Characters | Alexa, Oddisa, R'sner, Tejra, Yaromil |
Synopsis | Candidates get to touch some eggs. |
Out-of-Character Date | February 4, 2020 |
Igen Weyr - Hatching Sands
As if temperatures in the rest of the Weyr weren't uncomfortable enough, the sands are positively blistering. The air shimmers from the onslaught of heat, leaving the area with a hallucinatory feel. Black sands stand currently empty but for the occasional egg-shard or 'print not swept clear. A raised platform of smooth stone provides a lounging-spot for queens or their mates, or a retreat for the lifemates that accompany them from whence they can cool their feet somewhat.
Spring - Month 4 of Turn 2724
Igen during the day is hot. The Hatching sands are somehow even *hotter*. Really, there should be laws against it. But alas, the eggs require baking (or some such silly thing) which requires hot sands. The candidates would have been advised to dress accordingly, with thick-soled footwear to save their feet. And, courtesy of N'sir no doubt, a table has been hauled out to the sands and is laden with light snacks and cool refreshments, to keep everything hydrated and hopefully happy. Raaneth, having been coaxed into allowing the candidates, still looms rather near, Alexa perched on her arm to placate the gold. She won't growl or anything, but she'll definitely be giving everyone the stink-eye. R'sner, at the head of the group, is quick to run down the rules: "No running, no roughhouse. Be gentle; they're eggs, not rocks." Despite how some of them may look. "And if Alexa or I say it's time to go, that means it's time to go." Otherwise? A sweep of his arm toward the clutch and a rather dry, "Good luck." Dun dun dun?
For once, Yaromil might not be the grumpiest one in a room! The candidate follows in with the rest of his fellows and takes a very large, very nervous gulp as Raaneth's stink-eye sees all. The young man focuses intently on R'sner's every word with his head bobbling along as he commits those simple instructions to memory. Once they're released, he'll wait to watch a few of the other guinea pigs candidates go first and seeing as nothing looks to be exploding or being eaten by an angry momma, he'll slowly approach Illusion of Stars Egg. He circles the egg twice with arms behind his back before he eventually pauses and ever so delicately reaches out with a single finger to touch the shell.
There are many reasons why it would have been far wiser for Tejra to refuse R'sner and Toith's kind offer to come and stand for these eggs. They start with the woman's fair skin and red hair that, despite her willingness to raid the stores for serviceable desert attire to add to her own tiny collection of the stuff are already problematic. Thankfully, the healers have things that will help, some? She has followed directions thus far and worn thick-soled boots and her worn but serviceable desert attire is a coppery orange shade. Despite the sand all about, her face is exposed that the dam might see her plainly. The gold gets a warm smile until pale eyes touch on Alexa and the expression freezes in place. Is that a slight twitch by one eye? Well, Alexa isn't directly the reason the candidates are here, so Tej turns her face away from the goldrider and moves toward the eggs after R'sner's instructions are complete. What does it say about Tej's bypassing an opportunity to pick at Yaromil or make any kind of real overture toward Alexa and instead move to place her hands on Visions of Violet Egg with much more than a small measure of care in her movements.
Oddisa is not sure she wants to be here, the last to arrive and the slowest person to get onto the sands. There's no hurry, if people are going to get growled at it won't be Odi, who looks like she's been outside most of the day anyways with a sunkissed face and messy hair. Meandering on, Raaneth is kept sharply in view and each step is taken slowly, studying the queen the same way one would study any large animal. -Beat- step, step. -Beat-. Step. The slowest, most careful dance. Once within a length of the eggs theres a deep, respectful bow though her gaze remains up and fixed. Walking upto Jewel of the Sahara Egg, two fingertips brush the top, the contact light and her body cheated out to maintain periphreal eye contact with the golden mother hen.
Alexa probably knows Tejra is here (she has lists and things! She's read the name). And she definitely knows Yaromil is here (she gave him the knot, after all). But at the moment, she's gonna let Raaneth do all the looking while she, herself, plays a very (un)convincing game of "I'm not looking at you." It's like "I'm not touching you" but with eyes. Cause she's totally mature like that *cough-cough*.
Yaromil might as well be rooted to the spot as whatever he was expecting from his first egg touch was not that. Sure, rumors had been flying around the barracks but some things just can't really be believed until witnessed first hand (at least for one as stubborn as he). Surprisingly enough, he begins to hum a few off key bars of an unrecognizable tune before gentle touching Illusions of Stars once more.
Tej was braced… for what? Probably the harper didn't even know. Her dancer's form held a ready tension as hands touched, and now? Now, her lips press together, expression lighting with a touch of wonder and a quiet delight. Her mouth shifts into a wide smile as her eyes follow the shell of the egg. There are answers there for this egg, many answers; Tej doesn't mind sharing, even if nothing touches to the heart of her, if truth were being told. Still, there's no dishonesty in what's shared, but shared silently because what is for the egg's occupant to know is not gifted to the world at large. They're not as cool as this egg. Understandably, she makes no move to leave Visions of Violet Egg just yet.
Oddisa shivers from head to toe as soon as contact is initiated. Scrunching up her face, lips pucker, and the hand not touching the egg goes to the bridge of her small nose, with a gasp and a "Uff… You ain't finding anyhin'." It's not true, there's the slightest sound of a quiver in her tone. As the mind withdraws, so does Odi, arms crossing over chest in a defensive posture. Oddia doesn't enjoy the examination, especially from an unknown force with no face or limbs. Nothing to fight about a shelled-up dragonet, no way to resist. The helplessness prevents her from continuing, staring long and hard at the shell before taking a deep breath, one hand fisted one hand open and thrusting her palm against the surface. Bring it on baby dragon; you can't hurt me; you don't even have legs. (yet).
Whatever blanks that particular egg might be seeking to fill, maybe Yaromil isn't the one to fill them, at least not today. He withdraws his hand, staring at it as if it might have betrayed him or almost led him into wonderland. He gives the rest of the eggs a very suspicious glance and stares at his fellow candidates as well to see if he can get any clues about there own experiences. Since most seem to be standing and having their eyes shut, there's not a lot to go on but Semi-Precious Stone Egg seems safe enough and so he reaches out to touch the stone-looking shell, hand glancing across to see if it is as grainy as it might appear.
Can Tej's smile get wider? Is that physically possible? Her nose wrinkles along with the way her eyes crimp a little. Certainly no one here has ever seen the redhead look quite this genuinely… well, something good. Delight but somehow more. "You are perfect," the harper can't help but breathe as her fingers trail over the shell of Visions of Violet Egg. If she has more sentiment, it's for this egg alone, where she continues to linger.
Yaromil's nostrils flare, surprised by an unexpected smell, but he leans in just a hair closer. Maybe you shouldn't judge an egg by it's shell-cover and so he stays, hand wandering up and over the tip top of the egg, almost patting it on the head as he stays right here.
As the egg changes directions, Oddisa's body uncoils, and tension seeps out of her compact frame. Exhaling, jaw opened, and mouth slightly ajar and tongue sticking out and to the left. For a few short moments, utter bliss, teeth showing in a bright, carefree smile. "I… like the idea,yu know. Flying. I've flown a lot, never… Well, I guess people can' fly. You will, one day." The hand remains on the egg, content to sit here with fingers tapping out a tune, tap, tap, tap. Raaneth gets another glance, the beastcraft girl still profoundly suspicious of the young queen. Somehow the personal safety specialist today. Which differs from pretty much every other day of her entire life.
Some experiences have a way of touching a person, even a person as closed up and protected by the many layers of misdirection that Tej has cultivated over the turns so as to not need to show any of her real self to … anyone, really. But if anyone gets a glimpse, it's probably this egg. Who could resist? And if this egg can get in… does that, by necessity, open Tej up to the possibility of letting others in as well? Who can say. Time will tell. For now, she whispers something that isn't more than breath and caresses the shell of the egg before reluctantly stepping back to let a patiently waiting candidate take a turn here. She moves away slowly, expression thoughtful with those thoughts decidedly inward. She stops before she can walk into anything important — like an egg. When she looks up, she's close enough to Treasure of the Sea Egg that a couple of steps will take her within range to brush her fingertips across the shell.
Nothing to fear is right and Yaromil seems remarkably less suspicious as he remains at this second egg. Funny what can quickly become normal? A hand reaches up to try and loosen his collar as the heat of the sands and perhaps some other heat seem to be getting to the lad, but he's not ready to move on just quite yet.
Nothing about Oddisa is hidden, she's never felt like hiding who she is or what she's doing. Straight and to the point with everything, willing to give her opinion and get up and leave whenever it suits. Suddenly, she has given part of herself away. The experience of loss as the dragonet retreats causes stillness. Lips pursed, staring at the shell and giving a shake from head to toe, similar to a wet canine shaking off water. Bluh. The experience of having companionship, closeness, an experience she's avoided for three turns, and suddenly to taste it and lose it brings a pouty scowl. This isn't very nice. Wandering over to Semi-Precious Stone egg, hand hesitating over the shell before placing only a thumb on it. Maybe less physical contact will help.
What would be the height of rudeness? Tej could manage to be the rudest person here by claiming every egg in the clutch as her very own special friends. Treasure of the Sea Egg has brough another face-splitting smile to the harper's face. If things keep on going this way, either her face is going to break or her heart is come hatching day when they all shell to find their lifemates when one candidate is limited to one such, if that many, given how many more candidates there are (or will be) than eggs by then. Her hands shift to press palms to the shell, staying for more.
Yaromil gives a final pat to the egg which might even qualify as friendly, a phantom of a smile on his face as he walks away from the semi-precious egg. One hunt may have ended but another begins. He gives a wide berth to the eggs occupied by his fellows and finally finds Visions of Violet coming from the more less impressive pebbly grey side. If he saw the vibrant purples on the other half would he have ran the other way? It's hard to say, but right now his hand reaches out only a little cautiously.
The sudden removal from at least mental, if not actual physical, reality has Oddisa extending up and sniffing at the air. Not uncomfortable, different perhaps, and as it proves to be friendly without invading into her personal thoughts, she rolls her knuckles down, thumb stroking circles in the way one might pet a fluffy critter. "Tha' was cool… I'm not sure how yu know any of this shi'. SHards. Fu- Shells. I shoul' prolly avoid, bu' do eggs even learn things?" Eyes opening up, there's a glance for R'sner, hoping to avoid getting in trouble for her language choices. Don't be suspicious. Confident in who she is dealing with now, both hands open up and rub the shell like she's drying it off but without any water or a towel. Frisking it up, it might as well be a puppy.
There's definitely an eyebrow arched at Oddisa's potentially colorful language choices. But today at least, R'sner seems ready to let her get away with it. After all, she didn't *actually* say the words, right?
It's not so much that Tejra's smile dims as that the harper's face probably can't sustain that level of it for that long. What it becomes is a smaller thing, softer, more secret, like she's indulging in a guilty pleasure by running her hands across the shell of Treasure of the Sea Egg. Whatever they share is for them alone. She shuffles her feet just a touch closer as though she might be able to 'hear' it better with a little more careful proximity.
As steady as he had been with the last egg, with this one, Yaromil is drawing his hand back as quickly as if he touched a hot klah pot barehanded. The dour lad scowls a bit at the egg and all its questions. He and his not-burned hand back away and turn to see if he can find something potentially less invasive and come face to fave with the large and stoic Glory of the Sandstorm Egg.
Yaromil's chest swells out as his head nods along to a song heard only to him. That lasts for just a minute before he suddenly ducks and dodges something else unseen, taking a step back from the egg. He opens his eyes, shakes his head and then… he steps back just one more time.
With this egg, Oddisa seems contented. Whatever it is that happens, at least, has her looking more herself. "Ahh, yeah. I'm not sure… Seems a bit deep." And depth is not something she's want to explore. Wandering away from this egg, "I'll be back, I'm sure." Crossing arms tightly behind her back, hands grasped together, she takes two giant steps backward, at least giant for Odi whose big steps are most adults average ones, allowing a full view of the other eggs. Visions of Violet egg catches Odi's eye, stepping forth and crawling up the side of it, the itsy bitsy trundlebug went up the water spout.
That second touch might have been a bit hasty as Yaromil begins to cough. He steps away again, but this time he doesn't seek another egg. The man heads directly towards that refreshment table and begins to gulp down the largest glass of water he can find. Even after that, he's still not looking all together there. Maybe it's the heat? Or maybe he's just one to fall victim to the overwhelmingness of having his brain explored by telepathic eggs.
When Tejra steps back from Treasure of the Sea Egg, she's still smiling. She probably doesn't even realize that her hands have folded over her heart. She certainly doesn't realize that she nearly swoons. It might be the eggs, or the heat itself. The step back is unexpected, but there, catching herself instinctively and preventing a fall or other nastiness. Still, it's time for the harper to murmur her need to step out of the heat to the Weyrlingmaster, giving him a smile of dazzling proportion, her eyes as full of stars as any young would-be whose had a positive first experience with the eggs.
Happens to the best of them. There's a dry, almost-smile for Yaromil, and a nod of R'sner's head toward the door. "Time for a break? Maybe take a walk, cool down." Whether it's the heat or the eggs, at least the weyrlingmaster will give him a dignified 'out'?
"Drink some water and spend some time inside," comes R'sner's instructions. It could just be good advice. It could also (definitely) be an actual order for Tejra.
It's with a deep breath and a wordless nod that Yaromil answers the weyrlingmaster. As stoic as he might normally be, the look he sends towards R'sner could almost be one of appreciation before his attention turns towards to making a beeline out of the sands and off to somewhere cooler to collect his own thoughts.
There's such a thing as too much of a good thing, or in Oddisa's case to many thoughts for one day. As the egg delves in and begins asking too many things, her hand pulls back. "Why, yu won't remember anything I tell yu. Pointless." This egg is abandoned, stepping away with a sigh. The whole clutch gets a giant look over, walking around three times before settling in front of Illusions if Stars egg. No more pussyfooting around, the entire hand is placed on the egg with a glance up at the ceiling, "Some of your siblings need jobs." Obviously, egg jobs need to be a thing.
There might be a little warning rumble from Raaneth there. It's not that she feels insulted, but there's definitely a little puffed-up pride for all those eggs Oddisa is side-eyeing.
NOW we are getting somewhere, with a relaxed sigh Oddisa smiles over at Raaneth. "Nothing personal, I say you blame Nymionth for the noseyness of 'em. The nosey ones take after 'im." Said with a wrinkle of her impish nose and a bright, saccharine smile, one meant to be either obnoxious and forward, or super cute and charming depending upon how adorable the audience thinks she is. She is cute, at least, the petite form holds enough spunk for five people. There's no doubt without that, she'd seem like more of a pill. The egg gets a second stroke of the back of her hand, "Shh, hello, yeaahh, hi dere." Insisting on treating the giant orbs in a manner suited for runners. Do what you know!
Bored now, Oddisa allows the egg back in and hrms. "I've no idea." Is said, hands stuffed back in pockets. Still for a moment, then a glance at R'sner. As a general statement, Odi avoids even glancing momentarily at people in authority. Preferring the methodology that states that you should not go looking for trouble. Only seeking out the Weyrling staff when absolutely necessary, "Sir, may I be excused? I'm sure there's a chore." All of the colors, and noises, questions, and prodding are enough. "Thank yu Raaneth, Alexa." Bowing again to the queen, one eyebrow arched with chin up. Confidence closing in on defiance, though after having Oddisa for nearing a month, Res might know that's just her.
R'sner is totally chill. Just hanging back, sipping some water or something. Maybe sure candidates don't get eaten by Raaneth. The question gets a glance and a heart-beat of thought before there's a nod of his head. "There probably is," he agrees, "But I usually give candidates the afternoon off after a touching." For reasons. "You're excused either way."