she wore had a thick and sturdy sole. They had all been warned that the Sands would be hot, and that wearing protection would be in their best interests. True, in a few weeks they would only have thin sandals, but today they had the luxury of wearing whatever they would be most comfortable in.
Now dressed and largely ready to face the day (it felt like such a luxury to not have to brush her hair), Astri found herself watching the younger female Candidates, making sure that they were getting ready and not crawling back to sleep. It wasn't her position to do so, but old habits die hard, and she would hate for any of them to miss the Touching. Besides, she was just a bit bossy, though she recognized that and embraced it. She could bellow with the best of them, if she had to, but for now she just kept an hawk eye on the others.
Eventually she lined up outside with the other sleepy lads and lassies, the large group of the stumbling into the mouth of the Hatching Grounds. Astri found herself waking up abruptly, sleep gone from her eyes, as she stared upwards at the huge majesty of a Queen dragon. While she recalled bowing, she was still in awe that something could be so beautiful and big. The heat from the Sands added to the surreality of the experience. Like many of the other Candidates, Astri had pressed herself against that oh so convenient crack to peer at the eggs prior to this, but she was again floored by how large and colorful they were in person. The Touching had started, and the eager butterflies continued to build up in her stomach.
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:26 am
In the male half of the Candidate Barracks, Greloren shot up out of bed at the words 'Hatching Grounds'. He started to reach for his white robe before his senses caught up to him. It wasn't Hatching day. But it was Touching day! That was almost as good! Better in ways, since they could wear much more comfortable clothing... He quickly got dressed, stomping his feet into his boots as he tried to be one of the first out the door.
Not that it would matter, they would be going as a group. Riordan groaned at the excited noises the other males were making. He wanted to sleep more. Couldn't this have been for later on in the day? Sighing, he rolled out of bed, stumbled to the chest at the foot of the bed, and pulled out some clothes. Frowning at the wrinkled state of the tunic he pulled out, he found another that was much neater. He took his time getting dressed and lacing up his boots. Could they at least get breakfast first?
Greloren was pacing as the others finally started to stumble out, Riordan towards the tail end of the group. They made their way towards the Hatching Grounds and both boys stared in awe at the two golds hovering over their clutches. Bowing to both soothed each some, but one still kept her wings over her eggs. Oh well, the Candidates weren't allowed to touch those yet anyways. Riordan glanced at them for a moment, trying to catch a glimpse of what they looked like.
The weyrbrat Greloren nearly ran across the hot sands (nearly... one look at the gold and he was walking, though perhaps a bit faster than usual) to one of the largest eggs. The African Wild Dog egg. He hesitated only a moment before putting his hands out to touch the spotted surface.
Riordan took his time and slowly walked towards the eggs. He was hoping to get a chance to touch all of them (well, besides the gold egg, obviously) and so he might as well start with some of the closer ones. Plus... the gold was a bit scary.
So he headed towards the Elephant egg, as it was towards the edge of the clutch.
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:35 am
Stirring slightly at the call of the Candidatemaster, Dhiren sat up and stretched before sliding out of his cot to make way for his usual morning hygienic duties. However, the candidates around him were rushing, pushing and shoving those smaller and weaker physically out of the way while other opted to simply run a brush through their hair and throw on a simple outfit; they even managed to slip past a few of the “mothers” and avoided the delay known as breakfast upon this day of days…
No, not the Hatching. Not quite time for that just yet. This was the second-most exciting day for the candidates.
The Touching. Over the time the Queens would allow them, the candidates were allowed to tread around on the hot sands, placing their hands upon the hardening shells and opening their minds to the hatchlings resting within. Some of the elder candidates, those who have been through multiple Hatchings, have been known to place “claims” on particular eggs…especially those who have special markings or a vast majority believe to have a bronze growing within.
Not that the Twelve-turn lad cared about that. He chuckled to himself and finished lacing up his sandals before dashing out to join the stream of people following the Master to the sacred nesting area. Dhiren had high doubts he would even be able to even ride Bronze, let alone trying to find a way to mount one, he was just too small…
And all those responsibilities? Dhiren might be considered smart but he wouldn’t be able to handle that kind of burden! All he wanted was to fly far and free with a friend and fight Thread…He wanted to write his own story…
Mentally slapping himself for daydreaming, the lad raced to keep up after his friends and fellow candidates. Now was not the time for such thoughts of woe and unhappiness! Come on! How often was he gunna be able to enjoy being on the grounds?
Lining up with the other lads and lasses that were streaming through the opening, Dhiren almost stopped and gaped had the larger guy behind him not shoved him to force him to keep going. What earned such a reacttion was not the beauty of the eggs scattered on the hot sands, but the two beings towering above them with the air of a goddess. Their scales glittering like the highest-quality gold and curled protectively around a few of their children, the Queen was the ruler of the Weyr and she made that a very clear fact. Dhiren was about to fall to his knees and grovel before them, but he had been told a bow at the waist was simple enough. Bowing with his hands clasped in front of him, the lad put all the respect and awe he could within the motion and thanked them both softly for this opportunity before straightening and quietly moving onwards.
Slipping between the shells as the heat radiated through his sandals, he let his fingers gently touch a few of the eggs. They were warm…slightly soft but much harder than they looked…
And the colors! The colors were simply dazzling to the young boy and the sands only amplified them to the point where it near blinded the boy whenever he laided eyes on them. Even the warm grays of the large egg nearby were blinding. He couldn’t stay focused on just one…
Hold on. There was one that always seemed to be lingering on the edge of his vision. It was the one laying by that flamboyant pink one…the brown color reminded him of Elsu, who was either pining for his return in the barracks or causing mischief somewhere in the Weyr. Chuckling at the thought, Dhiren stepped closer to the egg and laided both hands on the hardening shell; he could only grin at how….different it was compared to the others. Not smooth like some of the others, it was rough to the touch…
How neat was that? Different, yet still the same.
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:46 am
The call to wake didn't hit her right away, she just followed it. A healer must be able to wake at any moment for an emergency, or so said the Journyman who played wake up Raena at random times. He probably used it to avoid her wraith, though he slept in the day he was to leave, strange play of events. Familiar thoughts allowed her to move quickly, but the unfamiliar surroundings baffled her into slowness. It wasn't the waking fog, but the confusion.
The Master's voice faded into her mind as she was moving, to be a great dragonhealer, she had to know dragons. Since she was young enough to Impress, he tossed her in with the other Candidates, with approval of course. So thats where she was, the yelling was about the Touching.
Tossing on her simple tunic and rushing forward as she pulled up the leather pants, it didn't concern her too much because she managed it before passing where anyone but females could see her actions. Of course, if anyone actually saw her nearly run into the wall due to rush, she'd be mortified.
Jolted now fully awake, she followed after the other female candidates heading towards the hatching sands. Swallowing thickly, she fought to hold down her nervousness. The last thing she needed was to distract Keek and have him coming. Being chased out of the hatching sands by an angry dragon was not the best way to impress herself on them and her fellow Candidates for the future.
Entering the heated area, lined up just like everyone else, she foolishly thought that a brilliant Gold would look anything like the Green she had seen just days ago. Caught by first sight of the magnificent behemoths, she stalled. While just as impressed, the Candidate behind her pushed her roughly in the back to encourage her to move. Clearing her throat in annoyance at the person who pushed her, she didn't give it validity by looking behind her to see who it was.
Following the edicate beaten into her head since this whole idea came up and was approved, she bowed to the dragons; Queen first then anything else that wasn't human. Any more anxious and she would be bowing to the rocks, she wasn't sure if anyone would tease her for bowing to the eggs before she could stop herself.
Probably like everyone in there, her eyes went right to the Queen egg and focused on it. She could feel her own heartbeat as she moved a bit closer.
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:56 am
Nathail had to nearly drag himself from bed to get dressed and snatch his boots from where he'd last kicked them before going to bed the night before. Honestly if he didn't remember where the darned things were he should have set them right by his bed like the others did. Too groggy to muse to himself about any of that he brushes his fingers a bit through his hair and laces the boots up to fall in line with the rest of the boys.
When they came to the Queens, well.. he'd known they were big and impressive but not THAT large. He bows as calmly as he can manage while faced against the two golds, figuring that doing it too fast would maybe make them agitated and he didn't want to see any angry dragon up close, especially a Queen. He shot just a couple glares at the larger candidates that were rushing about to get to certain eggs and stands back just a moment to look around at them all. The glimpse he'd gotten through that crack wasn't near as impressive as seeing them all up close like this.
His eyes land on the striking pink egg again before he looks on. Grabbing his attention first is one of the medium-sized eggs, the Gemsbok, the black, grey, and white patterns over its shell easily making his eyes move over its full surface to take them all in. Funny how it almost looked a bit furry with that pattern on it, but surely it wouldn't be furry. Furry eggs? Nah.
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 12:01 pm
At some point, she must have gotten out of bed, pulled clothes on, run her fingers through her hair, and stumbled after the rest of the female Candidates down to the Sands. Lanakirene just wished she could remember doing it. Either she had sleepwalked behind everyone else or dozed off for a moment as she stood on the Sands, but she certainly jerked awake when she remembered the soles of her feet weren't normally this warm under sleeping skins. The Touching!
Coughing sheepishly and attempting to look significantly less surprised, Lanakirene took a deep breath and turned to look at the pair of golds on the sands. Both the immense animals caught more of her attention than the eggs, and she fixed first one, then the other, with what she fancied was a curious but deferential gaze, and bowed low, twice. She didn't want to upset either of them, and figured even if she looked silly. She glanced briefly down at herself and was pleased that she had managed to put her proper day-clothes on, even when half-asleep.
That business done, La reached up to rub her eyes with the back of her hand and took a deep breath. This was it. Letting her hand drop to her side and swing limply, she looked over the eggs, trying to remember what she had thought of them the last time she snuck out to look at them. She had attended Touchings before in her four turns at Ista Weyr, but to say it was old hat to her would have been...inappropriate.
She caught herself sneaking glances at the Queen egg out of the corner of her eye and then laughed ruefully under her breath when she realized what she was doing. Queens were for girls who liked boys. Shaking her head with a stupid grin, she moved slowly toward the large, wildly patterned egg she had noticed from the Candidates' vantage point a few days before. It was closer to the Queen than she had initially realized, and she gave another bow (this one shallower than the two previous) as she approached, moving slowly and as nonthreateningly as possible. There was another Candidate there already, but she simply moved to his other side and waited to for him to finish before making her own move. Reaching out to the egg, she ran her fingers from a gold patch to one of darker brown and then one of silver. "You beauty," she murmured, and grinned, a bit nervously, when she realized how strong the egg felt. There was a lot of force behind that dragonet, whosever it was. Shaking her head, she went to move on.
A small, rust-and-white egg in her current fixation's shadow caught her eye and she turned to it, moving even closer to the Queen so she could reach down to touch that one as well. Any minute now, her nerve would break, and she would retreat to a less unnerving position, farther away from the enormous dragon's chest.
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 12:01 pm
Lynna was already half awake with excitement for the day. Since she'd managed to convince her mother to let her stay with the other candidates, she'd been much happier. Of course it had taken nothing short of two weeks of careful phrases and promises that she would never be late for a shift at work, and utter and unavoidable cheerfulness while she did work that allowed her to join up with the other girls. And now she was going to do her first Touching! When the Candidate Master called, she resisted the urge to flip out of her bunk as fast as possible, and made herself stretch and rub her face.
She knew better than to let herself get too excited. She was prone to throwing up in her excitement (something that embarrassed her greatly). Clearing her throat and running a swift comb through her hair, she tied it fast with a thong of soft hide, and dug around for her boots. The other girls around her seemed just as intense, quiet aside from a few who had made fast friend who were whispering in hushed tones. Lynna hadn't had the chance to get to know the girls due to her arriving so late and working so often, but even so she felt connected to them. They were competitors, certainly, but really everyone in her mind had to be simply looking forward to the experience.
Pulling on her work skirts and a sleeveless top, Lynna trotted up to the Candidate Master with an excited grin.
She followed the line of girls to the Hatching grounds, where the temperature jumped from the cool morning breeze to a hot dry heat that reminded her of standing close to the cooking fires. The passageway seemed dark but mostly that was compared to the huge groups of mottled eggs. She felt herself breaking into an impassioned smile. The two queens were ignoring each other, and the queenriders could be seen in the tiers above, watching their Weyrmates quietly.
Her body alive with her nerves, Lynna bowed deeply to the queen whose clutch this was, and ignoring a slight wobbling of her knees waited her turn to briefly touch the queen egg. When her turn came, she kept her eyes on the brooding mother dragon. The queen's eyes were blue-green, but whirling quickly. That wasn't exactly a good sign, was it? Lynna wasn't sure. She bowed again, just in case, when smiled at the large egg before her whistfully.
Her mother's voice echoed in her ears, and the queen egg never was mine. It never would be. And the greens just looked the other way... She felt her expression change in a fit of worry, then she steeled herself, placing a hand on the smooth shell. Her heart fluttered, and her fingers caressed the perfect golden egg. She felt no magical presence from the tiny life inside the egg, but she sent her thoughts to it as best as she knew how. Little one, if you picked me, I would promise to protect you forever! Her mind, again locked in a day dream, the egg hatching right this instant, and the dragonet looking right at her...and the mindspeak she'd heard tell of, pouring into her head!
But all too soon, she heard someone clear their throat and bowing again to the queen, a little sadly, she slid down the pile of sand that was the Queen egg's bower, and over to the other grouping of eggs. Of course, should the little queen not choose her, there were greens that might find her worthy. She thrust aside her natural inclination to ignore touching these eggs, and figured ruefully that her fit of worry as she touched the queen egg would taint her encounter with the queen during the hatching. She'd have a much better chance with these eggs. If at all. She watched the boys fawning over the eggs and quietly wondered which the green dragons would hatch from - clearly the smallest of the lot. She knew that color had little to do with what the egg had inside, unless it was a queen. So quietly, she knelt by the smallest of the lot, the tiny pinkish one and the rough-looking greenish one and stroked both their shells in a loving manner. Then her eye was caught by the tiny greyish one with the dark red belly. Before she could be shooed away, she touched the top of it childishly, thinking it looked something of a canine. A fierce chaser of thread! She giggled to herself, at the thought of a canine chasing thread around, then blushed in case someone heard her.
Then she shifted out of the way to give space to the other candidates, and watched the older boys as they joked and prodded each other. She sighed, reminding herself that soon enough they'd be here again, in white, and those eggs would be hatching and dragons would be coming from every which way. She only hoped in all the madness that some dragon might find it's way to her - and then she'd be free from the kitchens and her hopeless situation forever!
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 12:44 pm
Dusen had woken up the moment the Candidate master had entered the barracks, hollering for them all to get up. He was excited, they would get to actually touch the eggs today. He pulled on his clothes quickly, and then slipped on his boots. He joined the rest of the candidates lining up, and followed them out to the sands.
He bowed to the two queens, in slight awe of how impressive they looked. He had known, intellectually, that they were that big, but it was different actually being right right in front of them.
He moved onto the sands, heading towards the eggs. He stopped at the medium orange cheetah egg, and ran his hands over it. It was warm, and he couldn't help but stare at it. What color dragon lay within it?
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 1:14 pm
Luckily enough, Mador had already been up by the time the Candidate master had bellowed for the presence of her charges. He was used to getting up early, if only so he could watch the sun rise over the Weyrbowl. It still awed him to be here, given a chance to impress the dragons he'd sung about for so long at the Harper Hall. Sure, he loved Fiari, but she wasn't quite what her much larger cousins were. With an eager grin, the young adult nervously ran a hand through his hair, putting it haphazardly into some semblance of neatness, and pulled on his sandals.
Even on the way to the Hatching Sands, his eyes were all over the place. Watching dragons as they slowly emerged from their weyrs, following the graceful lines of a rather impressive blue as it took to the skies... Absently, he wondered if he'd impress a blue. He wasn't below admitting they were his favorite. They had just the right balance of agility and strength, and their hides came in so many beautiful colors...
Mador was abruptly returned to reality upon walking straight into the edge of the entrance to the Hatching Grounds, cursing under his breath and rubbing his now aching forehead. If he did impress, he hoped his dragon was more focused than he was. Being paired with a dragon who had a similar attention span to his was no doubt a recipe for disaster. He was glad he remembered to bow to the Queens when he finally caught sight of them, hands trembling with anticipation. He'd never imagined being allowed to see a Queen in his life, let alone be so close to one! They were both beautiful, and their color was so brilliant!
For a long while, he remained where he was, simply admiring the Queens as the Candidates around him began the process of touching the eggs. And when he finally did snap out of his reverie, he was somewhat disappointed to see another Candidate had already went to the egg he'd been eyeing through the peeking crack for the past few days. But it wasn't like he wouldn't get a chance to touch that egg later. And so, he glanced around, quickly spotting the Jackal Egg and carefully inching towards it. It wasn't exactly the closest to the Queen, but he didn't want to accidentally offend her somehow.
And then he was finally close enough to reach out and touch it. It was an amazing feeling, being so close to a still unhatched dragonet... Even if he didn't impress he knew he'd be singing about this in the turns to come. The patch of red made him frown slightly though, and after a long moment, he spoke up.
"You look like you're bleeding, little dragon. I do hope you aren't hurt in there," Mador said softly, stroking the hard shell of the egg with a fond smile.
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 1:24 pm
It had been a long night for Terroll. The winds were on the heights, which made for a cold experience, but also meant that he couldn't let himself doze - the wind might obscure a message. He made use of his time by practicing his favorite ballads quietly, then louder and louder as the wind made it downright impossible to hear anything. He kept a finger on the drum skin to help himself listen for the deep echoing thrum of the other two drum-bases, but there had been no messages at all.
Now weary worn from standing in the cold all night, his head aching from the wind that had made the pressure in the tower rise and drop continuously, he was of a mind to simply drop into bed. But he knew he needed to drink some generous amounts of water first - and perhaps some fellis to calm his developing headache.
Dragging himself into the Lower Caverns, and begging some help from a Kitchen worker, Terroll sipped his fellis-laced juice mildly, it was not fresh, but had been made at least a week ago, and then from dried fruit reconstituted for the purpose. He washed down the flavour with fresh water, knowing he didn't want to wake mid-day with cramps in his legs from dehydration.The Weyr was stretching their food something awful these days. He was too tired and worn to get as riled as he normally did by that thought. The sun was just rising, and as he sat there he overheard two kitchen women talking.
"Orina, did you hear the Touching is today? Will your daughter be there?"
The other, slightly older lady grumbled. "Oh, she probably will."
"Aren't you excited for her?"
"Not so much - when those eggs hatch and all the dragons avoid her, I'll have to be there to pick up the pieces." The woman snorted.
Terroll thought that was mighty unfair of the woman, thinking her daughter had no chance to impress, but he kept his mouth silent. The juice was soothing away his aches and calming him. He thought about his small cot in the Drumtower, how warm and comfy it would be.
Something niggled at his mind, though. Was something happening today? Yes, he thought, rolling his mind over the idea, something was. His minds flicked to the eggs, then the words of the two women finally caught up to him.
Suddenly and dramatically awake, Terroll leapt to his feet. Wishing fervently he hadn't had any fellis at all, he gulped down the last of his water and tore out of the Lower Caverns as fast as he could, hoping he wouldn't be late.
When he reached the Caverns, they were already full of candidates. But they didn't seem ready to leave just yet. Peeling off his heavy hide jacket that he wore during his night shifts, he approached the eggs very, very carefully. He took a deep and controlled breath, like he would before performance, and looked up at the queen whose brood this was. She was mighty - and amazing to see this close up.
Terroll thought a mighty and abstract blot of praise to her - mentally comparing her to the mightiest queens of memory, Ramoth, Moreta's Orlith and of course Faranth. He bowed with a professional, but honest air, and sparing himself a gaze at the young girls who had encircled the queen egg, he contented himself happily and with a good deal of excitement with heading over to the colorful clutch of eggs. So many colors and wild patterns! And here after hearing about the primary beauty of queen eggs, this dazzling bunch of non-queens almost outdid their bigger sister.
In case the queen was listening in on his thoughts (as he knew she likely would be to all the candidates), he turned to her again, and murmured, "All your children are beautiful, mighty queen." He wasn't sure what else he could say, but his heart was glowing with anticipation. Or fellis. He wasn't sure, though the heat did make his head swim a little. His eyes slipped from one egg to another, his forehead beginning to bead with sweat. Being close to the edge of the pack as he was, he found his way most easily to one of the largest eggs in the bunch, as it was sitting almost independent of it's brothers and sisters. A few other boys were around it but seemed very nervous about touching the fragile looking shell. It was a soothing tone of grey. One of the boys gave him a violent look, clearly he'd made a claim here.
Terroll smirked at the other teen's presumption. He and the other male were separated by a few inches in height, but Terroll easily outweighed him by at least 20 pounds. He took a step forwards, keeping his eyes on the other male, to see if he would do anything more than scowl, and the other boy backed off. Childish, Terroll thought, placing a hand upon the mighty egg, and was shocked at how warm it really was. He closed his eyes, and marveled at the sensation of the warm life that trembled beneath his fingers. Or maybe his fingers were trembling? He made a fist of his other hand to keep himself from succumbing to the fellis that was working into his system. It was so warm here, and full of warm mothering thoughts. Or so he felt. Shards was he sleepy!
Patting the largest member of the clutch very gently, Terroll took his leave of the elephantine egg. He headed to the other large grouping of eggs, ignoring the boys who crowded back around the egg, protecting it from any other interlopers.
Terroll opted to wait his turn, and watch others as they danced gingerly towards the eggs stroking them, or talking gently to them. So many hopes and dreams were tied up right here. Terroll had no expectations, personally, at least at this moment. His eyes slipped from one egg to another, and just as often to the nervous candidates around him. He'd never had much patience for composition, but he thought it really was something, this ritual, he felt it deserved a song. Something that would capture this nervous energy, the strong sense of reverence and respect towards the queen. Something with a good drum beat, at any rate.
A tiny, somewhat inappropriate thought entered his mind - if he were to have a dragon, it should be one that would love the drums as much as he. What would the queen do if he tapped his fingers, very, very softly on a shell? He wondered what sound it might make. He was suddenly determined to try.
He looked for an egg currently unoccupied, and found yet another that seemed to have been claimed by one of the larger candidates who was giving very threatening looks to the younger boys who neared. Brashly, and without fear Terroll strolled up to the large wildly patterned egg. He rather enjoyed the great slashes of color on it. Should the dragon inside resemble it, it would be a fierce and beautiful beast indeed! He placed his hands on the shell, then with his hands flat against the surface, he lifted his index fingers and drummed the message "greetings, little dragon". It made no sound at all, but shouldn't have been very loud at all inside the shell, not next to being buried or turned by the queen. He smiled to himself, thinking that it was a rather silly idea, but still he couldn't help but pretend the tiny little tremble the egg returned wasn't a response.
Caught up by the experience, he tapped another message, "I will see you soon, little dragon - I send my love". He stroked the surface of the egg with a paternal smile. Yes, this moment was nearly enough to set him tuning. He'd have to see the Scribe, Ollin about getting some paper and ink and setting this moment to music.
Terroll's heart was now drumming against his chest, struggling against the effect of the fellis. But he would stay awake until the queen bade them leave. He was determined to see this through.
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 1:26 pm
Illabel scrambled out of bed, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Her heart was thumping too loud for her to be able to stay sleepy. She hurriedly pulled a shirt on over her shift and tugged on her skirt. Usually she was meticulous to always put on fresh underthings before dressing, but she also was very self-concious about revealing her body, even amongst all the girls. She hadn't been here very long, but she was finding some of her habits changing. A seven-day ago, it would have humiliated her to wear underthings from sleeping underneath her day clothes in the morning. Now she was too worked up to care.
It was the day for Touching.
She fumbled the buckles for her boots, glancing up to see Astri watching over them intently. She hadn't gotten to interact with the girl much thus far, but Illabel secretly admired the girl's spunk and stern adherance to the rules. If only she could be so bold! But it wasn't in her nature, not really. She was a follower rather than a leader, and she knew it. Not only that, though, Illabel was content to follow. It was what she was comfortable with. She'd rather have someone like Astri making sure she did what she was supposed to, than to be the one watching over others herself. What if she made a mistake? No, the idea made her shudder. She was quite happy attentively carrying out her own tasks and not seeking for others to oversee.
She got in line with the others in the hallway, feeling all fluttery and anxious. She bit her lip and tried to calm herself. She'd succeeded to some extent... until they stepped out onto the sands. There were the golds, so much larger than she had ever imagined. She felt like halting in her tracks out of self-preservation and awe, but the line was still moving, so she kept going along with the crowd, eyes wide. At the appropriate time, she bowed like all the others, spreading her skirt to make it a curtsey, head bowed so taht her untidy braid fell over her shoulder. She felt a pang of embarassment, realizing what a state she must look, having tumbled out of bed so hastily. Didn't the queens deserve more?
But as she raised her head, she realized it was not the gaze of someone meeting another that was leveled at her. Oh no, it was the look of a mother, on the verge of protecting her offspring. Hurriedly, Illabel rejoined the milling group around the eggs, feeling flustered and out of place.
As she waited her turn to touch the queen egg, as she had been instructed, she began to wonder what she was doing here. Was this really the place for her? Having a firelizard was one thing. This... another glance cast at the queens made her shiver. This was something else entirely. Did she really belong here? Nerves squirmed in her belly, and she fought tears from forming in her eyes. Yes, she would choose to belong here. It was what she wanted most, even if it felt strange and alien right now.
Suddenly it was her turn. Eyes wide, she paced slowly up to the large egg, quivering inside at the import this tiny life had. Someday she would be the focus of all the male dragons, be the heart and soul of her rider, and be the one which an entire wing would rally around, perhaps an entire Weyr. Oversome with this thought, She gently caressed the surface of the shell. Don't worry little one, she thought silently. You have the heart of a dragon, the heart of gold. You will fly proud and lead many to dangers that will be faced for your sake, and for that of our world. This tiny life had much riding on her shoulders. It was almost with a sense of relief that Illabel stepped back to let the next girl close, and turned towards the other eggs.
So occupied had she been by the queens and the queen egg, it was only now that she actually got a good look at the other eggs and others moved among them. Some were so brilliant or boldly marked, she practically felt intimidated by them, though that notion was silly. How could she feel cowed by an egg? Even so, that's how she felt, and under the circumstances, she figured it was best to follow her own instincts.
So it was that she was drawn to the plainer eggs, ones that seemed to her to be more alike to herself.
The first she was drawn to sits on the edge of the clutch, large but softly patterened in greys and creams. When it was free from other Candidates, she moved close slowly, extending her hand to run her fingertips lightly across it. She hadn't really noticed with the queen egg, so preoccupied was she with what it was, that the eggs were terrifically warm to the touch. Now, with the calm colors on the shell and a quiet moment to herself, she noticed the heat radiating from it. Carefully, she slid her fingers out and let her palm lightly rest on the shell's smooth surface.
Again she was struck by the importance of the life inside. Hand still on the large eg, she cast her gaze around. So many small lives, with such a big destiny! It made her heart soar to think of them all swooping about in the sky, brilliant and soft colors blending into a multicolored, blurred swirl, set against the blue of the sky. She looked back at the Elephant egg and smiled, sliding her hand across it as she moved away.
Next she approached a small egg, sitting in the shadow of a much larger and much more wild-looking egg. It's warm red seemed to suit the heat it radiated. She smiled and stroked it's pale stripes, caressing the shell in a reassuring manner. Small it might be, but a mighty heart beat within. She reflected that even the greens, small and quick, were important to fighting thread. She'd heard comments, heard some of the other Candidates boast that they'd get the gold, or the bronze. Not many seemed content with the idea of a smaller, lighter dragon. Illabel knew she'd be content, no matter what color she was given. An uneasy glance back at the gold egg made her amend the thought. Any but the queen egg, she added to herself. There just was no way she felt cut out for that.
She left the Bongo egg and moved on, carefully skirting around a glaringly pink egg that made her stifle the urge to make a face. But leaning against it was an egg that piqued her interest. She waited her turn to draw close to it, reaching to stroke it's surface thoughtfully. The hues of pink and grey blended pleasantly together, and she slid her palm along where they mixed. She pondered how she liked these softer colors, more calming and serene. Was that what she wanted in a relationship with a dragon? Peace, contentment, serenity? That sounded wonderful, but even she had to admit that she really didn't know what she'd want. Life had funny ways of giving you what you didn't think you'd want. Once more of that gold egg, she shivered. Hopefully that wasn't at all what life planned for her. So yes, she wanted a gentle, calm relationship with her dragon, should she be lucky enough to get one. Too much excitement and power could be bad for you! She gave the Hippo egg a last pat and stepped away.
She was about to leave the sands, when one last egg caught her attention. Like the first she'd touched, it was set slightly apart from the rest, but this one the queen was draping her tail over. She hesitated, glancing at the massive gold hide, but this was what they were there for, wasn't it? Gathering her courage, she drew close to the large grey and green egg, keeping one eye on the queen's possible movements. With no overt protest from the huge female, Illabel made herself focus on the egg.
What was it about these larger eggs that made her seem to prefer them? With a soft sigh of resignation, she put both hands upon its surface, stroking it gently. This one was comfortable to be around. She circled around to its other side, trailing one hand along the hard shell, but also carefully avoiding the queen's tailtip. A silly urge rose in her, probably due to her youth. Glancing around to be sure noone would see, she leaned forward quickly, two hands braced against the shell, and kissed it swiftly in simple affection. Regardless of color, all these babies would be beautiful when they hatched, and she knew they would be much loved. Feeling slightly foolish for her own affectino expressed to an egg, she withdrew and shuffled away from the Gorilla egg and across the hot sands to make her exit.
it was definitely an experience she'd never forget. Even if... well, that didn't bear thinking of at the moment. For now, she'd treasure the time she'd spent on the sands, among so much potentiality and power.
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 2:41 pm
Denik woke to sounds of shuffling feet and excited conversations. He dozed for a moment before slowly sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Aphid, his tiny green fire lizard, chirped from the end of the cot and took flight.
"What's going on you guys? You almost sound like a flock of wherries fighting over meat."
A nearby boy rolled his eyes and turned to Denik. "Didn't you hear the Candidatemaster call? The Touching is today!"
After hearing this exclamation, Denik scurried out from beneath the blanket and jumped to his feet. He thanked the boy and opened his small chest of belongings. What a day to almost oversleep!
Once he was decently dressed and his light brown hair no longer looked like a bed of feathers, Denik followed the other candidates toward the Grounds.
Although he had snuck glances into the sands before, it was a whole different experience to be physically near the eggs and the Queen. His nervousness went away as he glanced the eggs nearby. A few boys were already on the sands with the eggs.
Denik looked at the golden dragon above them. He bowed politely to her. "Good morning."
He didn't really know what else to say, it was just so much. He hoped that she could feel his appreciation.
He approached the eggs slowly and enjoyed being near them. He delicately touched a few in passing, but eventually stopped at an egg near the Queen's tail. The dray coloration reminded him slightly of the dusty trail and distant mountains. He always wanted to visit them.
Denik smiled slightly and lowered his hand to the side the egg. "Hello there. What are you doing way over here?"
The egg made no response, but what did he expect?
Perhaps this one wants to find new places and explore.
He lingered by the egg for a few more moments before removing his hand from the shell. He didn't want the other boys to think he was "claiming," as some others seemed to be doing. He didn't even realize that he was so close to the gold's tail. Denik regretfully left the eggs and bowed to the Queen once more, with a small smile. "Thank you."
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