[Touching] Once Upon A Time

[nemix]

It was a good thing, that eggs couldn't see in Tiael's opinion. Mostly because she was dressed head to toe in the horrible red that marked her out nice and clearly, thank you very much, as a prisoner. She rather doubted that the first thing a dragon should see would be a large moving wall of violent red. That was a point, what were they going to be allowed to wear when the eggs broke open? Were they going to be in their uniforms? Traditional robes? That one hadn't really been covered yet, but it gave her pause for thought even as she stood among the other prisoners watching the lumps in the sand.

As always, they were separated from the other Candidates, a polite bubble around their group that screamed 'we're not dragging you away because you're not moving but if you so much as breathe wrong we'll have you locked up by yourself for quite a while'. It seemed to go along with every gathering of their unusual group so far, but Tiael was hopeful this would break down more over time. The chance to talk to new faces, get to know people she'd possibly be working with was a valuable one, it would mean a larger network of people that could be useful later.

Today it seemed, there'd be a small chance for this. As the Candidates moved among the sand, uncovering eggs and leaving gifts before the queen, Tiael hung back a little as the general excitement slowly dissipated and people began to understand the wonder of dragon eggs. She herself kept quiet, moving slowly and ensuring she kept a nice distance between herself and the Guards all the time. She bowed before Semith, placing a square of deep green cloth embroidered with a large golden dragon on it before her. Smiling, Tiael stood up, aware the fabric wasn't the finest, the pattern not the best she'd seen and that it was rather old. Still, she seemed proud of it. “Thank you, for letting us view the clutch.” She said warmly, meeting the Gold's gaze a moment before dipping her eyes to look at the cloth. “It may not seem much but I made it myself, a while ago now but I have always loved it. Seemed, fitting, that it be a gift to you, seeing as how you're allowing us to meet your loved ones.” She said, fumbling slightly with her words. Not quite a grand gesture, but Tiael found personal feelings a bit, difficult. Still, if she was to stand a chance at a dragon she had to be honest so there it was. Small, quietly laying on the sands, but carrying enormous worth for the young woman. She flicked her gaze up again to the Queen, smiled a little awkwardly and then bowed to both she and her mate before passing among the eggs.

There were so many and all seemed to have someone already touching their shells. She quite honestly had no clue how this was all supposed to work, but she was happy to trail fingertips over shells, pause by one or two but generally moved about the sands slowly. As she moved, her eye was caught by so many colours and different shells that she was smiling quite cheerfully again by the time she selected an egg to stop properly at. It had been noticed by a few already, and almost hastily discarded by a few. Or perhaps there was simply little to hold their attention? Curiously, Tiael knelt by the Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum Egg, watching it for a long calculating moment before sliding her hand gently onto the shell and resting it there. It was large, almost intimidating, but Tiael remained as she was, watching the shift of blue to teal that ran up the shell. Intimidating could be a useful quality, Tiael mused, if the egg was anything like the dragon within its case.

[Spiffy]

Sweeping back layers of sand, Jareth eventually touched something that felt harder than the surrounding sand. Hoping that this was the egg he was searching for he pulled aside more sand until a striped green shell was revealed. It was smaller than he was expecting. But then he'd never seen a dragon egg before, nor had he really talked bout it much with people who would know, so he had nothing to base that assumption on than the size of the beasts that the hatchlings would grow into. A dragon would grown out of this? Insane.

But this was a touching, and that was what he was here to do - touch it, not sit here gawking at it. He matter-of-factly laid his hand on the shell, really not expecting much other than a texture to the shell. He was shocked by the sensation that shot straight to his mind.

Why HELLO there!

He jerked his hand back in shock, looking from it to the egg and back. He'd felt it! It had thoughts, emotions. He could have sworn that it even seemed happy. Happy to see him, or to feel him, touching it, its shell... yeah. He reached out again, rather more hesitantly this time, and was greeted by the same happy feeling, though... not quite the same, the egg seemed... puzzled? He stroked it, thinking, and it seemed to settle back to a cheerful hum, the warmth under his hand like a racing heartbeat.

The dragonet inside this egg was obviously a very happy little thing. Probably innocent. Would he really want that in his head, permanently? Cheerful people could be a breath of fresh air every now and again, but only then. Too much and they could get irritating. He gave the egg a final pat and stood up, looking around to see what other people had uncovered. All the eggs seemed to have been unearthed by now, and the other candidates were moving about and feeling those that others had uncovered. Spotting an obnoxious blue egg not far away that didn't have anyone touching it just then. But as he moved toward it, so did someone else, someone also clad in the horrid red of the prisoner jumpsuits. Briefly looking around and seeing no other egg free, Jareth continued the last step or two to crouch by the blue egg.

"Mind if I join in?" he asked the woman with her hand on the egg, prepared to sit and wait for a bit, but not too long, if she said no. She may well, she was a prisoner, not all of them were in as good a humour as others.


((Fee-fi-fo-fum please xD))

[nozomi]

For Tiael:

Oh ho ho what's this? For Tiael, the wily female creature, that watchful gaze turned to something a bit more - accepting. Humor there, amusement, the sense that, Oh Yes, yes, hello there. Troublemaker, thief, liar liar liar. More humor and further acceptance, the large personality of the beast in the shell slamming an equally sneaky creature. The Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum Egg liked it's little smarmy thieves, oh yes it did.

For Jareth:

And another! Maybe not a thief but a manipulator, a strong guarded thing. The Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum Egg accepted the little liars hands, the snarl behind cheer. It twisted it's thoughts into his mind, curiouser and curiouser, a strong sneaky mind poking and prodding and searching and then gone.

[nemix]

Tiael tore her gaze away from the egg as a voice sounded close by. She eyed the man up and down for a long moment, lips curving into a smile. Unusual perhaps, given her role here but she was here to be the picture of helpfulness wasn't she?
"Be my guest, there's plenty of sand to go around." She said cheerfully, eventually sliding her gaze back to the egg. "I've been trying to work out why everyone was leaving this one alone, it's almost like they think nothings in there......." She gasped, a smirk lifting the corner of her lips suddenly. Her eyes glued to the egg once more, she relaxed her hand against the shell as the dragon beneath it seemed to stir.

There was a mind there, even if she could only get a hint at feelings but it was different than the other shells she'd touched. It seemed she was under as much pondering and scrutiny as she had been giving the egg, more than that it seemed something, was eager to study her more. How could they have possibly missed this? There was so much potential in this egg and it seemed to only grow in its feelings as the older man joined her. Her eyebrow rose, but she slid her gaze sidelong to him for a moment, watching his reaction to the dragon within the egg with curiosity.

"I'd wager this one has been sorely overlooked." She said with amusement, only able to wonder at the dragon's reaction to them both. Perhaps there was more to him than simply another prisoner. Well well, this was an interesting day indeed. "Still..." She continued, sliding her hand away from the egg slowly. "I probably shouldn't outstay my welcome." She commented, watching the egg again for a moment before inclining her head to Jareth. "I have a feeling that this hatching is going to be, eventful." She commented quietly, flicking her gaze around the room. Prisoners, guards, candidates, crafters....possibly the most diverse group a hatching had seen. More and more interesting. Aware she'd gone quiet, she glanced back to Jareth and winked. "Best get going hmm?" She said, walking among the shells again. That whole thing needed some processing time. Perhaps there was a bit more she should be finding out about her other prisoners, the dragons certainly thought there were more to them than met the eye.

Her wandering had taken her past numerous eggs again so she paused, looking around and crouched by another shell. Fingers reached out and she pressed her palm carefully to the odd colouring of the Skinny Dipping. Cheerful colours, and not much attention, perhaps there'd be some time and space to think next to this one...

[twisting]

The little psychopath frowned at the red and green egg. It was obviously not the egg for her. Ambition was not her cup of tea. She didn’t want to rule the world, or walk in the spotlight. She had far simpler plans. By avoiding power and position she could avoid the responsibilities that came with those positions. As Kuriel stepped away from the egg she wondered if she would find one that did suit her. Maybe she was too broken to fit a dragon’s mind.

Kuriel turned when she heard Tiael speak. The way the girl had spoken of future at the candidate lesson, Kuriel had the suspicion the girl wasn’t hoping for a dragon because she wanted to spend the rest of her life as a guard rather than as a prisoner. She might make a useful tool. If Kuriel could learn her real plans she may be able to use the girl as a distraction. That would, however, depend on what the girls plans were. Walking across the sands she knelt and pressed her hand to the Skinny Dipping eggs. Her eyes were on Tiael though. “Find any that call to you?” She asked lightly as she listened to what the egg, and the girl, had to say.

[Spiffy]

Ah, she smiled. That was good then. Not that a frown would have sent him away, only given him reason to annoy her. As it was he knelt down in the sand next to her. "Maybe they're afraid of the colour. I don;t know about you, but I'm not going anywhere near that pink one," he said, looking over his shoulder at the True Love egg as if it had been watching him maliciously for the last candlemark. He looked back as she gasped however, alerted to something happening. But nothing had happened. She was looking intently at the egg as if it had just took a swipe at her, only as far as he could see it hadn't moved. Couldn't have moved. It took a second for his mind to add two and two. She was touching it, of course, so it had surprised her mentally.

Beyond intrigued now, Jareth reached out his own hand to the bright blue shell, and was met by a feeling of immense glee. But this was a vastly different glee to the one in the green egg, this was the glee of a hunter who had cornered his prey, of the feline who'd found his milk... of the psychopath who'd just been set free. This egg seemed to welcome him into its inner sanctum, while examining his every thought as it happened. He could feel its own mind twisting around his, examining, evaluating, accepting, and then it was gone.

He lifted his hand, almost reverently, away from the shell, eyes still fixed on it. This egg was vastly different from the previous. It had seemed... cunning. He liked that, much more than the enforced happiness of the green egg. There was promise in this egg. He'd watch this one carefully come hatching day. Though judging by the woman's reaction, the egg was as likely to go to her as it was to himself.

"Quite," he said simply, glancing sidelong at her and wondering how the dragonet had reacted to her. He watched her look at the egg before returning her gaze to him, which he met levelly.

"Oh definitely," he agreed. Interesting indeed. "If all the eggs are as different as the two I've touched. I wonder what they are like," he mused quietly, looking back to the other eggs and motioning as if to get up, standing eventually and moving away from the blue egg. Had she just winked at him? He glanced at her again over his shoulder. She was kneeling by a pastel coloured egg, watched almost intently by another of the female prisoners. Shrugging his shoulders and dismissing the incident he settled for an egg of much more muted colours.


(( Grandmothers House Egg please ;D ))

[nozomi]

For Tiael:

Skinny Dipping Egg was perhaps one of the further ones from the Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum Egg in the clutch. It did not immediately approve of her or poke at her personality and mind the way the much larger egg had just prior but instead sent a wave of cheerful, quiet friendliness to the young woman for different reasons than it's clutchsib - the anticipation, her expectations from the clutch. The egg understood.


For Kuriel:

For a moment, the Skinny Dipping Egg laid still beneath Kuriel's hand. Unlike the True Love egg, it did not shy away from her or her odd mind but rather felt as if it were sizing her up. There was the calm friendliness that echoed for all Candidates but nothing more, nothing less. Had she been weighed, measured, and found wanting? Or was the friendly egg simply keeping tabs for future references come Hatching?

For Jareth:

Disapproval for it's bright pink sibling, right over there? The Grandmother House Egg silently approved of that distant attitude towards the overly loving annoyance. The beast inside of the egg studied Jareth, intense defiance pressed on towards his thoughts, the eggs inhabitant mentally puffing up much in the fashion of an indignant feline.

[Spiffy]

Touching his hand against the brownish egg, again the feeling Jareth received was different. This one didn't seem overly glad to see him, like he other two had in their own ways, but rather he felt a sense of approval. Well, it was a good start he supposed, but nothing like that he'd got from the last egg. And something about the bright pink egg. Approval of the pink egg? Surely not! No, uhh, approval of his disapproval, maybe?

Then the feeling of being scrutinised again but without the joy of the blue egg. Then his mind was pushed away the hatchling inside seeming to puff itself up indignantly. Jareth removed his hand. Alright, so this one didn't like him. Not surprising, but it was an odd feeling, to be mentally pushed aside.

Again he stood, moving to yet another egg, this one a bright red and green. Seems he'd had more luck with the brightly coloured eggs.


(( Poison Apple please! ))

[Wren]

Sheraz frowned as his hands made contact with the dark shell of the shell, but more from puzzlement than displeasure. The surface of the egg was as warm as the sands upon it rested, and yet... it felt... cold. A sort of coolness radiated into his hands and up his arms, incongruous with the uncomfortable heat of the surroundings, and Sheraz caressed the shell with his thumb. He was about to stand up and leave, but then he felt some emotion beneath the gentle coolness, and he settled back down. This egg was not afraid, as the first egg he’d touched had been, this one was... hopeful.

A warm smile flickered across his face, the affectionate, kind smile he reserved for things that incited his protective, almost maternal instinct. He felt as though he wanted to preserve this object’s innocence, to prevent the harsh realities of the world from tempering its naivety. He crouched low over the egg, peering at its shell closely. He’d talked to the last one, so why shouldn’t talk to this one. “Hey little eggy,” He whispered quietly; he didn’t want the other candidates to think he was crazy, “Don’t you worry, little one, ol’ Sheraz’ll look after you.”

There, done. He smiled again, patted the dark shell one last time and stood, scouring the sands for another egg to have a chat with. The Sands were practically crawling with other candidates by now, and the majority of the eggs were being cooed over by at least one. He drifted around a little, noticing with some pride that the egg he’d dug up, his egg, as he liked to think of it, was getting a lot of attention. At that moment the little golden egg between Semith’s forefeet was only being attended by a single girl, and he drifted over towards her. The girl, not a prisoner, gave him a nervous glance and hurried away, despite his attempt to give her a reassuring smile, and he gave a mental shrug and knelt next to the golden egg. Curious about how this one would react to him, he laid a hand against its shining shell.

---

Spun Gold egg, if possible

[lithle]

Jarethir:

The Poison Apple Egg was unresponsive at first. It seemed as if it wasn't sure whether even responding to a new toucher was worth the bother. Should it deign to notice him? Oh, very well. The egg sent a brief, shock of arrogant acknowledgement to Jarethir, and nothing more. Just the sense that the egg knew he existed, and didn't much care, like the mechanical wave of a politician.

Sheraz:

The poor Spun Gold Egg was getting exhausted by its own attempts to project a positive front. He would still feel that glittering, superficial happiness, but he would feel beneath it desperation, a sense of hopelessness.

[Lesa]

Gwynell was honestly surprised by the enthusiasm of the egg, more than a bit startled after the previous eggs' more subdued happy feelings. This out-and-out all over happiness was surprising, and near tiring. Of course, she was still used to over abundant enthusiasm - her students in Telgar had gotten like this at least once a day, every day. But having it concentrated and thrust into her mind was completely different than dealing with bouncing, bounding children all around her screaming in joy. One was an assault on her mind, the other an assault in her ears. Still she gave the egg some last few pats, smiling still.

The Harper stood, not bothering to dust off her knees as she stood this time, stepping up to the most heavily populated egg, the one shimmering gold. She bowed low to Semith, reaching towards the egg slowly. Wasn't that she was scared, just that, well, it was a golden, or gold-ish, egg. Something different about touching this one, even to her who liked to think of all the eggs as equal.

((Spun Gold, please!))

[lithle]

Gwynell:

Silence. No emotion, no nothing. And then, like something had just taken a deep breath, the egg began to beam again. Happiness, reassurance, and gold, gold, gold that's what it promised. No worries. It was here. It'd make everything alright. Honest. Really. Promise. Gwynell believed it, right?

[Zen]

Ever felt nothing when she touched the egg. No, not really, she didn’t feel nothing; she felt emptiness. She could feel little else, just this yawning emptiness that seemed to flow on forever even if it wasn’t just forever. Her hand darted away from the dark red shell with a sort of gasp, and the emptiness went away. So it was just the egg. She didn’t dare put her hand back on the egg. Instead, she felt for a much smaller lump inside her jumpsuit. The glove was still warm and the egg was unharmed. With a sigh, she glanced up at the rest of the eggs.

There were few left, few left that she wanted to touch, at least. She would stay away from a few, but there was one in particular that she’d like to touch. With all the eggs revealed, she had little need to be careful on the mounds of sand that weren’t uncovered. She stepped on one such mound and felt her foot sink into the soft sand. After taking the time to shake the foot free of sand, Ever continued toward the blue-toned egg. The Skinny Dipping egg hadn’t been touched for a while and needed love. Or perhaps it had and Ever hadn’t been looking. More like Ever hadn’t been looking.

She stopped in front of the egg. It looked harmless enough. Certainly not killer like the Poison Apple egg. Ever suppressed a shiver that ran down her back as she pushed her hand gently across the blue egg’s exterior.

---

The egg Tanyrion was touching felt like nothing. In a sense, Tany wondered whether or not the egg was actually alive. He did not stay there long enough to feel that strange almost-feeling of consciousness. He moved away from the egg, dropping his hand to his belt where the egg sat. He felt it softly, the outside of the belt and the leather, and could feel the heat radiate from the pouch. Then he moved over to another egg.

The Hazel Switch egg was a strange green color. Zig-zagging across its shell was a darker green color that looked strange, but somewhat slightly at home on its lighter green ‘hide.’ Gently, Tanyrion touched the shell…

(( Skinny Dipping and Hazel Switch ))

[Spiffy]

Kneeling down next to the green and red egg, the colours strangely split in two across its shell, Jareth reached out a hand to lay it on the shell. Nothing. Just the almost smooth surface of the shell. This confused him. All the eggs had responded to his touch, two of them immediately, and both of those the brighter coloured eggs. The brown one hadn't been too pleased to see him, and this egg seemed almost to reflect that.

He was caught off guard, about to take his hand off of the shell, by the flash of arrogance that hit him, undoubtedly from the egg. He fell back, off balance, hand almost leaving the shell, but the egg wanted nothing more to do with him. Hurriedly standing - the hand that was now supporting him in the sand was beginning to burn - he took a step back, careful not to step on anything. No, not that one. It obviously doesn't like me and I don't like it all that much either.

He glanced around at the other candidates, cooing over the eggs, and at the eggs, seeing one that didn't seem to have anybody touching it not too far away, he walked towards it. Another dull coloured one, though this one was kind of reddish in colour. Well, it appeared his luck with the brightly coloured eggs was over, he may as well try another brownish one.


(( Old Blood please! ))

[S'yal]

Farrox squeaked at the feeling he got from the egg, a smile spreading over his face. What a nice little egg! It had been very nice to encourage him like that. He was certain it'd hatch into a very nice, very special dragon!

Farrox was surprised by all the people on the sands, slinking around the group to avoid the men and scarier women. He didn't want to be killed for going to close to someone! The shy albino looked about for an egg that wasn't surrounded by people, and he quickly found one. He approached the True love egg, crouching to press his hand against the shell.

"Hello, little one!" He chirped happily to it, eyes wide and happy.

(Poop post is poop)