[Khamaith Touching] Believe in Something

[Uta]

For a first time mother, Khamaith was certainly taking everything in stride. First thing in the morning wasn’t her favorite time of day, certainly since she had risen and could take that extra time to happily nap. While her naps were now happily cuddled up to her eggs, today she was bright-eyed and alert. Touching day had come fast, and the excitement that radiates off the gold is quiet but palpable. Being able to witness their first contact with their potential riders had her almost giddy. Gently, she’s checking on her eggs, nudging a small crest of sand against the base of a small egg. Yet she can’t fuss over them all morning, and with a gentle wave of love to all her children on this fine morning, she settles back behind the eggs.

Though looking a shade pale in the morning light, Ezyzu had been dressed finely for the occasion. Roused early so she could make her way to the hatching grounds, she perched on the stands behind Khamaith, brace off so she might weather the heat even up in the stands.

Her mind touched both Baihath’s and Turoth’s, soft and sweet. Our children are ready, as am I. Today will be a good day. Perhaps the last part was a hair.. hopeful, that nothing would go wrong. But she could only give off a soothing calmness, and see if there would be any waves that would need quelled only when they came in.

The Touching was really the only thing about this whole process that could be scheduled. Baby dragons worked in their own time, but a Touching could be orchestrated down to the minute. With the Candidates gathering, Turoth circled gently above the sands, Ar'ad astride his back. The large bronze settled down safely on the sands, away from his children so as not to disturb them, and he pressed against the edge of the seating area so Ar'ad could slide off without much fuss.

Once he was sure Ar'ad was safely in the stands, Turoth headed over to the clutch. He paused by them for a moment, a happy hum vibrating in his chest, before moving on to gently settle beside Khamaith. Her happiness was palpable and he added his own to the mix, washing the sands, the eggs, and the riders with comfort and security.

Every day has been a good day, he returned with a mental chuckle, his warm thoughts extending to both the gold tucked against his side and her much smaller mate. He was sure they looked quite the sight on the sands, but he was proud of the family the babies would be coming into.

Ar'ad made his way over to Ezyzu, a little smile and wave greeting her before he got within speaking distance. He'd managed to look a bit less worn than he usually did, the excitement from Turoth helping to liven him up a bit. He'd made sure to dress nicely for the occasion as well, wanting to reflect his dragon's delight with a suitable outfit.

"Excited?" he asked as he sat beside the young goldrider. While this was Khamaith's first clutch it was also Ezyzu's and he knew the thrill and worry that went along with it.

Baihath eagerly, if gently touched down onto the sands to let Alya slide off of his back, nosing her with obvious affection. He minced his way forward, pausing to touch each and every egg with the softest touch of his nose and waves of affection. Then, he happily made his way to boop Turoth, then Khamaith, before settling happily down in the sands between them if he was able.

It’s true! He exclaimed. The days have been very good! They’re better with us all here. Baihath sent a wave of love to both Kha and Turoth, squirming a little with his excitement, but also doing his best to be on his very best behavior! See? He could be quiet and noble and…. Ohhh, he wiggled a little in the sands with glee.

I am very excited. He finally admitted, sounding a touch sheepish. But I will be good! I promise! And if not, I will go away, so I do not bother the babies. His last statement had the weight of a lesson he’d taken to heart and memorized.

Alya had made certain to dress her very best, beaming as she all but skipped closer to Ezyzu and Ar’ad. “Good morning!” She nearly sang, clearly excited as she reached out to take one of Ezyzu’s hands, then one of Ar’ad’s. “I can’t believe it’s already time!” And look at her little Baihath, doing his best to be composed! She squeezed each hand to keep her emotions in check, smiling widely.

Khamaith leaned down to boop Baihath in return, crooning softly to Turoth as their little family had taken their seats behind their children. It was a perfect angle to watch everything with curious eyes, and though she was calm, Khamaith couldn't help but be excited to see the first interactions. No doubt, beloved. But I hope nothing of the sort comes up. It was the unpredictable part, but she would hold off unless she was needed.

"Absolutely." Ezyzu was practically beaming at Ar'ad, as bright-eyed and excited as her dragon was. "Nervous, certainly -- Good morning~!" She gave Alya's hand a squeeze, bumping her friend's shoulder with her own.  

[Uta]

With Khamaith's clutch upon the Sands there was every danger that the Candidates would once again forget every single rule they had ever been taught. A'ral gave each Candidate a measuring glance. "Remember, if you please, that even if you are not currently touching an egg, that very egg may be able to pick up on your thoughts and feelings. We've gone over this in class, but dragonets are highly empathic and telepathic creatures. They are sensitive, especially in the egg. If you cannot keep a civil thought in your head, get off of the Sands... for your own good and theirs." So saying, A'ral gestured for the Candidates to follow him. "This way, please, and remember to show Khamaith your respects before you touch her eggs." Not only was it tradition, but it set the right tone for the event. Once they had reached the Hatching Sands, A'ral stood by the entrance. "File in one at a time, and don't linger overly long at any particular egg."

- - - -

Closes: TBD.

Once this ends, A'ral will call the Candidates back to the barracks, and F'dral will usher the High Reaches Weyr kids back home. If your dragonrider was a transport, they are welcome to sit in the stands to watch. They also can linger in the Bowl or near the mouth of the entrance. Riders may either write PRPs or, if they're near the Hatching Sands or in the stands, can RP here. We'll leave it a little organic but if you want folks to touch the eggs, now's the time to do it!

Welcome to the Sparkling Mystery Clutch!
Please keep the following rules in mind.

• IC Action will result in IC Consequence. Remember this!
  
• You will not get to break or crack the eggs. Don't even try. If an egg is meant to break or crack, staff will dictate this.
  
• Misbehaving now can get a character banned from the Hatching itself or kicked out as a Candidate. Don't test F'dral, A'ral, or staff!
  
• Staff will try to respond to ICly to individuals touching the eggs. Depending on RL and time, we cannot guarantee a response to every post, but we will try! We will guarantee responses to at least two or three of your posts -- so make sure if you want your Candidate to meet an egg in particular that you have it be one of their first.
  
• Please make sure you mention which egg your character is touching by the proper name and in bold type i.e The Ding Dong Bell Egg
  
• Do not move your Candidate again in the RP once they touch a egg until you get a reply! If you move them on before staff responds, we will not write a response! Additionally, it sometimes makes it hard for us to know if they're still there or not as sometimes we're responding to quotes and not reading the entire RP.
  
• Please keep in mind that you might not get to all the eggs. IC events might cause the eggs to be untouchable or for it to end early. If you have a favorite egg I would suggest touching it early because we will not keep this open or delay closing once we're ready to move on.
  
• Please do not edit or backdate which egg you touched. We'll try to keep things moving in the RP.
  
• If you feel staff has missed responding to your touching post, please PM/DM either Uta or Mr Cheri. Note: Cheri prefers DMs, as he has a mostly full inbox. We'll quote individuals with their eggs response but please understand that it might take some time. Give us a day or two, as we both have RL jobs and aren't always able to sign online daily.
  
• We will move slowly due to how many eggs need to be touched AND the fact that we have less time OOCly than we used to!
  
• You will not likely touch every egg OOCly. So pick your favorites and get your Candidate to them! We cannot guarantee responses to from every egg to every Candidate due to the size. We will get to as many as possible, but to keep us from suffering burnout, we may need to wrap well before all the eggs are touched.
  
• If something goes wrong ICly or the Queen gets upset, the Touching could close early!
  
• Please remember your Candidates have been TRAINED on how to act around the eggs! Don't play them like fools or idiots because this is IMPORTANT to them. They could get banned from Candidacy if they act poorly during a Touching or barred from the Hatching. They all know better, whether they are new to the Weyr or not!
  
• It is okay if you don't touch all the eggs! You can either claim they did and got no response OR that they didn't bother with all of them and that's okay too. Not every egg has to be touched.
  
• You may join in or make new characters as long as the Touching is running. Once it closes, it will be assumed that all Candidates participated whether they actually did so ICly or not.
  
• To keep us from burnout, we ask you only bring in Candidates that you want to have eligible for the Hatching! You can assume your other Candidates are there, just not the focus.
  
• You do not have to participate in the Touching to have a shot at Impressing from the clutch.
  
• You may RP with others while touching eggs or waiting for responses. You may also have your characters remove themselves to the sidelines or the stands to chatter. Candidate should not leave the Hatching Sands though. If they do not wish to continue, they can sit quietly in the tiers until F'dral or A'ral usher them to leave.
  
• Once again, for sake of RP it is encouraged to touch one egg, and not move on to another until you are given a Staff Response. If your Candidate leaves the egg before the response, you won't get one at all.
  
• Any other questions? PM Uta or Mr Cheri
  
  Clutch Specifics
  
• Don't linger near an egg for more than one response! One response is about all you'll get. Why? Because longer responses only add to our burnout. You might be able to linger if the RP is appropriate, but you're only ensured one actual reply from a staffer. If the egg is actually seemingly having a discussion or in the middle of requesting more information, it's OK to do as they bid, but don't keep touching the same egg just to try to get more replies if the egg seems to have run out of things to say or do.
  
  
• For any reason A'ral or F'dral, one of the Candidatemaster Seconds or Assistants might move you on from an egg.
  
  
• We are NOT limiting how many eggs you can touch, but just assume you will NOT touch them all. So we still suggest you pick your favorites first! ICly, your Candidate likely had time to touch them all if they chose to do so! So get your favorites out of the way early or be satisfied that you might not get to see the egg in the Touching.
  
  
• We will shut this down ICly if things get out of hand, if the gold gets upset, or the eggs get upset. Please, remember, this is a Big Deal for your characters. Even new Candidates will have been told how to behave, what to do, what not to do, and the consequences if they break these rules!
  
  
• Again, nobody leaves the Sands even when they're done Touching the eggs. Just go sit in the tiers and wait. Riders may also sit in the tiers or hang out in the Bowl to socialize or wait for their wards to finish so they can return to High Reaches.
  

 

[Uta]

Khamaith x Turoth
3576.??.??
26 eggs // 17 PC // 9 NPC

1. Gold striped A medium egg.
   
2. Teal glow A small egg
   
3. Golden flourish A medium egg
   
4. Orange leopard spot A small egg
   
5. Purple glitter A large egg
   
6. Black and rainbow swirl A large egg
   
7. Green pink striped A small egg
   
8. Orange galaxy A large egg
   
9. Pinked striped A small egg
   
10. Yellow swirl A small egg
    
11. Sunset A small egg
    
12. Purple and teal swirl A small egg
    
13. Butterfly egg A small egg
    
14. Spotted green A medium egg
    
15. Purple galaxy A small egg
    
16. Rose A small egg
    
17. Green tribal A medium egg
    
    
    If you need to match what egg-is-what click here!

 

[SilverLutz]

Rundanrul | Western

Rudanrul once again found himself waiting with the other Candidates, ready to head to the sands to meet the newest clutch. He ran a hand through his hair, recalling how the last Touching had gone, and let out a slow breath to calm himself. He was pretty sure the only reason he hadn't been rushed by a baby dragon was because another Candidate had pissed it off even more than he had, so he had to be careful. It wasn't his fault the dragon had offended him and it wasn't his fault his offence offended the dragon...and yet somehow it was. He'd been practicing keeping calm, cool, and collected in the months between his last time on the Sands and now, though, so hopefully this time would go smoother.

Striding out onto the Sands, Rundanrul gave a low bow to Khamaith. She'd hatched just before he'd been old enough to become a Candidate so it was a little mind boggling to see her clutching. Had that much time passed already? It seemed like just yesterday that he'd moved into the dorms and began to take on the task of becoming a dragon rider. He gave Turoth and Baihath a bow as well, trying to hit all the marks for a good start, before approaching the clutch. The eggs were all quite sparkly and bright this time around which he liked, and he was instantly drawn to the fiery Orange Galaxy Egg that was laying on its side. He pressed a hand to the warm shell and focused on the little life form inside.

Good morning. You've quite the eye-catching shell.  

[Hattaki]

It went without saying that when Master A'ral spoke she listened raptly and steeled herself not to get angry should any of her fellow candidates make a mistake. Given the dragon who had opened her up, who had shown her kindness despite her mistake and had put her on a better path was the mother, she wanted nothing to go wrong. Those two turns felt as though they had barely happened suddenly, like she was back on the sands of that Southern Boll island where a small newly hatched gold had punched a hole into her with kindness. Now she bowed before Khamaith, Baihath and Turoth, the parents of the clutch while a warm feeling spread through her chest and warmed her entire body from the inside out.

Where to even go first?

Etansi walked out across the sands, her heart pounding happily and she took a deep breath to calm her erratic happiness for the whole situation, letting her heart slow down just a bit before she placed her hand on the shell of the Sunset egg gently. "Is so nice to see you, are you excited? Everyone is here to meet you." A smile was splitting her face as she spoke and it took an effort not to trace her hand across the egg in patterns.  

[houllow]

Oreune - she/her

It had been almost a full Turn since the last hatching and with everything spinning as it was Oreune wasn't sure if time was fast or slow. New faces were cropping up like, well, crops and she was wondering if this would be like the previous time. Minus the death, hopefully but she was only touching eggs right now. Ugh, this wasn't going to end well, was it? She probably was going to make a mental faux-paus somehow and end up kicked out, or on the more likely all the eggs would sniff at her and send her away with a stinging hand.

Or it could be like that kid from High Reaches who made an egg have a vendetta. Yikes.

Yes, if anyone could to that here it would likely be her, Oreune bitterly thought, but she still wanted to try. There was never any harm in trying and a dragon had told her (once) she had what it took to be a rider so why not risk it all? Worse came to worse she'd be enjoying a feast either way; those thoughts were enough to perk her mood up (decently) and she moved to listen and follow the others.

A bow went to the Queen, her mate, and the ....other mate, as well as to the riders of the dragon parents. They were stunning (Oreune liked looking at them and their markings for obvious reasons) and the eggs were no different.
Boldly (but politely) striding out she placed her hand on the first one she came across, the lovely Purple Glitter egg. It felt warm and hard and lovely all at once, and the teen crooned a bit. It's nice to meet you for now, but it's okay if you don't remember me when you hatch. You're going to get a lot of attention today and I mean a lot so like. Just saying hello first.

--

Haveli - she/her

She wasn't limping and that was more than enough for Haveli to decide to make this trip, to take this chance. Her leg had healed with minor issues thanks to the fussing by the healers and by her own determination to get things done, which had prompted her trip here today to try for the Touching. Haveli wasn't going to give up, not now that she'd found her goal again. Sure there had been entirely too much pointless floundering and a ridiculous amount of self-pity on the road to get there, but she was back on track now with her head held high. There were plenty of means to reach an end after all, and ambition needed not be limited to a single place.

Still though, Haveli needed to keep herself in check. Her thoughts had been calm and collected the last hatching (despite her having to be more or less carried off when her leg gave out), and no injuries had been her fault. Her talks with her Mot....with the Headwoman and the Candidatemaster had been fruitful; now was the time to see if she could actually bloom using what they'd taught her. A graceful bow was given after the instructions, and she picked her way onto the hot sands.

The eggs were lovely, as always, and it brought a twitch to the corner of her lips that the sands and eggs would always be hot and hard no matter where anyone was. The only difference was the overall weather, she supposed, but that had nothing to do with what was here and now. Haveli made her way over to an egg and placed her hand on the shell, sending in thoughts. Hopefully the Golden Flourish egg was ready to make her acquaintance. I'm here for you today, so take a look at me. I am all yours for now.  

[Tsunake]

Aerden - he/his

The sun was already hot, but the weather was the farthest thing on his mind as he stared at the clutch sprawled across the sand. He bowed low to the three dragons on the sands as he'd been taught, moving quietly to approach his first egg. His hand gently settled on the Yellow Swirl egg. Good morning. It was a big day for the candidates, and he was glad he was getting to say hello to the egg and its siblings.

--

Bukichi he/his

His nerves were well hidden, and Bukichi moved with purpose after he bowed to Khamaith, Turoth, and Baihath. He allowed his fingers to brush against the Orange Galaxy egg, drawn by the large, brightly colored shell. He did his best to keep his thoughts light and welcoming, genuinely excited for this moment even if he did a good job keeping it under wraps.

--

Serrekhar he/his

Wow. Uh. These eggs.... were a whole lot bigger than Serrekhar thought. Even the parents seemed huge, and he'd met Esurienth! The young man stared like an idiot for a moment until he realized everyone was bowing, belatedly doing so with a bit of fluster. Geez, the last thing he wanted was to get thrown off the sands by a mama that felt disrespected!

Slowly, warily, he approached the eggs... and beelined for the Teal Glow egg. It was so little and really kinda cute... That was a great first choice, right?!
--

Oranie she/her

Her heart fluttered in excitement as she marveled at the eggs on the sand and she unconsciously reached for her sister's hand to give it a squeeze. Coming to Western was a big step... maybe too big of a step, but Oranie rarely thought about looking before she leaped. "Ready?" She whispered to Elibrie as they moved forward, and she made certain to bow to the parents of the clutch.... even if a part of her still insisted that she should curtsy.

Where to even start...? The Butterfly Egg seemed nice, and Oranie gently touched it with her palm. Hello in there!

Meepfur

ONWARD, SISTER!

 

[TheWishling]

Aelyx - Western - She/Her

Today was the day. There was raw fear and anxiety in Aelyx's chest as she walked on to the sands without Huarwar at her side. Deep breaths though. Today was about the joy of the babies, and meeting them for the first time. She had to make sure that she was not upsetting any of them. Rubbing her face, she toyed with a bit of green hair, watching the sands with trepidation as she followed the other Candidates. Deep breath in, deep out. Gently grooming her hair in to a braid, she stepped foot and settled before the clutch parents. It would take a moment, but she bowed, looking out at the eggs. They were absolutely beautiful....

So she made her way to gently touch the Purple Galaxy egg. Why not? It was beautiful. She sent it a warm fond greeting, telling it how lovely it was.  

[Meepfur]

Nashwa - she/her

The time had come once again. As always, Nashwa had made sure she was presentable - even if the hatchlings-to-be couldn't see, it just wouldn't have felt right , like she wasn't giving them the respectful greeting they were due. They were essentially the honored guests of this affair, and deserved only the finest hospitality. (Granted, the Candidates were the visitors, since the Sands belonged to Khamaith and her children, but this get-together was very much not about them.) With her thoughts tucked neatly in order, the young woman bowed precisely to the Queen and those with her before making her way to the eggs.

She began with one of the eggs that didn't immediately have visitora, laying her hand on the shell of the Black and Rainbow Swirl Egg and offering warm, welcoming thoughts. Good day to you. I hope it finds you well.  

[Nilah44]

Varinia

Having just been in the kitchens, Vari made sure there was no flour residue as she cleaned up quickly before proceeding to the hatching sands. She had excitedly joined the other candidates in a line. No matter how many touchings she attended, she still found each and every one exciting. When it was her turn, she bowed to Khamaith, Turoth, and Baihath. Varinia found it pretty awesome that she remembered the gold's own hatching and was now getting to participate in her touching. Her gaze swept over the eggs, thoughts of baking filled her mind to keep her thoughts positive, as her eyes landed on the purple and teal swirl egg. Hello.. She thought gently to the egg.

((open for conversation))  

[Wylde Roses]

Rian || High Reaches Weyr || she/her

'Be on your best behavior,' Rian reminded herself as she moved onto the sands with the other candidates. 'Don't do anything that will get anyone in trouble.' that should be easily enough done, she thought --- it was just a matter of being polite and respectful to everyone and remembering that she was a guest. She could do that just fine. Harder was trying to sort out which egg to greet first; they were all so lovely, the developing dragonets within surely as wonderful as their shells.

Bowing to Khamaith --- what a beauty she was, no wonder her eggs were so pretty! --- she glanced over the eggs again. She wanted to say hello to all of them, but she had to pick one to greet first! That seemed pretty important, but the other Candidates (especially some of those from Western) seemed to have something in mind, or at least didn't seem half so unsure about where to begin, so ... she shouldn't overthink it. Calm down, calm down, excitement and nerves were a bad thing, and she didn't want to affect the little ones.

As she settled herself down, her eyes caught the Butterfly Egg, and so she moved to that one first and reached out to press her hand to it, unable to completely still her curiosity entirely. She didn't (and couldn't) know much about these eggs beyond how pretty they were, but she was eager to meet them and start finding out.  

[Zaikt]

[ candidate alisaide - they/he - HR ]

Another clutch was on the horizon--this time, at Western. Alisaide felt they were more prepared this time, given their experience with Zenobiath's clutch, and this time, they strode onto the sands more confidently. They bowed to Khamaith, doing their best to compose their expression into one of patient respect as opposed to unbridled glee, but they weren't completely sure they pulled that one off. Silently, they wished her and her mates congratulations for the arrival of such a beautiful clutch.
The eggs looked like gems on the sands, and Alisaide wished once again that they could do something to document this sight--but they weren't here to sketch, after all.

First, they approached the Black and Rainbow Swirl Egg, drawn to the splash of color on its shell--they gently placed their hand against the warm surface, opening their mind for the hatchling within to view.
Hello there! It's your big day. Alisaide took a deep breath, looking down at the egg in search of any sign of a response. I'm so glad to meet you, and I hope today goes well for you, too.  

[Meepfur]

Elibrie - she/her

If she was being completely honest, Elibrie had no few concerns about choosing to participate in the exchange: what if her sister Impressed and she didn't, or Juhvek did, or they both did but not her? Not that she wouldn't be happy for them - they certainly deserved dragons - but it had occurred to her that of their dragons were here, they would be very far away, and she would be alone.

But it would be worth it. So doubts and worries were stashed away, and the budding excitement to meet new eggs helped drive them deeper down. After they'd bowed to the clutchmother, looking ever-so radiant with her entourage, she accepted her sister's hand when the squeeze was offered and - with a look back to Juhvek - followed along to the Butterfly Egg. Hello, she offered, giving a little mental impression of a curtsy.

Tsunake

demon_pachabel

 

[Smerdle]

Rykin

Things were getting easier again. Perhaps it was because he hadn't been mauled in a while, or maybe he had just been giving himself more of a break lately, but Rykin was feeling pretty good about this particular touching. To be honest, his good mood probably had more to do with the comforting presence of the clutch's parents. He gave them a each a bow of their own—all three of them—before moving closer to the Pink Striped Green Egg and placing a hand on its warm shell.

May I ask you what you're thinking about? He was always so quick to start telling dragonets about himself and the outside world. Maybe it was time to find out more about them.

Brenley

After a terse bow that encompassed Khamaith, Turoth, and Baihath in one fell swoop, Bren shuffled off to one side to examine the clutch. He chose an egg that didn't have any visitors at the moment, and hoped that the other candidates might leave them alone for the time it took him to speak to the hatchling inside. He trailed a finger over one of the Orange Leopard Spot Egg's rosettes before committing to a full palm.

Good day. You and your parents rival the sun. It's an honor to meet you, even though my eyes are watering.