Touching take two
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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.


Early evening, and the Weyrlingmasters have been sent to round up the candidates, Kilaueth sated for the moment and willing to let the group of hopefuls upon the Sands once more. Settled out of the way, her head resting on her forelims, while Niva leans against her side lightly, watching the gathering group, nodding her head to them as Kilaueth rumbles a greeting.

Natali bobs her head to the gold dragon as she shuffles out onto the sands, mincing her feet for a moment to get used to the heat of the ground beneath her boots before she starts towards the rainbowy-looking egg. It's the one that caught her eye from the first, and she's a little curious about it. She does give her fellow candidates a brief grin, but she's moving steadily in that direction.

Relion was extremely glad he'd come back to the barracks to drop off his work gloves… to find that suddenly the Weyrlingmasters were rounding up the candidates available. Well, he can certainly wait on a meal to do that instead, there's no question there. Relion's comfortable, more at-ease for this touching, confident towards the front of the group. "Hello again," he greets warmly to Kilaueth, slowing near her front to smile at the mother dragon, then nodding to Niva. He's a bit… scuffed and damp, but not dirty, though the sand sticks to his pants from the dampness. His greetings complete, he ended up near the World of Possibilities, and touches it gently.

Amelia meanders in beside her mother; the assistant weyrlingmaster gives her one last smile and a pat on the shoulder before moving back to watch candidates from near the exit. Amelia stops midstride to watch her mother for just a moment; her shoe catches in the sand on the way down and she nearly trips in the deep footing. With a sheepish chuckle, she shrugs and moves towards the eggs, pausing once more to give a nod to Kilaueth and Niva before she comes to a rather dark-yet-speckled egg and reaches a hand out to brush the surface.

Natali's fingers brush across pink-swirled shell, her hand coming down across it in gentle benediction. It's colorful, bedazzingly cheerful. Why yes, yes indeed, she is a good person (albiet just a little spoiled through and through, but good nonetheless) "Hello," she greets the egg, smiling a little at she strokes a hand across the shell gently. "You seem very nice."

Relion lifts his fingers from the egg he touched, briefly looking at them as if to see if there's a glove or other barrier there, and switches hands, to touch again, trying with his other hand, expression curious, but certainly not distant or vacant, frowning a little bit. He glances aside as Natali speaks, but then looks down again, to the multicolored surface of his.

Amelia's expression scrunches, her head shakes violently and eyes shut as she attempts to either find or get rid of the feeling creeping through her mind. "Is that you doing that?" she opens her eyes just a crack to peer at the egg and at her hand tracing certain areas that seem to make a pattern.

Amelia relaxes as the creeping feeling lessens- or less constant at least. She's somewhat confused at the memories popping up and falling back in her mind, but since her eyes are open now, she concentrates on examining the egg's surface, moving around it so she may follow patterns with her hands.

Relion is blushing, a red that doesn't reach the darkness of his hair, but certainly evident if someone glances his way. He watches the surface of the egg, a more rapt stare to it, as if waiting for it, an uncomfortable waiting, perhaps. "Well…" Relion says, with a sort of brief sigh, continuing to touch.

Natali is quiet for a moment, the trader lass smiling rather giddily as she communes with the cheerfully sparkly egg. There's something bright about this one, enjoyably so. She chuckles softly, fingers smoothing over the egg, tracing the pink swirls and patterns, investigating and examining. The thoughts received make her grin. "I like ribbons," she comments, "maybe green ones." A sniff, as if she were scenting flowers. "How sweet," she informs the egg.

Relion draws his hands back off the shell, not as if it burned him, but… perhaps glad to let go of it. He takes a minute to sit there, to re-settle himself after that encounter with the World of Possibilities egg, trying to collect his control, and settle that blush out of his face. Still, the memory of how soon they had to stop last time pushes him perhaps before he's entirely ready, and his eyes fall onto the one next to it, reaching out to touch the dark, forboding surface of Master of Deception.

Natali's breath escapes her, a gentle whoosh as she throws up her other hand, blocking off, perhaps a sudden glare. But then, all is still, and she strokes her fingers across the shell of the rainbow egg again in farewell before she turns away, tracking over the sand towards the egg that rather looks like it had been painted by a little child. She touches it slowly, waiting with interest.

Amelia is caught by surprise and squeaks in alarm. She pulls her hands away quickly, as if burned by fire. She glances at the other candidates suspiciously then shrugs and moves away from the dark egg and meanders through the eggs until she reaches a much whiter egg. Once there, she brushes her hands over the surface and offers a quiet greeting.

"Oh!" Natali sounds surprised, but certainly in a good way, the girl's voice somewhat pitched into a squeal of glee that might be more audible than it ought to be. But of course, should Kilaueth happen to glance her way, she's bobbing her head at the gold before bending close against the egg-shaped egg with all it's motly blobs and hues of color. "You seem so nice too." she says sweetly to it. "I like you too."

Relion had a concerned expression, judging by the darkness of the shell of the egg he'd touched next, but that changes immediately to surprise, to moving both hands to press them more firmly on the egg, but certainly harmlessly, more as if he were trying to feel it's heartbeat through the dark shell, large palms splayed on the egg's top round surface.
Amelia is delighted by the shapes she sees across this particular shell; she hardly notices the presence lurking in the back of her mind. "Not just the opposite color, but your shell is so much more cheerful. I hope that means you are inside, too."

Amelia winces at the burst of color and sound- not only within her mind but outside. Natali's nearby squeal reaches her ears and she glances over, blinking. "Thought that was the egg here for a moment, not you," Amie chuckles. "That was quite the display," she adds more quietly, directed toward the egg itself.

Kilaueth's head lifts briefly at the squeal from the younger candidate, the gold's eyes lidding briefly, before with a snort and a sigh, she's settling back down at Niva's urging, the Weyrwoman giving a little tsk of her own.

Relion jumps visably as if startled, closing his eyes some, more as if steeling against whatever he can hear from within the dark egg that's rattled him. No look of fear or dismay, just startled, perhaps on edge, from the result inside. "Well, if you intended to impress me, you have," Relion says to the egg, opening his eyes, and breathing heavily, grinning a bit.

Natali is dazzled, clearly, her other hand coming around to rest against the shell, both palms pressed against the egg that looks so much like a child had painted it. She's quiet now, no more squeals of glee or joy coming from her now, dazzled as she is by light and color. "Awwh," she sounds a little sorrowed then, the trace of light withdrawn into darkness. "I like you better when you're colorful," she tells the egg, looking down at it curiously.

"….Well," Relion says, impressed, and not as.. surprised and offsteady, now, resting for a time with fingers gently on the surface of the dark egg before smiling softly, patting it once, and sliding back out of the way, rubbing his other hand back through his hair, letting room for someone else to touch if they wish, pausing to survey the others, to recall which ones he's visited before.

"Well of course I will!" Amelia breaks a grin when she senses the challenge posed. "And I really must go to this place you're showing… though I can't imagine how you've been there, you're only just b- well, not even born!" Her grin turns skeptical and she pulls her hand away as another candidate nears the egg. She gives a nod to the other and steps away, this time moving for the egg Natali'd just left, fingers soon brushing the surface.

Natali breathes at last, her eyes bright at the return of color and light, the vision appears, glittery and beautiful in her thoughts. "I think," she says softly, "you are going to be amazing." she grins a little as Amelia approaches the egg, the younger candidate dipping her head at the other girl. "You'd like this one too," she says, grinning, and then steps away, turning to the egg that Amie had just left.

Amelia returns Natali's nod, then her attention is grabbed and she breathes out a long low, "Oooo, you /are/ delightful!" Too soon, the presence of the egg's patron fades and Amelia frowns. "Don't go- not yet!"

Relion ticks off the ones he's touched, trying to recall each personality as he looks down the egg row slowly. His eyes fall on the pink colored one, the rainbow hues of it; and he's certain he hasn't seen it's personality. He moves over to squat by it, and gently touches the side, gentle greeting in his mind.

Natali frowns a little, looking thoughtful as she rests a hand against the shell of the egg she's just touched. "Hmm. I thought… for a second…" she nibbles at her lip, moving her other hand over to stroke across the shell. And then, oh! "It's so hard to tell, but …" She sighs. "I felt like I was being tested. And I don't know if it wants to reveal itself."

Relion settles down to a knee by the egg, smile vague, light; no strong reactions to this one, clearly. He murmers something to the egg but it'd be too quiet to overhear, so he may as well have not said anything at all, as it was private for the personality touching his mind.

"Ow," Natali winces a little at the sudden intrusion of color and sound into her thoughts, her breath hissing out a little at the shock of it before it fades and she's left with the sense of that treasured sharing. "Oh," she says softly, her hand caressing the shell. "Thank you, thank you for sharing it with me." So perfect.

Amelia closes her eyes to follow the display, perhaps hoping it will keep those images in her mind longer. Failing that, she opens her eyes again, pats the egg's shell and steps back, dropping her hands away and moving then to a boxier, blue-ish egg.

Relion doesn't adjust again, he stays comfortable by the pink and rainbow egg, attempting to question lightly at it, curious, and certainly not as skilled as the creature inside at touches of the mind. He doesn't close his eyes, either, looking into the swirls of the rainbows on the surface, or through them.

Natali sniffs deeply, inhaling the scent of jungle moss that seems to envelop her brain. It's interesting scents, for sure, even if she's not physically smelling it. "A challenge," she stares quizzically at the egg. "But what kind of challenge?" It doesn't seem to be answered though, at least she sure that it hasn't, and with a reluctant sigh, she moves away, crossing the sand to circle widdershins around the eggs, studying each one closely before she moves to touch the oddly angular egg.

Amelia stands still before this egg, posture relaxing as she hears the rhythm build. Her eyes close and her hands press against the shell. "Now that's my sort of world. Give me color, but give me some music to back it up. Oh nice. Very nice."

Natalis hand rests gently against the shell of the angular egg, no tracing the patterns and shapes that might be found there, but rather seeking to cummune and meet with the dragonchild within. Such approach is slow at first, the girl looking curious, but unsure as time passes. She waits, the moment of contact gone, but yet hopeful that it might return.

Relion finally draws away from the rainbow egg, with a smile for it, thoughtful, but not surprised. "Can't wait to see what you end up looking like," he says gently to the egg, before moving his hand off of it, and standing up with a grunt and run of hand down one leg, oof. Feeling returns soon enough, though. His interest moves to Whimsical Practitioner, not tentative, palm dropped to the top of the white domed surface.

Amelia might actually be humming- or trying to hum- along with the sound in her mind. Melodic or not, it catches her fancy and when the noise and cacophony fades, she sighs audibly and continues to stand there with her hands pressed against the shell, clinging to the fresh memory.

And there, it's back, that presence Natali felt. The girl inhales a bit, the sudden arrival being something of a surprise before her memories are explored, one presented and she squirms a bit with discomfort. "It really isn't anything," she tells the egg, matter of factly, "Yeah, it's me, and yeah, I did it." Even if no answer is demanded, she still gives it. Identy confirmed, right?

Relion watches the Whimsical Practitioner egg calmly, brows lowering a little bit as he listens … to whatever is, or isn't, inside his mind. And waits… for the other mind. Relion is patient, and doesn't mind the slowness of the egg.

If one little memory of an unimpressive moment was enough to make Natali squirm, then practically being handcuffed to the guilty recollections of the past are definitely enough to make her jerk her hands away from the shell, all those less-than-ideal thoughts, the glaring mistakes and poor judgement dredged up followed by that blaze of searing fire and the apology given. "It's ok," she mutters at the egg, but doesn't venture to touch it again. She moves away, turning to survey another egg instead.

One more sigh before Amelia opens her eyes, admires the shell, then drops her hands and steps backwards. She stands there for another long moment before moving to another egg, her hands now brushing against the most colorful of eggs.

Relion startles as the egg suddenly changes, but doesn't jerk his hand back; he's gotten more used to the little minds within the eggs throwing their multicolored party favors inside his head. Though the headache that's coming on from the repeated shocks and noise of the session, well, he works to just ignore it.
Amelia's mood may have been dampened by the previous egg's touch, but it is lit up very quickly when this one's occupant streaks through her mind. "Beautiful! You're like a ride along the beach!"

Natali moves forwards after a moment of thought and observation of the eggs. Her path carries her towards the small black egg with the watery blue triangle emblazoned upon it. "Not really sure about you," she remarks to the egg, although she's certainly not hesitant to touch it.

"….You're not staying to let me?" Relion asks his egg, perhaps very nonsensically, since there's no answer, or even a question that anyone else will hear, when Relion sighs, and draws his hand back from the white egg, skimming fingers slowly down the side, and then withdrawing.

"Very kind of you to show such pretty colors as you go. Whatever are you looking for there?" Amelia smiles fondly at the colorful eggshell before giving it a confused look. "Nothing interesting in that memory!" She chuckles just a little even as her hands press solidly against the shell and trace the lines of color.

Natali scowl is thoughtful, the girl peering down at the shell beneath her hand with something of curious interest. "Well … oookay," she draws the word out slowly, almost a puff of breath to inflate her cheeks into a tentative smile. "It's like you were there and then not. But what's with the laughter?"

Amelia nearly pulls her hands away in reaction to the flare of panick, but she remains steady, only taking a step back and lessening her pressure on the shell. "Well then…" she ponders the sensations as she finally moves away from the colorful egg and turns to find another.

Relion turns his eyes to Niva and the queen gold, as if to check to see how much more time they'll be allowed. It feels like it's been a particularly long time, after the journey his last egg left him on. He does notice Coils of Energy near him, and since none of the various candidates are touching it, he briefly moves a hand to brush the top of it. He'd spoken to it before, days ago; he decided to merely say hello, again.

Natali's hand jerks away from the shell suddenly, the girl backing away slowly. "Ooookay," that word is drawled out longer, she giving the obsidian colored egg a long look. "I think I'm going to stay away from you," she tells it. "You're just … odd." She casts a quick look at the queen to make sure she hasn't taken umbrage to the trader lass insulting, in a roundabout way, her offspring. Seeing no reaction, Natali sidles back towards the more favorable eggs — the ones she got better reactions from.

Yes, this scene ended here, people had to go. ^^

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