Touching of the Smoke & Mirrors Clutch

[Symphony]

It was an ugly day.

No matter what anyone said, the weather rarely cooperated. But wind and rain aside, life went on. The sky was near to black in the middle of the day, it was humid enough to form sweat in record time, and the rain was coming down in buckets. Candidates had been informed that just after breakfast, the Touching would begin, and they were to come. Standard procedure was for the candidates to file in, bow to the clutchmother (or surrogate in Ariannalyth's case), and then move about carefully touching the eggs until they were dismissed. Whether it was a bright, beautiful day or a positively disgusting one, the fact remained that the Touching was scheduled. Odds were, all the candidates would resemble drowned rats as they arrived on the Hatching Sands. It was a good thing that the cavern was blocked off. No rain fell inside, the wind was sheared by the heavy stone walls, and the eggs were nice and safe.

The clutch was settled at the middle of the Hatching Sands, and Ariannalyth curled around it protectively. Breakfast time had come and gone, soon the candidates would be filtering in. The queen's eyes whirled, waiting for their arrival. She didn't mind people visiting the Stands but she was not looking forward to them coming in and poking at the eggs. Like all golds, her protective streak was distinctly formed. It had taken Liyanna quite a bit of persuading to convince her that the candidates had to be allowed on the Sands, and she agreed only on the terms that Liyanna be there to mediate. If any of them misbehaved, she wanted her rider to be able to tell them off for her.

You owe me, Liyanna decided as she stood next to her queen, shivering slightly. She was soaked from the rain and the walk to the Hatching Grounds, her clothes sticking to her skin, hair pulled back out of her face. She clasped a skin of klah. It was too hot for the rain to bother her that much, but the falling drops were like ice, and the contrast was unpleasant. Liyanna huddled near her dragon like a shadow, an unpleasantly irritated shadow, and ignored the hints of nervousness Ariannalyth displayed. She would calm down once she realized no one was going to hurt the eggs. As for Liyanna, she would calm down once she stopped dripping all over everything.

---

01. Mist Egg
02. Soot Egg
03. Vapor Egg
04. Ashes Egg
05. Dusty Egg
06. Smudged Egg
07. Blurry Egg
08. Smoke Egg
09. Illusions Egg
10. Reflection Egg
11. Scratched Egg
12. Cracks Egg
13. Mirage Egg
14. Deceptive Egg
15. Swirled Egg
16. Ringed Egg
17. Showstopper Egg
18. Pale Egg

[Shrimp]

"You can't come."
"But I want too!"
"But you're not allowed."
"But I WANT too!!"
"Ariannalyth would eat you!"
"JUST TAKE ME WITH YOU, ALREADY!!!!"

The white haired lad sighed, slapping a hand to his forehead before looking down at the pouting face of his younger half-brother. The strawberry blond brat was whimpering, with a pleading look that had soon turned into a frowning scowl as the conversation progressed. Knowing him, he would still try to slip in whether he told him to stay -- so Ketoh decided the lad would do less harm coming with him, than daring to come on his own.

"Fine, Hinuk. But you WILL stay at the STANDS. Got it?"
"But you can barely see the eggs from there, let alone touch th-"
"You will be doing no touching, you are not a Candidate. You're too young! No behave and stay in the Stans -- or I will prompt Ariannalyth myself so she does indeed eat you!"
"Oh...Argh! Fine..."

Seeing no way around it the 'brat finally agreed to the terms, scowling lightly as he waited for Ketoh to finish clothing himself. Sharding weather, it had been so annoying ever since the day they had found Minji and the others -- and those firelizard eggs. Looking out Ketoh noticed it was indeed down pouring from the skies once more, the male giving a silent curse before he dove into the rain, making a bee-line to the Hatching Cavern. Hinuk was more lucky, hidden in the cloak Ketoh had placed over him to detour some of the rain from his skin and clothe, though Hinuk ended up rather dried in comparison to the brother once they arrived to the warm sands. Taking his cloak off he made Hinuk keep it, before sternly watching to make sure the boy sat in the Stands -- and that he stayed there. So far so good.

Still considerably soaked, Ketoh took a few seconds to be comforted by the warmth of the sands -- pleased to being there right now. No doubt in Hatching time he would hate their warmth -- unless it was raining wherries and runners outside [like today] and he was soaked from head to feet once more. He carefully made his way over to where Ariannalyth and Liyanna were, along with the batch of eggs. He was still slightly unsure about being there, for the Queen had been so protective of the eggs. Still, if the Weyrwoman was here then they were safe to be here too, right? Giving a low and courteous bow the male smiled softly -- acknowledging both the woman and the dragoness.

"Greetings, Weyrwoman Liyanna. Good afternoon to you, Ariannalyth, I hope you and your precious eggs have been well."

It wold seem rude to acknowledge one and not the other, so the male simply added them both in his greeting. Still, he would go no closer to the eggs -- not until he was granted permission to do so.

---

"Why do I have to come along?"
"Oh, come on, it'll be fun!"
"Fun my behind, we're gonna get soaked on our way there!"
"Oh, you can stay at the Stands and dry off! Come on, don't you want to take a peek at the eggs?!"
"I'm not supposed to be there, I'm not a Candidat-"
"So, that still isn't an answer to my question. You know you want to look at them!"
"Nayza, this is not a good idea!"
"Oh, pretty please! I don't want to go alone!"
"Then take your little Princess with you!"
"I can't! She's sleeping, plus Ariannalyth wanted no flitts close to her. Amir told me so."
"Well, do I look like a pet to you to accompany you?"
"No! You look like one of my closest friends, and you will come with me! Now let's go!"
"Wait, Nayza! Let go, I said no, woma-"

The male could refute no more, dragged off from the kitchens by the cheerful and bubbly candidate. Nayza had left Princess in the barracks, the flitt nestled on her pillow as she slept -- with a nice, bulging stomach to show that she had been recently fed. In that same room was Amir, sitting on her own bed as she finished feeding Chast, before she pampered the flitt around a bit. He was so used to always being with her -- it broke his little heart every time she had to go and leave him behind. Still, he knew better than to disobey -- and Amir was glad for that.

"Oh, hush now you silly beast. I'll be back, and in one piece. Don't you worry. Now be a good baby, and watch over Nayza's Princess too. Don't let her go to her if she wakes up. But don't wake her up on purpose, either! Alright, Chastlove?"

He gave a croon, an affirmation that he understood, before the female cooed and pampered him a bit more. Finally, kissing his little dainty head, the female went to clean her hands, before tracking up to the Hatching Caverns through a sea of falling rain water. She arrived just after Keizo and Nayza, Amir being lightly surprised to see the drudge present. Still, the scowl on his face, and Nayza's giggling, gave away that he had clearly not com on his own free will.

"I'll be at the Stands..."

With that he stormed off, slumping into one of the many empty seats as he glared at Nayza, though every now and then those pink-ish eyes found themselves stealing glances at the eggs as well. They really were a sight to behold. Together, Amir and Nayza made their way to Liyanna and Ariannalyth -- along with one of the male candidate that had arrived prior to them. They both gave a courtesy of greeting, before Amir spoke.

"My greetings to you, Liyanna, and Ariannalyth. Such a fine day to get soaked, wouldn't you agree?"

The female gave a friendly smile, showing that she was merely joking lightly, before she walked over to where Liyanna was. She did like conversing with the woman, she was an interesting character. Nayza remained back, nervously watching the Queen. She was so beautiful, and big! So big, Nayza couldn't feel but be lightly scared of her.

---

They had been Searched not too long ago, the Weaver having just finished a batch of clothing he had been requested. Nothing too hard, a few normal shirts for drudges and Weyrfolk alike. After all, compared to the things his sister Reishy always begged him for, these were easy enough to do. Speaking of which, a half finished blouse laid on his bed, another request of his sister - with fine and delicate designs. She liked pretty thing, he supposed, and the male was willing to pamper them. They had been apart for quite a long time, so he was more than glad to see her again and be able to, perhaps, stay with her for a longer period of time this time. So Faral was willing to pamper her.

"Faral! Touching is going to happen soon, come on!"

A red-head poked into the entrance of the male barracks, seeking him before she spoke. Nodding, he left his project alone, before following behind his sibling. Reaching the Hatching Caverns was fairly easy, listening to his sister complaining of now being drenched to the bone... Not so much. But the male couldn't help but chuckle softly, remembering their childhood and Reishy's antics. For one that was an Apprentice in the BeastCraft Hall an who enjoyed the outdoors, Reishy sure did fuzzed over her image a lot. Ah well, it was a girl's thing he supposed. Once her irritation had died off, the siblings moved closed to the small herd of Candidates that had begun to gather close to the Weyrwoman. Since the others had already spoken, neither saw the use of an out loud greeting, though they both dipped their heads and made a small courtesy in greetings to the Weyrwoman and her bonded Gold. It would not be wise to ignore either of them. Not now, and not ever.

((God, so long... *dies*))

[Neeuqtar]

Candidate or no, Tiramnet wasn't about to let her birds suffer. It was bad enough that the rain was sleeting down, cold and ceaseless, for none of the three hawks would want to do any sort of flying in this weather, and hunched miserably in the mews, kept dry by the nice stone roof and walls, but knowing they were going nowhere. Tira herself was soaked through and through, her silver hair plastered to her head so that her scalp was visible, and quite unhappy. She could survive rain, but it was certainly not her element.

Catching food for the hawks was simple enough--she kept a cage of treehoppers for exactly days like this, for they were simple enough to feed and to breed. The birds greeted their meals with talons and wickedly hooked beaks, mantling over the warm bodies, and Tira sighed. She couldn't put off the rain any longer... grabbing her pre-soaked cloak and swirling it on, the falconer stalked into the rain, head down. Sight wasn't exactly necessary for her, given that her sight was incredibly poor already, so at least she didn't have to deal with the annoyance of limited visibility any more than usual.

But sky and stars, it was cold!

She reached the Hatching Grounds looking about as pleasant as if she was a drenched treehopper herself, and on a whim, spread her cloak on the far edge of the sand. It would be sandy, but from the way steam immediately began drifting up from the soaked article of clothing, it would be dry. And warm. A rare smile crossed Tira's face, as she struggled to make herself presentable. Tiny wasn't about to move, buried in Tira's breastband in possibly the driest place on her person, fast asleep and a knot of warmth against her sternum, and the falconer didn't even bother trying. The green could be quite clingy when she chose to be.

Oddly enough, Tiramnet was wearing one of her few sleeveless shirts, for in the rain, there wasn't enough sun to damage her delicate skin. It was (thankfully) dark, a shade of charcoal nearer to black than to gray, and quite simple. The wet made it cling clammily to her slight figure, and Tira didn't bother trying to make it stop. With her breastband on, nobody would get the chance to see the details of her anatomy, and so she didn't care how clingy it was. Soaked wool pants steamed faintly at the bottom edge, and to prevent her feet from boiling, Tira pulled off her boots with a loud squelch, pouring out water onto the stone and setting her boots next to her cloak to dry. Sharding puddles...

Socks off next, atop her cloak (she couldn't stand sandy socks), and then, wearing a pair of the thick-soled sandals traditionally worn at Hatchings, Tiramnet finally made her way over, stopping infront of the Clutch and bowing. "Weyrwoman, my lady queen, I come to walk among your children and seek my fate," she said, lilting voice a contrast to her rather bedraggled appearance, though the arrogant line of her back and the stance of her body put the lie to any weakness. Tira was not a woman to take rejection lightly.

[Boobalicious]

Needless to say, Jevorin wasn’t much bothered by the rain. The cold water, a shock at first, was actually a nice contrast to the hot, humid air through which it fell. It was later he wouldn’t like, when his clothes would become little more than a sticky mass that clung to his body and felt as if it were suffocating him. That was the part he never looked forward to. But he could (and would) change clothes later; after all, it wasn’t every day that one got to touch a dragon’s eggs, was it?

And so it was that he made his way to the Hatching Grounds, rain or no rain. It was an honor to be chosen as a candidate, one relatively few people received, and he was determined that no weather would stand in his way of a Touching. So, as one might imagine, Jevorin was looking pretty bedraggled when he finally arrived on the Sands, his brown hair plastered down against his face and neck, water running off his hair and clothes in rivulets. He positively squished when he walked, but for all this, the youth seemed determined to be pleasant. It would take a lot more than a rain storm to ruffle Jevorin’s proverbial feathers.

Pausing a respectful distance from queen and rider, the boy bowed, a stream of water running down the part in his hair to the sand in front of him. He watched it for a moment, vaguely amused. There was no hiding the slight upward curl of the corners of his mouth as he straightened slightly. “Queen Ariannalyth, Weyrwoman Liyanna.” That was it. No fancy requests, no eloquent speeches. He was a candidate, a humble Hold boy, not a harper. Jevorin was never one for flowery speeches… or any other kind of speeches, for that matter. He was sure to put all the respect into his actions and the few words he did speak, so there was no need for anything else.

Unless of course one of them was displeased, in which case he would kiss ass to the best of his ability.

Since everyone else seemed to be waiting for something, Jevorin stood and dripped, waiting with the rest of his fellow candidates.

[Symphony]

Ariannalyth lifted her head as people approached the Hatching Sands, and her gaze fell not on Ketoh as he spoke, but on the boy with him. Her head swiveled, watching with an almost accusing air, as if daring the too-small boy to step onto her Sands. She was oblivious to the presence of the other candidates for that moment, only the smaller boy, and only because he was much too small to be on the Sands at all. If he came down, she was going to have a talk with him in the form of teeth and claws; she didn't want Hatchlings on her sands that didn't come from dragon eggs.

Speech made her look up and she turned to look back at Ketoh before snoring. From around the eggs she uncurled, her tail flicking in agitation, but it was as much consent as the boy was going to get. Liyanna looked up at her queen with a stern expression, saying without words that she needed to calm down, and then she turned to nod at Ketoh. It was a half-hearted gesture but acknowledgment was acknowledgment nonetheless. Her hands tightened on the skin of klah. Before she could reply, though, Amir and Nayza approached and she turned to them. She could hear rather than see Ariannalyth's fidgeting, and she mentally reassured the queen. They wouldn't hurt the eggs. The eggs were not in any danger. Though Liyanna reassured her, Ariannalyth did not trust any of the candidates or their companions in the Stands. Her gaze kept flicking to the small boy, and then the man with him. They shouldn't have been there!

If they hurt them--
You may eat them.
Good.

"Go ahead and touch the eggs but be aware of the state of your hands and bodies; the rain is as ice and you might try not to drip on the eggs as a result," she stated with utter simplicity. She leaned back against Ariannalyth's flank, the touch intended to sooth her queen, and it did exactly that. The gold stopped fidgeting, though she did look rapidly around at all the people approaching, as if to analyze them intensely. She wasn't sure what she thought of any of them. "Ariannalyth would not thank you for that, as she is already stressed enough. Go, and be respectful to the eggs. Just because they have yet to hatch doesn't mean the dragons within will not take offense."

Shaking her head, Liyanna waved off the first three candidates, bidding them permission to enter the Sands. The next person to approach, though, made her blink. The girl was albino, and she recognized her vaguely as Tirammat or something. Albinos stood out, particularly in the south, and she could feel the trepidation that Aria was experiencing at someone who was sick, weak, less approaching the clutch. Only sheer self-control kept Liya from demanding the girl leave to avoid a scene. Ariannalyth turned and looked at Tira before swiveling her head down to gaze at her eye-to-eye. It was an intense look and meant to intimidate, fashioned to frighten, and her eyes whirled hints of crimson. However, after a moment, she snorted and turned away. The girl was not afraid, and if she was brave enough to come on the Sands despite her state, Ariannalyth would let her stay.. so long as she behaved.

However, Ariannalyth flicked her tail dismissively at Jevorin, as if unsatisfied with the boy's greeting. Liyanna turned to Tira, "Go on then. Try not to drip too much." She then turned to Jevorin and she raised an eyebrow, the unspoken Are you going to ask or not? hanging in the air. Unlike the others, she did not wave him off. He had irritated Aria, although the queen was focusing more on the two in the Stands once more. Is he allowed, Aria? The boy needs to learn manners. But yes. "The same for you. Go and try not to drip. And Aria says in the future to learn manners and ask. Next time she won't take your simple greeting lightly."

[Shrimp]

He could see the Queen's fidgeting, and her glances towards the Stands -- towards Hinuk. Ketoh only hoped the boy behaved. A glance backwards assured him he was still in the Stands, and now accompanied by an albino drudge who sat not too far away. Well, some company might keep him from going off and trying something reckless -- though he only hoped the boy didn't got into the albino's nerves. He had seen Keizo before and, though he tolerated Nayza, he wasn't sure how he would react to Hinuk. As Liyanna nodded towards him he slowly moved to the eggs, making sure his hands were as dry as they could be.He then proceeded to touch eggs as he went, barely leaving his hands on them for more than a few seconds, half a minute at most. Ketoh didn't want to risk even dirtying a shell by mistake, else Aria would surely eat him.

The first three he touched were the Mist Egg, Reflection Egg and Dusty Egg -- followed afterwards by the Deceptive Egg and the Swirled Egg. He couldn't help feel nervous, and yet at teh touch of each egg his heart jumped. Their texture in some was smooth, while others felt slightly rougher -- some even fooled one into believing they were one texture by gaze, before touching them and realizing they were the complete opposite. He turned to watch the rest present, before continuing along.

---

As permission was given, Nayza gave a jump of happiness, though before she could bolt or anything Amir was able to grasp her by the elbow lightly. There were no words, but the younger lass understood immediately. She had better calm down and be careful, or Amir wold not save her skin from an enraged Ariannalyth. Still, while she watched Nayza go off -- carefully touching the Pale Egg, Showstopper Egg and Mirage Egg as she went -- Amir didn't move from her spot not too far from Liyanna, though she gave the Weyrwoman a respectful distance of personal space.

"Liyanna, have you seen Minji around? I didn't see her on the Kitchens..."

Perhaps the artist was just running late, Amir certainly hoped so. Sh eliked the girl and her personality -- a very bright contrast to the usual bickering of Nayza and Keizo that Amir often put up with. Sure, she liked Nayza and Keizo as well -- though they could become... Suffocating after a while. Ah well, she had decided she would wait for Minji before going to touch any of the eggs. Tira was next, and silently her blue eyes inspected the appearance of her. Another albino? She had thought them to be rare. Nayza had also noticed, though the brunette kept on touching the eggs for now. No doubt she would tease Keizo about it later. An albino and a female, maybe they had found the perfect match for him! Not that he would agree to it or enjoy the teasing.

The behavior of Aria was mildly surprising, ad yet Amir couldn't really blame the Queen or anything. All mothers, regardless of species, wanted the best for their babies -- no doubt a person with a genetic condition would be judged as inferior. It happened in the human world, nd on various other kinds of creatures. Why should it not happen in dragons? Perhaps that was the main reason for Keizo's reluctance into coming? Other than knowing he was not allowed in by rules, unless it was hatching time and he was carrying buckets of meat for the hatchlings and their bonds.

---

Faral and Reishy stayed fairly close through out the whole ordeal, both siblings touching the same eggs, though one at a time - of course. No need to confuse the hatchling inside by placing two persons to touch the same egg at the same time. The Blurry Egg, Vapor Egg, Ashes Egg, Scratched Egg and Cracks Egg Were among some of their beginning "choices", not that any of the candidates were autonomously picking the egg(s) they wanted. They simply went along and touched shells randomly - and as delicately as they could muster.

---

The golden behemoth continued to stare in their direction throug out the whole thing, Keizo shifting uncomfortably in his seat as pink eyes gazed back at the Queen. Sure, they were not meant to be here, but he had expected she'd be far more busier keeping an eye on Candidates touching eggs than on to a small brat of a boy and himself. Not that she seemed to be gazing at him much either, but more at the boy. And now that he thought about it, he did look relatively young. Too young to be meant to be here. No doubt the boy had come along with one of the Candidates, but whom?

A quick gaze found the other lad with white hair, though amusing enough he was not an albino. Ah yes, he remembered the pair from that Firelizard clutch. They had arrived soaking wet from the rain along with others, and a girl who had found the eggs. As he kept on gazing at the boy he forgot he was doing so -- until, eventually, the brat turned and caught his stare.

A glare formed in Hinuk's features as he spotted the albino staring at him, before he snorted lightly. Did he looked like some show runner to be gazed at? Certainly not, and even less by such an inferior creature. Pink eyes! The tell-tale sign of albinos, if the pale white [almost ghost-like] skin wasn't enough. He would have suspected of Ketoh as well to share this trait, though the lad had color in his golden eyes, and managed to tan and keep the color. So he was definitely not an albino -- not that it stopped Hinuk from trying to be better than him at everything. His feet thumped against the seat in which he was while he turned away, ignoring Keizo now, before focusing on the eggs. It wasn't fair. Just because he was one turn. one, too young he wasn't allowed to Stand. It just wasn't fair! He was just as good as all the others, he should have every right to stand, and to touch the eggs! Why could Ketoh do it, but not him? Surely they could all see he was so much better at everything than that male! Hmph.

[Neeuqtar]

Tira met Ariannalyth's gaze without visible trepidation, though it was a rather nervy moment, the crimson-stained facets seeing her, dismissing her, as less worthy. But she met it, stood her ground. Tiramnet had been through far more than most of the soft Candidates. Not for nothing had she been raised in the wilderness, nor spent months there to gain what she wanted. Nobody would stand in her way--not even protective queen dragons. At last the intense gaze left, leaving her a bit woozy. A test, then? It seemed she had passed, been accepted by a red stare more frightening than her own blood-marked gaze.

The falconer listened to the Weyrwoman without really listening, then bowed and stepped back, almost running into the rather rude Jevorin. Tira glared at him before moving to the side of the Deceptive Egg, squatting down and holding her hand a fraction of space away from the shell, fingers curled gently out, not quite touching, the dampness of her skin slowly receding, faced with the incredible heat of the Sands and the eggs themselves. After a moment, Tira set her fingertips on the egg, keeping her gloved palms away. That much cold she would not inflict on the little eyases, protected though they were in their eggs. She ignored Ketoh entirely, focusing instead on the feeling of the egg. Sharp, indifferent... a hunter.

Tira nodded after a moment, moving to the small Reflection Egg quite on accident, wavering her head quickly to catch the distance away before moving closer. It was almost pathetically friendly to her touch, and the girl tapped out a little staccato rhythm with her fingers on the shell. Lass had always loved it when she had done that, tapping on the ground and on the canine herself, driving the shepherd-canine wild with delight. A good memory, but Tira moved on. She could not spend all her time with one egg, for unlike the eyases (Tira could not help but think of the dragonets as baby hawks) within, their strengths could not be told with a look, or even a touch.

The Scratches Egg captured her next, with the aloof observance that had drawn her to pluck Sky from her nest. Tira almost giggled, a girly sound utterly at odds with her appearance and personality, but bit it back, trying to mentally scold Tiny, who had decided that she needed to burrow around inside of Tira's breastband, driving the girl to near-madness with scrabbly talons and the nudges and wiggles of the small body. Trying to surruptitiously keep the green from getting her splint stuck, Tira ducked down next to the Showstopper Egg, which would hopefully take the attention from her.

Scolding under her breath, Tira managed to poke the small creature sharing her breastband to a more comfortable position, before actually touching the brilliant egg serving as her cover from the penetrating eyes of Ariannalyth. A surge of movement rushed over her, a readiness to burst out, and Tira quickly removed her hand. She neither wanted--nor needed--such enthusiasm from a dragon. But what had she expected from such a shocking shell. Certainly the cool observance of the Scratches Egg was more to her flavor... Tira moved on.

[Nasrin]

One young woman lingered near the entrance to the sands, busy with removing a soaked-through shawl from her head and discarding it on the stone floor. There was no sense in Nasrin bearing the garment out onto the sands with her, for the heat was oppressive even at this range and she'd likely only spend the Touching giving off steam, and dripping on the unfortunate eggs. As she smoothed her hands over her damp hair, she let her gaze rove over the candidates already accepted-- however reluctantly-- by the gold.

A little time spent dawdling and tidying herself up was an invaluable way to learn how best to behave.

Drawing her composure around herself like a shield, Nasrin then set out to take those first few steps onto hallowed ground. She stopped while still a healthy distance from the clutch and let her knees fold beneath her; the curtsy she gave both queen and rider was something worthy of a court. Only the faint trembling of the fingers that lifted to curl over her heart betrayed the fact that the holder lass was not as serene as she seemed.

"I beg your indulgence, Ariannalyth and Weyrwoman Liyanna, may I enter to meet this clutch?" Nasrin was determined to ignore the sting of heat in her knees, glad for the rain-sodden skirts that hid the tremor that had claimed them in response to the pain. With her properly bowed head and downcast eyes, she looked like serenity incarnate-- even while attempting to forget a dragon's sensitivity to all things unspoken, the secrets of the heart and mind.

[Minji]

A beautiful morning it was; figuratively speaking in the sense for now. Minji was quite enjoying her breakfast, involving a warm mug of klah mixed just to her exact sweetness with two very warm meat rolls before her, and so far, besides the walk from the candidate barracks to the kitchen/dining cavern area, it was not as bad as what was currently thought of. But of course, not everything in life was always perfect going, no matter what or how, something was always bound to spring up and make any one person's day miserable, in this case, the Touching that the young candidate, sr. apprentice artist, forgot about.

By the time Minji had bit into the warm roll of her second food for the morning, just a brief stream of words flashed before her mind's eye: the Touching was today. A look of longing seemed to fill her blue eyes as she sat at her vacant table, staring at the roll before her and the half empty mug of that delicious klah. Would it be alright if she finished her breakfast meal first and then go to the Touching? Or would she be in trouble for not going to the Touching as soon as possible? Surely no demerits would be accounted toward her if she finished her food, there was only a little bit left, and what harm would five minutes of her breakfast time kill? No one surely..

When there were no more food left on her plate, the klah finished, Minji let a sigh of fillness out. She was happy, and so far, nothing was going to ruin her beautiful day.. Until the thoughts of the Touching flashed before her. The sands was a ways away, though surely a litle bit of rain wouldn't hurt her any.

On her way toward the door, the rain seemed to pour harder, but, in any case, that was Minji's own opinion. She was full and brimming with warmth, until she steps outside in the blistering rainy morning that so far didn't seem to let off any. How the memories of the day when a group of candidates and herself were caught out in a storm somewhat like this.. Surprisingly enough, she wasn't at all sick, but she didn't really care to be sopping wet like last time. That was the last thing on her mind for this current time of day.

*Fast forwarding*

"I... hate...... the rain..."
A look of total hatred for something so simple as rain was apparent across Minji's face as she stood halfway hunched over in the entrance way of the Hatching grounds. It was the second time at the Weyr that she was soaked wet to the bones and she was not at all happy about it. Being soaked with water wasw fun, but when you were freezing your tailbone off for something, it was kind of irksome, though to a point.

When Minji scanned the facilities of the grounds, Minji recognized the Weyrwoman Liyanna as, since there was only one gold, Ariannalyth. It was hard work to get herself to move forward toward the leader pair as Minji's fear of showing her slight anger about the rain would cause them to tell her to come back when she had settled down abit. Whether the thought remained or not, before Minji realized where she was standing, which was before the Weyrwoman and her gold, Minji's eyes strayed toward the ground as if somewhat embarrassed of her short status since she was briefly reminded that she was still the shortest candidate upon the sands.

It probably took Minji three minutes before she finally spoke up, her blue eyes going for Liyanna's, toward Ariannalyth, then somewhere in between the two.

"Sorry if I may have been a little bit late, but I wasn't sure as to when we had to be here for the Touching and breakfast was looking real good.."
She paused, having just said the truth, Minji's gaze traveled eagerly between the two before settling upon the gold dragoness.

"Queen Ariannalyth, I'm pleased to have been given the honor of being a candidate for this clutch. I look forward to doing a portrait of you later on when you are not busy, and I promise to remain in the stands when that time comes."
The candidate spoke with humbleness to her voice, not really sure if it would've been wise to discuss such things, but none the less, she bowed with the curtisy the gold deserved before moving on to the Weyrwoman.

"I hope that I am trying not to be someone who I am not by being polite.. But I will say that what I speak is the truth.."
A hesistation occured as Minji snapped both eyes shut for the responce that she might recieve. She always spoke the truth, most of the time, but sometimes she wondered if her words where thought of by the other person to be impressive for something they might never get.

[Katy]

It was a dreary day, to be sure, but little could be done to dampen Iolanthe's mood. The brooding darkness of the sky was not without a strange charm; had it not been for the icy drops of rain, and the tempestuous gusts of wind heavy with moisture and chill, the girl would have been unable to shake the feeling of the blackened sky as a fur fully enveloping her, pulled over her head and tucked around her, securely and comfortingly keeping her tethered to the immediacy of Sanctum's grounds. Not fully anticipating the morning's deluge-- or perhaps, simply unconcerned with it-- the candidate had neglected to don a cloak before leaving the Barracks and shuffling off to breakfast. Thus, she found herself in the middle of a mild downpour, with nothing but her own arms to wrap snugly around her. She'd be willing to wager that Ariannalyth would not be pleased at the sight of Sanctum's candidates trudging onto her territory, dripping and slightly muddy. But what was she to do? She couldn't bring a halt to the rain, nor could she coax Rukbat from behind its misty veil. No matter; she was the same person when wet as she was when dry. Her footsteps quickened as she neared the Sands-- she hadn't truly felt the frigid raindrops until she was within sight of a locale that promised warmth. She paused before the entrance, brushing the plump prisms of water from her face and running a hand through her damp locks in an effort to make herself look slightly less soaked. Straightening herself to her full height and tucking her chin with the proper level of deference, she stepped onto the Sands, exhaling in silent thanks for the warmth that began at her feet, and slowly chased the chill from her appendages, moving pleasantly up through her body. It felt good to breathe in air thick with heat, instead of inhaling breezes of glacial temperatures that left her throat raw and her lungs aching. She approached slowly, coming to a halt at an appropriate distance from the eggs. There were already a few scattered candidates moving among them, eyes wide with reverence and apprehension. Iolanthe bowed deeply to Ariannalyth and Liyanna in turn before lifting her head to address them both. "If I may.... I'd be honored to walk among the eggs." Her voice rang with startling clarity, unyielding purpose spilling in low tones across the Sands.

----------------------------------------------------

Cador glowered silently as he stepped into the rain, drawing his drab brown cloak tight against him. It didn't take much; the already wet fabric clung to his skin, probably doing more harm than good. He ducked his head against the slanting downpour, exhaling to push a few stray droplets off his lips. "Perfect," he muttered, to no one in particular. He watched a few candidates pass, their steps sending showers of water from the growing puddles to meet the rain cascading from the sky. He stubbornly refused to quicken his pace, trying to appear utterly unconcerned as he stepped nimbly through the mud. Was it simply his imagination, or was the downpour gradually worsening? He glanced around hurriedly, making sure there were no other candidates in sight. Satisfied that no one would see him if he bolted, he made a frantic dash for the Sands, struggling to find firm footing as he ran. He skidded to a halt, panting, at the entrance to the Hatching Grounds. Now, he was not only dripping with rain, but also splattered with dirt. "Hm. What a way to make an impression." He snorted softly, shrugging off his soaked and sullied cloak with a moment's hesitation. He'd retrieve it after the Touching; at this point, it would only make him uncomfortable, and further his slightly disheveled appearance. He stepped onto the Sands, sucking in a breath at the almost instantaneous change in climate. He hadn't enjoyed the rain, but the stifling warmth garnered overt displeasure. Fixing a gracious smile on his lips, he took a few steps towards the Weyrwoman and her Bonded, his eyes fixed solidly on the pair. He didn't bother glancing at the eggs, yet; women liked to think that males only had eyes for them, and he was planning on making both dragon and rider think anything on Pern that would keep from being mauled, or hefted unceremoniously back into the rain. Truth be told, he was mildly fascinated by them both. It was a struggle not to stare at the golden brilliance that was Ariannalyth's behemoth form, or candidly inspect the petite Weyrwoman who radiated authority. He dropped into a bow, eyes never leaving Liyanna or her dragon as he spoke, warm tenor tones overlaid with stunning serenity and mild awe. "Weyrwoman Liyanna, queen Ariannalyth. Allow me to join my fellow candidates in the Touching?"

[Missa]

Cold, wet, windy and humid. The one day Ria wouldn't have complained about staying indoors, and remaining there for as long as possible, was the one day she couldn't. Every candidate had to attend the Touching, understandable, but did it have to be on a day like this? The moment she'd stepped outside to go to the Touching she'd felt like she'd been pelted with blocks of ice, soaked through to the skin in moments of being out in the rain. The sands would be warm at least, weren't they always hot?

Shivering as she stepped into the hatching grounds, it was so tempting to shake her head, try and get some of the water off. The moment she made to do so, she glanced up at the Queen, somehow, she figured that the gold wouldn't like it if she got water all over the children she'd adopted.

Glancing up at Ariannalyth, it was really no wonder the holdfolk spoke of dragons in awe and sometimes fear. Though beautiful in every way, there was also a feeling of command around her. A feeling that said so clearly that bad things would happen if she wasn't obeyed. Her eyes too, beautiful, certainly, but so very fear inspiring. Aaria knew that she was fairly hard to make uncomfortable, she adapted quickly to situations, but gazing up at the queen made her nervous, made her feel so very small in comparison. Bowing low to the golden dragon, Aaria found herself wishing she could stare at the ground rather than those whirling eyes. Eyes that so unsettled her.. What would that prove though? Only that she was weak-minded and gave into her nerves, and there was no way she was coming across like that.

Straightening, she smiled for both the dragon and her bonded, unsure what to say. Few were pleased with pretty words, so that wouldn't work..
"Good day to you queen Ariannalyth, and you Weyrwoman. It is an honour to be given this opportunity... I hope my tardiness caused no offense, I am truely sorry.." Should she say more? Probably best to shut up now...

[Rylvan]

Rylvan arrived, wrapped up in a thin woolen blanket that served well to ward off the chilling rain. During his stay at the Weyr, Rylvan had come to the know the place rather well, and it became nothing but a quick sprint from one dry cavern to the warm hatching grounds. As the other candidates approached the sand, Rylvan took care to hang the blanket on a small nook so that the fabric would dry a bit in the heated air and would be good for a returning trip.

Apparently no one else had taken care to avoid getting wet, Rylvan noted as he approached the sand. He watched a couple of soaked candidates as they set off toward the eggs. Perhaps they had just been too excited to come to even think about the cold rain. Rylvan was not of the sort. He did not enjoy being wet, but these others probably did not understand what it was like to not have a ready shelter over their head if the weather was bad.

Shrugging the muse aside, Rylvan turned gaze at the large gold filling the room with a strange glow. As protective as Rylvan had heard the Queen to be, he was actually surprised that a touching was being allowed. His dull gaze glance to Liyanna, wondering how much persuasion it might have taken to arrange the touching. Regardless, Rylvan would be thankful for the opportunity. He waited until he thought Ariannalyth would see him -- (instead of bowing while she was busy glaring at the other candidates) and he bowed deeply, respectfully lowering his eyes to the sand in a humble gesture. He did not say anything, for Rylvan was not one to waste his time on words, but he felt that the Queen would be able to sense his respect for her and the eggs, that he did not come to harm them.

Rylvan straightened, but did not move from his spot until he felt that he had permission to do such. He turned to Liyanna and gave a more courteous bow--not quite as deeply respecting as he had done for the Queen. Humbling himself before other people always rubbed Rylvan the wrong way. "Weyrwoman," he spoke quietly to the soaked woman, the barest hint of a smile showing. Nothing mocking, more of a nervous gesture along with his dry sarcasm. "Lovely weather today.."

[Boobalicious]

Oh. That was why he'd felt as though he'd forgotten something. He had forgotten to ask permission. Ironically, Jevorin had been so busy trying to think of what he'd possibly forgotten that he was distracted from doing the very thing that had given him that feeling. Although the boy wanted to shake his head at himself, he resisted, not wanting the gesture to be misconstrued. "My most sincere apologies, Weyrwoman, Queen Ariannalyth. My thanks for allowing me the honor of this Touching." Was that good enough? Was it going on a bit thick? Jevorin couldn't tell; shards, maybe he needed to find someone to teach him how to speak to finicky queens. It was easily the trickiest thing he'd done in a while.

Rather than linger to see if they found his apology acceptable, however, the candidate bowed again to both queen and rider and quickly stepped out of their line of sight. More candidates were coming in, and he certainly wasn't going to distract from them since he'd been granted permission to proceed. His shoulders relaxed a bit, even though he hadn't even realized they'd been tense in the first place. But Jevorin forgot all about this as his gaze rested on one of the eggs. The Mist Egg caught his attention first, and, minding his wet clothes and hair, Jevorin stepped over to it lightly and crouched, resting one damp but warm hand against the shell. The warmth of his hand seemed reciprocated tenfold, and it was enough to bring a smile to the lad's face. How an egg could be affectionate, he didn't know, but that was what it seemed. Warm, affectionate, almost... glad that he was touching it. How wonderful.

It was only when another candidate came by him that he had any notion of how long he'd been at that egg, simply enjoying the sensations that came from within. Reluctantly, he pulled his hand from the shell and stood. It wasn't fair of him to spend all his time with one egg. Still, he couldn't help casting a glance over his shoulder as he moved away from it, curiosity welling within him as to what the egg contained. But there were 17 other eggs vying for his attention, and he wanted to touch more than just one. No matter how wonderful that one had been. The Illusions Egg was next to capture his attention, and while he didn't talk to the eggs as some of the candidates seemed wont to do (he just thought that was taking it a bit too far), Jevorin showed it the same consideration as he had its clutch mate. Mindful of his wet clothes, he crouched once more and pressed his hand to the egg's shell.

Much to his disappointment, there was no welcoming warmth, as there had been with the first. Instead, there was only a sort of foggy disinterest or something equally vague. Despite this however, Jevorin spent a respectable amount of time with this egg, though not nearly so long as he had the first one. Getting to his feet, he cast about, searching for others which caught his eye. He had no 'method', simply going to those that drew him in, for it seemed logical that those would be the most likely matches for him. But something odd caught his eye, a glint, and he took a closer look at the Reflection Egg. How strange... Jevorin took care not to brush against the other eggs as he made his way to the one his gaze was now fixated upon. Crouching, he rested one hand on the reflective surface of the egg, closing his eyes and welcoming the sensations that came to him from inside.

It was easier to spend time with this egg, for it was almost as receptive of his touch as the first had been. But time passed and Jevorin found himself once again reminded that he couldn't spend all of his time with one egg, as much as he liked it. So regretfully, he pulled himself away and turned to inspect the rest of the clutch once more. He didn't know if numbers mattered more or if the time spent with the eggs he touched mattered, or if any of it did, but he was trying to make the best use of his time with the clutch. Eventually, he was drawn to the Scratches Egg, after which he plied his attention to the Mirage Egg, followed by the Pale Egg.

[Symphony]

Liyanna turned to look at Amir, almost distantly. In truth she was not excited at the idea of a conversation as Touchings were not social time, yet telling the girl to go and get a move on would be exceedingly rude, no matter how tempting. She settled for offering her a light shrug in response to her question. Amir wasn't Liyanna's friend. Neither was Minji and it wasn't her responsibility to keep track of random candidates. Did Amir think she had nothing better to do? The Weyrwoman did not give voice to such critical thoughts, because just as she was about to answer, more candidates arrived on the Sands. Liyanna turned to Nasrin as her queen swiveled her head around to look at the young woman. Her rather formal display made Liyanna cock her head to the side, though she did not speak her thoughts. Instead she looked up at Ariannalyth, who snorted back at the candidate. She would not bespeak her, but it was as much permission as the girl was going to get.

"Do try to avoid dripping on the eggs, if you please," Liya stated with a slight shrug. "You'll want to make sure your knees aren't burnt once you're through."

Ariannalyth's gaze remained critically fixed on Nasrin, even after Liyanna bid her entry. She was analyzing the girl. Many of the candidates would not have been allowed on the Sands were the eggs her own. Ariannalyth disapproved of them. The albino would have been allowed - she had guts, which set her apart. But that one looked frightened. She hid it well but Ariannalyth saw through her act. Fear was not an appropriate trait in a dragonrider. She snorted.

Minji's voice made her turn and Liyanna turned with her queen. "Look, Amir, there is Minji; you were so very worried." There was no infliction in her voice to make it clear what she really thought, as Ariannalyth examined the young girl intensely. The amount of talking she did made Ariannalyth snort in disapproval and she swiveled her head away, but she did not decline her entry. Her eyes did whirl in agitation, though. Liyanna glanced at her before turning back to Minji. "Ariannalyth has agreed to your portrait, but asking about it now is inappropriate. The eggs should be your focus at the moment. She bids you entry; try not to drip on anything as she will be most displeased if you get cold water on the eggs."

The other new arrivals were almost completely tuned out by Ariannalyth, whose tail twitched in annoyance, still exasperated at Minji for having spoken so much to her. Excuses! Excuses, that's all they were! Liyanna murmured something under her breath and mentally reassured the queen before turning to each person: Iolanthe, Cador, Rylvan and Aaria. "Don't drip on the eggs, is Ariannalyth's request. You may touch them for as long as she allows."


[ Terrible post, I know, but I wanted to not make anyone wait any longer. D: ]

[Rose]

Fariel

The redhead let out a squeal of dismay as she stepped out into the rain. Why did the Queen have to pick today for the Touching? She would rather have stayed safe inside all day. Oh well, a little rain never hurt anyone, she supposed. Just clothes. She wrinkled her nose as she stepped over a mud puddle, getting the hem of her skirt all dirty. Hopefully the eggs wouldn't mind.

She ran a hand through her soaked her as she stepped onto the sands, frowning at the sudden dry heat of the Hatching Cavern in contrast to the chilly dampness outside. Her mood brightened once she caught sight of the eggs, though. She was really looking forward to this, and now that she had braved the weather, the worst part was over.

Hoping that she didn't look too awful after her trek through the rain, she approached the Queen and Weyrwoman in a rare posture of meekness, her eyes lowered. She curtsied to the pair, then glanced up at them. "May I please have permission to touch your lovely clutch?"

Lienau

Lieanu grinned as he moved across the weyrbowl, safe and dry underneath an umbrella. Being raised by a circle of protective aunties had paid off, because one of them had been sure to send him off with an umbrella when he left for the Weyr. As he stepped onto the sands, he carefully shook it out, letting droplets fall steaming onto the hot sand, and then he folded it and left it by the entrance.

His gaze lingered over the colorful eggs for a moment, and he wondered if there was a dragon for him inside one of them. He could only hope. He followed a soaking redheaded girl to the clutch, bowing as she curtsied. "If I may join in on that honor, I would be much obliged." He smiled tentatively at the Gold, hoping that she would approve.