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.
Call it practice for the hatching, but this group of Candidates has been tagged and hustled from their beds just after the dorm seems to have settled down for the night. Possibly the reason is there has been no other time for the Weyrwoman to allow visitation on the Sands today, but it's far more likely these Candidates were engaged in other tasks during this day past that demanded their attention and they were simply overlooked. Whatever the case, it's very late and though they've been given time to dress and put on sands-appropriate footwear, but rushed nevertheless. When they're ushered by the AWLMs onto the Sands, the quiet smile Thea gives them is almost apologetic, but Seryth huffs. If a dragon could roll her eyes, she'd be doing it.
Briana arrives on the sands, looking rather tired, but dark circles do stand out around her eyes even with her dark skin testiment that perhaps the summons saved her from another night of ceiling staring. As she shuffles upon the sands she gives a curtsey as she steps in moves along the sands, eyeing the eggs before them. Her gaze settles upon Love's timeless Temple egg for a moment as if wanting to visit it again, knowing it was 'safe'. There is a step toward it before she pauses and takes a deep breath turning instead towards Stele Translations Egg. "You can do this, they are just babies, just as nervous as you.." she murmurs under her breath before fingers tentatively reach out to touch the hardening leathery surface of the egg.
Pyriel skirts the sands after having passed through the golden doors of the hatching sands. Already his golden eyes are scanning the eggs, brows furrowing in the direction of this that or that one, it's all very vague. He steps forth shortly enough, despite his yawn, not approaching for the bow until it's over. That done and a quick glance to Thea, the blond makes his way through the collection of eggs, even if there is a few more yawns along the way. He steps over to Mysteries of the Dark egg first, giving it a once over with his gaze before he reaches out and lays a hand upon it.
Iessrien wanders in with the other candidates, steps decently quick despite the lateness of the hour, absently brushing fingers back through his hair and blinking in the warmth of the sands. The huffy Seryth has the boy's eyes flicking towards her, Iess taking a deep breath before stepping further into the hatching cavern, careful to give a polite bow, before moving more slowly towards one of the sands-nestled ovoids. Reaching out, he softly presses his palm to Monument of Time and Space Egg, eyelids lowering in wary expectation.
Briana's fingers tense as she is suddenly taken by the feelings from the egg, her face twisting in a moment of fear and sadness before she shakes her head, "I do belong…I do belong, I don't want to go back.." She whispers feircly to the egg, stepping back on one foot as if to step away, but she visably steels herself, leaving her fingers still on its surface.
After a few seconds of contact with the egg, Pyriel takes a step closer and glides his other hand around the side, focusing all his attention upon the apex. There is a slight incline of his head in regards to it, though soon after this, he's smacking his lips and his face twists. It was as if he suddenly tasted something he didn't agree with. "Ugh." he grimaces, leaning over and getting that look that people do when they are about to spit. Stiffening in a heartbeat, his expression shifting to sheepish. Eyes dart back and forth over those gathered, suspiciously. He straightens all at once, clearing his throat, and rolling his neck a bit with a swallow.
Briana stands rod straight next to the egg, her eyes close, the look upon her features as if someone preparing for a slap for which there is no retaliation. Then a cautious relaxation of her stance and a touch of relief tracing through the lines on her face. Suddenly though she faulters, stumbling closer to the egg forcing her to place both hands on the egg to support herself. Even as a word enters her mind it is another word that comes from her lips, "Sanctuary…I am not afraid." She says and takes a slow deep breath and gives a little nod.
Iessrien's nose twitches. It's about all the reaction that is apparent in the young man, his eyelids lowering to closed, though his straight posture means obviously he hasn't fallen asleep on his feet. No, instead he.. sniffs at the air, slowly tilting his head as he adopts a look of someone listening intently, hand remaining on the shell of the egg, a most curious expression on his face.
Briana features seem to relax even more as she steadies herself, footsteps pacing slowly around the egg though her hands never leave its surface. She seems well caught up in the feelings of the creature as a look of wonder comes to her face. "Yes..it is wonderful..perhaps we will see it one day." However impossible it may be, yes she is well drawn into this feeling. Even as the mind settles from hers, her fingers continue to remain on the egg a bit longer. "You will find your hero…" She says with assurance in her voice before finally stepping away. She looks over the egg again before lifting her gaze to the others. "Not so scary after all…" She murmurs before she turns to touch Avenue of the Dead egg.
Pyriel arches a brow now, gaze settling once more against the darkness of the egg's shell, drawn closer for whatever reason with barely a few inches now between himself and ovoid. Rubbing his cheek against his shoulder, shivering despite the heat of the sand and the cavern itself. His nose crinkles, chin lifting ever so slightly.
Iessrien's lips tug just faintly upward at the corners in a slight and ghostly smile, his head moving slowly as if still listening, nodding in time to some unheard rhythm. His features soften, easing into light amusement which plays across his face, the boy perhaps unaware of his surroundings, though all of a sudden there is a crease upon his brow, the hint mirth slipping away to be left with a slightly severe, more guarded expression. Eyes open, and for a moment flick across the sands, flickering from person to egg to person with some absent dismay written in the lines of his face, pausing, just a second longer on Pyriel, before pondwater-blue eyes shift away, seeking out the shape of Seryth and then Thea, before returning to the egg, his hand unmoving from its surface.
Both of Py's eyes widen all at once, soon shrinking back and his brows furrow as he's left squinting. This gradually fades from his expression as the seconds tick past, wonder and appreciation spreading to replace the initial impression. His eyes move in a downward angle, as if tracing invisible lines that only he could see. Shoulders sink, and the blond appears disappointed. He lingers there, despite no shift in the features of his countenance, but does step away at last. Even as he moves on to the next egg, Lost in Fathoms Below, he casts a glance longingly over his shoulder. "Sleep well." muttered for it, and it alone.
Briana fingers first lightly touch the shell, before gasping and suddenly gripping it. After a moment though she seems to relax. Darkness she is not afraid of. Her breathing seems to settle to an easy pattern after she catches herself from the surprise. "I am Briana.." She declares herself, though the voice is quiet, it carries more certainty then before. She closes her eyes, held in a sense of waiting as fingers touch firmly to the apex of the egg.
Iessrien stares at the egg, lips parting without words, the boy having gone still. All the earlier amusement has vanishes from his face, shifting uncomfortably as he merely regards the thing. His jaw works for a time, shoulders tightening, brows drawing together. And then he stills again, letting a slow breath out through his nose and pressing his lips together into a thin, unyielding line. His hand, palm pressed gently to the shell, twitches but does not withdraw.
Briana starts suddely, a little gasp coming from parted lips as fingers tense against the leathery surface. There is a sudden nervousness to her features and she takes a shaky breath. "That is who I am…I am not him, I am not them, I am me…I want to belong here.." She says trying to call some bravado to her shaky voice. Moisture collects at the corner of her eyes, fighting its way from closed lids. "No…I don't want to be him, but what if…" her voice chokes against the unsaid fears. Suddenly she seems to droop a little next to the egg as if released from puppet strings.
Iessrien's eyebrows arch up, disappearing nearly beneath the feathery fringe of his bangs, the boy canting his head the other way from which he'd tilted it, giving the egg an almost studying look from beneath lowered lashes. Faintly, he shivers, and then slowly withdraws his hand, letting it drop to his side and releasing a quiet breath. A moment longer, and then Iessrien is turning to another egg, placing his hand upon the shell of the Dusty Old Parchment Egg, touch light, but unhesitating.
Pyriel sets his feet, shoulders his time drawn back, fingers wiggling before letting them come to rest atop the egg before him. Brows lift in unison then crease towards the middle of his forehead, before they once more slid down into a furrow. "Oh come on." he sighs, deeply, soon shaking his head as his expression falls completely to one touched by annoyance. The boy's attention wanders off to Briana and Iessrien in turn, before settling on Seryth and Thea. It doesn't last long as his eyes are quick to dart back to the egg, giving refocus there, though the reason is unclear. "Py, and yeah yer right here." he says appraising eye flicking over it, shifting his hand so that just one finger was pointing at the outwardly silent ovoid. This done, his palm returns to the surface once more. Then it was like his skin was crawling and he wriggles somewhat in place, "That ain't so cool, um…egg. It be awesome if that never happened again. Yeah. Beyond awesome actually so…" he says, shaking himself out as much as he could without disturbing the egg or anyone else.
Iessrien stands there, expectant almost, though his eyebrows once again rise, not so far as before, but certainly arching enough to indicate some response to something unseen but felt. It's a moment later, and then they return to their normal position, lashes lowering instead with a rather guarded, considering look at the shell still beneath his hand.
Briana remains by the egg, unable to draw away from it just yet. Caught in the darkness and her own fears and uncertainties. She tilts her head up briefly, a faint measure of relief warring with the almost distraught look upon her features. "I will try to be good enough…" She murmurs before finally stumbling away from the egg towards the egg of the sands, wiping the tears from her eyes. Again she seems a bit overwhelmed and uncertain whether she wants to face another egg just yet. Each one seeming lay open her fears and uncertainties about herself.
Iessrien shivers once more, even with the heat of the hatching sands, eyelids lowering till nearly closed. The considering look deepens, puzzlement flickering briefly as thin brows inch together, giving way to curiosity. Yet still he remains, standing there, palm upon the shell. After a time, a brow arches, the boy just shaking his head, though not without a ghost of a smile.
The harper apprentice is groaning now, a disturbingly loud growl from Pyriel's belly just then. One hand comes from the egg and lays palm flat against his stomach. "Yeah that ain't any better honestly." he sighs, shoulders slumping as he swallows and licks his lips. "Kinda mean, dude. Ain't ya heard of the food shortag…." he begins and then flushes, rolling his eyes upward. "I suppose not." A blink rapidly follows, bringing his gaze to settle once more upon that which his hands rested upon. "Uh, I dunno. Nothing I guess. Can't think of nothing anyway, which kinda sucks as that's some spread." Expression suddenly greedy, only amplifying this with another deep rumble from his gut. Building tension melts away gradually, the blond's head falling back with a relieved sigh. Then his head is righted once more, and the boy shrugs dismissively with just the roll of a single shoulder, golden eyes darting off to the side. "Ain't it yer job to figure that out?" he grumbles somewhat.
Iessrien withdraws his hand from the egg's shell, just giving the egg a quizzical look before he turns, head shaking, to wander slowly towards another. A yawn stifled behind a fist, the boy blinks somewhat and glances around, brow raised briefly for the candidates actually talking aloud to the eggs. He approaches the Claimed by the Sea Egg, giving it an awkward look, mouth openeing as his hand settles gently upon the shell, but then closes, apparently deciding against that sort of thing.
Briana stands asside gathering her courage once more, wiping away those tears and straightening her shoulders before stepping toward the eggs again. Her golden eyed gaze shifts around the sands until she finally approaches Monument of Time and Space egg. She stands before it for nearly a minute before she raises her hand to ever so lightly touch its surface.
Iessrien take a breath suddenly, eyes widening but unseeing of the sands before him, pondwater blues instead gone distant and unfocused. Fingers twitch where they press lightly to the shell, hand rubbing over the curved surface, absently almost. His head cants to one side, and he takes a deep breath, eyes nearly closing, though he shifts a little, mouth upening again, though again, no words are uttered, letting his other hand come to rest atop the egg, both now touching its smooth surface.
Pyriel stares now, locked in place considering his lack of movement and he shudders all at once. "Yeah…" he manages to mumble, yanking his hands off the egg quickly and is moving backwards with an accusing look back towards it. "…that's enough of that." he complains, rubbing his thumb into the palm of one hand and he slinks off to find another to touch. "Shardin' girly egg." he frowns, eyes moving to Love's Timeless Temple and he just grimaces. "Flowers, sweetness, love and freaking fluffy light and rainbows coming outta their…" he continues until he comes upon Dusty Old Parchment egg even if it looked like he was headed somewhere else, with the way he pause in mid stride and then changes course. "Ya better not be crappin' nothing funky." he glares at the poor egg, before taking a deep breath and exhaling with a rolling closed motion of his eyes before he reaches out to touch it.
Briana looks ever so cautious as her fingers settle on the surface of the egg. A wariness about her for a few moments before a tentative smile touches her lips. "Didn't have many, but liked to hear her talk while she worked. It was like a lullaby…I could fall asleep hearing her voice." She murmurs to the egg, offering some of her memories of her mother. The positive ones at least.
Briana stands still before the egg, though she lets her fingers relax upon the surface. Sharing what memories she can with the egg, many are more recent. The songs of a harper at Ista. Faces flicker through her mind, those that make her feel safe. "They have mattered…they know everything and still they are friends." She says drawing two faces from Ista forefront to her mind.
Iessrien starts, one hand sliding back from the egg's shell, arm stretched out away from him, as of attempting to balance. He steadies, though, eyebrows arching up again. His eyes close, head rising till his face is pointed at the cavern's ceiling, just standing there, one hand still upon the shell, the other dropping to his side. Suddenly, a smile spreads across his face, breathing in deep.
Briana smiles a touch at the thoughts from the egg, "I like to cook and write…" She starts before her dark seem seems to darken, "I like him.." A picture of a man in her mind, tall and strong. Her smile wavers at a point and she looks around the sands for a moment before leaning down to the egg and it is with a whisper she gives her next answer, "Do I belong?" She answers and asks in one. "I want to belong, I want to belong." She murmurs to the egg, a hopeful tone to her voice.
Pyriel released a breath, relaxing after a moment as all tension releases in a single instant. "Okay." he says only this, before falling silent once more. Whatever is going on over there, is hard to guess, as the harper candidate is just standing there with his hands placed on the shell. There is nothing else, no expression, no further words, and no hint that anything to be found there was met with approval or disapproval.
Iessrien's smile only brightens, a totally light and unguarded expression upon his face, which seems almost at odds with the sharp lines of his features. He breathes deep once again, all the tension relaxing out his posture, letting shoulders drop, fingers spreading out upon the shell. There's a bit of a sway, the boy lowering his head and giving it a slight shake, as if to clear it, fingers twitching as he takes on a more neutral look, expression school back into guardedness, and perhaps a little.. wary. A slight crease forms between his brows, lips pressing together in thought.
Briana looks around the sands as more thoughts wind through her mind. Was she worthy? Doubt touches her features before she looks down on the egg and slowly nods, "Yes. I am me, I am Briana. I belong here…" She says with a touch of conviction in her voice, but still lays that uncertainty. That troubling uncertainty. Finally she steps back from the egg and takes another slow breath and looks up to Thea, "May I be excused? I …need think for a bit." Alone, without the doubts and uncertainties that come from the eggs, perhaps echoing only what lies within herself.
From the platform where Thea sits watching all those reactions, Briana's question is heard. "Of course, you may. It's late." Maybe it's something in the girl's expression that prompts the Weyrwoman to add a concerned, "I'm always here if you ever need to talk. Be well."
Briana nods to the Weyrwoman, her gaze lingering a moment before she gives a bow to the dragon and turns from the sands. Heading not to the barracks.
Still nothing from Pyriel over there, except perhaps the way his jaw was slowly working. Otherwise he is still, even calm, remaining with his hands on the egg and look of absolute intensity. He is not aware that Briana speaks, or that Thea replies, or any other chatting that might be going on in the area. As Briana leaves, he makes no move to respond to it, though finally his head comes up and he sighs. "Cool."
Iessrien's face is at once startled and confused, though it almost immediately gives way a near-manic grin, lips drawing back to reveal peraly-white teeth, brows lowering almost wickedly. And then the expression vanishes, as he jerks his hand back from the egg, sucking his breath in and taking one step back, gaze dropping to his palm and very slowly.. curling and uncurling the fingers. He frowns, eyelids lowering at that particular egg. And here, his expression is more admiring than wary, grudging respect perhaps, or as much as one could have for something like that. A slight headshake, and he's turnign to the next egg, his other hand brought up and placed gently upon the shell of the Islands of Strange Stone Egg.
Iessrien blinks, leaning back away from the egg slightly, though his hand remains upon its shell, slightly dubious look upon his face even as he arches a brow at it. His feet shift slightly in the sand, and there's a bit of a twitch to his fingers where they rest upon the egg's shell, though he doesn't pull his hand away. Instead, eyes widen, shoulders tensing.
Pyriel removes his hands from the egg, even if to only ghost his palm against the side and then retracts the touch once more. He doesn't linger though, stepping back to give over the collection of eggs for a time appearing thoughtful and quiet. A moment is spared for a lowering of his eyesbrows, searching. His gaze settles on Iessrien, but then moves on as if searching for someone. He briefly chews on his bottom lip then, a hand combing through his hair before he slides his eyes over to Thea. "Ma'am? Can I take off? Kinda tired." he says, voice strangely soft.
Seryth is lying with her head angled upon the sands in the direction of the Candidates who DARE to invade her clutch. It is she who responds to the boy's request first with a mighty snort though her nostrils that sends hot sand swirling in his direction. Thea is watching the retreating Briana with a very thoughtful look on her face. "Hmm?" Pyriel's voice recalls her with a blink. "Of course you may." She adds a nod to that, although her answer is a touch vague as her gaze returns to Briana's back.
Iessrien twitches, bodily, looking a bit put out. Lips press together, mouth tilting at a displeased angle even as he narrows his eyes at it. His brow creases, hunching a little where he's standing, before.. looking a little ill. All of this flickers quickly over his face and then the boy quite delibarately steps back, withdrawing his heand and huffing out a quiet breath. He's in time to hear Pyriel's question, gaze flicking to Thea, possibly with similar on his lips, yet he hesitates, giving the remaining eggs a glance.
Pyriel looks between gold and rider, and back to gold again. He cautiously takes a step back for whatever reason, eyes locked on the queen before Thea's reply to him, however distracted, is taken in and replied with a nod. Another bow for Seryth, tinted perhaps with a small measure of nervousness before he straightens and turns, heading out without a glance back. There is a measure of haste in his steps, as if he suddenly finds himself to be in quite the hurry.
Iessrien blinks at the mighty Seryth-snort, and perhaps wisely decides to make like Pyriel and Briana, and scoot. "I think I need a rest as well, ma'am," is murmured to Thea, Iess inclining his head to the weyrwoman and then offering the clutchparents a bow before slowly making his way off the sands, hand brushing back through his hair with a growing look of distraction.