Xanadu Weyr - Hatching Sands
The large circular "stage" is surrounded on one half by a towering wall, thin slit windows high overhead letting in some light without truly endangering the objects on the sands, though plenty of lights are spaced at human-level all the way around. The other half is ringed by the dark blue seats of the observation level, rising upwards towards the back wall. The circle itself is filled with a mix of red and white sands, deep enough to cover the largest of dragon eggs with ease. To one side, a small door is visible, hidden away behind a platform meant to provide a place for the clutch parent's lifemates to stand during the on goings.
It's getting to be a regular thing lately. Groups of Candidates ushered in by one of the AWLMs and allowed to spend time with the eggs. This evening is no different, Thea is there as always, although tonight she is sitting on Seryth's crossed forearms when the group enters. She waves, nods and smiles at them but doesn't otherwise distract them from their activity as they are released to wander and choose an egg. The AWLMs have by now gone over the need to be respectful and not fool around so they won't get eaten by either clutchparent and though that part might have been said tongue-in-cheek, who would want to risk that?
Rio files in with the rest of the candidates. He bows respectfully to Seryth and Zaqalekhth, as well as their riders. He keeps quiet, seeking to keep the stress level as low as possible for the dragons and riders on the sands. The wave from Thea is returned, and he offers a smile of his own in reply. As the crowds break up, he chooses an egg that he's been eyes the past couple of times, the Faded But Not Forgotten Egg, and kneels down beside it. He pauses a moment, examining it, and then gingerly reaches out to touch the shell.
As always, Satoris meanders in somewhere near the middle of the group. Not that one is very likely to miss him, being older than many of the candidates and tall to boot. He bows to the dame and sire, smiling briefly in Thea's direction. He's cleaned up post-chores this time and his hair is still slightly damp from the activity. He runs his fingers through it as he regards the eggs arrayed in their hollows before them and strikes out, aiming for the Lady's Delight Egg. Thea won't get to tease him again about lagging behind!
Phylicia had merely been finishing up a bit of dinner when the call came this time, and she walks onto the sands. Thea gets a smile today from the ex-healer apprentice as she bobs a polite curtsey to both Zaq and Seryth before pausing to look at the eggs, and where some of the first candidates go. With an easy walk she puts herself next to the Haunted Maze Egg, looking at it for a moment, before placing her hand upon the shell.
Rio draws in a breath as well, as if to protect his own breath from being drawn away with it. He closes his eyes, frowning. Whatever he's experiencing, it seems unpleasant. But he braves it. Not all of life can be happy. "What else have you to tell me…?" he whispers, drawing his fingers gently up and down the shell of the egg.
In among the first candidates to enter the sands, Tecoah returns Thea's wave with one of her own. She's careful to keep as calm as is possible for a runner to be, and just wanders silently among the eggs for several minutes before she finds her way to the True Enlightenment Egg. She almost hesitantly reaches out a hand to touch the shell.
Cleaned up is not in Jessamin's vocabulary, not this time. By the looks of all the snippets of thread hanging from her blouse and skirt, mending was on her docket for the day. It almost looks as if her clothing is starting to grow fur on its own, yet still onto the Sands she goes, bringing up the rear of the group. To dam and sire, she bows, and their riders as well. Her expression is a mixture of anticipation and things best left unsaid or forgotten, as she nears the first egg… Face of Time egg.
Natishen trails in with the rest of the Candidates, no longer bothering to try and hide the now sickly yellow bruise surrounding his right eye. He and another young man seem to be joking with each other as they cross onto the Sands, but once their feet hit the grounds, both of them sober up at once. Or - perhaps sober is the wrong word, given the silent nudges and snickers before they split up. Nash leaves his companion, heading for one of the few eggs with which he has not yet become personally acquainted with - the Timeless Monolith Egg. He studies it for a long moment before reaching out confidently to place a hand upon its side, palm and fingers making contact together.
Rished is picking up the rear, so to speak, being among those stragglers who are hastening to join their fellows. At least he's freshly scrubbed from whatever chore he was set to, his shaggy mop of hair still damp from what must have been a recent bath. He takes a moment to survey where the others are standing and what eggs they're moving to before his feet inexorably bring him to the Inscribed in Stone Egg.
Rio frowns more, a bit darker. Why the snickering? This egg is odd, and his near-pouty expression states that he's confused. And apparently, he doesn't like being confused. "What?" he inquires. Though he keeps his fingers in contact with the egg, to see what else the mind within — if it truly is the mind within — has to say or to tell him.
Phylicia licks her lips after a moment, her mouth working as some peoples' tend to when the air is partiularily thick. Her brow creases for a moment and she looks perplexed as she momentarily lifts her hand from the shell, only to place it back after a moment of examination somewhere else. Either she's getting more used to these eggs invading her mind, or this one isn't quite as instrusive as some others as she lets it look, standing somewhat passively, but staring right back at the Haunted Maze Egg almost stubbornly.
Jessamin looks up, glancing around the Sands as if looking for the source of some unseen touch, a flush coming to her face oddly reminiscent of one who's been in the sun a bit too long. Her nose wrinkles a bit in an expression of distaste, but she keeps her hand upon the shell.
Satoris lets his hand rest upon the egg, head cocking slightly to the side as if he were listening to something. He smiles slightly, as if enjoying whatever phantom echoes fall upon his ears only… at least for the moment. Feet haven't yet begun the dance of the hot sands, but it surely will come soon enough. A slight pat to the Lady's Delight Egg, but still very gentle in his movements.
The bronze sire remains as he is, forever that strange and looming shadow-wrought shape with the red-rimmed eyes. M'gaal is certainly on the sands, though much of his attention seems to be on ensuring the candidates are minding themselves … and that Zaq is minding himself, as well. Don't mind him at all, he'll just pace along the outer edge, hands laced behind the back of his head and gaze gone distant.
Tecoah's eyes widen in wonder and she gently caresses the shell, her fingertips trailing over the surface. Her shoulders relax and she gets a strange look of calm on her face. She smiles faintly and exhales a slow contented sigh, her other hand coming up to join it's mate on the shell.
Jessamin looks above her with worry, one hand upon the shell in a very protective way. "It's alright, I'll protect you from the storm." Never mind the fact that there can't be such a thing inside the Hatching Grounds!
Rished blinks slowly at the egg, easing his fingers along the surface with a light and mindful touch. An indistinct noise might be heard coming from him, but he's already lost in thought — which means articulation has long since gone for the duration. The furrowing of his brow just hints at a distant sense of confusion … but that's an increasingly more common state of being for the lad these days.
Too much for Rio? Ha! His sudden confident smirk tells his feeling of it. "Come on. I'm not afraid," he coaxes softly, under his breath. "We all have to take chances sometime. Take a chance now." His soft tone almost dares the egg to continue on. To show him what it's got. He can take it!
Natishen wrinkles his nose slightly and shivers, rubbing the back of his neck with the hand that isn't currently touching the egg. He doesn't quite sneeze, but there's that hitch of breath that hints that one may be coming. "Dunno," he mutters to the egg, smoothing his palm over its shell in an almost soothing motion. "Just me, I guess."
Rished opens his mouth, shuts it, and then opens it again to murmur, "I'm, uh. I'm Rished." Pause. "I'm just me." The question might not be audibly redirected, but it's definitely foremost in his thoughts. His brow furrowing deepens as he takes a deep inhalation through his nose, holding that breath before releasing it. Still, he keeps his hands on the egg, intently studying the surface as if it might betray what lies beneath.
Whatever is going on in Phylicia's mind brings back about that smile she walked in with and a quiet giggle, her nose scrunching up for a moment. Still, she lets it slip though her thoughts and memories without too much more glaring from the once-healer.
Jessamin smiles softly, oddly comforted by whatever the hatchling within the shell has to say. "Always rain after a thunderstorm, things will get better. You'll see." Though her expression bespoke confusion, hurt, and fear at the beginning, now she appears more at peace, stepping away from the egg. The next to draw her attention is Patterns in Parchment egg, the barest of touches bringing her that much closer to its resident.
"Oh…" Tecoah goes so far as to squat on her heels beside the True Enightenment Egg, her smile turning amused as she closes her eyes, "I've seen places like that." Her voice is the barest of whispers as she leans close to the egg, "I would like to be… You deserve someone special. I'd like to be someone like that."
"Wait, I-" but the contact is broken and, so, Rished withdraws his hands with a befuddled look. Heaving a great sigh, the young man turns his attention to another, one that's managed to escape his notice until now. A calloused hand is extended to drag along the whirling colors of The Left Behind Steps Egg, an inquisitive look spared for the patterns upon it.
Satoris lifts his head slightly, still listening by the gesture and his overall demeanor… but there's something questioning to the post and the way his shoulders move. The miner grunts slightly, moving slightly around the egg as he studies the surface of the egg. "Curious," he mutters to Lady's Delight.
Jessamin looks a little taken aback, tapping the side of her head with her free hand and shaking it to clear her mind of whatever it is she just heard. "Strange. Never heard anything like that before. Just what are you, in there…"
Rio shakes his head. "One sad little dragonet," he murmurs. He sighs, and retreats from the egg, with a final pat. "Don't you worry. You'll find someone that won't leave you." He smiles slightly, and pulls back more fully, looking to the eggs. The Face of Time Egg attracts his attention, and he scoots carefully over to it, touching the egg's surface gently.
Jessamin says "Easy there, one question at a time… I'm not a computer, you know." Laughing softly, she shakes her head, resting both hands on the egg now, a bit more sure of this one. "Just like a kidlet… wanting to know everything."
Rished catches himself tapping a foot absently to some melody that echoes only in his head, though his fingers remain settled securely upon the shell — still and unmoving. It's only when that tune becomes loud and louder still that he makes a bit of a face, features all drawn up to a side and one eye squinting shut until it passes. "A bit, uh. A bit much." And yet … he remains there, too curious to withdraw his hand.
Phylicia actually turns her head - after checking to make sure no one is there - and sneezes into her shoulder. Just a little squeak of a sound as she withdraws her hand from the shell, sniffling. It was more a reaction sneeze than anything else, though she also shakes her head as she takes a few steps away from the egg. Something is lingering with her, and for a few moments, she just stands there, rubbing at the side of her nose now and again.
While Jessamin does not seem put off or frightened by this egg, she still seems to ultimately prefer to give it its space, stepping away with less hesitation than some. It's the Haunted Maze egg that draws her attention next, sandals whispering in the sand as she pads over to graze her fingers lightly across the shell.
Natishen winces slightly, and though he doesn't break contact, he does reach up with his free hand to rub at his eyes. Mental stimuli, however, cannot be banished physically, and he eventually drops his hand. Closing his eyes instead, if only to block out external distractions, he leans closer to the egg, muttering softly under his breath, "Sometimes the past doesn't matter."
Rio tilts his head back with a drawn in breath. He is confused; how does he react to all this? He's a little scared, actually, but is brave enough not to run away from an egg-voice. Thunder is slightly frightening, and it chases him out of the water when he's swimming. But nonetheless, he keeps his fingers in contact with the shell of the egg, though he remains stock-still.
Tecoah sighs and trails her hands down off the surface of the egg, "I'm sure there's someone for you." She steps back from the True Enlightenment Egg with one final caress and a whispered reasurance, "You won't have to wait much longer. I don't see how anyone could ever reject you." She turns away from that egg and moves on to the next.
Jessamin pages: Whoops. Got hit with pages, had to fend them off and set up an idle message
Rished is now humming along, though clumsily; it's not a tune he knows, not at all, but he's willing to give it a very quiet attempt. Cheerful? He usually is, but these days have left him in a far more serious and thoughtful frame of mind. His feet shift and stir, just enough to relieve them of the heat, but he's otherwise rooted to the spot as much as his hands are planted to that egg's shell — just listening. And waiting.
Jessamin yelps as she feels that strange pulsating beneath her fingers. But is she frightened? Shards, no! It's worry that creases her features in a frown, and draws her hand to the shell again. "Are you okay in there?"
Satoris is tapping his foot in the sand. Maybe it's helping the heat, but that's doubtful; only one foot is moving. The man has his head tilted down slightly, as if listening to a /really/ good band play. No further sound comes from his throat, lending him the visage of someone distracted. A fingertip also - gently - taps against the egg's surface.
"I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid." Rio murmurs the mantra under his breath as the sensations increase. He's trembling a little, actually. He's not running, though. His curiosity has gotten the better of him, and thus he will continue on, until he finds the answers he seeks…while offering that mind the answers it seeks.
Rished silently mouths a few words, but no sound comes. Back to being right and properly confused, it would seem; he eventually shakes his head as if to clear it and frees his hands to rub a little at his ears. He drags his fingers through his hair to push it out of his eyes and turns his attention, slowly, to those eggs that remain untouched. His mouth pulls just a little to a side, and his feet quickly bring him over to yet another that his hands haven't rested on. Patterns in Parchment Egg, here he comes.
Any lingering tenseness in Natishen's frame evaporates, and he sighs softly, a pleased sound. The hand on the egg continues to caress the shell, tracing small patterns across it as he opens his eyes again, staring into the inky depths. "Very nice," he murmurs approvingly. Patting the shell one last time, he steps away, preferring to end his contact with the egg on such a high note. Moving from the Timeless Monolith Egg, he brushes his hands together, then moves towards the Inscribed in Stone Egg.
Satoris moves away from the Lady's Delight, rolling his shoulders and head a bit. His neck pops slightly and he moves over towards Faded But Not Forgotten, nearby, reaching out to touch it lightly.
Tears come to Tecoah's eyes as she runs her hands over the shell of the Mountain Citadel egg, "You poor thing…" She gives a small shiver, as though cold instead of feeling the heat of the Sands, "I'm here. You're not alone."
Jessamin smiles at the egg a little, as if the dragon within had already hatched and was in front of her now. "I wish I dared say what makes me happy. But you already know, don't you? I don't mind if you do." Her voice trails off as she continues to listen, letting her eyes close for the briefest of moments.
Whatever it was that seemed to have been plaguing Phylicia is gone now, and she moves off again, this time, winding her way carefully around a few more of the candidates to the Left Behind Steps Egg, giving it a little nod as she reaches out for the shell, even if it can't see her node.
Rished grimaces at that initial contact, his free hand coming up to rub vigorously behind an ear as if that might relieve some of the discomfort. The rubbing stops a short time later and he squints dubiously at the egg, only to look at his hand and make sure that it's still touching the shell. Still connected there, so perhaps the disconnect is elsewhere? A few more moments with the egg should confirm either way, or so he seems to hope.
Jessamin reluctantly draws her hand back from the shell this time, letting out a soft sigh. "I wish we could meet. Maybe we will, soon." With that, she wanders away, only stopping when she reaches Beyond the Taboo egg. "Hello there…" A gentle touch, a light caress of her fingertips against the shell, and she stops, to listen and wait, and wonder.
A small frown creases Tecoah's brow and she places her hands more firmly against the shell beneith her palms, wiping her tears against her shoulder to dry them, "It's just a new adventure to face, not something to be feared."
Jessamin says "Oh no you don't… I'm not going anywhere." With the gauntlet thrown down, she cups her other hand over the egg, resting it gently upon the still-hardening shell. "Especially not away from somewhere so… beautiful. Like home…."
Satoris starts to lean slightly into the egg, fingertips upon Faded But Not Forgotten. As if listening to someone speak in whispers, or quietly. He stops, then, suddenly, blinking rapidly. As if something was there, then it's not, and he can't quite believe his eyes…or is that ears? Mind, likely. Definitely.
The hand that was rubbing at Rished's ear moves to rub at the back of his neck instead, his features drawn into confused uncertainty. Muttered: "I don't- uh. That's not- hey, slow down a little." While he tries to answer those questions quickly enough to satisfy, there's mounting uncertainty in his mind that he's doing enough. The hand on the egg's shell is drawn lightly along in strange patterns, still in contact … but moving, now, as if he might find a better contact point.
Challenge or not, Jessamin's expression does shift, her nose wrinkling and her upper lip curling as if picking up on a rather distasteful, telltale odor. "Home was never quite like -that-…."
Natishen takes several deep breaths, a smile on his lips as he lets his eyes slide closed. His fingers tap lightly on the shell, a light, welcoming rhythm, and he leans closer, his voice barely a murmur. "C'mon. It's okay." If his expression and body language are any gague of his thoughts, he's trying his hardest to be as harmless and coaxing as possible.
Phylicia doesn't start at first, but slowly a minorly uncomfortable expression crosses her features, and she seems to be wincing in time with some sort of beat. Though she blinks at it retreats again, her hand staying in contact with the shell. "Is that it?" She asks of the egg, softly but not tartly like some others might.
Tecoah seems to have trouble standing for a moment and her frown deepens to a scowl, "I'll fight if I have to, but I don't see why that should be nessisary if we were to be friends." She gives the egg a soft caress, "I never turn my back on friends. I promise that." With one final touch to the shell, the runner moves away from the Mountain Citadel Egg and on to the Timeless Monolith Egg.
Rished's hand finally stops at something or another, his eyes briefly widening. His feet shuffle slightly, mouth opening then closing when no words come. Instead, he focuses on something else, staring at the egg's shell and taking care to measure his breaths — slow in, slow out, repeat. "What is that /like/ for you?" he finally blurts, leaving some other question unanswered.
Rio finally relaxes as whatever had frightened him seems to have passed. He smiles then, and closes his eyes again. Tilting his head back, he seems to be waiting for something to fall. But as the feelings fade, he opens his eyes, he looks down at the egg, pulling his hand back as the mind draws away from his. "Interesting…" he murmurs. A gentle pat to the egg, and he looks for another one to look at. It's the Mountain Citadel Egg that catches his attention, and he moves over to it, running a fingertip across its surface.
Jessamin breathes a soft sigh, shaking her head as she draws her hands away. "If only you knew." She looks almost reluctant to touch the next eggor any egg, reallyyet her steps take her still to the True Enlightenment egg, perhaps to find her answers there. Her touch is less sure, decidedly hesitant, yet once she has touched the shell she will not draw back.
Satoris starts to chuckle to himself, standing up a bit straighter. But then a look of confusion comes over his features and he leans back once more. Only his fingertips touch the egg now, but he doesn't quite fully pull away. The miner bites at his lip briefly, before settling into a more relaxed stance.
"What do you mean?" Tecoah winces slightly at whatever she is shown, "I'm Tecoah. A runner." Her fingertips barely brush the shell, keeping only the most tenuous of contact with the egg.
Phylicia blinks, maybe a little bit in surprise by the change in the egg, or rather its resident. For a moment she looks thoughtful before her shoulders lift in some sort of non-commital shrug. "It's really a bit early to sleep, don't you think?" She asks of it quietly, even as it leaves her for a second time.
Rished shakes his head a little when nothing else seems to come and his hand withdraws from the egg. He rubs his hands together as if to dry-scrub whatever strange sensations linger there, and then his feet bring him off to yet another egg, reluctantly reaching to press a hand against the Lady's Delight Egg.
Jessamin remains a bit tense, yet does not step away. Rather, she traces the feather-like patterns along the shell, humming lightly as she does. Each moment brings a bit more peace, each heartbeat opening her mind more and more to the hatchling within its shell of aged bronze.
Satoris isn't vocal like some of the others, beyond a few more… primal reactions. Whatever this egg has shown him now brings out a snort from Satoris. His feet do dance slightly now, the heat breaking through his concentration. He does, as if proving he can, place his palm flat against the egg's surface.
Phylicia just seems to shake her head, staring at the shell of the Left Behind egg, definitely looking a little bit confused. "Do you know what you want, or are you just having fun making noise?" That comment does get a little bit tart, but it's like when giving a friend a hard time. YOu do it because you can.
"I get that a lot," Nash mutters. "So curious, all of ya. I'm just me." His shoulders hunch a little, almost as if expecting a blow, but he doesn't lose contact with the egg. His nostrils flare slightly, and his eyelids flutter, but he doesn't open his eyes.
Rio shivers suddenly, but not unpleasantly. It's just sudden. But he frowns a moment later. "What?" He blinks. That makes no sense. However, he scoots a little closer to the egg, as if his presence could chase away the feelings that the mind inside the egg has. And he runs his fingers over the egg's shell as if petting it almost.
A small sigh of wonder manages to escape from Tecoah's lips at the depth of what she is shown and what is demanded of her. She closes her eyes so that she can better see what it is that is being shown her. So that she can share what the hatchling within wants to know.
For only the second time in Jessamin's life, an egg brings her to her knees, her skirt the only thing that shields her from the searing sands as now she rests her other hand upon the dully gleaming shell. "I won't leave you if you won't leave me."
Satoris grunts in finality, frowning as he pulls away from the egg. Apparently it gave him something to think about. The man draws in a long breath and rubs his hands together, looking around briefly. His eyes alight on the Under the Sea Egg and, it being the nearest and empty of any grubby candidate hands, he makes his way over to touch it next.
"Ha. Don't worry about me," Rio breathes, smirking confidently. "How about you?" Oh yeah…he's brave enough. So brave, in fact, that he keeps his fingers on the egg even through the odd sensations that the egg is transmitting to him. "Come on…show me that unknown, if you know…."
Rished peers at the egg rather closely, then utters a soft laugh. "Another musician?" His head bobs unconsciously along with that tune and his fingers dance lightly across the shell in a far more graceful display than he could possibly manage otherwise. It's certainly /different/, so he won't complain, not by a long shot.
Natishen sighs again, his eyes fluttering open, misty still with thoughts and feelings before they sharpen to a rich green. He smiles slightly and pats the top of the egg in a comforting fashion. "Sleep well," he murmurs, before pulling away from the Inscribed in Stone Egg. He shakes his head to clear it of any lingering thoughts, then strides confidently to the Haunted Maze Egg, the last of those he has yet to touch.
Phylicia is really shaking her head this time, taking her hand away from the shell and its seemingly random antics. "No, you don't know what you want." She tells it as she flexes her fingers randomly, stepping away from the egg for a few moments to survey the crowd again, and the eggs without visitors. With that done, she notes an open one, and makes her way to the Face of Time Egg. "What about you, hmm?"
Rished lifts his feet a little to cool them, though one foot can't quite keep still. Tapping out a beat, no doubt; paired with the slight bobbing of his head and the tracing of his fingers across the shell, it's easy to tell that he rather likes the sound of this egg's tune. If it was looking for a captive audience, it's found it.
Jessamin smiles some as she sits back on her heels, gazing upon the egg with a bemused expression. "I wish we could meet already. There's so much we could learn from each other. So much we already share." The heat of the sands finally compels her to rise to her feet, flicking grains from her skirt back down to the ground. She flushes with embarrassment at having been affected so, taking her time in choosing the next egg to go visit. This time, it is Inscribed In Stone Egg that she turns to, tracing her fingers along its shell to hear what it has to say.
Satoris runs his hand over the surface of the egg, almost seeking. His head tilts slightly as he considers what he's being shown and then… he jumps a bit. Not enough to bring him away from the egg or risk any of the candidates or eggs. Just a little jolt, as if surprised. Eyes widen a bit and Sat composes himself, stepping nearer to the Under the Sea Egg.
Rio smirks. "Why fight?" he asks. But the mind is gone, and probably didn't hear him anyway. He pulls his fingers from the egg with a shake of his head. "Tumultuous one, that…" he murmurs. "Hope someone's ready for battle." A sigh, and he scoots back from the egg. Yeah, that one's a little creepy. But then, it takes all kinds. He looks around for the eggs, and finds another that catches his interest. It's the Beyond the Taboo Egg that he finds himself next to then, and he touches it gingerly.
Another soft sigh of wonder is dragged from Tecoah's lungs and she looks down at the egg, "You are a wonder…" She smiles faintly and allows her hands to fall from the Timeless Monolith Egg, though she doesn't move for a moment, seeming to need a bit to collect herself after that, but eventually she does move. Turning to make her way towards the Patterns in Parchment Egg, her fingertips barely making contact with the warm shell.
Jessamin remains motionless, closing her eyes tightly as she peers at something in her mind's eye. Her touch remains light, almost as if she might frighten the hatchling by being too bold, somehow.
Satoris doesn't move once he's regained his composure. Much like being in a staring contest, or two felines waiting for the other to pounce. There's the slightest of quivers down his spine, but he seems intent upon remaining and waiting out whatever else the Sea egg might have to show him.
"Yellow." The word bursts from Natishen, though it is barely a mutter - a very surprised mutter, to be sure. His nose wrinkles and he draws his free hand across it, as if assaulted by some unusual scent. Then he frowns, and his fingers beat a rapid tune on the shell of the egg. "Hey, come back."
Rio starts a bit, but does not retreat. "Well…maybe. Sure, why not?" he breathes, with a smile. "Show me." He'll take the bait, if it backfires on him later, well then…that's his own fault. "What can you show me?"
Not good. As the sound rolls in closer, Phylicia's form tenses slightly at first, her muscles merely tightening as if she's preparing to draw herself away, but she's given all the others a chance, so why not this one? But sensation upon sensation has her body quaking in something near fear. The only thing that keeps Phy from bolting however, is its playful tone.
Jessamin says "I'm just Jessamin." Simple question, simple answer. She idly draws little circles on the shell with her fingertips, leaning a bit closer to this one. "But who are you? Show me?"
"Watch me," Rio replies softly. And defiantly. "How 'bout you?" Yes, he can be daring when he chooses. He just…doesn't choose to, that often. "So…do you want to see me defy the odds…?" He smirks. "Once you hatch, you'll see." He grins, but keeps in contact with that egg. Bring it, he's not afraid!
Tecoah winces and almost pulls away from the egg, her free hand going up to cover one ear, "Ow…" It's said softly. A mild complaint of discomfort, but the cause is gone soon enough and she slowly lowers her hand. She looks bemused at whatever she's seeing, but the expression is soon gone, "Where'd you go?"
Rished starts to smile, though the smile is definitely one of those unconsciously goofy and boyish things that emerges only when he's pretty sure no one's looking. "You're something else," he finally breathes, his hand lingering a moment longer on the shell. That touch is meant only to anchor him for the moment while his gaze meanders off across the sea of eggs, sand, and candidates. All that remains are eggs he's touched before in some sense, so he's content to take his time for now.
Natishen shakes his head, staring at the egg in confusion. "I- I guess you don't want to talk to me. Or maybe you already did?" He's getting old, you know. Mind's slipping. With a startled huff, he withdraws his hand from the Haunted Maze Egg and stares around him, trying to see if there's any egg he has yet to study. But no - he remembers all of the rest. With another sigh, he stuffs his hands in his pockets and just wanders around, listening to his fellow Candidates react to the various eggs.
Phylicia, however, is very much afraid. Or at least not at all at ease. She forces herself to swallow, though she flinches at the noises, at the visual she gets from the egg, taking comfort in the memories that it brings up. Anyone standing near her would hear a shuddering inhaled and exhaled breath as she keeps her hand upon the shell, her lips pressed into a thin line as yet another sensation presses a button of unease for her.
Jessamin draws her hand back, shaking her head gently. "Guess I'll find out when you hatch, hmm?" Here, she has to take a moment, looking over the eggs, seeking that which she has not sought before. So it is that she finally comes to the Timeless Monolith Egg, approaching it cautiously. Its coloration brings a smile to her face, drawing her to touch its shell ever so gently. "You'd make a marvelous quilt… beautiful."
Though Satoris does not give any vocal responses to these eggs, there is a lot of response from his body language and, likely, somewhere up in his brain meats. He twitches slightly, as if in surprise, jaw gaping for a moment at whatever has been shared with him by this egg. A slight clearing of the throat and he grits his jaw, tilting his head and trying to… open up. However that's done. Mostly he just tries to leave his mind blank.
Rished finally pulls his hand away and rubs them together, sucking in a breath and letting it out slowly. He drifts away to mill about aimlessly, but his hands are kept rather resolutely to himself, now. No touching; just looking. With all the thoughts rattling through his head, it's a wonder he manages that much without tripping over his own feet.
Jessamin rolls her eyes, chuckling. "I'm just Jessamin. Nobody special. Do you know who -you- are yet?" Oh my. This was going to be fun!
Tecoah frowns, an indefinable expression on her face for the strange sensations this little one is causing. Her eyes get a faint tightness around them, the beginings of a headache forming as she rubs at the back of her head where it connects to her neck, "Those are my parents." She smiles faintly, "That's the Fort Runner Station, where I was born…" She laughs softly, "Hey, slow down. I can't answer everything at once, you know."
Rio pauses and smiles. "The next adventure." It's a simple answer to a simple question. "So. Will you provide it?" Nothing else seems forthcoming from the egg, however…so Rio pulls his hand back. He answers his own question softly. "Maybe so." He looks around again, at the candidates milling carefully around the sands and pauses a moment, to get his bearings. For a moment….
Tecoah's free hand moves to join her other on the shell, "So curious… I think you'll be as much of a handful as my Nuisance." She gives a very faint shudder, "Be patient. You'll have your chance."
Satoris decides the egg is going to live him like that. Abandoned, as it were. He steps away and stretches slightly, moving on towards the next egg that he has not had any encounter with. The Left Behind Steps. He takes ina long breath and finally reaches out, placing fingertips upon its surface.
Rain. Phylicia can handle that. As the egg's presence fades from her mind, she jerks her hand back and exhales. She's careful, but her retreat from the Face of Time Egg is a touch hasty. And for a moment, she does nothing more than hang on the outskirts of the eggs, regaining her lost wits with as much grace as possible, trying not to be too obvious about her state of unsettlement.
Jessamin shakes her head, looking mildly confused, bemused, and downright intrigued as she peers at the egg. What could she possibly see within? "Who are you? I wish I could understand what you are trying to tell me…."
Rio seems to have collected his thoughts now, and looks around, mentally taking stock of the eggs still there. Which one hasn't he visited? The Inscribed in Stone Egg catches his attention, and he scoots toward it, reaching out to touch it gently.
Jessamin steps back from the egg, rubbing her temples lightly. Such whirling colors, the light, the sound… it was potent, to say the least. "You're an interesting one." Only one egg is left now, and this time, as she glances towards Mountain Citadel Egg, it has no other near it. She approaches it slowly, barely touching the shell. Experience has taught her to be wary of hatchlings yet in the shell.
"Memories don't make you real. Who you are makes you real." Tecoah tries to reasure the presence from within the egg, "You're curious. You have a desire to learn. That makes you as real as anyone else to me." She shakes her head and trails her fingers along the shell for a moment before she moves on to the Beyond the Taboo Egg.
It takes a little time, but Phylicia regains a relative calm after a short while, sucking in a breath as she notices Jessamin leaving the Timeless Monolith egg, making her way towards that one. What is possessing her to touch anything else after that fright is a little beyond her own reasoning, but yet her hand moves to rest upon the shell.
Phylicia's body jerks in reaction this time, and she almost snatches her hand back. But this time, the egg only gets a glare as her free hand shoves her bangs out her her face, a stubborn set to her now. "What is it with you eggs and your thread-cursed /storms/?" She hisses at it under her breath. Though at least this one seems to be lacking in the things that trigger her unease.
Satoris almost chuckles to himself, perhaps as this egg reminds him of something else. Or perhaps there's other reasons. One can start to become disoriented. He shifts slightly, stance relaxing as thus far, he's not as on edge as he has been before. There's a turn of his head, as if watching or listening to something go, but soon pale gaze returns to the egg's surface.
Rio nods. "I'm here," he whispers. "What do you want to see?" He lets the mind investigate as it will. He brings to mind the pleasant things about where he's at now — the beach, the sunrise, the stars at night — all that good stuff.
"I am me," Rio answers. And he brings his past to the front. The times learning to Weave with his mother. The times he asked about his father. His life at Peyton Hold. His posting to Fort. His move to Xanadu when he was Searched. And the fun times he has had at Xanadu. Getting a lapful of firelizards in the bathing caverns. Sneaking up on Phylicia and Tenebrous in the forest. He's a fun guy, see?
Phylicia's quiet rage pauses at a thought offered to her, and immediately she seems to sober even as her eyes shut (little good that does her!) against the spinning, turning colors. "That's wise." She murmurs, letting it shift through her memories of only how too true that statement can be.
Satoris listens, swaying slightly on his feet. To avoid having to worry about the heat of the sands, he focuses on the music, letting it carry him away. To try to understand what's being shared with him.
Jessamin looks as if she could burst into tears, so acquainted is she with the feeling emanating from this particular egg. "I know how you feel." A single tear soon does trickle down her face to touch the shell, evaporating in wisps of sorrow with the heat of the sands to kiss the tear away.
Jessamin shakes her head in answer to a silent question that only she can hear. Some might call her crazy for talking to an egg like this, but then again, if she is, so are her fellow Candidates! "I've faced enough, there's not much that scares me. Bring it on."
Rio waits for whatever else the egg needs or wants to show him. But the mind begins to draw away first. "See you on hatchday," he breathes as he pulls his fingers from the egg. There's a last gentle touch across the surface, and then he draws back from it, an oddly content smile on his face.
Phylicia's eyes open as it dims the light show for her, a little bit of smile paired with curiousity sitting upon her face. There is nothing physically said, but yet a feeling of agreement. Serenity could probably be found there. But more often for her, it's found in a land of green, living things.
"Good. Everyone needs a friend, and I wouldn't mind being yours." Jessamin does smile some, drawing her hands beneath her eyes. "The best ones can cry as well as laugh together. Maybe.. just maybe…" But the rest remains unspoken as she backs away from the eggs, with a bow to dam, sire, and their riders. "Thank you." What more needs to be said?
There's a slight rumble from within Satoris' chest as he tries to listen closer. He leans in until his ear is nearly against the egg, but nothing more than his hand touches the surface. After a moment, he shakes his head and leans away, frowning faintly as he studies the egg intently for a moment.
Phylicia slowly slides her fingers away from the Monolith's shell, her look slightly pensive as she backs away from it. She excuses herself to the sidelines again, one hand cupping an elbow, while her other hand reaches up to play idly with a piece of her hair, going between twining it around a finger and gently tugging on it. She makes no move to go introduce herself to that last egg she hasn't touched.
Satoris jerks back from the egg, startled. As one might awaken from a loud, almost annoying alarm. He frowns faintly and rubs at the back of his neck as he moves slowly away from the eggs, along with the other candidates that have begun to file out.
The AWLMs, likely noticing the hour is growing late begin shooing the Candidates from the eggs quietly. Thea stirs tiredly, slips down from Seryth to stand beside her until all the Candidates have left, following the last of them from the sands, greeting them here and there, offering a pat and a word of encouragement where needed, then turns her steps towards the coastal road and home for the night.