The Spooky Clutch Touching: Trick or Treat! Open!

[Waiver]

Gavryl was attentive as A'ral delivered his no-nonsense speech and nodded, jaw set firmly into something unnecessarily serious. The last Hatching and Touch he'd experienced had been disappointing and a part of him worried he wasn't worthy. Of course, the only way to remediate that was to demonstrate that worthiness with even more refined decorum, restraint, and law-abiding formality. It was only logical.

He only hoped that these eggs proved appreciative of his efforts. They'd been conceived during a terrible storm and the queen had been in an awful mood from what he'd heard... would such negative exposures result in more unstable dragons? Gavryl surmised this had a slim possibility but had not manifested here, after all the Weyr was not nervous about the eggs and surely A'ral would not be so utterly proud or driving if they weren't something to be celebrated.

The youth's musings, deep as they were, were interrupted when he was nudged by a comrade and realized he was among the last to leave. Awkwardly he cleared his throat and fell in line, attention shifting outward to absorb the quick address with the High Reaches Candidates.

He wasn't entirely sure why they needed to have High Reaches... Western had plenty of Candidates and he would, honestly, be loathe to see an outsider impress a Western dragon. Everything he'd heard of High Reaches flew in the face of the ideals he held close – a rider with the sort of mindset that colour made right would find it difficult to fit in here, and that might effect group dynamics.... and – oh! He was being nudged again and filed out with the others.

Upon entering the Sands, Gavyrl squinted as the warmth enveloped him and the heat beneath his feet made him step from side to side while he adjusted. There were many eggs and already Candidates were touching them. This part made him nervous... it was supposed to be an emotional exploration but the experience had few barriers between the two minds and as much as he was keen to meet the dragons, he wasn't so keen to have the width and breadth of his being open before so many strangers.

The ebb and flow of candidates soon brought Gavryl before the Goblin Egg and he paused a moment to appreciate its shell before gingerly touching it. Laying his hands out flat and smoothing them down either side, he could sense the mischief... but was there anything else? He couldn't tell if it was bemused or malign in its mischief.

Moving on after a moment or two, Gavyrl proceeded onward and touched the Vampire Egg. There was power there... confidence perhaps? The shell felt different from the smaller one and he lingered for a moment, trying to suss out the nature of the dragonet within – such confidence was something to be admired, affecting it could be exhausting in his experience.

Next to be touched as the Mummy Egg. Immediately, Gavyrl sensed boredom and a definitive aloofness... and couldn't help but question why. Was it just not finding any seeking minds to its liking? If that were the case, shouldn't the authorities be made aware of the implied stress of the dragonet. Gavyrl was not so selfish to wish a dragon to Between rather than find a partner. He concentrated harder, trying to assure himself that the infant within was alright.  

[Avid_RPer18]

Haizea had pulled her voluminous curly hair into a wild bun on the top of her head while listening to A'ral and Gr'del. So many new faces, she'd have to find a few High Reaches folks to chat with later. There was a more pressing matter at hand for the time being, it was time for the Touching! Once the go ahead had been given and the assorted candidates began to move through the beautiful brood of color eggs laying about in the sand. She took the moment to survey everything. Which to go to first? No sense in pondering too long! There were plenty visiting to do! Werewolf's howling paused her mid-step. A bit of a laugh threatened to bubble up from her, but she bit it back to a stifled grin. Such an active bunch maybe! Taking a deep breath in and out, the girl headed to The Djinn egg first, trailing her fingers along the white streaks of its gray shell. "Hello in there. How's it going?"  

[Meepfur]

At last, an egg that wasn't insufferably judgemental...and yet he had still managed to offend it, if only a little, by anticipating that it would be.  Fortunately, it was willing to give him a second chance. My apologies, he corrected, polite and sincere but without abasing himself to the Vampire.  He could acknowledge having made a mistake easily enough, but he wasn't the type to fret or grovel.  Correct it, move on, don't do it again. I'm afraid my experiences with your siblings left a sour taste, Dezerac admitted, mentally indicating the problematic Hunter and Angel, But I shouldn't let that sour everything.

I'm Dezerac, and it's an honor to make your acquaintance. The man accompanied the introduction with an efficient, respectful bow.  What he might have said next was interrupted by the intruding AWOOOO from an egg he wasn't even touching.  He spent a brief moment looking for the source, expression pulled down into a scowl, before blocking out the noise and returning his attention to where it belonged: on the Vampire Egg and their exchange. You've seen what I was, what I am, and not swatted me away.  Is there anything else you would know?

------

You like secrets, do you? Akaris replied, returning the Demon's coyness with more of the same. But what sort of secrets do you want?  The dark ones, or the juicy ones?  Or is it the little whispers you want, the things we don't want to tell anyone because we don't even want to admit to them ourselves?  Hoping that if we ignore them long enough, they stop being true. Those fleeting, gut-reaction thoughts and judgements about people that you shoved down the moment they flitted through your mind, the things you did when you knew, with absolute certainty, that no one was watching, no one would ever know.

------

Goodness!  The Werewolf was as loud as it was enthusiastic, and while with all honesty it was a rather difficult mental 'sound' to be so close to, Rio didn't begrudge the dragon-to-be its expression of itself.  And it was hard not to be swept up in the sheer, honest joy of it...why discourage or fight it?  He shrugged, beamed a self-aware grin at Alya, and looked just about ready to join in, head even canted back, but then he noticed that someone else had joined them to implore the egg to stop.

"She does have a point," he said reluctantly, with a nod to Esfir. "Here, even if you change the tone a little, that would help, too.  Maybe something more like this..." Rio's go at an awoo-ing howl was softer, richer and less shrill - a deeper tone not so hard on the ears (or mind, as it were).  He had a fair voice for singing, although being his first attempt at a howl, it was a touch shaky towards the end.

Tsunake

sorry for snarfing order...must be off to bed! <3

DaisyMilk

 

[DruidTigeress]

Migel smiled, not minding the egg's inquisitive immersion into his psyche. They were the same, just as he'd expected. That's right. he thought to the egg, warming to its touch. The best. He glanced back at Cesare with a bit of a grin. Even if not everyone knows it. It's a thankless job, isn't it? he thought to it with a smile. But don't worry, some of us appreciate what you do. Keep it up, I'm sure you'll be the best one day too.


Good luck with that. Nebbi grinned back to the Goblin egg. She was sure there would be plenty of people who'd be happy if it hatched sooner rather than later, though its gold mama maybe not so much. Lifting her hand, Nebbi raised her gaze to the pale yellow egg looming behind it, giving off an aura of power. Fortunately, she didn't intimidate easily.

You're a real hot shot, huh? I can tell. she thought, touching its gold shell. She could appreciate that. She knew what it meant to be tough.
 

[Teiha]

Silviu (HR)
The knobby-kneed youth was so glad he’d picked those two eggs first. They were friendly and didn’t seem to care how clumsy he was. He hadn’t even stammered! Such nice eg—

And Silviu JUMPED as the black egg howled! And then the bright green one! And another egg was making such an awful racket! It was so frightening and chaotic that his brother’s dragon, Tikth, picked up on the mood and seemed to peek around a corner into his mind. Is everything all right? Are the Candidates being sent away already?

The boy looked around, noting that no one else was leaving, though many of the other Candidates seemed disturbed or were outright covering their ears to the noise. I think it’s okay. He felt Tikth’s draconic approximation of a nod, and was grateful that the dragon’s mental presence remained with him, giving him just enough wherewithal to continue on to the Gargoyle Egg. As his hand made contact with the shell, he instantly noticed that no one seemed to be home. He wasn’t the pushy sort, so he gently “knocked” with his mind. Hello? May I come in?  

[Shaddaling]

Rylyrr (High Reaches)
Rylyrr set a hand over the shell and well, yes, he had eaten today, and quite a bit. Rylyrr was large and well, a lot of food went to fueling him throughout the day. Hard boiled eggs, sliced into thin circles with a bit of salt. Thick multigrain toast with butter. Porridge with a dusting of sugar and mixed with dried fruits. Slices of meat. And now he was hungry as well. He shook his head, slowly pulling back from the ghoul.

He was thoughtful as he skirted the cluster of candidates around the golden mother and winced at the sharp singing wail called. He took a second to collect himself, to remember the deep hunger of the ghoul as something to possibly worry about come hatching.


Yevalee (Western)

Yevalee paused and then giggled slightly as the egg they were touching sang out if a bit out of key and perhaps a bit more of a screech of excited joy then anything truly melodious. It hurt a bit but it was also just infectious. “I’m sorry your sibling is upset,” They said, listening to the egg scream out. Awooooooo. “But I am not sure if this is truly helping them. Though I’m sure it is a lot of fun.”

The Werewolf was a pleasant egg. If loud. "Do you think I should talk to them?" Yevalee asked the lively little black egg under hand.  

[Smerdle]

After the pair of confident, curious dragonets he had already met, Oer had kind of forgotten that these were babies, children with one track minds and moderately unrealistic expectations. He tried to pull that thought away from the Hellhound once he'd had it, assuring it that it was doing a very good job at... guarding... as he moved on toward—

AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The egg he had been poised to touch next was howling, their mother was trundling over to reassure a pretty blue one a short distance away, and Oerlen froze in place for a second, grinning at the absurdity of it all. Had he already met the Banshee he might have understood why it needed comfort, but for now his mind was filled with happy cries and a twinge of fear at the sheer size of the gold in front of him.

He nodded at the others gathered nearby, especially the ones who were joining in, then crouched to touch an unoccupied bit of the very popular Werewolf Egg.

Awoo?  

[magnadearel]

Or perhaps not so quiet. At least Hellhound hadn't made her head ring. She patted the bright green shell reassuringly. Tiny howls were perfectly ok with her, or loud ones with perhaps a bit of warning. There was a very sweet dragon inside this egg, she thought at Hellhound, for it to consider how she felt. Their rider would be another lucky one. Warily she turned to the last egg in the group, Werewolf. Rinis felt she'd heard enough from it already.

Instead she moved away from the group toward the far back and approached a mottled pale blue egg. Her hand rested quietly against the Wraith Egg.  

[Teiha]

(Blanking this one out and reposting to preserve Pach's post below. Banshee needs that mental hug, LOL)  

[demon_pachabel]

Lennik

He continued to ground himself to offer The Banshee support. I don't know sometimes either. Let me offer you what good I have and maybe it will help. I'll remain until I have alleviated your sorrows. Lennik opened up thoughts of his grandfather - a joyful looking man with some wrinkles around his face, with dirty hands. Dirty hands that were much like his from hard work. The type of hard work they both saw the results of every day in the form of riding harnesses that kept riders securely on their dragons, or shoes on the feet of smile-y children that crinkled up their entire faces when they smiled.

If Lennik was going to be this little baby's rock in the trying time, he was going to offer it perhaps the single brightest thing in his life in turn; his own rock.

---

Martirae

She stiffened as the egg snooped through this or that, but allowed it. Certainly, she'd allowed other eggs to peer through her inner self in this way in the past so it wasn't as if she was giving more to this egg, but it felt more mindful of what it was doing. Yes, there was strength there. She'd tried so hard to build up and bolster herself.

Her hand lingered for a few moments longer on the surface of the egg before she moved on yet again. She stepped back to take in the other eggs. It seemed a little black one had started a howl - less amusing than it should have been considered to her. She, however, pressed her hand to the surface of the Hellhound Egg. Alert and aware of everything. See anything interesting?  

[Teiha]

Vimiath and Talela
Though several of the Candidates had kindly stepped forward to comfort the Banshee Egg, none of them seemed to have much of an effect on it, other than to inadvertently prompt it to continue thinking about its fears. Vimiath gave Serfie a long look, but did not say anything. She doubted the girl had said anything wrong. Her child was just very sensitive and very stressed right now.

No one is to touch this one again until I say, the queen informed her rider. With that, she lifted the Banshee and bore it away to an unoccupied patch of sand. She lay with the egg tucked up against her side, her wing folded over it to shield it from sight. Vimiath curled her neck around so that she could gently press her golden cheek against the dark blue shell. As she would with a Threadscored dragon in terrible pain, she tenderly embraced the Banshee with her mind, drawing out its fear and replacing it with offerings of her strength and comfort. There, there, dearest. All will be well. Give me your hurts, and let me take them far away from you.

Talela chuckled. This was certainly not the first time she’d experienced egg-drama. And—even her thoughts paused to cough this time—certainly not the last. ”The dark blue egg is off-limits for a while,” she called out to the Candidates. “Please keep your distance from Vimiath for now. We will let you know if and when the egg is ready to be touched again.”

Revel1984

Because Serfie may need a new pair of pants~ ;D

 

[BastetAmun]

Henwas felt his hand slapped away by the egg and he paused, staring down at his hand. The word that rung in his mind was bully, the word the egg had spoken and he grit his teeth. Sure, he was considered a bully and he took advantage of people to keep himself and his brother safe, it was how he was taught, how he operated. Not everyone could be nice and keep themselves clean if they wished to survive...He pushed all these thoughts from his mind, trying to ignore the small bit of anger that was bubbling in the pit of his stomach. Two eggs, for the firsts time in his time as a candidate, had rebuffed him. Quieting his mind, and taking note of the egg Aunt Tally said was now off limits, he moved to place his hand, although it was a bit shakier now, upon the shell of the Frankenstein Monster Egg

Huarwar smiled softly and bid the Hellhound goodbye before he paused and watched Vimiath and listened to Talela. While he had been there, he had taken note of hearing the egg next to the Hellhound, at least that is who he thought he heard, a howling sound coming from it. His eyes moved to the other Candidate's around the egg and he moved to find another one to touch, making his way to the Demon Egg. He didn't feel as worried as he had at the beginning of this touching.  

[SilverLutz]

Vennodren's smile was glued to his face as he felt the contentment rolling off the large egg. It was clear the other Candidates had been showering it with similar praise. Hopefully it wouldn't make the little dragon inside too full of itself!

Moving on, Venn decided to sit beside the Hunter Egg when Vimiath reached over the sands to pluck the Banshee egg from its spot. He watched as the golden dragon curled around it protectively and he hesitated for just a moment, waiting for the all-clear to proceed.

"Phew...that was a bit nerve-wracking," he murmured as he touched the shell of the egg. "Hopefully your clutch mate will feel a bit better away from all this attention."  

[Mewsings of An Angel]

Kieza smiled and stroked the egg for a moment, enjoying that feeling of want. I'm sorry, I can't stay. I must say hello to your siblings. But maybe when you finally come out to join us, I'll give you a good scratching, yes?

Again, she stood and ventured to the next egg and was pleasantly shocked at how brightly colored the Frankenstein Monster was. It was a loud color! But it made the girl smile nonetheless. Hello, bright one! What a bright colored shell you have! Come join us, little bright one! Kieza stroked the egg, tracing the colors lovingly. She adored bright hues and this was definitely the brightest she had seen so far among the eggs.