[G] [O] 744.07.08 | Dazzling Sands

Orgailian wasn't even listening to the assistant that went over all of the rules for the third time in the last twenty-four hours. He knew it all by heart thanks both to how many Touchings he now had under his belt and just being a weyrbrat. He grew up around dragons that deserved respect, eggs that deserved care, and superstitions that had to be believed.

It wasn't that he hated Touchings, but they were a little silly when one truly thought about it. How many people Impressed to a hatchling that sprung free from an egg they had never Touched? How many had a negative reaction when they did Touch the right egg? Still, it was kind of fun and even exciting. He knew several chatty dragons so it wasn't uncommon for him to have an extra voice in his head, but this was different. It was the smallest sampling of what Orgailian could only assume a true bond felt like. These unhatched creatures didn't have any hesitations when diving into his deepest thoughts and hidden secrets and some even tried to comfort him as if they were a mated pair.

Touchings lifted his spirit and gave him enough hope to get through the Hatching that would inevitably leave him crushed yet again. It was a vicious cycle, yet he continued to go through it. The prize would be worth all the dejection and wondering if he would ever be good enough for a dragon. At least Xendrin was several months older and Mylorah's vacated position of the positive one that watched over them all could be his. Orgailian barely smiled with encouraging words when he was in a high mood, no way would he manage it when emotionally devastated himself.

What did make him smile was an attractive person and goldrider Azelina was exactly that. He tossed a flirtatious smile her way as they entered, but as usual, she didn't seem to notice it. Orgailian let it slide considering the stress a Touching no doubt brought to the gold pair. Azelina had bigger things on her mind than a Candidate that wanted her. He supposed his own attention should switch focus as well, so he spread out when given the go ahead and wandered up to an egg, gently pressing his palm against the warm shell.

---

Egg 9, please

Candidates are divided into groups of twenty (20) who each visit the eggs for an hour, with a 15 minute gap between sessions. For the purpose of RP, all PC Candidates are in the same group, which is being threaded now.

This Touching commenced at 8am and these guys are the first group, meaning that no one else has Touched the eggs yet. There are 28 eggs which have numbers neatly marked on them in charcoal. A minimum of one touch is required.

Candidates are expected to be polite and demure; the safety of the eggs is paramount and anyone found to be goofing around will be removed. Firelizards are not allowed on the Sands during the Touching. The same goes for humans that are not a part of the class and the instructors. Special permission can be granted if asked beforehand but even then, there won’t be many exceptions granted.

Eggs are approximately 4 to 5 feet in length, and approximately half to two-thirds that in width. They’re rather squat and roundish. Eggs are laid in a leathery state, much like an earthen snake egg. They slowly expand as they harden with the youngster growing within. When a candidate Touches an egg, they will find the shell to be hard, but kind of lumpy and bumpy in some spots, and smooth in others, depending on how the dragonet shifted during the hardening phase. All the eggs are roughly the same mottled greenish-tan, except for the gold egg, which has a bit of the metallic gold colour in the shell, in addition to being larger than all the others.

Additionally, when the candidate’s hand connects with the shell, the dragonet within will reach out mentally and touch their mind. The response the dragonet has to each individual candidate is extremely varied and often considered private by the individuals. A negative response from a dragonet does not denote the inability to Impress the hatchling within! There have been several cases in the past – PC and NPC – when characters Impressed to a hatchling from an egg that they thought hated them.

If you want a reply from the egg, put an ooc note below a hr tag with a number 1-28 and I'll get one up. You can also ask for the word used for the prompts if you wish to interpret that your own way.

He was never going to be a morning person. He hated rising early and it didn't matter that nearly every day of his life seemed to start with the sun rising. Classes at the Hall, various assignments, life as a Candidate, even working for Rh'us all saw him up earlier than was necessary. Ulliendis didn't deem Touchings as something worth such torture, even if he actually had behaved the night before and didn't drink or roam the halls until the wee hours. He had what was considered a proper amount of sleep at the proper hours, so why did he feel like death? Being proper was clearly messing with his system. Maybe he was allergic to it? He had always said he was allergic to mornings and Geric often pointed out he didn't seem to mix well with morals.

Still, he smiled and tossed out a few flirtatious comments when someone got within ten feet of him. Had to keep up appearances and all that! Honestly, now that they were walking into the cavern, Ulliendis almost felt excited over the whole strange ritual he still wasn't fully buying into. Mostly, however, he was excited to get it over with so he could go back to bed and sleep off his allergic reaction.

As they passed the golden pair, Ulliendis gave Azelina a little finger wave, blew a kiss to her dragon, and laughed when one of the recently Searched Candidates gave him an odd look. He was still chuckling to himself as he approached an egg. "Some people don't have a sense of humour or idea of fun," he explained as his hand met shell.

---

Egg 14

Faeli never dreamed of being a Healer like some of her friends did, but if it meant a dragon would survive because she was at Fort, then she would be there for every Hatching. She wasn't squeamish and she wanted to be of some use to those that worked harder than she did as a simple Candidate, so why not be a Healer? By that logic, she knew she should simply transfer and stay at Fort to learn the craft, or simply ask a Healer in Benden now that Fort was trading some of their trained women to other Weyrs, but she wasn't exactly ready to settle into such commitment. A dragon urging her on was one thing, but motivating herself when there were so many other things she could experience first?

Still, she was back in Fort to do her part in ensuring the continued survival of the dragons. Whether she Impressed or not, maybe she'd finally ask M'quel for some quick lessons and see if the desire to heal snagged her properly. First, she had some dragonets to meet! Faeli bounced along with the group until they were within the cavern and she settled down. No need to get herself kicked out for having too much enthusiasm! She'd seen it happen before and had come close herself which had inspired a routine of deep breathing and focusing on the task before her. There was no need to bounce, skip, dance, or even squeal. Both the Touching and Hatching deserved respect and didn't need any outside influences messing with the safety precautions in place. That was a lecture drilled into her head after each near-expulsions.

So, when given permission to greet the eggs, Faeli didn't scatter like the rest of the crowd. She bit her lip and assessed the layout, where her class seemed to be mostly focused on, and where her favourite numbers were. All of that was done in under two minutes because she couldn't hold back her enthusiasm forever! She made her way around the clutch and stepped up to egg 22 just as someone else was leaving it. "Pleased to meet you," she whispered and set her hand on the egg.

---

Egg 22

Egg 9 - Vulnerable - Orgailian:
You feel as if you're being stalked. You know there's a presence and you know it wants you to know it is watching you, but it doesn't seem to want to make contact. At least not yet. You're left feeling vulnerable and reminded of when you were attacked and paralyzed. You also get the feeling this is intentional, as if the dragonet saw your fears and is playing on them. Are you weak and unworthy? This one seems to think so as it quickly dismisses you with what feels like a hard shove.

Egg 14 - Remorse - Ulliendis:
You start to think the egg might be a dud with the lack of response as the seconds tick by, but before you remove your hand, the presence in your head is suddenly there and you think you may have jumped a little from surprise. The dragonet is immediately sorry for scaring you and wonders what the right word is for such a big emotion. You think. Guilt? Regret? Shame? Remorse? The presence seems to nod and takes your word for it and then wonders if you have ever felt that way before as it shuffles through your memories. More seconds pass before the presence silently slips away with what you think might be pity or disappointment at what it did or didn't find.

Egg 22 - Motivation - Faeli:
You get the impression of an excited dragonet dancing around as your mind feels a little more crowded. You don't have time to pursue any line of thoughts, however, as it begins poking at your recent ones about healing. What is that? Why would you want to do it? Would you like it? Having a purpose is nice! Helping people is always good and you seem friendly! That's also helpful, right? You're left with more to think about, but feel empowered by the brief connection.

Orgailian stumbled back two steps before falling to his knees, uncaring of the heat seeping through his pants. His breathing and heart beat were too quick so he tried taking deeper breaths as he stared at the sand. He began wiggling his fingers--something he always did when fear gripped him when memories of the attack came back to him. He couldn't move anything while the poison's paralyzing affect had him, but wiggling fingers or toes was his sure fire way to know he was fine and survived. As far as he knew, no one had caught on to his new habit and to keep it that way, his fingers moved to drumming on his thighs to look like he was just thinking about a bad egg reaction.

To distract himself, Orgailian wondered what colour the dragonet was and hoped it didn't Impress to anyone he liked. What an utter asshole to play with him like that! Sure, he sometimes made awful comments, but he didn't think he preyed on someone's vulnerabilities. What if he did and this was meant to be a wake-up call? Fuck that. He wasn't going to let that jerk tell him what to do, just like he wasn't going to let it get to him.

He got to his feet with more mental effort than he would ever admit to and didn't spare a glance for anyone around him. He didn't want to see any concern or pity and if he downplayed a bad reaction, others would soon forget what he had done. At least he hadn't screamed or called out anything embarrassing like the boy a few eggs down just did. Using that as another distraction, Orgailian shuffled off to an egg a few down the row and set his hand on it with all the determination to have a friendly meeting this time.

---

Egg 2

Ulliendis shrugged at the egg before walking away. Was he truly supposed to feel guilty, remorse, or regret over anything he had done in his life? His craft didn't allow for such weak emotions and they were all but physically beat out of him. He was damn good at what he did and overthinking any ramifications of his actions didn't help anyone. He saw how classmates would struggle to sleep when they had a moral conundrum and he enjoyed his sleep too much to have it affected. It wasn't like his feeling bad after the fact would help any of his victims either, so it was just easier to do his job and go home to bed without a second thought after giving his report.

At least he taught the dragonet some new words and their meanings so that had to count for something. He knew L'ri would be so proud of him for applying himself and helping someone other than himself or Geric. He'd have to write the Master Harper a letter later to sing his self-praise. L'ri was always a good audience for such things.

As he moved through his class and eggs, Ulliendis thought about Geric and if that boy had landed himself in more trouble lately. It had been a while since he caught up with his friend as well so perhaps a letter and then a surprise visit were in order. Geric hated surprises and that was why unannounced plans were the best. The decision was made after a complete circuit of the clutch had been done and Ulliendis ended up at next to the guilt-ridden egg.

"Aren't you the lucky one? You get to be my final egg, so we better make this a thrilling time to remember." Should he prepare the dragonet for what his rider's life would likely be filled with by thinking about his most recent sexual encounter? Certainly a fun option but the idea of adding to his letters that he was banned from Fort for causing a scene wasn't on his to-do list for the day. So some warm and fuzzy thoughts about the Harper siblings were had instead as he connected with the dragonet.

---

Egg: 15

Faeli appreciated the help the dragonet tried to give her and promised them both she would think about it. No, that wasn't good enough. She promised she would talk to M'quel and set up some lessons to learn basics and to simply review what she could be learning. No point in putting in all the time and effort if she was the type to pass out while patching up a wound. She didn't want to move to Fort if she didn't Impress, but M'quel was a sweetheart and no doubt wouldn't mind visiting Benden for their lessons.

She was smiling and actually growing excited over the idea as she moved to the next egg. It really was nice having a goal and someone, even a dragonet that hadn't hatched yet, backing her up. But that had to wait as the Touching needed not only her focus, but her calm demeanour. Bouncing around wasn't allowed and Faeli concentrated on her slow and even steps as she found her next egg.

---

Egg 27

Egg 02 - Comforting - Orgailian:
This presence feels like a warm hug. It doesn't know why you need it, only that you do. You don't feel like it is digging for answers, or anything at all. It simply sits with you until it is satisfied that you will leave in a better mood than how it found you,

Egg 15 - Nervous - Ulliendis:
This little dragonet takes its time approaching you as well. You feel it there, but it doesn't seem like it wants to come closer. When it finally does, it is hesitant and lightly pokes at some of your memories that still linger from the last dragonet encounter. You imagine it yelps as it scurries away. You are far too much for this one to handle.

Egg 27 - Inadequate - Faeli:
If the last dragonet was there to be uplifting, this one is here to tear you down. You don't like blood, so how great of a healer would you even be? You also still haven't Impressed? You're running out of time, but maybe you just aren't worth it. Incompatible. Inadequate. You are dismissed and the dragonet breaks the bond before you have a chance to move your hand.

For the first time since he had come to the Weyr -- even this new Weyr -- Ereben was nervous.

His palms were sweaty, the kind of sweat that would have made him drop things or slip during a climb. He hated it. Hated, hated, hated it. He tried to breathe normally but it just seemed to catch in his throat. He hated that too.

This wasn't it it. This wasn't the Hatching, but the seeing the eggs arranged haphazardly about the warm sands with the gold dragon guarding them just had this unexpected effect. Like, made it all real. Yeah, he could do chores all day, help wash dragons, slog through stupid classes, all that. But this...this was real. This was a real step on the path he had lied to a dragonrider to get on.

So, while most of the Candidates strode forward to touch the mottled shells, Ereben hung back for an apprehensive moment, his dark eyes rapidly observing everything he could so that he didn't do the wrong thing. Because he had a feeling that doing the wrong thing now might actually really get him kicked out of the Weyr and he didn't want that at all.

He let the leaders lead and then quickly copied their example, picking out an egg that no one had approached yet and striding over to it as though he knew exactly what to do. He had been told that the eggs were leathery to start but became harder as time went on. Where would they be on that scale now?

Only one way to find out.

Ereben extended his hands, placing them squarely on the egg, remembering how R'dare had said that sometimes the hatchling within was picky or unhappy, and he hoped that was doing all of this right.

---

egg #5

Well, here she was. Again.

It was becoming routine and almost an annoying one at that. Qoriene had never expected to Impress on her first Hatching but to be years into it and still no dragon was a bit...aggravating. She wasn't going to admit that it was mildly concering but Qoriene still had time. She wasn't in danger of aging out. Yet. So she silenced that doubtful voice (she needed to stop listening to those flit-brained blondes that always thought they were going to ride gold on the first try), slid her hands in her pockets, grinned at a few of the other Candidates that she knew from other Touchings, and waited for the Weyrlingmaster to give them permimssion to step forward.

When that moment came, Qoriene waited to see where the majority of the Candidates were going and then went the less crowded way. Because she liked her personal space during these events. Some new Candidates got all emotional and clingy and loud and Qoriene, even if a dragonet rejected her touch, would drop dead before she was seen with that crowd. Handle your shit before it handles you. Qoriene was well past that emotional ignorance in her own life and didn't have the bandwidth to absorb someone else's.

She strode up to an egg as though she and it had been friends for all of their lives, slid a hand out of a pocket, and placed it on the egg casually. "Hello there," Qoriene said pleasantly. "Going to be a big day for you soon. You ready?"

---

egg #6

Egg 05 - Curious - Ereben:
This was the type of hatchling you were told about. As soon as your hand touches the egg, you are hit by question after question from an excited little baby. Why are you nervous? Why are you sweating? What is sweating? Why did you lie? Is lying good or bad? Where are you from? Where will you go next? Ia that cotton you're wearing? You do your best to answer every question that continues to come at you until the dragonet gives the impression its tired and withdraws for a nap.


Egg 06 - Self-assured - Qoriene:
It's your confidence that brings the dragonet out to meet you. You know what you want, what you like, and what you don't have time for. There is respect emanating from the presence and maybe even a dash of envy. It wants to be like you. Maybe it could help you achieve your goals instead? Not that you need assistance, of course! The presence lingers as it continues to admire you, leaving it up to you to know when it is best to break the bond and walk away.

Orgailian let out a long and slow exhale and let his eyes close. Once upon a time, he didn't care much for such forms of physical affection, but Zoremet was huge on hugs as was Zelly and few other people he knew. He had to adapt and learned to tolerate and eventually even enjoy the damned things. He could even take comfort in hugs, especially after the attack, so this little dragonet earned a faint smile instead of an eye roll over such an absurd thing to do. It was nice, it was calming, and it was making that whole 'warm blanket on a cold night' analogy make more sense. He could easily imagine snuggling deep into a fuzzy blanket, maybe with a hot drink and pastry in hand.

He didn't want to leave, but knew he'd have to. Lingering too long could draw attention and while he normally didn't care if all eyes were on him or not, Orgailian didn't want them now. This was his moment, his connection, and no one else needed to come barging into it. He'd share the details with Zor and maybe a couple of others close to him, but not now. This was special and needed to be savoured a moment longer.

But, when he finally was ready to depart, Orgailian gave a more open smile and whispered, "thanks, lil friend. I needed that. I guess I'll see you soon." Maybe this was his dragon, but he'd learned long ago not to get his hopes up, though he always did. Not wanting to taint such an experience or risk another bad egg, Orgailian left the clutch and sat in the stands to finish the group's time on the Sands.

Ulliendis had been taught to school his emotions and how to act when he was caught off guard in a variety of surprise situations. There had even been an entire month where various Journeymen and some of the Masters would sneak up at any given time to catch the apprentices in the act of even the most basic of duty like preparing for bed and pretend they weren't surprised and to talk their way out of the encounter. All of that went out the window as he laughed at another egg reading him so well and not wanting to visit for any real length of time. It was utterly amusing and perhaps he would not only share his findings on how the unhatched were so good at sussing out dark and dangerous intent within a person with the Harper brothers but with Rh'us as well.

As he walked away from the now silent egg, an assistant smiled and pointed out that it must have been a good experience. Ulliendis smiled brightly and cast a fond glance over his shoulder at the egg. "It knew me so well." When the assistant moved on to continue surveying the scene, Ulliendis pondered the benefits of going after more eggs. He had built a hypothesis that the Touching was important not for superstition and making a bond--as was proven over and over how many didn't pick someone that Touched the egg--but for teaching the creatures emotions and basic things. They came out of the shell fairly intelligent, though some more so than others and each with its own grip on varying emotions. So did he want to spread more fear and remorse?

Not really. He had enough for the day and did enough to keep the higher ups off his back. Spotting others were already trailing off and sitting in the stands, Ulliendis went that way as well, deciding to join a young woman he vaguely knew by throwing his arm around her and asking how her encounters went.

"You don't have to be so blunt about it," Faeli grumbled, apparently to herself, as the presence dissed her and ditched. "Rude," she added, but her heart wasn't in it. Everything that had been said was true. There was still plenty of time for her to find her mate, but she also still felt like a failure for not doing so yet. It was hard not to when so many of her life long friends Impressed at their first Hatching as soon as they could Stand. Even some of the Searched were younger than her and Impressing. That was fine, no big deal, she just wasn't ready to be tied down yet, that was all! She stuck her tongue out at the egg and turned her back to it, feeling slightly better over that part of the hard truths.

The part about blood was a bit harder to refute. Sure, she got a little queasy when she saw too much of it at once, but there was more to healing than stitching up cuts! She assumed, anyway. This was why she needed to chat with M'quel, which she was definitely going to do after lunch. She wasn't going to fail at this! Faeli winced as a childhood name some of the bullies used to call her came back. Faily. The name was born when she came in last during a race and stuck when she fell out of a tree. It was just a stupid name from kids and something she hadn't been called in a long time, but Faeli didn't want to give anyone any reason to resurrect it.

Maybe she should try at all. Can't fail if you don't even try! Faeli frowned and shook her head at that attitude. Not even trying was worse. She'd never know if she was good at something if a little risk wasn't taken now and then. So she was back to definitely finding M'quel later that day. First, she had some time to get a few more eggs in. One was full of encouragement and the other was a breezy meadow on a hot day. That was all she needed and once she was several feet from the eggs, Faeli skipped over to another Candidate waiting to be dismissed to trade tales.