Let the Stories Unfold {Touching}

[Zirin]

Miyaka

Looking Glass Egg
Yet another toucher, yet another mind to coldly intrude on. The egg forces into your mind, making its search as quick as possible, not entirely pleased with her. Someone who didn't care what others thought of her? Pathetic! The egg's thoughts rip themselves away in dismissal.



Asaara

Secret Stone Egg
Well aren't you a lovely one, the egg seems to say as it moves into your mind, seemingly pleased that, finally, one had touched it who was not filled with obsene amounts of hate. It takes its time working through your mind, curious, but indeed a tad disappointed. As loathe as it was to think it, the egg almost seems to give off the feeling that you are too kind. Of course, things change, the egg seems to say as it withdraws, leaving curiosity in its wake.

[Jilli]

Dal grinned and kissed kayath's muzzle much like he'd kissed j'dol's cheek. "I said almost as beautiful.". He turned and smiled up into the stands waving at Eliitra. About that time, izanycorth's voice entered his mind. He visibly twitched. Hers was a voice he hadn't heard in a long time, much less directed at him. Demanding that he come touch her eggs. That he touch them? That hadn't been what he was here for.

To be chosen twice was extremely rare. His Kelath had been his other half. Surely all of these were meant for the candidates. Then, kayath spoke to him again, she wanted him to touch one of her eggs too? He sighed, nodding.

"Very well, I'll participate in the touching, but only because my favorite queens asked so nicely. ". He grinned nodding hello to ara and slapping his friend on the shoulder. "If she caught that congrats kiss, probably. Then again she could be starting to get used to us.". He smiled and blew Eliitra a kiss before reaching out and touching kayath's nearest egg.

The secret stone egg was large. He ran his fingers over it gently, the texture was bumpy. Rough and almost sharp in some places. From his experience he knew that the safest and easiest practice when dealing with eggs was to open his mind and relax. The more open you were the easier it was for the life inside to pick through your brain and not cause harm, so that's just what he did.

After a few minutes at the egg he smiled softly and patted kayath. "Thanks kayath. Your children are going to be amazing.". Now one couldn't disappoint a queen could one? He was walking over to izanycorth when Hanako caught him. It didn't look like j'dol's encouragement had had the desired results. She was still freakingout.

He placed both his hands on her shoulders and shook her lightly. "Hanako. You're supposed to be here. Just because one of kayath's... Less than polite children doesn't think you're right that doesn't mean you should give up. It just means that particular dragon isn't meant for you. Now I want you to give me your word. Touch at least five more eggs and I'll let you go back to the stands."

Hanako's head was still down unable to look dal In the eyes until he offered her that small way out. Just five more. Surely she could do that. It was an unpleasant feeling, having your mind rifled through. She nodded but caught dalrian's sleeve before he could finish his trip to izanycorth.

" does anything make it easier?"

He smiled. " Yeah. Just touch the egg, then relax and don't try to hold anything back. Just relax.". He pushed her off in the direction of the eggs again and walked over to stand in front of izanycorth.

"Hiya Iz." He knew he probably shouldn't use a nickname for the queen of the weyr, but that was to be expected when your other half had been in love with her for so long. "He woulda been proud of you, ya know? They're all beautiful. With a soft smile he settled his hand on the lion egg doing exactly as he had done for the others, offering up his praise for the fine dragonet he was sure it would be.

Hanako sighed inwardly. She could do this. Open yourself and relax. She decided to try one more of kayath's eggs and placed her hand on the side of golden scales. The elongation of the egg looked as though it wouldn't allow it to be upright. She took a moment to stroke the egg like she did with Asfolath's velvety muzzle to calm him, and slowly opened her mind for the dragonet's exploration, relaxing and finding it easier to do now.

[Zirin]

Dalrian

Secret Stone Egg
It is pure curiosity that you feel as this egg presses into your mind, immediately stumbling across the memories of Kelath. What did you do, it seems to ask, to receive such harsh retribution? Would asking such a question bring punishment on this egg? A sudden nervousness fills your mind as the egg seems to skitter back. It seems tossed on how to feel about you. This would require much thought.



Hanako

Golden Scales
The feeling that presses into your mind immediately begins judging you, weighing every piece of information it finds as if it plays a part in discovering who you are. Too much happiness is a bad thing, oh but you aren't always happy are you? The search continues and you feel the egg brush up against your dislike of rejection. It is necessary, it seems to say, in order to grow. The egg pulls away, leaving a mixed feeling of approval and rejection as if to push home the idea that one cannot exist without the other.

[Elessar]

Liam noticed immediately when Linda fell, since he wasn't currently touching any of the eggs, having received mixed feelings from the Soaring King Egg. He made to go to her, but Cayin and Ooma beat him to it. Good ol' Cayin! He knew his friend would help anyone who needed it, even if he didn't know them.

The Candidate did give a startled look at his friend when Linda woke, however. Moving, he stood sulkily by Cayin, blue eyes somewhat distressed. "Hey," he grumbled. "I'm the only one you're allowed to call beautiful." His voice was low, for Cayin alone to hear. He raised it at his next question, however. "Are you okay? Linda, right?"

Giving another sulky glance to Cayin, he knelt down and handed over a small waterskin to Linda. "I had it from earlier. Drink, and you'll feel better. It was probably the heat, like everybody said. Then you can get back to touching eggs." He gave the girl a smile, and looked at Ooma and Cayin. "We should probably back off now and give her some room to breathe.

--

Iromineelmris looked up from his encounter with the egg. He hadn't completely given up his dream... As his eyes lifted, he caught sight of J'degar and he waved frantically. "Gar, Gar! Kayath said she wanted everyone to touch the eggs! Look, look! Which one should I choose next?!" He called to his friend.

He didn't wait for an answer, however, and went next to the Golden Scales Egg, staying within Kayath's clutch, since she had called him down. He liked how this egg was thin and long, unlike the others. It was also a very nice color, in the cook's opinion.

[Zirin]

Cayin glanced up as Liam arrived, immediately smiling despite the situation, though his smile fell and he cocked his head to the side in confusion. Why couldn't he call the beautiful girl beautiful? He didn't remember her name, so what else was he to call her? Pretty Lady? Lovely?

"But Liam, you're not beautiful," He replied nonchalantly, at first sounding like he didn't care. Of course, Cayin wasn't that kind of guy, so with a smile he continued. "Handsome perhaps, and cute sometimes, but beautiful is too girly for you." He turned back to Linda, adamant about making sure she was okay before he left. It wouldn't do him any good to leave her behind if something was going to go wrong!

[twitchie]

Ooma watched Linda with an unusual amount of concern. Ok, so she wasn't a total Bitch. She had a heart and as weird as it was Ooma wanted a friend...

She glanced at Cayin and Liam, smiling faintly.
"Hey."

The candidate tucked her hair behind her ear, chewing her lip.
Linda was looking much better now, weak but better.

"Sit and rest and drink that skin. You need to rest and cool.off."
Ooma sat down next to Linda, putting an arm around her shoulder.

Seeing Linda so disturbed and shaky made Ooma take on a new air of kindness. Maybe.. maybe Linda could be the friend Ooma needed?

//

Ka'mond felt his cheeks redden as Asaara hugged him. He paled slightly.
"I... I almost was..."
He whispered weakly.
"But... but I have reason to stay here now. I have... something- someone that I couldn't bear to leave. She...she's very special, and I'd miss her too.much."

Would Asaara pick up his hint of her? That he was going to stay at Trelis weyr for the albino? He'd ignore the abuse. If he had Asaara he and Abyrath might make it through.. They could.

The boy grinned and laughed as he was dragged along to each egg. Hopefully he wouldn't get in trouble...

[jovia]

Linda slowly started to tense up as people crowded around her... two boys and a girl... One of the boys that just showed up seemed to be in a bad mood, she didn't pick up the words but the whispering gave it away. Did she fall on him or something and elbow him in a not so nice place? Oh well if he had a problem with her he should just say it outright, but he was nice enough to give her some water. Falling like she did on the sands did make her a bit thirsty, so she took a few swallows before handing it back.

So it was the heat of the sands? Nothing ran her over... no wait.... it was that... that egg.... Good or bad its intentions were, it actually helped her remember things she had forgotten which might be vital to her survival. "No it wasn't the heat, been on hot sands for long periods of time before.... it was..." No Linda shook her head, no matter what the egg did to her she wasn't going to gossip about it. It did her a favor in a roundabout way, and she didn't want it to get destroyed. Anyways her eyes glanced at the three, she did recognize them from the lesson so they probably noticed her chewing out that teacher.

Hana chittered softly as she crawled up to Linda's shoulder, Rorce as well. The two leaders of the fair group even scrunched up to allow Cad, Renae, Jo, and Jak up there as well who clung to keep from falling off. "Shhhh its okay everyone, I'm fine now. But yes I won't be going back onto the sands. But I am okay enough to go into the stands and watch if need be..." Some of it was directed to the little swarm around her, but she turned to look at them. "You lot go back to touching the eggs alright... just be careful of them some can be rather painful. No need for a healer, I am one I can take care of myself."

[Jilli]

Hanako smoothed her fingers back over the egg as she took the trip through her personality with the Golden Scales egg. It was very revealing, seeing herself through the little dragonet's eyes. The fear and dislike of rejection seemed to give it pause, and she understood what it meant. It was necessary. She needed to work on coping with rejection better. With a final thought of 'Thank You', she patted the egg gently and chose another from Kayath's clutch.

It was easier with the second egg, so again, she followed Dal's advice as she settled her hands on the puff of smoke egg. It was a good egg. Smaller and grey with red and blue swirls across the shell. She smiled at the vibrations. It seemed like an eager little egg. She closed her eyes and opened herself to the dragonet within.

[Zirin]

Hanako

Puff of Smoke Egg
A happy, playful tune enters your mind, immediately beginning its search in a gentle way that is more comforting than intrusive. The happy tone loses some of its bounce as it seeks through your mind. Masks of happiness? Why? Oh.. but what was this? Carefully the egg seems to press into the deepest crevices in your mind, searching for something, knowing it was there. For a moment, the tune went silent, but then it started up again. It was a different tune, one pulled from your memories, one that speaks of love. It sings to you with this uncovered tune, slowly backing out of your bind.

[Jilli]

Hanako smiled, her eyes still closed as the melody bounced through her mind seeming for all the world like the dragonet wanted to play. Then it faltered. The tune changed, slowing and losing the happiness it had begun. She felt the searching then, just there, beyond the melody. Soon the smile dropped from her face altogether. The melody that began after it stopped pulled at her memories. She slid to her knees, and couldnt open her eyes if she wanted to. Her movement didnt break her contact with the egg. She was back there again.

The field back home on summer nights, resting back against his chest as he played that melody for her. Watching asfolath play before finally curling up with his mother to sleep, spending the night counting the stars, safe and warm with him. Teardrops fell onto the egg as it sang to her. She couldnt tear herself away from the little egg until the melody ended, and the dragonet withdrew, slowly. She didnt want it to go. But Go it did, and she blinked slowly, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to the shell. She would never be able to thank that little life enough for what it had just given her. For those moments, she had been able to re-live those precious moments from her past.

She took a deep breath, wiping her eyes and straightening with a soft smile. Nothing could ruin this day. It was perfect... She thought as she walked to izanycorth's clutch and touched the Calmest Mind egg.

[Zirin]

Iromineelmris

Golden Scales Egg
A quick push into your mind and the egg goes about pulling thoughts and memories in an ordered, delicate fashion. It seems to judge each one carefully before moving on to the next, first a happy memory, then a sad, a moment of anger, a moment of peace. There is a balance to you, it seems to say, a balance to your love and your hate. With a feeling of calm approval, it withdraws.

[King Walrus Jackson]

Geso recoiled from the egg, and let his hand fall down the side of the egg in his shock at the harsh feeling he got from the egg he had just touched. Geso didn't however, keep the fact that his hand was on a sharp ridge of the egg, and therefore cut his hand open. Hissing in pain, he jerked his hand away, small droplets of blood falling onto the sand. Backing away from Kayath's clutch, and turning, he saw Linda getting carried off the sands by Cayin and another girl. From the look of things, she had had a bad reaction from... the Soaring King egg? Geso frowned, slightly concerned for both girl and egg. He ddn't know what the egg must have seen in Linda to have knocked her out, but he didn't remember the egg giving him a bad feeling from it.

Ignoring the pain in his bleeding hand, Geso made his way back across the sands, and walked up to the Soaring King egg, and rubbed his fingertips across the eggshell again, hoping the little dragonet would respond and hadn't been too effected by Linda.

"Well, little one? You wanna come play around in my head again?" He asked, not noticing his other hand had turned pretty bloody and was steadily dripping onto the sands.

[Elessar]

Liam rolled his eyes at Cayin, and accepted his water skin back from Linda. "You sure you're okay?" He asked her. When she seemed to recover, and told them to go back to the touching he shrugged, gave Cayin a fleeting glance, and returned to the eggs, where he deliberated for a few moments before going back to Kayath's clutch and kneeling beside the Secret Stone Egg. Resting his hands on the shell, he waited for what he knew would come.

---

Iromineelmris stood up. well, that was interesting. Looking around, he was startled to see that someone was at all of Kayath's eggs! That meant... he'd have to go to Izanycorth's Clutch if he wanted to stay. It wasn't like he had a chance of Impressing, he was too old and not even a Candidate, but, well... he liked dragons!

Approaching Izanycorth, he bowed to the great Golden Queen, and let his eyes wander the eggs. Well... if he was gunna do it, he may as well go big. He gulped and slowly approached the Lion Egg, the egg that everyone was gossiping about, that everyone said held a coveted gold dragonet. Iro steadied himself, intimidated by the size of Izanycorth's claws, which the egg rested between, but slowly sank to the ground, running a calloused hand across the marking that looked like a feline's eye...

[Bellatora]

Izanycorth crooned to the young boy and nudged him gently with her snout. You have great promise little one... you will make a fine Rider some day. You should go speak with mine and Mine's mate. But first... visit with some of my eggs some more, will you not, YoungOne. They will enjoy your visit.

Izanycorth looked at Dalrian then and crooned. He was a wonderful bronze, Dalrian. I do miss him. You would make him proud. I am glad to know he would be proud of me and my eggs... She lifted her head and licked Dalrian, which left him covered in not so good smelling dragon saliva. Izanycorth then nuzzled him. I would be honored if you were to touch my eggs, BraveOne. She crooned to him.

She looked at her eggs again. She looked at them all and took in the Candidates. She was getting tired of this... but she supposed she had to endure it. After all...

Iirla smiled at Izanycorth then turned to Vl'kan. "You'll come with me and bring Kiira, won't you...?" she asked him softly, smiling as their baby girl grabbed at her father's face again, enjoying the prickly feeling of his facial hair. She giggled and thrashed her little arm around, trying to reach for his nose now. Iirla grinned. she was such a silly little thing sometimes.

Iirla pressed herself close to Vl'kan for a moment and laid her head on his shoulder tiredly. She definitely should be resting, but she wasn't... instead she was here... to watch over Izanycorth. Of course... seeing Vl'kan and seeing him with their daughter was quite a reward.

Izanycorth spoke to her mate lovingly. MineKing... You are wonderful. Her eyes swirled a shade of red as well as happy tones. He always brought out the more... aggressive side of her.

---

Theo

The Death Egg
The Death egg seemed to probe Theo's mind, exploring everything, seeking to understand everything it came across... but it soon left with a short dismissal and a "thank you for visiting". He would wait for more. There was someone here...

Dalrian

The Lion Egg
It was interested. This one seemed to know how important it was to praise a great one such as it and its mother. But, after casting around in his mind for a time... it found that this was not the one...

Geso

Soaring King
The Soaring King responded instantly to Geso's touch, it's mind immediately moving deeply into his and exploring again, looking for the pain, the hatred, the agony. There was so much of it. So wonderfully displayed. But there was more. A loyalty that it liked... A... a certain protectiveness that made him more than the monster everyone perceived him as. This one had layers to him. They needed to learn... They all did.

Iro

The Lion
OH! Hmm... someone was braving its mother's claws once more! Daring to touch its magnificent shell! It pressed its mind into Iro's and seemed to dig deep. Hmm... So interesting. So very interesting. Praise me... it seemed to press against his mind. He was very interesting indeed. It wanted to continue to explore. It wanted him to stay there. it didn't want to be touched by another right now. It had someone interesting and a mind to explore. This one was... insane... hmph. He needed teaching. Like no other.

---

Assaila blinked. "I suppose... We can't say no to her, can we..." She sounded... nervous? Yes. She sounded nervous and moved a little closer to Gar. She wasn't a candidate. She didn't really ever want to stand. She looked down at Anna who was looking up at her almost curiously for her nervousness.

[twitchie]

Ooma knew this was her last egg to touch. She crept toward the little dainty Life Bringer and gingerly touched it.
She braced for disgust or hatred or unsureity..
she was quickly learning why she hadn't impressed in 4 turns..

She knelt next to the egg, closing her eyes.
Please, dearest little one... try and see past my mistakes and faults... I would and could and will change tor you... I want you so bad... I am in a way an orphan, my father's dragon killed by thread. My father survived but he is as good as dead... Georonth, his dragon wanted me to become a candidate... so.. even after 4 turns here I am... I never knew my mother.. she died in childbirth... But you would already know this from my mind... I mean you no harm... I want to be good enough for you, better. Teach and tell me... all I want is to share my father's dream and legacy...

Ooma wanted to cry but no tears came. She whimpered so softly, willing the egg to understand. Oh please! Please! She thought... please....
She traced her fingers on the delicate shell...