[Touching 1] Old Traditions, New Wounds (Closed)

[Zen]

The egg felt oddly indifferent to her touch. It did not notice her like the eggs had before. Its faint emotions swirled with… Ever thought she could detect sadness in the egg. Or perhaps that was an echo of herself, of her own thoughts and understandings. The thoughts were slower on this egg, as if it were waking up or going to sleep. Ever dropped her hand from the egg and used both of them to push herself up off of the ground where she had been kneeling. She’d only touched three eggs. There were still a lot more eggs to touch, but the sadness of the fact was that there should have been more eggs.

Though things should not have ended up this way, Ever realized that this was for the better. She was still allowed to Stand. She was still young enough to Stand. Her fingers trailed over the nubs of her left hand, the habit being a hard one to break, as she wondered which egg she should touch next. It didn’t come as a surprise which egg she should touch next. It was perhaps closer to her than the other eggs were, though really they were placed with such care that they all seemed to be equidistant apart from each other.

The Shape and Shadow egg was the one she was talking about. Its white coloring was offset by random other colors. Shapes and colors. Purple, red, blue. The egg was a mystery of designs she had yet to see on eggs before. She didn’t dare stare at it, it was almost a little mesmerizing! So instead, she just pressed her palm on the egg’s surface and wondered what would come of this egg.

[firebird]

Well, that had gone better than he had expected. Senar had been worried; he knew well how he wasn't much of a singer. At least he wasn't so out of tune as to offend the grey. That would have been bad, probably. No, definitely. Offending dragons was never a good thing, and under the current circumstances...

He carefully stepped his way around the eggs, having seen one that drew his attention. The Nightmare Images egg looked ominous, sure, but dragons were generally good-hearted, right? Surely the dragonet inside wouldn't mind his presence? Senar lightly and carefully lay his hands on the part of shell where the odd bumps were.

[lithle]

For Ever:

Touching the Shape And Shadow egg brought about a sensation oddly like the rushing of air. The egg was certainly aware of Ever's presence, but it did not seem to be welcoming her. There was sadness there, a deep sadness. But egg didn't seem to want to share it. If anything, there was the distinct sense that if it could, it would push Ever away.

For Senar:

Flop. With a sudden, violent shudder, the Nightmare Images egg fell over, just missing landing on the young man. Oh, no, what has he done?! Knocking over eggs like that, what a jerk. Quick, Senar, run, before someone sees what you've done! But no, after that quick flare of anxiety, Senar would feel a flash of curiosity and interest. How did the egg falling over make you feel, little prisoner? It wants to know.

[firebird]

Nonononono. The egg had fallen. It was hurt and it was his fault and he was going to be locked up in solitary for the rest of his life and the hatchling was either going to never hatch or be born deformed and the egg almost landed on him. And it was his fault. Never mind that if he had pushed it, it would have fallen away from him and not towards. Until the feeling from the egg changed, Senar was convinced that its falling was his fault and that bad things would happen. Then he was just confused.

Senar didn't move on to another egg, at first because he was paralyzed with shock and fear and then because he was concerned with making sure the egg was okay. Were there cracks anywhere? Senar tried projecting thoughts of his own at the egg, asking it if it was hurt. He was pretty sure that it wouldn't work, though.

Yes, part of the concern was from a sense of self-preservation. He didn't even want to think of the reactions of all of the guards if he had somehow injured a dragonet. The rest of the concern was because he really didn't want dragons to be hurt. Especially if it was his fault.

[lithle]

For Senar:

Oh, you're that sort, are you? Good to know. The Nightmare Images Egg probed Senar's anxiety for a bit, the mind doing the probing feeling very clever and a bit impersonal. Satisfied, it retreated, with a little mental push. It was fine, it had others to meet, now run along.

[Zen]

Ever felt the egg push her away. At first the personality seemed to rush toward her like her firelizards did when they were happy to see her. Then it just felt wrong. And only a half a second later, it wasn’t welcoming to her in the least. She blinked with surprise as she felt a force push her hand away. It wasn’t physical, but it felt strange, like nothing she’d ever felt before in her life. Quickly, she picked her hand up from the white and differently-painted shell.

And Ever moved on. If there was anything Ever had learned from the previous hatching, it was not to dwell on what had been done. The minds inside the eggs were fickle things, easily scared and easily changeable. The opal’s egg had certainly shown her that in the last hatching. But this was a new hatching and… well, she hadn’t really gone over to the golden eggs yet, but she’d felt nothing like the opal’s mind this time around. The opal had told her that she was a gold inside her egg. But she’d been sort of messed up when she’d hatched and found that she was, in fact, not a gold. This time Ever doubted she’d make such high promises. It nearly broke her heart when she saw that the opal was saddened by her lack of a golden frame.

The blond prisoner moved on. She absentmindedly fiddled with the sleeves of her jumpsuit as she chewed a lip wondering which egg to touch next. A sudden sound startled her into casting a glance at Senar with the Nightmare Images egg. It had fallen—or was it always tilted over like that?—next to the boy. If she hadn’t glanced over to see what the commotion was, she probably never would have seen the egg she would touch next. A slight smile lightened up her face as she moved toward the Tribal Beauty egg and touched it.

[firebird]

At the egg's dismissal of him, Senar moved on. It didn't look like the egg was hurt, so there was no reason to hover over it continually. Not that anyone would let him hover over it continually. He was also glad that he wasn't being swarmed by guards for knocking over that egg.

Senar looked about the hatching sands, hoping that something would catch his eye. The other two candidates seemed to be doing fine. It was just his luck to pick the prankster egg, really. The boy picked his way over to the Violet Brush egg and gently ran his hands over its surface.

[nozomi]

For Ever:
What's this there now? This egg near-instantaniously floods Ever's mind with a burst of good cheer, bold in it's exploration of her and her personality. The dragonet inside is a warm creature, probing without trying to be intrusive, and then pulls back. It will leave that cheerful appreciation with her, though - at least it's bite is no worse then any other one out there?


For Senar:
Poor, dear, darling young thing. Oh, Senar, little nervous Candidate. Don't be afraid. The Violet Brush Egg has a mind that seems to lean into Senar's rather then probe, a warm presence, a blanket made out of a straining effort to comfort. Don't be hesitant. You're lovely. The egg did not seem to think him bad for knocking over the other one - what sort of silly egg would let that happen? It's the eggs fault.

[Lesa]

It burst out of her unexpectedly. The soft giggle echoed across the otherwise near-silent sands, Amisi covering her mouth, eyes darting rapidly around until the feelings the egg gave her relaxed her again, and she saw the grayrider was smiling. It wasn't like she'd intended to laugh, it had just come out, because the Tribal Beauty egg was so like Ordith, so comforting and "don't be scared" and protective. She didn't know how she would deal with having an Ordith of her own, to the point of really having an Ordith of her own. She sometimes wondered after all this time how Pappi dealt with Ordith, the bronze drove her crazy as it was at times, and he wasn't in her head all the time.

Following the egg's pattern with her hands she assured it firmly that she wasn't really afraid. Worried, maybe a little, but not afraid, she didn't have anything to be afraid of here. She wasn't going to hurt any of the eggs. The thirteen turn old bopped gently at Stripe's nose as he leaned down to better scold the egg in his squeaky tone: His didn't need to be protected by it, She had him and YounglingBrown to protect her. Hush, grouchy.

Amisi cocked her head to the side, thinking, before walking over and stroking at another golden-hued egg, cuddled up to the one she had just touched. Howling Moon looked as if it was scared. Yes, it had lost its brothers and sisters, but its father would protect it, as would its bigger sibling, she had proof the bigger one would be protective of it. It didn't have anything to be afraid of!

--

Gwynell grinned wryly at Ever, "Apt as always, Ever," it was a dry chuckle, sarcastic in the extreme, but heartfelt as she nodded consent, Willoth grumbling Another thief? but otherwise keeping to himself with the other blond.

You're very welcome, Mama, anything to make you smile. He trilled quietly, hoping he could get His to sing for them, but Gwynell remained silent, trying to keep the Candidates' attention on the eggs, where it should be, rather than on her, where it shouldn't be. She did modulate her gitar picking after Ever sang, openly strumming through the few songs she had mastered, just to keep some music on the Sands.
--

[nozomi]

For Amisi:

Scared? Oh, no! The Howling Moon Egg feared nothing! It was a big, strong egg, with a huge dragonet, and it is lovely and aawesome. Surely Amisi can see that! No worries - this egg is sure the young girl will see that! The egg all but vibrates a quiet confidence, and knowledge it is fabulous.

[firebird]

Senar smiled at the egg in front of him. It was such a comfortable response, so warm. Cheered by the feelings coming from the Violet Brush egg, the boy moved on to the next one to catch his eye. The Heartstrings egg was intriguing, with its strange juxtaposition of colors in its patterning. Senar carefully stepped around the clutch and placed his hands on the cheery side of its shell.

[Lesa]

If you say so, Amisi thought at the egg her fingertips were running over, tracing the dips and "craters" in the golden shell. Felt more like bravado to her, this little one, but she wasn't about to completely dash its hopes. Just... why would it be protected but then so confident (to over-confidence) if it wasn't actually at least a little bit needing the protection? Probably like how she seemed, she realized. A little bit of a thirteen-Turn old, striding around a prison with no real fear when she was under the shelter of her bronzerider father. That was probably it indeed. Still she patted the egg firmly and radiated confidence back at it, assuring it that it would be great at what it tried. If it really was that good, then all would be well, and if it wasn't, she just hoped its rider would be able to take care of it properly.

With firelizards chattering at her in annoyance (for really, she shouldn't be here with these dragons in this place at this time, nope, it was her nap time, Stripe thought firmly) Amisi approached the Violet Brush Egg, letting her fingers play over the white-gold shell, tracing designs of flowers amid the raindrops and ripples.

[lithle]

For Senar:

Back straight, eyes ahead! The Heartstrings Egg will have none of this timidity! You've got a Weyr to serve, Senar! Don't expect being a prisoner to excuse you. Yet, bossy as the egg seems, it also projects an overwhelming feeling of love and affection. It yells because it cares. It won't judge on past actions, it cares about what Senar does now.

[Zen]

The moment Ever felt the cheer in the egg was the moment Ever wondered what was wrong with this clutch. No egg had, as of yet, snapped at her. The eggs were all too uppity to be eggs. She had the sudden desire to check to see if some dragon was forcing their happy thoughts into her mind. But the dragons were a somber affair. With the addition of Willoth, Semith had lightened considerably, but she was nothing like the queen had been at the last touching. Ever dropped her hand from the egg and glanced around.

A flitting smile crossed her face as Gwyn spoke to her. "I try." She said with sarcasm lacing her voice lightly.

But she moved on. To the egg that had fallen over when Senar touched it. If there was any egg that might dispel the thoughts of this clutch being ridiculously happy, it might be this egg. Unless the falling was just a joke. Ever looked at the egg, wondering how it could have even flopped over on its side in the first place. With a slight touch of curiosity, Ever touched the Nightmare Images egg.

[lithle]

For Ever:

Huh. The Nightmare Shadows Egg had been experimenting with the last person to touch it. But that didn't seem necessary with this one. Her thoughts were already so odd. The happy eggs bothered her? It didn't like the eg'gs more joyous siblings? That was enough to get the Nightmare Shadow Egg's attention. Afraid of happy things? What else bothers you, strange one?