By the shell, please let this go smoothly, Helyna thought to herself as she went to join Iliyith on the sands and make sure the gold was ready for the first group of candidates to come in. Helyna had spent most of her free time on the sands lately, a project or paperwork close to hand as she kept her dragon company and reassured her things would go smoothly. Even if she didn’t always believe that entirely.

[iliyith]Is it time already?[/iliyith] The gold was curled broodingly around her precious clutch, but looked up as Helyna approached. “Afraid so. Are you ready, my darling?” Iliyith grumbled and adjusted the eggs again, making sure they were all perfect, especially the gold. She was protective of them all, but particularly that one—her first.

[iliyith]I suppose there’s no point putting them off any longer.[/iliyith] Iliyith had been reluctant to agree to the touching after what had happened to Malvayth’s eggs, but time and distance had helped to overcome those particular nerves. Though she would be watching the candidates closely and had insisted on longer breaks between the groups. Nudging the gold egg one last time and sighing, Iliyith moved away from them just enough to ease the candidates’ nerves and allow them access, settling in to watch. Calling in the first group, Helyna went to join the gold and let the candidatemasters remind them one more time what to expect.

[spoiler=”Touching Rules"]
There's no need to bow to Iliyith but please remain polite and respectful to her at all times.

Candidates are divided into groups of 15-20 who each visit the eggs for an hour, with a 30-minute gap between sessions. For the purpose of RP, all PC Candidates are in the same group, which is obviously this thread.

This Touching begins at 10 am and these guys are the first group, meaning that no one else has Touched the eggs yet. There are 34 eggs to choose from including a gold egg. OOC: Feel free to Touch as many as you want but 2-3 seems to be the norm. Please indicate at the bottom of your post which egg your candidate is touching. Please note, you cannot Touch an egg multiple times. Touch one and move on, please. It is rude to your fellow classmates to linger at or return to an egg and the dragonet has said what it needed to the first time.

Candidates are expected to be polite and demure; egg safety is paramount and anyone found to be goofing around will be removed. Firelizards may join their candidates for this touching, however, they must stay under control at all times. If they become unruly, Iliyith and Helyna will demand their removal.

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 metallic gold color 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.[/spoiler]

N’mor slipped in from the Weyrwoman’s entrance, glancing around the sands quietly before making his way over to where Helyna was standing, being careful not to cause Iliyith undue stress by being anywhere near her precious eggs; bad enough that she was about to be inundated by Candidates without him tripping and falling on one of them. “How is she?” N’mor asked lowly, coming to a stop beside Helyna and pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek in greeting. His eyes sparkled mischievously at the show of affection, winking as the first of the Candidates began to filter onto the sands. Some of them knew him too well to take their act seriously in the slightest, but there were enough new faces to put the show on.

[Rhezalth]Iliyith, my love,[/Rhezalth] Rhezalth stood outside the sands, his jaws filled with a beast he had caught for the sandbound gold dragon to feast upon when she was ready. [Rhezalth]May I join you?[/Rhezalth] he would of course guard the door quite seriously and glower at the candidates if that would make his beautiful golden beauty more at ease, but he could also do that while curled up beside her, preening proudly at the beautiful clutch she had laid them. And their golden daughter, who would soon join the ranks of youth replacing those that had been taken away far too young. Rhezalth glowered to himself, not noticing the one candidate that went wide eyed and circled around him and his bloody maws with mangled herdbeast.

Helyna smiled and returned the kiss with a brief peck of her own. “She’ll be happier once this is over and she can go back to hovering around her clutch.” The gold had been fussier with this clutch, anxious from all that had happened lately and excited for her first golden egg.

Iliyith’s demeanor brightened as her mate—her wonderful, thoughtful mate—appeared and asked to join her. Calling him over, she was so pleased she almost forgot to grumble at a candidate who came too close to her on his way in. She accepted the herdbeast gratefully, though she would wait till after this first group to eat, not wanting to take her eyes off the candidates for that long. But she cleaned Rhezalth’s muzzle affectionately and settled back on the sands a good deal happier about the situation.

Another Touching. Once, he kept track of how many he attended but now Narinoa only knew it was a lot since he was approaching four years since he was Searched. It was another reminder that he was low on time but also another chance to Impress. He did his best to not think in negative terms on the subject now but those thoughts especially wouldn’t do when approaching the eggs. He didn’t want to influence them in such a way and needed to have happy thoughts. What was that fairy tale his mom told them when they were knee high? Something about happy thoughts making you fly. Maybe he could apply that here and end up with a dragon to fly on.

Pipsqueak gave a light chirp from his shoulder and he reached up to chuck her under her chin which caused the little green to preen and nuzzle him. Iliyith was one of the few golds that didn’t mind firelizards in the area and while Pip was rather well-behaved and seemed to take an interest in his studies and helping dragons, it was habit for them to part ways as they entered the Hatching Grounds. “Go see B’kit for a bit. You know he’ll sneak you some treats if you sing for him.” Pip gave a trill of delight and took off for her destination, leaving Narinoa grinning and shaking his head at the firelizard’s antics.

Once they were free to roam around the eggs, Narinoa headed for the one that had caught his eye as they entered. It was pretty similar in size and shape to the ones around it but it was the one that he was drawn to and that had to be a good sign. Carefully he stepped up to it, took a deep breath through his nose and exhaled slowly through his mouth before setting his hand on the warm shell.

---

Egg 27, please

Mylorah was still mourning the loss of her friend and the other Candidates that she knew but hadn’t had the chance to form a stronger bond with but she was used to living with such pain and forcing herself to keep moving. After her mom and baby brother died in the landslide she wasn’t sure she could go on but Korlin needed her as much as she needed him and brave faces were put on and smiles when someone else needed to be uplifted. She wouldn’t forget Katiryn and knew her friend would be devastated if Mylorah stopped living for herself and going for what she wanted because of some sort of survivor guilt and needed punishment.

So there she was, attending another Touching. Even if she hadn’t wanted to attend, she would have solely because Rhezalth sired the clutch. N’mor was practically family and she would show her support to him however she could although she did wonder which one of them would be more insufferable if she did Impress a Rhezalth baby.

Speaking of the bronzerider, she caught sight of him approaching Helyna and rolled her eyes with a smile when she saw the kiss to the cheek. He was playing up the mated thing for the crowd. Their dragons were definitely mated and a glance over her shoulder saw Rhezalth with a gift for Iliyith. But their humans? Nope, no way, no how. She’d probably have to smack N’mor if he dumped Z’rin in truth. That bluerider was far too good of a catch and didn’t deserve that.

She blew N’mor a kiss with a little finger wave when she caught his eye before turning her attention back to the eggs. As always, she let the more enthusiastic girls go for the gold first as she wandered amongst the rest of the clutch. She’d get there soon enough but for the moment, the egg to her left seemed a good place to start and Mylorah pressed her palm to the shell.

---

Egg 6

Orgailian had almost returned to Ista Weyr after Mizeath’s Hatching. It wasn’t that he had anything against Helyna, N’mor, or their dragons; he was just bored. Benden wasn’t as hot as Ista so spending too much time outside wasn’t nearly as enjoyable and they didn’t have a beach just a trek away. He could also go and start looking things up for Zelana for her return (assuming she didn’t Impress) but he kind of liked researching with her and didn’t want to start without her. Besides, some old friends had relocated to Benden when the Weyr first opened and spending more time with them really wasn’t the worst idea he had even if there wasn’t a beach.

A small part of him still hoped he didn’t Impress and argued that he should only Stand in Ista but Thallyath seemed to be on a two-year schedule and Ista only had a couple of other golds thanks to both being a small Weyr and the pruning some asshole had done to the population. If he wanted to be a dragonrider, he’d have to leave his comfort zone and deal with the fact that there was a much higher chance of a success rate if he went to other Weyrs.

So there he was, circling the clutch, doing his best not to make a snarky comment at N’mor for the show he was putting on for the young and impressionable Candidates from Holds that were amongst them. He could tease the bronzerider later about it. For now, Orgailian would play the perfect Candidate and Touch some eggs. He started with one that was slightly tilted, wondering if the egg was malformed on the bottom, if the sand shifted, or if the dragonet within had shifted and liked the angle. He was hoping for the latter as he placed his hand on the shell, thinking a quirky dragon would be a good way to start things off.

---

Egg 19, please

Ferra took a deep breath as she tried to clear herself of nerves. Last time she'd been nervous at a touching and then felt a little better and then... well then she'd felt a lot worse. Her stomach gave a small churn at the thought of the after party, of the poisoning, of the hazy memories of her brother being so worried as she caught him hovering on occasion when she woke up from naps. She just wouldn't eat anything this time. She'd go to the kitchen herself and try to make something if she had to. Maybe she and some of the other girls could go down as a group for a bit more safety just in case the murderer was still lurking around. They'd gone after the Weyrwoman with a knife after all, what was to keep a candidate safe other than numbers?

One more deep breath and Ferra carefully skirted by the bronze dragon with his rather bloody delivery and made her way onto the Sands. She was still determined to try to get a gold dragon, even if that meant danger. She was braver than she realized after all, better than she realized. Or at least that was what the previous gold egg had thought. That was a different pang of sadness as she remembered that one hadn't made it. Hopefully this gold thought of her just as highly, or would at least make some other girl happy.

She walked up to the beautiful golden egg and stretched out a hand to touch it, greeting it softly and doing her best to think positive, strong and determined thoughts.

---

gold egg please

Ulliendis had been enjoying his time in Benden Weyr. New friends had been made and he’d had a chance to explore and poke around various places quite a bit. He was almost sad to leave the place; assuming he didn’t Impress. Impressing here was a bit sad in its own way as well, though. Some of the bed buddies he’d made would be horrible temptations for those early months when he would have to remain celibate and focus all of his energy on raising a dragon. There really were some massive downsides to Impressing but overall, it would be a marvellous adventure and Ulliendis figured it would be worth it. A test of character or some such thing.

Although, as he eyed the bronze at the entrance, perhaps a smaller dragon would be nice. That one seemed like far too much work. If only they were like felines and did a lot of self-care so less time would be spent on baths and oiling. Perhaps a dark blue dragon on the smaller side and they could sneak about together. That could be fun!

Ulliendis marvelled at the large clutch but both dragons were massive so he supposed that made sense. He heard Ista’s Weyrwoman’s gold was tiny and had only a handful of eggs which also made sense but must have been hard to Stand for even without the drama. Knowing how much smaller that thin chance would be had to suck. Maybe he’d find out soon! If this one didn’t work out, Ista was coming up and he had yet to laze on their beach.

He followed behind a couple of boys as they all headed off in the same direction. They each went for the closest eggs but Ulliendis meandered a bit further, humming under his breath a merry tune. He didn’t want to interrupt the chorus playing in his head and so he waited several seconds beside an egg before finally moving to greet the dragonet.

---

Eggie 9, please!

Enough time had passed since the poisoning incident that Zelana was feeling better. She'd also talked a bit with some of A'tay's siblings to try and help herself process and that had probably helped even more. With some help she'd even acquired some new reading material! She'd already thanked Ulliendis in her own way, but she still would have to find some way to express her gratitude to Gail. Maybe she'd sleep with yet another of A'tay's brothers... or she could cook something special for him! Or both... her favorite Pickle had mentioned that he was fine with it and had only really been hurt by the sneaking around. She just didn't want him to start feeling insecure about his siblings.

Zelly would figure that out later. For now, she had eggs to meet! Only, maybe not the gold one quite yet. There was still a tiny bit of lingering guilt that maybe she could have done something more to help the girls who had gotten sick and died, so she stayed among the eggs at the edge of the clutch until she found one that seemed like the sort she would want to hang out with. It seemed the right mix of smooth and bumpy with a little wrinkle on one end that she was sure meant it was into having a good time (that meant it was active right? Active meant fun probably). With a soft "Hello," she reached out and set her hands on the shell.

---

egg 4 please

"I'm going, I'm going!" Zoremet grumped softly as one of the assistants gave him another nudge towards the entrance of the Sands. "I wasn't running that far behind." He couldn't be too upset though. He had basically been sleeping until the last minute, his hair was still a mess; Pit was still chittering at him too before she spotted the gold and bronze pair and decided she would be fine waiting outside. He'd been having such a hard time waking up in Benden, maybe it was the colder accommodations and the altitude. He'd already stolen an extra blanket, then knitted himself another.

And sure everyone told him it was fine, it wasn't that cold, it was summer, yada yada, but he still felt so cold! When he was at Fort earlier at least they had furs and fires going to keep everything nice and toasty. Zory stifled a yawn and gave N'mor a wave before casually shuffling out onto the nice and warm Sands. Much better. And much easier to feel awake! He took a look around and eyed the sea of eggs, his gaze settling on the shiny gold for a moment. Hopefully this time...

He pushed the thought out of his head and decided to focus on the present moment. He was here to Touch, not worry about past hatchings, and certainly not to jinx future ones. Though he was still going to try and stick close to Mylo. He found the nearest egg that wasn't presently occupied with a different candidate and reached out to gently touch it as he introduced himself.

---

egg 1 please

Egg 27 for Narinoa

This dragonet is fierce and proud of it. You can practically hear it hiss through the shell, and it rocks violently for a moment. It won't stand for insecurity in its presence, though it's intrigued by your arrogance at the same time. Pick one and stop being indecisive. You could be the best dragonhealer on Pern and a rider; you're the only thing standing in your own way.

---

Egg 6 for Mylorah

There was so much noise--so many nosy minds between its siblings and now all these people. You mean well, but your thoughts are so LOUD and sad even though you try to hide them. It retreats fairly quickly from your mind, but it's not unkind, just overwhelmed.

---

Egg 19 to Orgailian

This dragonet snaps when its shell is touched, like a feline pouncing from the undergrowth. Why are you bothering it if you don't want to be here? If you'd rather be somewhere else, maybe you should just leave.

---

Gold Egg for Ferra

The gold dragonet inside is curious and brash-- and unsure why such a kind person isn't just as bold and loud about it all the time. What is there to be afraid of, even if it draws attention to yourself?

---

Egg 9 for Ulliendis

Immediately after you touch the shell you feel the dragonet rooting around gleefully in your mind. Secrets are wonderful, aren't they? What are some of yours? Maybe if you were more committed you'd be better at discovering truly interesting ones.

---

Egg 4 for Zelana

Everything was so exciting! So many siblings humming to each other and their mother and father both here and now so many people! It can't wait to see and meet everyone, and play. The egg wobbles as the dragonet shifts inside, but steadies itself and is quiet again.

---

Egg 1 for Zoremet

Lazy mornings and a lazy attitude--isn't it better to be up early? That way you can get important things out of the way faster if you're going to insist on lazing about with friends.

Nimuelan was excited about this clutch as much as she had been horrified at the ending of the last clutch and the betweening for the little gold and bronze. But she refused to let it get her down that's for sure. There had been so much death recently, that it was hard to focus on the good things but this was another chance to Stand for another clutch and she took absolute joy in it.

So when they marched out to touch Illiyth's eggs, she was eager and bright-eyed. New babies! New minds! Who would they Impress to? What would they be like? How positively fantastic they were already and she had yet to meet one! She circled around, moving carefully through the eggs until she found one she wanted to meet (she wanted to meet them all, though, if she was being honest) and gently pressed her hand against its surface.

She kept her thought open as she could.

"Hello there," she whispered, "I'm Nim and I'm really, really pleased to meet you."

-----
Touching 26

The previous touching had been nice, but the sadness of losing the gold candidates afterward still hung heavily, especially with the new gold having gone between. Her lifemate had probably been one of the ones who died…

This all gave Taydarell cause to wait, and he surveyed the new clutch, watching the others circulate among the eggs before he wandered over to one. He watched it for a long moment, just studying the faintly pebbly surface of the shell, and considered all that it meant to maybe, just maybe, Impress a dragon.

The strength of the hatchlings he’d felt at the last touching bounced around in his mind, tangling and wrestling with the events of the past weeks. Somehow, he felt he knew just a little bit more than before he’d ever set foot on the sands, but knew, too, that he still had such a long way to go.

With a gentle touch, Taydarell slid his hands over the shell, somber but hopeful mind open to the dragonet within.

---

Egg 30

It had been close to a month since she'd been laid low with the poison that had killed five others. She still wasn't sure what had happened, only that there had been a party that she'd attended and some wine. She'd gone to Rhamnus with a smile that not even his annoyance that she'd been late could bring down. A smile that had swiftly turned terrified as something had gone terribly wrong. She'd nearly died and it was Rham's quick thinking that had saved her life. He'd been so considerate while she was healing and getting well, even agreeing to go to Fort in the next few days to pick up a toy she'd forgotten, one she'd been making for her son. She was beginning to think she'd hit the jackpot with life.

She was well now, better and feeling lively enough to attend the hatching and her mouth pulled slightly as she thought about the news of the last hatching. A gold and bronze had betweened together, something that was sad and horrifying all at the same time making her almost glad she'd missed it. She glanced at Iliyith as she made her way carefully into the sands with the rest. She already knew where she was going and waited her turn before heading to the gold egg.

She was lucky R'nya and Rhaedalyn had agreed she could come to Benden to try her hand at the gold. Promises and commands notwithstanding, August was glad for the opportunity as she laid her hand against the golden sheened egg shell and thought as many happy thoughts as she could.

---

Gold Egg.

Elloren moved extremely carefully through the clutch, looking for an egg to touch. She even counted them and stopped at the twenty-seventh because she liked the way it looked. It wasn't the gold one not because she didn't think she was worthy of touching it but because she was pulled in this one's direction, maybe even tugged. She fixed her eyes on the shell and squared her shoulders. She was meant to ride a dragon. A strong presence, one who wished to protect others, she hoped. She wasn't meant for something small, not with her build, nor delicate.

Bold and bright would be the best sort for her, now that she'd made a kind of peace with her height issues. A dragon didn't care about how tall she was, anyway, and being long in the leg was a good thing for a dragonrider. She was meant to be in the sky, she was meant to Impress! It was everything she wanted, more than knitting, more than anything from the very first time she'd set eyes on a dragon. There was something in her that said yes, that's where my home is, no matter what hide the dragon might wear.

Her home would be with her dragon and Pern could stuff it if they had a problem with it. Let others ride gold. Her path was going to be different, she knew it.

----
Egg 27

Haunted by the feeling that the eggs around her were so fragile, helpless. Rakka felt her feet slowly, carefully stride over the hot sands. She was glad that they had protection, if not, they would probably have been burned, and she liked her delicate, tiny feet. They had always been soft, and she appreciated how much they really did to keep her standing.

Thin brows furrowed at where her mind had gone, the young woman confused by her own thoughts. She wanted to kneel by the eggs, sit with them... just knowing that there was a forming dragonette inside of them slowly growing was enough to excite a fluttering response in her heart. She did not immediately make a B-line for the golden egg this time. She longed to touch it, feel the warmth of the egg beneath her icy fingertips. But something told her not to... what, she was entirely unsure of.

Pulling her shoulders back slightly she stood erect, just being here on the sands was an honor. Though if her family knew the danger that some of the candidates had been in, or that many dragonriders had been attacked, she doubted they would still support her being here. But, they didn't matter, at least not as much as they once had. Though she longed to go fishing with her uncle, or even play a game with her younger brother.

She hesitated, before stepping towards the Gold Egg, uncertainty present in the back of her mind. Though she knew touching the egg would not hurt it, she did not wish to cause the dragonette still encased in it's shell any harm... what if she hurt the egg. Rakka's hand hovered over the Gold Egg for nearly half a minute as she closed her eyes, releasing her thoughts and her emotions, she knew dragons could do many amazing, wonderful, spectacular things.

Hope sparked in her chest, perhaps this hatching she would impress. Her eyes dropped to the egg, lids brushing her cheek, as she bent slightly, her cold long fingers slowly caressing the hardening shell of the egg. She wanted to say something, and didn't at the same time. Instead, she slowly rested her palm on the shell very delicately, very softly. But the hesitation was gone.

---

Gold Egg

Ferra was torn, she wanted to go on and explain why modesty was actually a good thing and she didn't need the attention that being loud about it would bring. Attention was actually quite bad... but... hm. She frowned a little as she thought about it. Attention was definitely a horrible thing when it involved rich men... but if she was on a gold dragon then she'd have to get used to it in some way or another.

But was this an actual message the baby dragon was trying to give her or was it just being a brash little thing without a care in the world because it hadn't even been born yet? Did they even remember these little incidents? I mean clearly they remembered some things or she wouldn't have heard about the gold going between at the last hatching, but was that a memory they kept for much longer?

Did dragons ever look back on their youthful selves and cringe? Ferra realized she was lingering a bit too long and pulled back after a quick thank you (she was still polite after all!) to the glimmering golden egg. She could have been done as she looked at all the other eggs, but then maybe she should try another one anyway. Ferra made her way towards the edge of the eggs and gently set her hands on one out of curiosity to see what this one would think.

---

egg 17 please

Egg 26 for Nimuelan

It was eager and happy, seeming to feed off your own positive energy. All the sounds and people were oh so exciting. It couldn't wait to meet everyone and to run around in the warmth it pulled from your mind--the sun, what a lovely word, what a lovely feeling. It was so intensely happy it leaves you feeling almost a little drunk. A little too exuberant.

---

Egg 30 for Taydarell

The egg is very quiet. It brushes against your mind briefly, but the touch is barely there. Why bother, it seems to say, then fades.

---

Gold Egg for August

You are strong, it thinks. You've endured so much--even recently--and somehow come out without being jaded. Things will be okay, it agrees.

---

Egg 27 for Elloren

The dragonet's mind is a snarling whirl of intense opinions, battering at yours, judging you and finding you wanting. Running and hiding from problems is no solution, and insecurities are weaknesses waiting to be exploited.
‘

---

Gold Egg for Rakka

It's curious why you're so cautious. It's not as fragile as you think, and neither are you.

"Hm," Narinoa hummed as he thought about the spicy little dragonet judging him. The creature was half right; he could be the best dragonhealer and that was the goal once he found he enjoyed the craft and was good at it. But he wasn't so sure if he was getting in his own way for being a dragonrider. That wasn't something he had any control over. The dragon knew, right? It just hadn't been his time yet, that was all. But if it made his little grumpy friend happy, Narinoa would think those happy thoughts and promised to Impress.

As he removed his hand and turned to leave, he almost collided with a tall redheaded woman who also seemed interested in that egg. Narinoa gave her a charming smile as he apologized, "sorry for that. Oh and watch out. This one is in need of a nap."

He walked away with a dip of his head in parting and moved on to another egg that was currently unoccupied. "And what do you have to say? I'm all ears, friend."

---

Egg 13

Mylorah winced at the overwhelming feeling coming from the dragonet and how quickly it pulled away from her. She knew some dragons were sensitive to certain moods and others weren't huge on crowds. It seemed this one perhaps fell into both categories. "I'm sorry," she whispered before removing her hand. Apparently she didn't have her sadness on lock down as much as she thought she did. She was almost worried to try more eggs as she didn't want to keep disturbing or upsetting them.

As she wandered around the eggs, more thinking about whether to Touch more than actually finding one to Touch, Mylorah saw several girls work their way through the line for the gold. Screw it. She knew she had to Touch that one at least so she might as well get it over with while there was a lull.

While another girl took her turn, Mylorah gave Katiryn a final thought and promise to keep going for her dreams before letting go of any hesitations plaguing her. She glanced around to find her brothers, smiling when she saw at least one of them frowning at their egg. She spotted a few friends and looked forward to chatting with them later. So many positive things in her life and those were what she had to focus on.

She stepped up to the gold egg, her mood a bit brighter, and gently laid her hand on the smooth shell.

---

Gold egg, please.

Orgailian jumped back from the egg, startled by the force behind the presence making itself known and the rude assessment. All right, rude but partially accurate. He really preferred Ista but he wasn't at Benden against his will. "Something you would have learned if you weren't a complete dick," he muttered under his breath with a slight frown. He had half a mind to reconnect and let it know a thing or two about him but Orgailian refrained. The dragonet likely wouldn't come to him again or he'd get yelled at again. Better to cut his losses and move on.

He gave a light chuckle as he did. He kind of liked the sassy babies but a bit more interaction between them would also be nice. Speaking of sassy; as he passed by Zelana, he gave her a wink and smile because he could. He shouldn't flirt with his brothers girlfriend but she was cute and interesting and it was in his blood to flirt. He also knew it was an open relationship so A'tay wouldn't mind. T'ryn and Cazan on the other hand... Orgailian wasn't sure which one he feared more. Probably Cazan.

Back to the eggs. He passed one and then went back to it since no one else was currently at it and tried his luck.

---

Egg 2

Ulliendis grinned at the dragonet--well, egg that was before him. If only it knew the secrets he held that were his own and the ones he knew about others. It was delightful to get the impression that even a dragonet rooting about in his mind wasn't quite sure how serious he was about anything. Maybe my lack of commitment is just a part of the game of charades I'm playing, Ulliendis thought, though he doubted it reached the dragonet. No matter. He liked that no one quite knew what to do with him and if he was ever serious.

To be nice and thank the curious presence for amusing him for a bit, Ulliendis brought up some of his secrets to share. He didn't think the dragonet would remember by the time the Hatching came around but he still guarded some of the bigger ones. The memory of the gold knowing her mate had been there and no longer was stuck with him and made him keep some things private still. Besides, what was the fun of secrets if all were given away right off the bat?

Thanking the kiddo once more, Ulliendis finally parted ways but did give the egg a little pat as well. That was fun but where to next? He watched a couple of Candidates in particular to see how they were faring and where they went next before making his own move. There were some interesting people in his little group that morning and Ulliendis wanted to try to follow up with some of them later on. First, he had to get a few more eggs in for himself and the one he stopped next to would do.

---

Egg 21

“Oh no, hey, it’s alright…” He said in a hushed whisper, trying to will some sense of warmth into the mind within. He hadn’t meant to make the creature sad! He tried to imagine all the good things out on Pern to look forward to: like making friends by the cool Weyr lake, learning all sorts of interesting things, and being able to see the beautiful sunsets…from the sky! There was so much to do! So much to learn! And, he supposed, as terrible as the bad was, it made him appreciate the good things just that much more. Taydarell cast a look toward the entrance and all that waited beyond it. He tried one more time to give the little dragonet inside that shell the feeling of wonder that came with being in such a big wide world, no matter how scary and sad it could be sometimes.

The mind had already withdrawn, though, so he could only hope that the creature felt some of the warmth he’d tried to give. Maybe it would have better luck with the next candidate.

With a sigh, he let his hand slip from the shell and moved among the clutch, meandering around the other candidates before settling on another egg. With a sigh, and a mind toward all that could be done and all that he looked forward to, he spread both hands wide and placed them on the shell.

“How about you, huh? Anything you’d like to say?”

---

Egg 7

Egg twenty-seven made her blink and back away. Where had it gotten the fact that she was running away from anything or hiding? She was running toward everything, now and she had resolved most of her insecurities. Clearly, it hadn't been paying attention or something.

Confused and frowning, she left it alone with its judgement of her being unworthy of it and wandered back among the eggs. Maybe she would connect better with another egg.

She walked back to the eighth egg and sighed a little as she rested her palms against it.

------
Egg 8

Daci hung back, watching the other candidates as they milled around, touching eggs. This was still so new! She’d attended Mizeath’s Touching and Hatching too, of course—the attempted poisoning had put a damper on things for a while, naturally—but the newness, the little thrill of excitement that flitted through her the first time she’d stepped onto the Sands, that was still present. All those eggs, all those babies, all that promise of a new life and fresh beginnings!

Daci clasped her hands together, bounced onto her toes, then dropped back onto the ground, cheeks growing warm as she dropped her hands to her suede. She was supposed to be more dignified than that! She was, she was, she was. But everything was so exciting, so wonderful, so glorious, how could one possibly stand it? Dragons were real! They were real, and one of them might choose her! it was simply too astounding for words.

She smiled at a few of the Candidates, waved at a few others. There were so many faces to remember! There were so many things to remember, too, but that wasn’t nearly so overwhelming as the number of people she was suddenly around. Thankfully, most didn’t seem to mind if she didn’t use their name when she spoke to them. That way, she could pretend she hadn’t forgotten it, again, and didn’t really know who she was speaking to at all. Maybe they hadn’t caught on yet. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

Finally she took a deep breath, let it out, and approached the eggs. After all, that was why she was here. To make something of herself at last—provided a dragon would, eventually, choose her. She dropped to her knees by one particular egg, resting a hand on the shell. “ Hello,” she whispered, “I’m Daci. It’s nice to meet you,”
——————————————————————
Egg #6, please!

A smile formed on Zelly's face at the enthusiastic excitement that met her from the egg. She felt she'd guessed correctly when she thought this one would be fun, maybe there was something to how the shells looked after all. But probably not. It was likely just a lucky guess more than anything, but she took satisfaction in it all the same. Too bad she was here to try and impress gold... though, there had been a girl that impressed a green last time. She supposed that wouldn't be so bad either.

Since this egg had been so much fun, Zelana decided that perhaps lingering with the other blander eggs might be nice. She spotted Orgailian in passing and gave him a friendly grin and a wink in return. Why did A'tay have to have such attractive siblings? Ah well, she'd deal with that later. For now she stuck with the plan. One more of the normal eggs before she paid her respects to the golden star of the show.

She headed towards that ultimate goal as she glanced around, spotting an egg that she thought looked interesting enough, but in a subtler way than the previous one. Zelly paused and reached out, eager and curious to see what little dragon mind managed to find hers this time.

---

Egg 23 please

It was not the first time that Zoremet had been called lazy, and he doubted it would be the last. Just because he was having a hard time waking up didn't mean he was necessarily lazy! Sure he sometimes had trouble getting started up, but once he did he was a good and reliable worker. He did his chores, made things for his friends, managed to make good distance on his hikes... though he supposed the unhatched dragon didn't care about any of that. Maybe once it was hatched and had to experience waking up like the rest of them it would understand.

The thought made Zory feel oddly wise and he couldn't help but wonder if this was how the older dragonriders (or even just his older siblings) felt most of the time. He was still not quite awake enough to handle thoughts that deep yet, though the Sands and building excitement for the Touching was certainly helping. He could ponder the essence of wisdom later, right now he had some more babies to meet.

He considered following a sibling around, but Mylorah was already headed towards the golden egg where he dare not follow, and he'd already lost track of Orgailian. Was that... no, that was a different blonde. Zory headed in that direction anyway though, because he might as well pick somewhere to go. He stopped when he spotted an egg that didn't have any sand disturbed around it yet and decided to offer it some company. He reached out and gently touched it. "Hello there. How are you?"

---

egg 33 please!

Ferra - Egg 17

You feel a sense of nervousness that's overwhelming. You know this feeling in your gut and it almost has you looking for somewhere to hide... when you realize it's not you, but the egg. What if it gets stuck in its shell? What if it hatches early--or worse, too late! What if, what if, what if....

---

Narinoa - Egg 13

This one takes a while to answer you, its mind drifting all over. You're almost tempted to move on, when it reaches out curiously, its attention finally caught. It catches a glimpse of something in your mind and asks what it is--that's so lovely, all that dark with small lights...(stargazing)

---

Mylorah - Gold

Warmth and comfort drift from this egg. You've been brave, continuing to Stand, it feels that. You have doubts, but we all do. But it likes the smiles and the dancing and the friends and family all around you. Maybe there will be more of those in the future.

---

Orgailian - Egg 2

This egg was not particularly happy about being approached. You get the sense that if this dragonet was out of its shell it might be hissing and drawing away. When you don't immediately pull back, it snaps at you. Go bother one of the others, this one just wants to be left alone. (It doesn't seem personal, this one just seems spicy)

---

Ulliendis - Egg 21

The feeling you get from this egg is calm and steady, unruffled by the commotion around them. It doesn't root around in your memories or bowl you over with enthusiasm. But it's friendly enough and warm.

---

Taydarell - Egg 7

Curious, the dragonet reached out when you touched its shell. It admired what it found, liking your determination, and your self-assurance. If it wasn't yours, you would definitely make a good mate for another dragonet.

---

Elloren - Egg 8

Shy at first, this egg suddenly stumbles on a memory from when you were at the hold. What are those creatures? They're fast. It hopes to be fast some day!

---

Daci - Egg 6

The dragonet inside this shell seems just as overwhelmed by all the people as you are. It isn't sure it's ready to deal with all the noise and fuss. Can't it just stay in the quiet warmth a bit longer? It's not unfriendly, and is a bit of a kindred spirit. You seem nice, but everything is just a bit much.

---

Zelana - Egg 23

How could people take you seriously if you didn't take yourself seriously. Surely it was almost time to settle down? Wasn't it exhausting not having a mate? Fun, sure, but it seems lonely.

---

Zoremet - Egg 33

It was so quiet you wondered if there was something wrong.

Suddenly-POUNCE-HA! Tricked you! Were you surprised? Do you think the others would find it funny? It was hilarious. You were so worried and now you're not.

Rakka hesitated as the egg reached out to her. No that was silly, the dragonette inside the egg reached out to her. She knew it was there even if she couldn't see it. A smile spread over her lips at the thought, despite the fact she knew that all the dragonettes in the eggs were communicating with the other candidates, she still felt special. Ecstatic even. Limpid brown eyes lingered on the egg as she slowly stepped away, her eyes wandering over the rest of the beautiful eggs.

She wondered. Her hands at her side as she slowly stepped towards another one, this time dropping to her knee, she closed her eyes if she could hear the dragonette inside the beautiful egg. Hesitantly, she reached out an icy finger, and brushed it across the surface of the egg. Then let her other three fingers trail beside the first. Finally pressing her palm on the surface of the egg.

It was so beautiful, marvelous, miraculous. She was enraptured by it's very existence.

---

Egg 19, please.

Narinoa smiled when a gentle presence was finally felt. He did his best to be open and non-threatening as he encouraged the little one to come forward. There was something so endearing about the shy ones. Maybe that was why he was so fond of Erubuth. This one reminded him a bit of the blue stuck in Fort with the curiosity and sweet nature that trickled out. Narinoa found it no hardship to bring up memories where he lazed under the stars and promised his new little friend that he (or she) would soon see the stars and make their own memories.

He liked that bonding moment. He'd been lucky over the years to have some connections that just wanted to relax or even meditate by the ocean. Stargazing would be right up there with the ocean moment as favourites from the Touchings. He had to focus on those ones to avoid remembering the awful ones. Not even the spicy baby compared to some in the past.

There was still plenty of time left so Narinoa moved a few feet away to another egg that a boy just left. Should he wait? He always wondered about the concept of time inside the egg. Did the dragonet feel bombarded with rapid visits or did they forget the interaction right away and not notice? His professional curiosity needed to know but Narinoa didn't think they would ever have a clear answer as he slid his palm across the surface in greeting.

---

Egg 20

"Thank you," Mylorah whispered as she stepped back from the gold egg and then moved aside in case there was still someone waiting for it. She didn't feel brave lately. She wanted to hide, steal away all of her loved ones and keep everyone safe until the killer was caught. But she appreciated the little gold's belief in her. It helped bolster her up and find the courage to keep going. So many relief on her, like Zoremet. She watched her brother for a moment as he connected with his current egg. He was far too good for their world and worried someone would easily take advantage of him. She knew how funny that was considering K'dar felt that way about her, especially when she wandered into the world of Lords and Ladies.

That thought made her think of Tazikel and the gold's hope for more dancing. She would dance again. She would laugh again as well. Mylorah knew it was possible as she did it once before after the landslide.

It was tempting to go for another egg but she wanted to end on a high note and the encouragement and thoughts of dancing seemed good enough. Mylorah moved over to the stands to wait for more people to finish up.

"Rude," Orgailian pointed out before he broke away from the egg. He knew people like that, the ones that didn't like to be bothered or hated waking up before they were ready to. He could be a part of that first group honestly. Normally he was flirty and approachable but when he didn't want to be either, he made it known. That made him pause before chuckling. What if this was his dragon? What a pair they would be when they were both in a grouchy mood. If it wasn't meant to be, Orgailian's only hope was that the dragon wouldn't be as bad as Dyoricath.

Still grinning from that interaction, Orgailian went to another egg just down the line from where he was. He realised he was kind of sticking to a cluster this time instead of wandering or following his gut. Then again, this was kind of like following his gut. He felt it best to stay in one area. Would that mean anything? He'd find out soon enough.

He passed by Ferra and that reminded him he needed to ask her later if her sister would attend the Hatching. Maliah was, in her words, a bitch but Orgailian had enjoyed the bluntness and their time on the beach. He hadn't seen her since thanks to the murders and her brother shoving her into a Hold for safe keeping.

Wasn't he just living up to his bloodline in such a short time? Flirting with A'tay's girlfriend and now thinking about another pretty girl he'd like to reconnect with. "Can't help who I am, can I?" He asked the egg he pressed a palm to.

---

Egg 5

Ah, some innocent mental cuddles. Ulliendis liked this one for simply just existing and being a benign friendly presence. Isn't that what most people wanted to be? He didn't, preferring to be flashy and boisterous when possible. Some people simply flourished under constant attention. It surprisingly didn't make sneaking around any harder either. Most wrote him off as eccentric or needed a break from him and left him to his own devices.

It was that need for attention that had Ulliendis moving along to another egg. Or maybe he was still trying to find those wild or scary connections he heard so much about but hadn't encountered yet. He was back to the thought that he really had to make it to Ista. Maybe these happily mated dragons produced happier babies. He'd find out as much as he could with their limited time and greeted the next egg with a large grin.

---

Egg 3.

Runners. That's what they are. And some go really, really fast. Elloren knows once in the air most dragons are fast, but if this one wants speed, it'll have to practise! She has faith that it can be the fastest dragon on Pern if it really wants to be. Faster than runners, faster than any of its clutchmates, even.

She smiles at it for a moment, then takes a walk to another egg. They were all so different, these little dragonets. She reached out to the dragonet in the next egg with a gentle nudge of a hello.


---
Egg 4

He smiled at the mind within the shell, offering a mental note of thanks. He liked this dragon. Maybe, he thought, maybe this would be his dragon… If not though, maybe the baby would at least give him a nod or some other hello when they made their appearance. He ran his hand affectionately over the shell before he let it slip free, nodding.

Content and pleased with the interaction, Taydarell cast a long look around the cavern, with all of the other candidates and so many other eggs; there were so many potential matches, and he hoped that he might be among them. He hoped that last egg might contain his dragon. But, if not, like the last dragonet seemed to give him the feeling, he would make a good match for a dragon someday, anyway. There would be other hatchings. And other dragonets. And eventually, he would find his, even if it took a little while.

T’pel had Impressed within his first turn standing, but then again, Zarrie’s mother Impressed barely before aging out. There was lots of time. The idea of needing to Impress within his first turn started to slip aside, and while he thought it would be amazing to have a dragon right away, he started to think that it might not be too bad if his dragonet waited a turn or two before finding him. He could be patient.

With a small sigh and shrug, he made his way over to one last egg, looking over the subtle mottling of the shell before he placed his hands upon it, trying to be patient, but also open and happy. 


---

Egg 11

Daci smiled at the egg and the dragon inside. It certainly would be nice to stay in a warm, dark space, especially if coming out meant being around all this! She wanted to pat the shell, but thought better of it. After all, she didn’t like being touched when everything was loud and confusing. Perhaps the dragonet was the same. “I’ve found stuffing cotton in my ears helps,” she said. ”Hmmm.” Daci tapped her fingers against her chin, thinking. Then, she closed her eyes and tried to send the feeling she got to the baby dragon—how the sounds were muffled, still audible, but not as loud, not as sharp, not as intense and overwhelming. Was it working? Maybe.

At last Daci whispered, “Good luck,” got to her feet and went to visit another egg. Hopefully that little egg would be alright. It was very loud in here. Poor little dragonet!
—-
Egg 34 please!

Egg 19 for Rakka

This dragonet seems grumpy, upset at its nap being disturbed. But it likes the feel of her cool hand on its hot shell and doesn't ask her to remove it. If people have to pester them, at least they can be calm and properly reverent about it like you seem to be.

---

Egg 20 for Narinoa

This egg is a little smaller and wider than the others, but the wrinkles and bulges in the shell prove it was at least as active as its siblings before the leathery surface hardened. And the mind inside is anything but quiet, though it seems a bit nervous. It caught a thread of your thoughts about Erebuth and wonders nervously if flying is really that spectacular. It seems so dreadfully high up and the dragonet already feels dizzy just experiencing your memory.

---

Egg 3 for Ulliendis

The dragonet in this egg batters against your mind the moment your hand touches its shell. There's no warning, and it almost knocks you off your feet. There's no finesse to it as it roots around and pulls up fears you'd half forgotten with time. Secrets were fun, but they could also be dangerous if you picked the wrong mark.

---

Egg 5 for Orgailian

It was an interesting question. What do you mean? Why would you want to change who you were? Well, maybe if you were mean or bad, but it didn't think you were. You are nice, aren't you? And isn't it better to pursue what you want than to mope and think you can't?

---

Egg 4 for Elloren

It greets you enthusiastically, bouncing around your mind almost like a newborn runner. Isn't everything wonderful? There's so many people to meet, if only it was time to emerge from their shells. But no, not just yet, which was a shame because then it could run and jump around and meet everyone. The energy this baby gives off is a little exhausting, and it will certainly be a handful if it stays like this after hatching.

---

Egg 34 for Daci

This egg is much quieter even than the last one. It doesn't stir much at your touch, though there is a faint spark there. It brushes your mind gently, then fades.

---

Egg 11 for Taydarell

This dragonet is happy, but distractible. The moment your mind wanders, it's off on another tangent too. The wandering mind is dizzying but amusing.

Narinoa chuckled but tried to be reassuring to the dragonet. Flying was perfectly safe and to be enjoyed! He suspected it would be a little scary fresh from the egg and into that first month. Their proportions were a bit off and their wing strength wasn't that great but as they grew and strength came to them, so would the courage. He couldn't recall hearing of an adult dragon that was afraid of flying or heights at least.

He gave one more wave of reassurance with another memory of flying peacefully and the view before it seemed like their time to part came. He wished the little one well and to be the bravest and best flyer around. He wished he could keep an eye on the eggs he Touched when it came time to hatch but the mama often moved the eggs around and sometimes so many hatched at once that it was chaos.

He was thinking about how they could paint numbers on the shells to help track things as he walked. Wouldn't it be handy as a dragonhealer to know that egg four was afraid of heights before Hatching and to track that as he grew? Or maybe egg nineteen kept scaring Candidates with thoughts of being alone. Would that carry over into life outside the egg?

He really wasn't sure about the logistics or how helpful it could be but it was something to think more on and reach out to L'gan and Eb'zer. They had been with him since the start of the crazy healing journey and Narinoa always valued their input. It would be good to work it out before approaching Weyrlingmasters and leaderships.

He was too distracted by the idea now to continue with the Touching and sat down in the stands to think some more. He'd have to get back to his books soon to jot everything down.

“Absolutely,” Orgailian agreed, finding he liked this one. It wasn’t like he was considering changing who he was, especially since the dragonet had pegged him correctly as not being mean or bad. Well, he didn’t think he was anyway but did the bad guy truly know he was the bad guy? Well-written ones always believed they were doing the right thing but evil for the sake of evil was another story. Until Zoremet or R’dal told him otherwise, Orgailian felt he was doing okay; even if he was flirting with people he probably shouldn’t. But that kept life interesting and as was pointed out, it was better to go after what he wanted than to mope.

“Good talk, egg-dweller, and good luck to you,” Orgailian wondered what type of personality that dragonet would have. Would it be sensitive? Kind? Brash? It was hard to tell with the way it encouraged him to be himself and not mope around but it likely would need some luck to find its own way in the world.

With a stretch of his arms high over his head, Orgailian looked around. He’d gotten a good feel for the eggs and while there was still time to mingle with a few more eggs, his satisfaction was sated and his Candidate obligations were fulfilled. So he wandered off to the sidelines to wait for others to finish.

“Woah! I’m all for being eager, but a little warning, friend!” Ulliendis told the egg since he wasn’t sure if the dragonet within the shell could actually hear or understand him. Still, it was a reaction to speak when being assaulted in such a way and he gave a little shake of his head as if to clear it. He didn’t like old memories coming back to haunt him and didn’t need the reminder that even he had fears and weaknesses. Although he supposed he could use it as a lesson to keep himself sharp and not make the mistakes of his past. Still, he didn’t need to share them with a nosy dragon.

But the dragonet was right. A lot of his craft came down to picking the right mark; both to trust and to target. The right tactics had to be employed and his intuition honed enough to know who he could talk to and how much to share. Rhamnus immediately came to mind as the healer was fascinating and Ulliendis had deemed him shady in his own way that sharing his lock-picking skills seemed safe. Turned out he had been right—so far. Rhamnus kept sharing his own secrets and being generally fun to be around.

But maybe a bit of fear wouldn’t hurt him. He really was being rather carefree and perhaps careless since giving up being a Harper and moving to the Weyrs. “Thanks for the advice,” Ulliendis patted the egg with a wide grin and turned on his heel to survey the scene. Some people had moved off, apparently done with the fun, while others were still going strong. Where did he want to fall in?

More Touching!

And wasn’t that just his life goal in general?

He hadn’t really been paying attention to where others had been going and really, he barely recalled which ones he had been to now, but Ulliendis went a bit deeper into the clutch, knowing he had a couple behind him he’d been to. He spotted one that didn’t seem to have as many tracks around it and claimed it as the next perfect target.

---

Egg 14, please!

For a moment Ferra started to get stuck in that same loop, what if something happened to her too? Again! What if there was more poison, what if the safety measures that had been put in place since the last time didn't work? What if more candidates got hurt and as a result more of the dragonets ended up between? What if... no.

Ferra closed her eyes and took a deep shaky breath as she tried to reassure herself and the unborn dragon that there were positives too. What if things went perfectly? What if the baby dragon found the perfect lifemate? What if she Impressed too? What if they both succeeded and made everyone proud? What if they found a mark on the floor? Just like bad things could happen, good things could randomly happen too. It was fine. Hopefully. Maybe if they could both cling to more positive what ifs then... maybe it would make things easier.

When she finally felt a bit more calm herself (she wasn't sure if it helped the little dragon at all), Ferra pulled her hand away with a quiet, "Good luck." She took a look around at all the other eggs and decided that maybe she was done. She made her way to join some of the other finished candidates in the stands to just sit and try to collect her thoughts.

Lonely? Lonely! Oh sweet little egg! Zelly grinned, eagerly trying to share as much about how not lonely she was when she could spend to much time with so many people! She had no idea if her mental babble was actually getting through or not, or if the baby dragon would even remember any of this, but it was a fun little distraction until she realized that maybe this one just wasn't for her and that was fine. She really wasn't here to converse with the eggs after all. This was more like flitting about a bar from one handsome stranger to another, getting a brief feel for them all before she decided which one to try and lure off for more fun.

Was... was a Touching like speed dating for dragons? It was an interesting thought and Zelana pondered it a bit as she bid the egg farewell and began to meander her way to the golden egg. Too bad it didn't have any interest in boys. They were fun! And it would also give the baby more options so that another... she shook her head as she tried to put the thought of the gold going between at the last hatching out of her mind. It seemed rude to think about such a tragedy (or even another gold) when she was about to meet this one. So after a moment to take a few deep breaths and clear her head for more positive thoughts, she reached out to touch the shell.

---

gold please!

Zoremet frowned as he tried to wait for the egg to do something, anything, even going so far as to softly whispering, "Are you okay?" He'd heard about duds before, they could happen, but maybe the baby was just sleepy or sick or unwell? Was something wrong? Was-he let out a yelp and nearly fell down at the sudden sensation. But the barrage of eager amusement and pride at pulling off such a great prank made him start laughing.

Yeah, that had been funny, and he really was surprised. Hopefully this little egg hatched with the same sense of humor. Even if it didn't pick him, Zory was sure that whoever it did pick would love it and all of the silly adventures they could go on. Though they'd probably also get into a lot of trouble. Hopefully it was all the fun kind of trouble.

When his time with that egg was done he looked around and spotted his sister sitting in the stands. Instead of going to try for another egg Zory made his way over to sit with her. "Hopefully you had some nice eggs." He thought about saying more, asking how she was, but he settled for gently leaning against her to bump his shoulder into hers and sitting quietly in her company as they watched the others.

As Rakka pushed herself up she winced in pain, realizing how hot the sand was against her barely protected knees. Her pointed lips turned downwards into a frown, and the slender woman wondered how long these burns would take to heal. They couldn’t be too bad, right? The sand was hot, but was it hot enough to leave a long-healing injury? The warmth of the sands radiated on her face, blond hair pulled tightly back in a braid.

She wasn’t about to let it do what it enjoyed and make a fool out of her. Slowly, reverently she made her way to the next egg that caught her eyes. And she slowly bent her steps in that direction, graceful eyebrows arcing as she neared the lovely egg. They were all so beautiful. Lovey, and stronger than they looked though as she reached her cool fingers out to barely brush the tips of them against the hard surface of the egg, she still treated it with the utmost gentleness and softness.

Like with the others she dragged her slender fingers over the surface of the egg for a few seconds before pressing her palm lightly on it. So beautiful, so elegant. So… powerful yes. She swallowed for a moment, trying to keep her thoughts cool and collected. Her lips curved into a smile as she rested her hand briefly on the egg. This time bending slightly at her waist instead of dropping instinctively to her already burned knees.

---

Egg 22 please!

Daci tilted her head. This egg was very, very quiet. That was alright though. Maybe it just didn’t feel like talking. She gave it a little pat and got to her feet. Should she speak to the gold egg? That was why she was there, after all. Daci chewed her lip. Girls were supposed to impress golds, or at least stand for them, anyway. She knew they much from what she’d heard since she’d come here. Still, before being Searched, she’d paid little mind to dragons, and from what she’d learned since coming to Benden, it couldn’t hurt to try. But there was another girl there just then, so she would wait a bit.

Dusting the sand from her knees, and wincing a little at the heat, Daci approached another egg. She walked up to it and rested a hand on its surface. “Hello,” she said, “How’re you today?”
—
Egg #20 please!

Egg 15 for Ulliendis

It had been quite content to be mostly overlooked. Don't you ever feel the need to be alone? Performing all the time and being the center of attention sounds exhausting. Wouldn't it be nicer to just sit and think on your own a while? No distractions, no risk of embarrassment, just quiet solitude.

---

Egg 20 for Daci

The squat little egg is cheerful under your hand. It liked the one who had just recently been there, and you seem very nice too. It's still a bit nervous, but excited too as it feels your excitement.

---

Egg 22 for Rakka

Loud and opinionated, this dragonet barges through your thoughts. It's so stuffy and cramped in this shell. There's so many people here and they're all thinking noisy thoughts but no one had bothered to touch this shell. Obviously it was the best one here and it had been completely overlooked--rude!

---

Gold for Zelana

Even though you've tried to push it from your mind, bits of emotion sneak through as your hand connects with the shell. But you don't feel judgement or resentment from the gold, just curiosity and then a wave of reassurance. It's not your fault. You're only just beginning to learn and you couldn't have known. Be kind to yourself and seek out people who can help.

Did he feel the need to be alone? Ulliendis gave the mind-visitor the courtesy of taking a moment to consider the question and what it proposed. Sure, he supposed that sounded nice and he sometimes even partook in such things as quiet solitude. He couldn’t deny everyone needed some time away from others to make sure they didn’t forget who they were. But for the most part, he loved being around others, loved talking, and even loved learning what he could about other people. It was fun, plain and simple.

He tried to convey that to his current friend but Ulliendis suspected they were of very different minds on the matter. He was willing to bet this egg did not contain his lifemate. Then again, some people he had chatted with over the months seemed to like the idea of having a dragon that was a balance to their personality. Would a demure dragon that enjoyed quiet time be what he ended up with? No, that didn’t feel like the right sort of match but who was he to judge? Maybe he did need that counter in his life but maybe he did need a sneaky partner in crime as well. Time would tell. He hoped, anyway.

Ulliendis parted ways with the dragonet and glanced to the assistant that was closest to where he was and gathered there was still a bit of time left. He bet he could squeeze in one or two more eggs but perhaps that last little friend was right. A little down time would be nice. Having so many baby dragons flit in and out of his head was actually somewhat exhausting. A nap sounded rather delightful once they were dismissed. Then he’d be refreshed and able to properly socialize for a late lunch.