[G] [C] 731.04.21 | Spying On The World Above [GROUP 3 EGG TOUCHING]

G’rem & Blue Remeneth – Weyrling Master

The day was heavily overcast, with dark rain-laden clouds swirling above, but this was of little concern to G'rem. He was soon to spend thirty minutes on the sharding hot sands, just so the Candidates could see the eggs. If it wasn't tradition he wouldn't do it, it irritated him and the queen on the sands, and would be much easier to avoid her wrath. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, Nirinath was feeling exhausted today, she would be slow to irritate but quick to punish. Tapping his stick on the ground he surveyed the group of twelve before him. The Weyrleaders, to whom he gave a sly glance, had deemed the clutch large enough to allow the Candidates to be split into three groups of twelve or thirteen. Which was perfect of course, keeping an eye on a dozen irritating twenty turn olds around a highly-irritable Gold and her eggs was G'rem's idea of a fun afternoon.

"Ahem. Alright. Those of you that were here for the last clutch know how this goes, or I sharding hope you remember anyway! For the rest of you, listen up carefully. If you misbehave or upset Nirinath in any way, you will be escorted out of the Sands and barred from future touchings." G'rem paused, staring at each Candidates with hard eyes.

"You will enter single file, quietly. Pay your respects to the queen. Bowing and thanking her for this privilege," he added, seeing the vacant expressions on some faces. "Then, you can slowly go amongst the eggs. Do not trip, do not stumble, do not move suddenly. We don't know why, but the eggs emit various feelings. They are strong, and shocking. Keep your wits about you and don't recoil sharply. If you damage an egg you will never stand and will be reduce to drudge's work for the rest of your pitiful life."  G'rem paused again, letting his words sink into the Candidates before them. While he had never seen a Candidate damage an egg, he had heard rumours from other Weyrs when they had lived in the North.

Glancing over to Tsuen and D'ren he gave them a short nod, gesturing for them to enter the Sands before leading the Candidates inside.

Inside, Nirinath was poised protectively over the clutch of eighteen. G'rem waited for the Weyrwoman to speak to her Gold and to persuade the 'strange, grimy children' to touch her precious eggs like she did every clutch. At Tsuen's signal, he let the Candidates proceed forward, watching them like a hawk as they approached the eggs.

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Alrighty guys, here's how it goes down! Get your Candidate in, and pick one egg per post. Feel free to interact with the NPCs in passing! Once you've picked an egg, you'll get a reply from Katila Weyr detailing what the egg feels like to your character. Once everyone has picked one, you can pick a second! We may go to a third, depends how we're going for time. Make sure you head over to the Egg Bets thread and post your bets on what's in each egg!

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Played by Featherpirate

It was a beautiful day. Overcast, not too much sun, a chance of rain. Jada liked that. Nobody else might, but she was going to revel in every moment of it. The darkness made the day a little chillier than many others here, but not too cold. She and the others in her group of "Candidates" had already gotten a lecture this morning on how this event was going to work. The Weyrling Master had done most of the talking, it had seemed. The Weyrleader and Weyrwoman had been present as well. And now, finally, they got to the meat of the matter. She had been abducted almost a full turn before, to await this moment. She could still remember the rush of sheer adrenaline that she had felt before her world had changed, still see her runner leaving the scene of the crime in her mind's eye.

There were more eggs than there were people in this group, though there had been two groups before her. She was among the last, and that was alright with her. Hopefully the fact that this was the last group would bolster the attitude of the Gold, if not her partner. Jada listened attentively to the instructions, since she had not been here for the last clutch. Single file. Quiet. Bow. Thank her. None of that was too hard, anyways. The harder part, if he was to be believed, would be maintaining her composure in the wave of emotions that the eggs would give off.

She was towards the front of the line due to sheer luck, it seemed. Everything had to be very, very careful. No sarcasm, no temper, no rudeness. Bland courtesy. She bowed from the waist, an almost masculine gesture, and spoke at last. "Thank you?" Oops. That wasn't supposed to be how it came out! She blanched and rushed, "I am grateful!" Cover your tracks- and get out of Dodge! The sideways scuttle simply felt strange, but she didn't really want to be a meal.

There were too many eggs to choose from. Where should she start? Was there a certain place? Well, when one didn't know what to do, they could always jump in feet first and hope they didn't end up spending the rest of their life as a drudge. She stepped towards her first egg, one nestled in the very center of the clutch. ((Deafening Explosions Egg)) It was small, with blue-grey, bright yellow, and milky white markings.

Were they actually allowed to touch them? Gingerly, her hand reached out to caress the shell, wondering- just what would it feel like?

Deafening Explosions Egg

Jada's gentle caress is rewarded with what feels like a tiny explosion beneath her fingertips. Several more follow, along with loud clashing noises, much like the sound of weyrbrats smashing metal utensils against pots and pans. The egg feels like it is vibrating beneath Jada's hand, but no movement can actually be seen. It does not cease it's movements or sounds, with explosion after explosion and clash after clash.

While hardly at the back of the line, Kuminari was content to stand at the back of the small group as G'rem ground out their rules for the process of the class that had been looked forward to with both horror and delight. Kuminari herself, however, was unsure exactly how she felt about it. If she were honest with herself, the idea was both alluring and ridiculous. There was nothing in the Records that said anything about the Touching process actually being of benefit to the Hatching Day Impressions. That, however, didn't seem to stop it becoming a tradition. Every Weyr did it, from what she could recall of her studies, and very few Candidates that didn't Touch would Impress. Of course, there were always exceptions to the rules - sometimes dragonets would even seek those in the stands, though there was nothing that could be really summarised about those new weyrlings either.

Apparently, it was all summed up to 'the dragon always knows', which as far as Kuminari was concerned, was totally unsatisfactory and not at all a good enough answer. Know what? Know how? The young woman scowled absently for a moment, before jerking into motion very ungracefully as G'rem ushered them inside and onto the hot sands. The young woman's face relaxed as she entered, glad to be out of what little sun was about; she had more than enough freckles attempting to make an appearance without adding more! Unsightly things that they were, blemishing her milky skin. Hazelnut eyes took in the Hatching Circuit (why they couldn't stick to the classical "ground" she didn't know!) and the particularly large and tired looking gold dragon sitting on her own. Kuminari's eyebrows arched slightly under the fray of her fringe and she stepped delicately onto the Sands, glad that she had opted to wear thicker soled shoes for this class as opposed to her usual slippers.

"Thank you," she murmured in a sugary tone, dropping into a delicate and entirely well bred curtsy, her skirt swaying as she tugged at it to complete the motion. Rising once more, her hands dropped the fabric and she turned demurely away from the golden mother to take in silently the sight of her nest. Curiously, she gazed at each in turn, watching as her fellows split off and tentatively approached them. The young holder lady waited some few moments, before setting her sight upon a fairly uninteresting looking egg, and she approached it with quiet reservation, stepping lightly around her class mates, though her gaze flickered with interest to take in the expressions coursing across their faces. From all she had read and heard, the young dragons were at least mildly sentient, once their shells had hardened, and could send out the most interesting of effects to those that Touched their walls.

Coming to an easy stop, Kuminari peered down at the two foot egg, taking in the sight of it with a demure, almost placid gaze. She was feeling particularly relaxed and not at all anxious. Carefully folding her skirts, Kuminari knelt upon the thick crimson fabric that made up her dress, grateful for the mild protection from the Sands, though she could feel the heat sweeping up her spine in waves. Gently, and with much reverence, the selfish young woman carefully put the finger tips of both hands upon the Egg's shell, her hazelnut eyes curious as she watched it, waiting for a reaction and wondering what she would get.

Egg: Second Rate Attack Egg

Andol stood there among the other candidate's surveying out the field at which he knew was infornt of him. He had found the weather of the day, to actually be quite wonderful, though found that most other people didn't share his thoughts on the matter. He hoped that it would actually rain, because he found it to be a most curious event, and the feeling of rain drops on his skin to be a most enjoyable experience. Of course it was also the fact that rain set a nice mood in which one was able to just sit inside and study... yes rain was good study weather, though there was another problem with a day like today... it reminded him of that day so long ago it now seem. That day where everything had been taken form him... he had been lured away form the animals who it had been his duty to care for... and now he was stuck here.

He sighed softly as he listened to the Weyrling Master very intently. The young man hung on every single word like he needed them to live, because frankly... he sometimes felt like he did. They had taken away his former life, but they hadn't taken away his ability to learn, so fine... if that was the way it was going to be... Andol decided that he would just become the best rider that he could be. Learn all he could about that subject and master it so completely, that he would make the rider who had stolen him away look like a fool. It was strange really, he had never felt that way towards a person. He wasn't really one for holding grudges... and certainly not towards a man who was simply doing his job. Still, he had a job to do at the moment, and could not be lingering on the past... his job was the present, and in that present... he had to learn.

He paid close attention to the instructions that they where given about the eggs, which he indeed found quite curious. He was near the front, but had others in front of him so it gave him some time to think. The formallites of what he was supposed to do in order to make the queen feel good and be polite to the queen rider. All of that was a given, even if you weren't about to approach the eggs, ethics and manners towards your superiors where always important. Of course unless that person was certain green rider... whom he had still not managed to run into... curse the fact he didn't have a name. Anyway, it was soon about to be his turn, and he knew that he would have to be careful and make sure to not make any mistakes. He had been able to get a chance to ask the Weyrling master the information they where receiving now before the Touching, because Andol had wanted to make sure he heard it at least twice... and had it driven into memory. So he had not minded braving the cross words of the Weyrling master to get the info. Plus a little practice on a certain walk up and bow, helped make something like this easier for the socially awkward Andol... and frankly this was not the time to be getting nervous.

So when it came his turn he knew what to do, as he walked forward and bowed at the waste. His movements felt way to practiced, and he wondered if the weyrwomen and queen noticed... Of course that started to lead to other thoughts of nervousness, but he quickly calmed himself. Helped by the fact that he had walked himself through this by his studying up that he had done before. His words leaked out of his lips in what he found to be a surprisingly calm "I am graceful for the privilege of touching the eggs..." He hoped that was egough, though had to keep his outside calm too, because he felt so proud of himself inside for being able to pull that off so well... and with such an especially calm and outward body language. A bit of social milestone for the young man who had been worried about this day sinice they told them it was up coming.

Once he was sure it was ok for him to move towards the eggs he did so, again pre planning having been involved to make sure that none of his movements would be nervous or shaky and could risk hurting a egg. He had picked the egg out before moving form his place in line and so slowly and surely headed over to and egg that was solid grey, in a complete uniform color. ((Crumbling From The Inside)) It was certainly what the young man thought of as the ideal color... for anything really. Nice, neat, and clean.... just like the day was outside it was grey. As he stood there in front of it he took a moment to examine the egg before trying to touch it, because he knew that he would never get another chance to look at a dragon egg this close again. So after standing there a few moments he finally reached out in a slow and gentle manner though without hesitating, and caressed the egg with the tips of his fingers... Andol's hand... now becoming his eyes in his usual study of the environment.

Second Rate Attack Egg
Despite the intense heat of the sands, the second Kuminari's fingertips brush this egg incredible freezing cold strikes deep into the core of her body. It is brutal and violent, as if the dragon within the egg seeks no company or solace in those who try to touch it. Persistency to touch the egg drives the cold deeper and harder into the body, tendrils as cold as between snaking in and wrapping around the heart. If Kuminari manages to not recoil violently from the shocking cold, or places her hands on again and keeps them there, she will find the cold bombardment eventually lifts, becoming just cool enough to counteract the heat of the sands.

Crumbling From The Inside Egg
Andol's initial touch with his fingertips rewards him with a very soothing, pleasant feeling. The egg's inhabitant seems happy and content to be with company. When his entire hands come to rest on it however, a more silent and lurking feeling can be felt. Tiny little bubbles pop beneath his hands, like a pot of water boiling, but only gently. With each bubble's pop, a short and sharp burst of anger slaps Andol. Every now and then little whispers of despair breach the chirpy happiness and popping anger, small yet strong enough to instil sadness for the egg in Andol's mind. Prolonged touching of the egg reveals yet another emotion, a tiny, quiet flicker of hope. It's so brief and soft that it may not even be hope, but just a flick of the pleasant-ness of the egg.

Erisi didn't want to be here.

Wait.

Let him clarify.

He really didn't want to be here.

Was that good enough?

No.

He really sharding did not want to attend this ridiculous Touching.

The Harper knew what they were trying to do. They were going to get him to bond with an unhatched dragonet, and his life was doomed. The little wherry would crack free of its shell on Hatching day, and head straight for him. Good-bye Harper lifestyle, hello being this Weyr's newest minion. His life was flashing before his eyes as G'rem went through the protocol for this Touching. Everything he had worked to achieve for himself was going to be for nothing if he touched one of these eggs. Erisi had no desire to make a premature bond or connection with any of these eggs. He had already asked if he could skip attending.

Funny how quickly he got his answer, and that it was 'no'.

Erisi was more worried about the repercussions for not touching one of the eggs than accidentally slipping up in behavior on the Sands. He'd rather trip than have G'rem hit him with his whipping stick for not trying. There was also the chance that Nirinath would find it outright insulting that Erisi didn't want a single thing to do with her clutch. It really wasn't that he hated dragons, but rather hated the Weyr, and dragons just ended up being an essential part to the Weyr. The dragonriders were the problem, not the beast they rode on. Erisi knew how to properly pin blame - his judgment was not always skewed.

There was the flicker of a thought to not pay his respect to the Queen as the line slowly moved onto the Sands. He was towards the back of the line, directly in front of Kuminari who no doubt would be the most respectful twit of them all. She'd see him hesitate and make some sly remark in her cutesy tone of voice. Right, he wouldn't be able to stand that. He also wouldn't be able to stand the Queen biting his head off for being disrespectful. Shardit, he should have gotten deathly ill today with a plague, then he could have spent his time walking around the Weyr and infecting every dragonrider he came across. If he was going to perish in that scenario, he was going to make sure he took down a good chunk of people with him.

He was standing in front of the queen dragon, nerves bubbling in his stomach. It wasn't because he was entirely scared (okay, she was a little intimidating, he'd admit), but because he really didn't want to do this. There was no desire in Erisi to Impress. There was little that could convince him that it was a good idea and the right path for him. Hesitantly, he bowed his head to Nirinath murmuring, "Thank you," to her. He probably should have spoken louder, but his desire to get away from her eyes was great. That was a big dragon, a mother dragon, and well, he had never been comfortable with a dragon so close to his space.

The only dragon he had genuinely liked enough was Saquith, and that was because the Brown was smart enough to give Erisi his space.

Erisi was wondering if he could stand in the back and get away with touching no eggs. One look towards G'rem confirmed that it likely wouldn't work. Shardit. These people were intent on dooming him. Even the Weyrleader was standing nearby, which meant Erisi had to be on his best behavior. The Harper did not want to be forced into another sit-down at the dining table with D'ren. He was sure if he screwed up again, the Weyrleader wouldn't pity him so much. Erisi had gotten on the man's bad side twice, and didn't believe that he'd leave an encounter with the Weyrleader unscathed if they had to talk again.

So... all he had to do was pick an egg, touch it, and look towards G'rem until the man said they could leave. Right, he just wanted to do the last phase of his plan. He looked back towards the Weyrlingmaster, the expression on his face clearly saying, 'Come on, man, have some pity!' Still a no? Well, shells. Erisi was never going to get on the man's good side, and certainly never was going to blow him so that he could. This reaffirmed his belief that every dragonrider existed just to make him miserable.

He picked an egg that was convenient, being that it was closer to him. Erisi was a confident young Harper, so it was almost hilarious to see him so hesitant in this situation. His dislike of the circumstances were clearly read on his face. Sucking in a soft breath, he approached the Love Thy Neigbor. It's appearance was bland, which Erisi could handle. Maybe it was a dud? Then again, if it was a dud it probably would have been shoved off to the side or sat on. Sigh. It was better to get this over with, then. So, he touched the egg.

Never you mind that his touch could hardly be considered that. His fingertips pressed to the hard shell, his touch so light that he doubt it could be felt. In a way he hoped this was cheating the system, since it was his only option to try and get out of it now.

Gingerly, her hand reached out to caress the shell, wondering- just what would it feel like?

Her hands and fingertips pressed to sound. The Harper honestly couldn't feel if the egg was leathery or like a shell, because her fingers pressed into vibration and something that almost reminded her of  music. The explosion of noise rang through her head, a raucous cacophony that sent her head reeling. A gasp may have escaped her lips, but she couldn't tell; She couldn't hear it. The dissonance was loud, hypnotic and there was almost a rhythm to it. Clash upon clash, one deafening noise after another that was louder even than the drums of her Craft; Because instead of being heard with her ears, the sound was in her head. There was no way it was on the Sands. Nirinath would eat them.

She could remember being a child, beating pots and pans together like cymbals and drums; Her first response was to tell the egg, "You sit down and play quietly, right now!" It was what she had always been told, and then she and Litir would giggle at each other, and he would ruffle her hair. And then the dissonance made her think of other things. "You be quiet." she murmured to the egg, as though an egg could hear her. Ha! That was funny. Muttering to an egg. And it wasn't as though it did anything. Still, the breathless words made her feel just a smidgen better.

Why weren't eggs like children? She could bribe them, then.

The sound, as it arced through her head, made her stomach twist and her head spin. It was too much, too close and she hadn't been prepared. For all that nodding and listening, she hadn't expected what she got. Jada swayed for a moment, leaning forward into the egg to balance herself; After a moment, she realized just what she was doing. She could hurt it! She pulled away from the egg and covered her mouth, looking around the Sands. Her arms tucked in close to her sides, arms crossing over her stomach. So many people were touching the eggs, and she was probably the only one with a massive headache and the urge to vomit.

Love Thy Neighbour Egg
The egg Erisi approached was probably the worst he could approached if he was trying to cheat the system and feel nothing. The Love Thy Neighbour egg radiated so strongly that just standing near it you could feel it. Love pumped out from it, enveloping Erisi much like a loving mother's embrace. Despite this it is powerful and strong, there is no gentle caress from this love, but instead a strong hand keeping you still. This happens all before Erisi's fingers touch the shell, ever so lightly. The inhabitant quivers with excitement, and a strange sensation washes over Erisi. Unable to control himself Erisi let out a high pitched giggle. Any masculinity or rising testosterone within him vanished while his skin touched the egg, replaced with an overwhelming rush of femininity.

Erisi realized a moment too late that he was stepping into a danger zone. The warnings signals came in the form of warm, comforting feelings. These were feelings that he had not been experiencing a few moments ago. Those sort of feelings were nearly out of Erisi's scope. They were feelings he encountered so rarely in his life, that he considered them to be an unnatural phenomenon. His mind was screaming at him to escape, but the egg was giving him so much love and comfort that he couldn't move. He told his mind to tell his legs to walk backwards, but his legs remained firmly planted to the soft sand underneath his feet.

Now that he was here, he was compelled to follow through with his original intent. His fingers had just barely grazed the surface of the egg when he felt the weirdest feeling bubbling in the pit of his stomach. The feeling rose up to his chest, to the base of his throat, and before he could stop it he giggled. It wasn't the subtle, and somewhat cold laugh he usually made. No, it was a giggle that could compete with the best of the girls. It was a sound that was so feminine that Erisi was shamed on the spot for making it.

The Harper stared the egg down with a mixture of shock and horror, and decided to back away from it before it could influence him more. His pale cheeks were actual alight with a soft blush. Still feeling those warm, loving, death inducing emotions, he stepped even further back. There was just the smallest amount of restraint in his mind that kept him from fleeing to the other ends of the Hatching Sands (but he still very badly wanted to). Slowly, he glanced to the other Candidates, hoping that none of them had noticed Erisi's sudden giggle-fit. A few pairs of eyes met his'.

Oh Faranth.

He never knew embarrassment until now, and he didn't like it. He crossed his arms at his chest, stubbornly staring into the sand. He risked a sidelong glance to the Weyrlingmaster, as if to say please let me go, without embarrassing himself further by actually saying the words aloud. There was no mercy from G'rem.

Feeling another spurt of love, Erisi took two more cautious steps backwards.

Second Rate Attack Egg
Despite the intense heat of the sands, the second Kuminari's fingertips brush this egg incredible freezing cold strikes deep into the core of her body. It is brutal and violent, as if the dragon within the egg seeks no company or solace in those who try to touch it. Persistency to touch the egg drives the cold deeper and harder into the body, tendrils as cold as between snaking in and wrapping around the heart. If Kuminari manages to not recoil violently from the shocking cold, or places her hands on again and keeps them there, she will find the cold bombardment eventually lifts, becoming just cool enough to counteract the heat of the sands.

There were very few things that could truly shock Kuminari; she honestly couldn't remember the last time jaw-dropping shock had wrought through her small body, but she expected the feeling was not dissimilar to shards of ice that struck her without mercy the moment her fingertips landed upon the hardening shell of the dragon's egg. Hazelnut eyes widened spectacularly beneath eyebrows that shot upward to hide under her fringe. Lips released a gentle gasp of surprise before titling up into a small smile, and she pressed her hands more firmly against the small egg, shivering slightly as she soaked up a feeling of cold that she had been denied since being brought to Katila. She revealed in the ice, and her small smile was probably the most sincere to touch her full lips in more years than it was worth counting.

The sands were gone, long gone, as the very heat was leached from her soul by the insistent anger of the violent egg, and she revealed in it. Her fingers gently caressed the egg as she let the mind-numbing chill surround her like a warped blanket. Distraction arose, at the sound of a high pitched, girlish squeal of laughter, and Kuminari turned her gaze in that direction, her expression pinched with irritation at the interruption. Meeting Erisi's gaze, first with shock, and then with an expression that could only be considered pure evil, Kurminari's lips twisted from a placid, almost human smile into one that threatened to bring terrible things upon Erisi if he weren't prepared to offer up some really good reasons why she shouldn't.

As her thoughts travelled these lines, the heat of the sand began to return, warm and toasty without frying her, while the egg seemed to mellow out, and her fingers (shouldn't they have been blue!) tingled at not so much the return of warmth, as the lack of continued ice. Kuminari tossed Erisi one last smug look before returning her attention upon the egg, fingers sweeping over it in gentle caresses as, in her opinion, it gave its approval for her thoughts and opinions.

This dragon, it was definitely for her.

"Hh-mm!"

Kuminari lifted her hazelnut gaze from the egg she was caressing to look up at the young woman standing before her, glaring down at her in the most condescending manner. The young woman paused for a moment, eyes narrowing, as she internally debated between telling the other girl to shard off and find another egg to Touch (this one was her's) or kicking her in the shins as she passed her to find another herself. A subtle glance in the direction of G'ram had her opting to simply hold her tongue and move on. Kuminari had no desire to be hit around the back of the head with the man's beloved stick (she was going to have it removed from him, permanently, as soon as she could manage it. She'd like to hit him with it...). A small smirk tilted her lips as the young woman slowly stood up with liquid grace, and patted down the front of her expensive gown.

"Enjoy," she purred, hoping the girl was thrown across the boiling sands in response to the icily intense feelings the baby dragonet gave off. Flicking her head, and sending her hair cascading over her shoulders, Kuminari gave the girl a condescending once-over and then turned her back, weaving through the other candidates and their eggs to find one that was unoccupied. She, at least, had the decency to pick one of those that wasn't currently being Touched. Pursing her lips in irritation at her fellow Candidate, Kuminari threw her irritation aside with another flick of her long hair, and took a deep breath in. While she no happier than most to be there, and no happier at the forced situation she was in, Kuminari knew enough to keep her mouth shut and take a path that would get her some semblance of what she wanted. Besides, if she acted like Impressing was totally her idea, she could pretend like the stupid Rider's hadn't uprooted her from her life.

Right?

Pursing her lips, Kuminari stepped lightly up beside Erisi. "Afraid?" She murmured, smirking devilishly, before walking serenely away. There was  nothing on Pern or lost between that was going to have her giggling like a love struck girl for Erisi to laugh at. Instead, she stopped a short distance away, and peered down suspiciously at the small egg before her. It was a pale, milky colour, though tinged with a grey that made her think it looked slightly sickly. Quirking an eyebrow curiously, and not really afraid - after all, what could be worse than giggling like a girl? Kuminari knelt delicately and carefully placed both hands regally upon the egg.

Egg: Tip Of The Curiosity Egg

Tip Of The Curiosity Egg
Kuminari's regal touch earned her a very, very faint shiver. After that initial shock the egg quietened, almost as if afraid of her. This mild rumbling of fear from the egg's inhabitant would go unnoticed by Kuminari however, as she was now sitting there in deep thought. Her mind was reeling, she knew exactly what she was trying to think of… but it was just out of reach. Now what was it?! A frown laced her delicate features together. While she wasn't giggling like a twit, she certainly did look peculiar frowning and tutting in an attempt to remember what she just couldn't.

It took a few moments before Jada uncrossed her arms, straightening her spine and looking around. It wouldn't do to be thought of as weak, even after a kick to the head like the last egg that she touched had given her. There were many people here after all, Candidates and leadership alike. She composed herself, looking over the eggs. How many would she get to Touch? She glanced over at G'rem, and was pleasantly surprised that he wasn't making any motions to come her way, even though she had been unsure for a few moments. That was oddly reassuring, actually.

So much of her growing life had been under the impression (hah!) that dragons were dead, that the majesty and mystery of the large beasts was gone, only to be remembered in song and story. Jada had grown up thinking that her chance to see and admire the creatures had been missed, and that was why she had gone to the Weyr that day. Curiosity, maybe a little whimsy. How was she to know? Now she was surrounded by them. All because of some lumphead and his dragon.

Moving over to a pale grey egg, Jada inspected it carefully. The color was bland, but there was a whitish spot on one side. ((Birds of a Feather.)) Gingerly, Jada knelt down next to the egg, feeling the heat of the sand through her breeches. It was almost unpleasant, actually. Leaning in, she pressed her hands to this egg, preparing herself for an assault like the last one had given her.

Kuminari was looking at him.

There was not only an evil glint in her eyes, but a malicious smile curling her feminine lips. A smug weight was carried in that expression, and that alone was enough to inform him that he was screwed. Kuminari had heard him. That was information she'd hold over his head until his dying days. She'd gossip in the corner of a room with someone like Valerian, and every once in a while look directly at him so he knew she was talking about him, and recounting that specific day where Erisi laughed like a giddy young girl. Was there any way to convince her to keep this event to herself? Probably not. Even if he did, everyone else had undoubtedly heard him. This little embarrassment would be all over the Weyr, and while normally Erisi didn't mind his habits being well-known, well...

He definitely did not want this getting out, and was most definitely doomed to it leaking out.

Erisi wasn't touching another egg, not if they were all going to make him behave in ridiculous fashions. There were a few people who probably would pay no mind to his odd behavior, but someone like Kuminari definitely would. So, he was going to stand back, and let everyone else carry on with this merry party. Count Erisi out. G'rem could even hit him with the stick, and Erisi wouldn't budge towards another egg. Thankfully, someone had a far better tactic than G'rem could ever conceive (Erisi did not peg the man for vast intelligence). Kuminari showed her wicked face to him, and with one inquiry, Erisi's blushing countenance turned irritable.

Oh, that wherry had absolutely no glow if she thought he was afraid. He was... concerned for how he'd look, sure, but not afraid. Erisi turned his gaze to another egg, that he hoped would afflict him less than the last one. It was a white egg, with light green stripes curved around its shell. He approached the egg with considerable bravado, and then considerably less bravado when he came close enough to touch the hardened shell. Yeah, no, this was a bad idea. Why did he let Kuminari of all people egg him into doing this? Shells, because she was someone who would torment him for his cowardice.

Sucking in a soft breath, he tried the same maneuver as before, only letting his fingertips just graze the shell of the Indecision Paramount Egg.

Birds Of A Feather
Jada's choice was almost perfect after the clashes and explosions of the Deafening Explosions Egg. Her ginger approach earned her a sad whimper from the egg, but when she grit her teeth and pressed her hands firmly against the egg's shell it shivered with excitement. A feeling much like feathers brushed along her hands and up her arms. It wasn't a tickling sensation, but was gentle and soothing. Happiness flushed throughout her body, the inhabitant was excited to be touched, to be in the company of someone. It welcomed her with open arms, a pleasant warmth spreading through her limbs.

Indecision Paramount Egg
At first Erisi's gentle brush received no reaction from the egg. It shivered, afraid of what was in his mind. After a few moments it reached out cautiously, unsure if Erisi would welcome it's gentle touch. The inhabitant felt Erisi's annoyance to Kuminari and his displeasure at being coaxed into touching its kin. But it also felt hope, hope that it would be better than the last. It could be better! It could be legions better! A gentle yearning flicked out, it was small, like a thin strand of thread. Touching Erisi it shuddered, apprehensive as to how he would react. Would he accept it? Or brush it away, saying it wasn't good enough?

He had been looking forward to this ever since the eggs had been laid, and he bounced up and down on the balls of his feet quietly as he listened to the instructions. This wasn't the first time for him, since he had stood for the previous clutch, but it was still exciting.

He bowed to the queen respectfully, and then glanced around the sands. Everyone was starting to touch the eggs, and he moved up to a free one, and caressed it gently. The Hesitant Strikes Egg was a pretty milk color, with a single spot, and the Vinter couldn't help but wonder just what kind of dragon lay inside.

Ah! This was so much better. Jada leaned into the egg, feeling the warmth spread through her entire body. It didn't hurt, didn't tickle, and she leaned into the sensation gratefully. It was warm, accepting and there was none of the chaos that had rang through her head. None of the memories, either, but that was okay with her. "So friendly." She barely noticed the fact that it was so much extra warmth. The heat of the Sands was there, pressing to her legs, but the warmth of the egg under her hands was positively lovely.

She leaned forward, closing her eyes and pressing her cheek to her hand- she didn't dare press it to the egg itself. Two so distinct personalities, so close together. Just like human children, so much variance in personality from one to the next. Jada liked them both, but admittedly, she'd rather spend time with this one.

She could have stayed there all day, until a pair of boots came into her line of vision, and she looked up at another Candidate, who was glaring down his nose at her. Whoops. Jada stood reluctantly, brushing sand off of her pantslegs and taking a step away. Hmmm... decisions, decisions.

Hesitant Strikes Egg
Echlerov's gentle caress resulted in no reaction at first. After a few moments there's a gentle brush, the same as some other Candidates had mentioned experiencing from the egg. Any pleasant feelings from or towards the egg were stripped away shortly after. The inhabitant appeared to decide that it didn't want Echlerov there, striking out at him with hot piercing hits. They stung like a powerful slap to the face, over and over. It beat him away, the strikes only ceasing when his hands were removed.

Echlerov pulled his hand off the egg quickly. It had felt so angry, and it hadn't taken him more than a moment to realize that this one wanted nothing to do with him. Hopefully there would be somebody in their group of candidates that the hatchling would like.

He moved away form the egg, over to the lightly green striped Indecision Paramount Egg. He was slightly more hesitant this time, but he touched the warm egg gently, curious to see how it would react.

Indecision Paramount Egg
Echlerov's hesitancy was answered with a soft mental whimper. A deep, echoing sadness swept over him like a soft, thick blanket. At first it was almost calming, but as the core of the emotion registered, it felt hot and stifling, a blanket that was unneeded in the middle of summer. Beyond that sadness was a quiet voice, a child hiding behind a parent's stronger presence. It was the initial whimper, trying to reach out for someone, anyone. Where was that comforting touch? Longing fleetingly skipped through his mind. The inhabitant's presence was small and cool beneath Echlerov's touch, yet invulnerable, seeking somebody to protect it. Would he protect it? Guard it from the sadness that it was swimming within?