
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.
Neferennu was stopped out in the foyer by one of the weyrlingmasters and told to go onto the sands for an egg touching. So slowly she steps onto the sands, looking towards Kilaueth first to see what kind of mood she is in today. A bow given to Kilaueth and Hesketh, then to Ellamariseth and Arinith, before she steps a bit further towards the clutches, particularly Ella's. A look down at herself to make sure she looks okay before approaching further makes her scrowl again at her pink skin. At least her hair is only a dark red on the left side. A bite of her lip and a brief close of her eyes to reorient her mind, before looking up and waiting for permission to move towards the eggs proper.
Ellamariseth remains where she was before, it a bit closer to her eggs this time. Ysa was on the platform to cool off her feet. The queen was looking just a bit impatient, rolling one of her eggs around in its spot. She was without the company of the clutchdaddy, which didn't really seem to be changing her mood at all. Except for the fact that she was crooning towards the candidates more eagerly this time. The junior hops off her chair with a skin of wine in hand, waving towards the weyrlingmaster. "I said give me a /bit/ of time. Shards, jus' drag them out here right away I suppose." She glares to the first round of candidates, which quickly turns towards the more defensive queen on the sands. "Ya can all try your luck with Kila's, but Ella's are free to touch," she grumbles out, and quickly makes her way to her lifemate's side to have a closer view of the candidates.
Thea stands at the edge of the Sands also, pink-freckled as she is, she looks like she is related to Rennu, both members of some sort of alien race. She's not quite so apprehensive as the last time, by the look on her face. She eyes Rennu in a sideways glance as she steps out and gives both dragons a bow. "Y'think the queens will be ok with pink Candidates looking at their eggs?"
Rohelte is only a little ways behind Neferennu, having been virtually following the other since the 'lizard hatching and cleaning up, so that weyrlingmaster managed to snag both of them in one go. Rohelte stops just past the entryway onto the sands, looking towards both of the pairs of dragons showing just a little bit of apprehension around them for the first time ever. Or maybe it's the experience which has her apprehensive. A bow goes to both Ella and Arinith as well as Kila and Kesketh before she treads out further, looking at Ysa first, and then the wide splay of eggs on the sands. "Hey, I'm not pink." Somehow, she wasn't in /that/ fiasco.
Neferennu gives a look that can only be described as a mixture of hatred and amusement at Thea. "I think it would be fine, but I would prefer not to be pink. Hopefully it will be gone by the hatching." That is if the hatching is more than a month away, for the weavers told her it would take that long for the dye to fully disappear from her skin. Once Ysa makes her comment, another glance is given to Kilaueth. Better not try her luck so odd colored. Instead, she approaches the more eager Ella and her eggs. "I think I'll stay on this side, thank you." Oh my, she actually has said something to Ysa in months! Yet her eyes won't even meet the junior weyrwoman's, instead they are on the eggs. One particular egg is spotted, but her legs go in the opposite direction. Saving that one for last. So to one she hasn't touched before she goes, the Big Wheel Egg. Carefully she crouches down and places her palm on the hard shell.
Rohelte almost looks like she wants to go touch one or two of Kilaueth's eggs, but like Neferennu, she stays on Ellamariseth's side. She's not all that talkative right now, as she meanders between eggs, looking at this shell variation and that, before she finally comes to a halt before The Dim and the Dark Egg, placing the palm of her hand against the hard shell, near the band of mahogany that circles it.
Neferennu smiles at the egg, carassing the shell softly. As the feeling leaves her mind, her hand is pulled away and she remains crouched there for a little while. A moment considering whether to touch it again or not, the decision is made with the latter as she scoots a bit of the ways down to the Along Came A Spider Egg and gently places her fingers on it. The coloration has kept her from seeing this egg before, but now she'll be brave and see what it is like.
Ysa doesn't really manage to study the candidates much. That is until she actually reaches Ellamariseth's side and her green eyes do focus on them more sharply, specifically those that weren't their natural color. "What in Faranth's name happened to /ya/?" This is directed in Thea's direction, though, as the polka dotted one seems to be seen first. But then Neferennu's talking and her jaw sets for a moment, the goldrider's eyes swinging in her direction. "If ya don't remember to be respectful and address me by my title, Candidate, than ya might not be finding yourself down on the sands too often." The gold gives a displeased rumble, though her head turns to focus on her lifemate with a snort. While the gold turns back to regard the candidates, Ysa crosses her arms and frowns at Ella.
Thea grins back at Rennu in spite of the odd look she's been given. How to interpret that will have to wait as she's moving out among the eggs, just looking for the time being. Look at Kilaueth's eggs? Hmm. Someone's gonna have to sooner or later. She heads to the farthest fringe of Ellamariseth's clutch and gives Kila an enquiring glance. Just waiting to see how she reacts to a relatively 'near' Candidate. Meanwhile…she touches the Tragically Without Fruit Egg lightly.
Rohelte gives her shoulders a shake, like she feels something settling around her shoulders. Since this is the first touching she's /ever/ done, the sensation of something in her mind is a little unsettling at first. But then her brows furrow a little bit as she stares at the filigree on the outside of the egg, looking very perplexed at what she's getting from the hatchling.
Neferennu slowly pulls her hand away from the egg as the feeling being laughed at vanishes and Ysa is speaking to her. "Yes, junior weyrwoman." Emphasis on junior and a bit of acidity in her tone, though still doesn't look at the woman. A woman she used to call her friend. Instead her feet move to try and get out of direct sight of the woman behind the spider egg before she places her hand back on the shell.
Plop goes Rohelte's bottom onto the sands. It even takes her a few long moments before the heat manages to seep through the thicker cloth, and she gives a loud yelp, jerking her hand away from the shell momentarily to push herself upright and self consciously brush the sand off her bottom. You know, incase any cute guy was looking. Seperated from the egg's mind long enough to her Rennu's tone, she blinks and looks between the pair of women before slowly turning back to the egg, placing her hand near the the pattern of avian wings. "Y'gonna make my head explode this time?" She whispers almost harshly at the egg. "You really are an odd thing.."
Ellamariseth makes another displeased rumble, closer to a growl this time, though she steps in front of Ysa. Her eyes were on Neferennu in a glare. "How about we try that again, next time? Need I remind ya that you're still a candidate? Feel free to bother Kilaueth's clutch." The acidity in her tone isn't quite masked at all, though she holds back from another growl from the queen before Ellamariseth turns to croon over the candidates. Keep touching! Nothing to see here! Ysa settles her weight against the golden foreleg, taking a long swig of her wine as she does so.
Thea tilts her head as though considering something. "I am 18 Turns old, she says softly, so quietly those nearby may not hear her." There's a pause before she adds, "From Coldstone Hold. Yes far away and yes…there are mountains there." She smiles at something, known only to her. And perhaps now someone else. She patpats the egg and as she does so, contact is broken. Ysa's question registers and she answers wyrly, "Weyrwoman, I had an encounter with a vat of dye, a brown dragon, a box of baby tunnelsnakes and my friend Rennu." She pauses, muttering, "Blasted Delgin ought to be pink-speckled, not I."
Neferennu pulls her hand away from the egg again and just stares at Ysa, or where Ysa is hidden behind Ellamariseth. For a good moment she just stands there, glaring, before wetting lips and speaking again. "Yes, I am a candidate and yes, you are a goldrider. One who I was glad to call my friend a only months ago. So why don't we just drop it and agree to not speak to each other, hmm?" With that she turns her back on the rider and reaches out to touch the egg that she has been longing to touch since the last time. The Possibly Not Doing Something Egg. This time though, she doesn't even bother to crouch or sit down, not exactly knowing how long she has left on the sands right now anyways.
Rohelte jerks her hand back without falling on her rear end this time, a little indignant at the egg's last swath of emotions. "I /am/ home, thankyouverymuch." She snaps at the egg with a touch of anger to her voice before she starts strolling the eggs again, a frown tugging at her lips before she stops to look at the Swax On, Swax Off Egg, marvelling at the carnival of khakis and greens upon the shell, gently placing her hand upon it. "And 're you gonna give me any sass?" She asks quietly, much like Thea's talking to her egg.
Trailing behind a weyrling master is the rather fashionably late Aradir. Who knows what he's been doing this whole time, but apparently he missed the call to get going. Knowing him, he was probably doing his - or someone else's! - chores. That HAS happened at least once, someone's pawned their chores off on him. Not that Aradir minds. Especially when he's not really doing anything. An apologetic look on his face (he's very late), he walks onto the sands, giving a respectful bow to both the dragons and the riders present. When it seems like he will be allowed, he moves to the clutch, watching who all is there, and taking a moment to look at the goings-on.
Thea looks towards Kilaueth's eggs and takes one step in that direction before turning and kneeling once more beside the Tragically Without Fruit Egg. This time she places her hand firmly against the shell. Her eyes slowly close and her face becomes very still, a tiny wrinkle appears between her brows. "Coldstone." The word is said in icy tones this time.
Neferennu frowns down at the egg and then crouches down, pressing her hand fully upon the shell, carassing it softly. Almost as if one would carass a sleeping baby. As hair falls into her face it is flicked aside, but she stays where she is to see if the little one inside the egg will come out of rest for just a moment.
Ysa was less hidden and more like kept from storming across the sands. In the brief break she turns to nod towards Thea. "Great. So that's what that mess was 'bout outside," she says towards Thea. "Definitely lets you stick out among the crowd." And then she's glowering right back to Rennu. "If you think you're allowed to touch my eggs with that attitude, Candidate." Growl. From Ellamariseth again, who twirls her tail around the angry weyrwoman. There's a sharp laugh at the word friend, though, and she drops back to glower. "Sharding tramp," is heard from the goldrider as she mutters to her lifemate. Funny enough, the queen was the one to be calming the rider, though her whirling eyes were now rising about the clutch to keep a more firm eye on the candidates.
Rohelte is so not getting into that agruement, whatever Rennu and Ysa are going on about. She's just going to stay in her happy (or maybe not so happy) world with the eggs and their unborn hatchlings. As twilight settles over her mind, she seems to tense up, but she doesn't pull away, since the shine of the moon and twinkle of the stars keep her in light. "Xanadu. Here." Her words are terse, like she's fighting back fear. "I come from here. Always have been here."
Rohelte's shoulders lose a little bit of their tension, though it's still there as she looks at the khaki's playing across the shell. She's caught between the need to be afraid of the dark that surrounds her and the calmness that this hatchling seems to radiate somehow. But again, her brows furrow a little bit as she leans a little closer. "Are all you guys so… riddle-like?"
Thea stands and her hand slips off of the shell. She remains standing looking down at it for a moment, before she blinks at Ysa's comments, "With all due respect, Weyrwoman," She speaks firmly, unconsciously lifting her chin, "I wouldn't know anything about her being a 'tramp'. She is my friend and she has been good to me." Simply said and without apology, but there is a small smile offered to the goldrider as she adds, "The mess was… an accident." Now which mess could she be referring to? She steps on to the next egg and trails her fingers on the patterns.
No, Aradir does not know what the argument is about, but he senses tension between the Ysa and Neferennu (as if it's really subtle enough that it must be sensed instead of seen). It's something he figures he'd better stay out of, too. So it is that he looks back to the clutch, hoping to fly under the radar, so to speak. He sits down near the eggs, a little more confident this time. A very neat and orderly mind remembers which eggs have been touched the last time. So it is that he reaches hesitantly to the Big Wheel egg, a fingertip tracing the circular maze emblazoned across it.
Ysa would have loved to quietly seeth in peace, keeping contact with her lifemate to calm herself. But she doesn't keep away from watching the rest of the candidates, in case something were to go wrong. Ellamariseth was doing her job of being an open clutchdam, rumbling here and there in encouragement. "'m not saying ya candidates can't be friends," she responds to Thea with a quick shake of her head and a friend. "So long as ya remember not to pick up her bad habits of hanging 'round flights to take advantage of the losers." Venom, much? She definitely out does Rennu's acidity. There's another snort at accident. Sure. The goldrider's view of things were obvious.
Aradir's eyes half-close for a moment, the feeling of waves entering his mind. It's a comforting feeling; the beach has always been a favorite place of his. Water that gently laps upon the shore, building and destroying at the same time. He is eager to let those waves wash farther if they wish to, eager to see where they will go if allowed to.
Neferennu gives a smile to the egg, completing ignoring Ysa in the background. Best to just ignore her instead of get into an argument. Besides, she keeping her part of the agreement she wanted, hopefully the goldrider will too. Despite her longing to stay with the egg, she stands and moves off to another one. This time is the dark egg of the Fly Chicks, Fly Egg, running her fingertips lightly across the top of the egg.
Rohelte opens her mouth, and her eyes because she aparently closed them at some point in time. She looks about ready to dive into the egg, but at the last moment she stops herself from leaning forward, blinking rapidly as she feels the hatchling withdraw. And for once, she actually seems to regret the withdrawl of darkness as she takes her hand away from the shell.
Thea blinks down at the Life is Short Egg, but keeps her hand there rubbing gently as if to calm the occupant inside. "Lively." Whether that's a compliment or not could probably be discerned from her voice, which is grating just a bit and she's rubbing her eyes.
Neferennu cocks her head to one side and then blinks down at the egg, trying to see something she can't quite see. So instead her palm is placed on the shell, and leans down closer to it, trying to discern something in that blackness.
Rohelte sighs to herself as she finishes pulling away completely from the khaki-multi-toned egg, wraping her arms around herself for a moment as she wanders in thought before her attention span catches up with her again, and realizes she supposed to be touching more eggs. Another glance as Rennu sends her to the egg the other just vacated. Placing a hand upon the red base of the Possibly Not Doing Something Egg, she awaits with a small amount of tension, whatever this hatchling'll bring.
Aradir's thoughts are encouraging and unafraid - he does not want his own fear to warn away the apparently hesitant waves. There is nothing to fear here, it seems, nothing to keep the waves from washing down, down, to the depths of whatever thoughts and feelings he has.
Thea's eyes turn back towards Ysa as she is spoken to once more. "Ah, Flights…don't know much about those, Ma'am. But I'm sure they'll tell us." Her face looks a bit uneasy, but.. there's this egg here. With a very busy occupant inside, it seems, for she suddenly snatches her hand away as though she'd touched a hot stove. "You are… jarring my consciousness," she explains as she moves away from it. Whew! Better.
Neferennu smiles and then pulls her hand away from the shell, looking upon it with a little amusement. Dancing is always fun but dancing is one thing that shouldn't be done around growing hatchlings inside eggs. There is another look around the eggs when she overhears Ysa's comment to Thea, though Thea's comment wasn't heard at all before. To this she just looks around once more, mutters something about herbs needing to be ground for hurt dragons, and walks off away from the clutch. There is a stop at the edge, to turn around and give a bow to the clutchmothers and clutchfathers, the dragons of course, and then she walks out the door. No word as to why, though she continues to mutter something under her breath all the way out.
"Rohelte." The teenage girl responds to the Possibly Egg, blinking as she tries to adjust to this new mindset. Talk about disorientating. "But a lot of my friends call me Elte." She supplies afterwards, her voice still soft and somewhat tentative this time.
"If ya Impress," Ysa notes to Thea with a curt nod. They were a touchy subject for the goldrider, and thankfully she wasn't a weyrlingmaster. She rubs down Ellamariseth's foreleg, watching the touching as intensely as before. A candidate walking off definitely isn't missed, with Ysa smirking in victory and Ellamariseth crooning sadly. The gold only watches her go before it's back to those candidates she still does have. "Ya got yourself the better group remaining, love," Ysa mutters to her lifemate.
As the feeling of waves retreat, Aradir pulls his fingers from the egg, and is left looking at it oddly for a moment, blinking a bit in confusion. Still, though, he offers a smile and a parting 'pet' to the egg, and then stands up. He looks around for another moment, seeing where all the candidates are. He notes Neferennu leaving, and blinks, tilting his head to the side. He pauses a moment, a bit saddened. But then, he can't think like that right now. Eggs don't need sadness! So it is that has he removes his hand from the Big Wheel egg and places it on - hmm, let's see…which one? Ah, the Swax On, Swax Off one looks nice - the Swax egg, he pushes his thoughts toward higher, happier things.
Thea looks surprised by Ysa's comment. "Oh, I guess I thought they'd at least let us know what -mihgt- befall us before then. Hmm. Who knew?" Obviously not she. Now moving randomly, she finds herself beside the Dim and Dark Egg. She lightly touches it with one fingertip. She misses Rennu's exit because she's absorbed by this. Ah peace!
"What?" Rohelte throws the irritation back at the hatchling within the Possibly Egg, her hand almost retreating from the touch. "You asked me my name, so I gave it. Don't sass me for something you asked!" And she blinks then, realizing her tone might've gotten a /touch/ on the loud side, and she immediately drops her tone again. "I dunno. Don't you choose your own name once you hatch?" Her voice is still tinged with irritation, because for her, it doesn't fade just like that.
Ysa's attention is caught again by Thea, a brow slowly lifting up. "Will finding out what goes on during flights change your answer to standing or not for the clutch?" she seems curious as she asks, turning to glance up to her lifemate as she gives a concerned little rumble. Ellamariseth's whirling eyes were focused down on the loud Rohelte, snorting in her direction. "There's always something wrong with your an' Arinith's eggs. The candidates are bound to argue with 'em," she says with a shake of her head. So long as the candidates weren't kicking them.
Oh now THIS is interesting. Normal stargazing is loads of fun anyway…but gazing up at a talking sky? That's better than regular stargazing, that's for sure! If it's been up there for so long, he can only imagine that it must have some interesting stories to tell! Oh, what conversations! A question is asked. And he answers, softly, under his breath. "Harper originally. Here now." His mental response, as always, it formulated more fully. Something more on the lines of, 'I was born at Harper Hall, but left after my parents and I quarrelled. I stay at Xanadu now.'
Rohelte's knees almost buckle, but she holds them tight as she starts to glare at the red background with the blurs of Possibly Something. Her jaw clenches for a few moments, but she's giving the hatchling the benefit of the doubt, since this time it waits calmly. Patiently. "My name. Is Rohelte." She states solidly before continuing. "I do not. Know. Your name." And her sentances are a little broken, like she's trying to make a point in her hushed tones.
Thea doesn't seem to linger at the Dim egg. She moves on to the sky-colored egg, pausing to answer Ysa's question with a thoughtful quirk of her brow. "It might, Ma'am. And again it might not. I just like to know what's ahead as much as is possible, that's all." Then she is touching the red spots on the egg. "We've something in common today,"she smiles down at it, before her face gets a shuttered look at a silent query from being within the egg. "Dreams? I was never allowed to."
"…Maybe…" Aradir breathes. There were lots of things he wished he could have back. But…wasn't dwelling on the past detrimental? The past is important - it is a foundation, and all things must have a foundation. But too much attention to the foundation, and you miss the rest of the structure. No one owns the past…or the future. What is there for the taking is the now. To MAKE a better future that one DOES own. Aradir's thoughts aren't scathing. They are encouraging, offering his view to the glistening galaxy. To the stars in his mind.
Rohelte almost screams at the egg, but she holds her tone low and even, if a bit on the angry side. "What? You scream at me the first time 'nd now the same answer is just fine? Fine!" And the last word is again on the louder side as she retracts her hand from the shell with an unlady-like snort at the egg. It may have tried to leave her with the feeling of a job well done, but it was more like a job of irritation for the young girl. Rohelte pauses then as she wipes a hand across her forhead before she swoons slightly, stumbling. Blink. "Ahm.." She starts heading to the edge of the sands, where cool stone lends a stabilizing hand. "I'm.. gonna go cool down, Weyrwoman.." She calls out with a salute instead of a bow, since she isn't sure she wouldn't end up on her face afterwards.
Thea is kneeling beside the egg now, one fist clenching and unclenching a few times. Although her eyes are closed, a single tear escapes from under her lid and makes a dash for the sands. She wipes it away impatiently. "I…can't…tell…you." She shakes her head to emphasize this. She is so focused that Rohelte's raised voice only draws a few watery blinks before her attention is back on the egg she's now pat-patting as if to comfort.
Ysa seems to be surprised by the candidate's answer. She leans more firmly along her lifemate's leg and takes another drink from her wine, though not quite the best drink to beat away from the heat. "That's interesting. So if I were to tell ya something that ya might not like, 'bout being a dragonrider, you'd refuse to take the chance to stand here and find your lifemate?" Ellamariseth jerks her head right back towards Rohelte, her eyes whirling faster and a rumble that is felt among the rest of the sands. Ysa stands up straight now and turns in that direction, giving her a quick nod. "Get some water on the way out as well, I know they've left a pitcher by the edge." Back to surveying.
Thea nods to herself as her fingers leave the shell, and she does hear the Weyrwoman's question. Her resolve is there with no hesitationas she answers, "If I didn't take that chance, then I would never have had a Lifemate waiting for me on the Sands, now would I?" She steps away from the eggs, still thinking apparently. "Nothing is worth being forced into a life you don't choose, I know that well. As to what I like and don't like… it remains - for me - to be seen. Life's funny that way."
It's the sound of Rohelte's angry words that come to him as the galaxy withdraws from his mind. Somehow he feels like he's learned a lot from the mind inside the egg…but somehow…it's elusive. Rohelte's departure is noted as Aradir withdraws his hand from the egg. And he blinks, looking around. Who all is here now as far as candidates? Himself and Thea, looks like. He's going to try for at least one more egg-touchy before they're shooed off the sands. The Fly Chicks, Fly Egg seems to present itself as a good target for touching. And so it is that he reaches out to touch it, running a gentle fingertip along the circles outlined on the egg's surface before curving his palm around the surface of the shell.
Aradir draws in a sharp breath, startled by the sudden onslaught of strings. Startled, but not injured or upset. Playful. It almost makes Aradir pick it up, and he smiles a bit, suddenly having the urge to go tickle someone mercilessly. But the urge passes quickly, and he tilts his head as the song seems to be fading. Still, he keeps his fingers upon the egg, fingertips caressing it almost in time with that "song" as it flits through his mind like glass butterflies.
Ellamariseth was starting to look more agitated than the last time. She was swinging her head around to those candidates leaving and those remaining. Ysa, however, was starting to look a bit more relaxed at least. "If you're having second doubts and want to know more 'bout what a rider does, you're free to speak to some of our riders 'bout it. The weyrlingmasters or— feel free to come down and have a chat with one of us." She motions towards the sands and the Senior queen's way. Though that dragon was more protective and probably didn't allow anyone to approach the sands outside of touchings, so it wouldn't really work well. "If flights is all you're curious 'bout, 'm sure someone will be happy to fill ya in."
Thea nods quietly to Ysa, who is close enough by now to hear her as she murmurs, "I'll have to talk to one of them, I guess." She sighs then and yawns, rubbing her still-damp eyes. "May I be excused, Ma'am? I'm tired and I think I ought to check on my hatchling. He might be hungry." And she heads off. Her ears must've heard what they wanted to hear, for the Weyrwoman may or may not have answered.
Aradir can't help but chuckle at the song, half instrumental melody, and half…a heartbeat? He listens closely, trying to pick out that heartbeat from the rest of the song. Having grown up around Harpers, he is familiar with the strains of music…and he uses this to his advantage, trying to discern the heartbeat. Is it a heart? His mind approaches as he listens to the song within….
Aradir wants to dance with the strings. He offers melodies of memory, hoping to harmonize. But as the song draws away, trying to pull him to it, he draws his hand back from the egg. Nope…can't go with you, sorry. Would love to…but can't. He blinks. What do you know? Singing eggs! That's quite interesting. He looks up, seeing that he's the only Candidate left now, and stands up, dusting the sand off his pants. He gives a bow to the dragons and riders present - Ysa included! - and then carefully moves off the sands in an orderly fashion. Though…since there's only one of him, that's rather unnecessary….
Ellamariseth anxiously looks after the other girl as she moves off before Ysa gives a tired sigh. "Well, nothing happened. I guess… Hopefully the touchings will go much quieter and smoother, love." Though she doesn't look like she might believe that herself. She nods after Thea and then smiles to Aradir as he heads off as well. The last candidate is watched until he's well out of sight before the goldrider moves off herself from the hot sands to cool off.