Our Very own Question Song ||Touching||

[Itoshii]

Jessie stood in the Egg Room, back warmed (almost too warm) by the heat of the fire in the hearth behind her. It roared as well as was safely possible, and though it had been the five weeks the teaching song spoke of not a wiggle had been reported. The entire group had been holding their breath and it had gotten to the point where Jessie had to shoo away the eager candidates, not wanting the stress of the unhatching eggs to take affect on the babies within. But she had been planning and had finally come up with a way to lift everyone's spirits. Even the 5 candidates who had yet to see the eggs, including Cairrean and Zoey, had been invited along for the day. She had sent an eager Darius to round them all up after their school activities had been let out before hurrying to the mansion in the woods and shooing any human occupants out with words about fish and fowl to be fattened.

After that she wasted no time giving all the eggs names, something she had thought about doing for a long time. They did it on the websites and it made things easier, right? So she had come up with a list of phrases she hoped would give strength to the little dragonets within. The Army, as well as the other military branches, had given her the list of titles, as she felt they were appropriate. They were to be Earth's first line of defense after all.

After setting up her, very unfancy, sticky notes holding each eggs new name she pulled out her real pride and joy for the day. Plunking the large duffel bag down on the folding table in the corner she unzipped it with a huge smile. If they were going to be candidates, they had better look the part! From within she pulled out a dozen white robes. She had gotten a friend of hers to help with any sort of sewing, using the excuse of Cosplay or LARP (her friend was huge into that) to keep anything from being taken too seriously. They weren't perfect, but they would be more the adequate for the event ahead.

She laid them out on the table, along with a small box of pins. They were all the same size, but obviously they wouldn't all fit quite right. She made sure to make them big enough for the largest person since they could always be hemmed from there. After she was certain everything was set there she worried over the eggs again for a moment, excitement overcoming the anxiety that the teaching songs didn't seem to be playing true. But who knows what the move meant for the dragonets within. She could only hope that they wouldn't have to wait much longer.


Though the eggs show little difference from one another than size, they are now all identified by fancy little post it notes containing the phrase that is now their namesake. They are listed here by size: Largest to smallest


Egg 1) First Among Equals
Egg 2) Often Tested, Never Bested
Egg 3) Guard the Peace
Egg 4) By Valor and Arms
Egg 5) Not for Self, But for All
Egg 6) Defending the Homeland
Egg 7) Anywhere at Any Time
Egg 8) In All Things Prepared
Egg 9) Semper Fidelis
Egg 10) Liberty is Duty
Egg 11) By Arms and By Courage
Egg 12) Honor, Valor, Victory

[Lynn]

Darius had done as Jessie asked, making sure the message was passed to all of his fellow Club Members merely to come to the Mansion, Jessie wanted to speak with them-some of them didn't know WHY after all-and then he returned to the Mansion, checking on the chickens, then the fish. He stood outside for a long moment scratching his head over how to round up the turkey covey-they could need them any day now after all!-then dismissed it for the moment and trotted back inside, peeking into the Egg Room, watching Jessie curiously.

Once she seemed to be finished with whatever it was she was doing, he padded into the room, looking to the eggs, working his way around them carefully. He noticed the oddity right away, the stickies on each egg, and his lips twitched. He soon got curious though, and leaned in to read each one, humming as he got the theme coming out to him with each phrase read, and he straightened once he'd finished and looked to her. "What made you choose those?" he asked her curiously. "Or do I have to wait until everyone is here to know?" he added teasingly.

[.:Nox:.]

Zoey and Skyler went to the mansion together, Skyler hitching a ride in Zoey's car. The cream PT Cruiser slowed to a stop outside and made their way up to where the mansion was. Skyler kept his mouth shut as they walked, wanting Zoey to learn about the eggs from seeing them, not from being told. He darted ahead once they mansion was in sight, and entered a few moments before her. With a grin, he hid in the alcove, then jumped out and pulled a face as she came through the doorway, earning a shriek from her.

She responded by smacking him on the shoulder, "Skyler, you brat, you know I hate that." she said, " So where in this huge place are we going?" She asked, her head swiveling around as she looked at everything she could.

He laughed and brushed his hair to the side. " Its a surprise, Zoey. I can't tell you till we get to Jessie," he said, then grabbed her hand and dragged her to the room containing the eggs. With a huge grin, he gestured around and let her go off to look. " Heyas Jessie. Hey Darius," he said, walking over to where she was. " Been busy I see." He looked at the white robes, and ran his eyes over the eggs. Frowning, he walked closer to one of them. "Guard the Peace...?" he read aloud, "Well SOMEONE was bored," he laughed and laid his hand on that one. " I hope they Hatch soon..." he added, looking over some of the others.

---

Meanwhile, Zoey stood there in shock. Eggs? Real eggs? "OmigoshOmigoshOmigoshOmigoshOmigosh!" She didn't disbelieve for a second, and seeing them made a lot of things suddenly made sense in her mind. She gravitated to the biggest egg, as despite the lack of a golden shell, that one just HAD to be a Queen. She looked at the stickynote, and tilted her head "First among equals... Hmmm..." she glanced at the others, then with a silly little grin laid her hand along the shell. The rough texture surprised her. She had always imagined eggs to be smooth. Zoey looked at some of the others, draw to another egg. This one read In All Things Prepared. She knelt down beside this one,  letting her hands run over the shell.

After a few moments, she stood and skipped over to where Skyler and Jessie stood. " I can't believe it, I just can't believe it. How did this happen? When are they going to Hatch?" She rocked on the balls of her feet in her excitement.

[summerrain]

Acacia was excited. She had gotten a text from Jessie not long ago about meeting at the Mansion. It was a vague text, but it had been sent to the new Club members as well. She readied quickly, putting on a short denim skirt with a pair of black spandex underneath, a short-sleeved purple t-shirt, and her favorite pair of black flats. She made sure her phone was in her purse, grabbing it and heading out the door. She lived not too far from the old Mansion, even though it still wasn't exactly close. She entered the egg room and left her purse by the door. She smiled widely when she saw the robes. "This is like a complete dream come true!" she said quietly.

Aster followed her unusually giddy sister out the door. Something had been up for a while now, and Aster was determined to find out. She was wearing a pair of red basketball shorts and a black tank-top, her short hair held back with a headband. She made sure Acacia couldn't see her, but she needn't have worried. Something had made Acacia oblivious to the world around her. Aster watched as her sister went inside an old mansion. What was going on here? She hid quickly behind a tree as some other kids went inside. They were all students at their high school... What was going on in there?

Cairrean was surprised when she got the text. She hadn't been expecting anything... Mansion? Did they mean the old mansion in the woods? Cairrean looked up from her homework, put the paper in the textbook, and slipped on a pair of flip-flops. She glanced at the clock and slipped out the door after scribbling a quick note to her parents. Everyone else was out. She made her way to the Mansion, following the other Club members into a room inside. She stopped and gasped. Eggs! There was no way... But... They were... Dragon eggs! She recovered from the shock and began to sing. She had learned a lot of the songs the Harpers sung in the books.

Honor those the dragons heed,
In thought and favor, word and deed.
Worlds are lost and worlds are saved,
From those dangers dragon-braved.

Dragonman, avoid excess;
Greed will bring the Weyr distress;
To the ancient Laws adhere,
Prospers thus the Dragonweyr.

[Itoshii]

She watched, motionless as she watched Darius examine her handywork, hoping he approved. She grinned at his teasing remark, taking it as a good sign. "Well, they're supposed to be our guardians, right?" She patted the Semper Fidelis egg beside her with a loving look, "Our own warriors. I thought maybe giving them strong names would give them strong personalities." She looked up as a shriek resounded from the entryway then laughed as Skylar entered with Zoey, realizing what must have happened.

"Hey, you know a way to tell them apart would be a good idea." she shot back. nothing could take the grin off her face today, especially considering the look on Zoey's face as she got her first eyefull of the clutch. "It's a long story." Jessie replied when Zoey finally came to a hault. "I'll tell it when every one else is here, though most of those coming already know it." A worried look darked her smile for a moment before she swept it away. "Hopefully soon," she replied "If my calculations are right we're around the Teaching Song's time." She waved Acacia as she enetered, though didn't interrupt her sentence.

Almost on cue, another of the Teaching ballads floated through the air, drawing her attention to Cairrean, which brought another wide grin to her face. At this rate she'd have crows feet by Hatching Day. "Glad to see you made it. And have been studying your books too, I see." She waved the girl over, "Little more than the debate you were expecting, huh?"

[Lynn]

Darius returned her grin and winked at her, then padded over and lightly brushed his fingers over several of the eggs, including two of the largest ones and a couple smaller ones, not wishing the little guys to feel left out. They were just as important as their larger siblings after all! As the shriek resounded, he laughed outright, his eyes sparkling as they fell on Skyler and Zoey, delight entering his smile as the girl got her first look at the clutch. "Aren't they magnificent?" he asked, almost dancing in place in an amusing show of excitement that didn't QUITE fit the image he portrayed at school.

He was standing next to the egg Jessie had labeled "Often Tested, Never Bested," and almost without thinking about it, as if he'd done it more than a few times without true thought, he ran his fingers over the shell, taking in the rough surface. Closing his eyes, he could almost feel the shell shifting under his hand as the dragonling inside shifted its position, and a smile came to his lips as his eyes opened again at the sound of Acacia's voice. Inclining his head, he was about to say something when Cairrean's voice floated to them, and he saluted her. "Well done," he said lightly. He then looked to Jessie, moving to examine the robes. "Heheh. Not quite what they have Candidates wear, but darn close," he commented, knowing that unbroken white linen and plain, unadorned sandals were the proper attire. But then, anyone who had read even ONE of the Hatchings knew that. Humming, he ruffled through them, noticing their size similarity immediately and nodding to himself. He then shifted to lean against the hearth, seeming to utterly ignore the heat coming off of it, although the beads of sweat that formed on his forehead gave testament to the facade even as he pulled out his little notebook from his back pocket and glanced at Jessie, seemingly waiting for her to speak.

[summerrain]

Acacia listened silently to the song that drifted her way from the new girl. She knelt down by one of the eggs, the one labeled "All things Prepared," running her hand softly over the shell. That was how she liked to appear. Prepared for anything. Or so she thought. Until a soft noise came out of her purse. She went over and pulled her phone out, face going pale when she saw the name. She pushed the Call Answer button and put her cell to her ear. "Hello?" she muttered.

Aster had called her sister because she was becoming suspicious of what was going on with her and this new club she'd joined. When Acacia answered, Aster noticed that her sister sounded afraid. "Acacia, it's me. I saw you go inside... I'll wait out front until you're done." She paused. "You've been acting strange sis. I won't ask you to tell me anything, but... I'm here if you want to talk. Something's up with that club of yours, both Galax and I have noticed."

"Aster, please..."

"Just listen Acacia," Aster said quickly. "You're our sister. We just want you to be safe. Promise?"

"I promise," Acacia said with a small smile. "And... Hold on... Let me ask someone real quick..." She turned to Jessie and placed the mouthpiece of the phone into her shoulder. "Jess... Can I please tell her? She's my sister..."

Cairrean laughed, slowly approaching the eggs. "No kidding," she said, reaching down to the egg labeled Anywhere at any Time. She reached down and ran her hand over the shell, still in a state of semi-shock, not sure if she could believe what she was seeing. She fell to her knees, feeling a surprising connection with the eggs before her. A connection that she didn't quite understand. She touched the egg with both hands, suddenly realizing what was going on. "The Red Star... The one from the news... It's the Red Star, isn't it...?"

[.:Nox:.]

Zoey turns around as someone bursts into song. She grins,  and waves at Cairrean. Harpers had always been her favorite craft, and she knew she would have at least been a Singer if she got the chance to be at Harper Hall. She decided to show off a little too, and started to sing one of her favorite ballads.

By the Golden Egg of Faranth
By the Weyrwoman, wise and true,
Breed a flight of bronze and brown wings
Breed a flight of green and blue.
Breed riders, strong and daring,
Dragon-loving, born as hatched,
Flight of hundreds soaring skyward,
Man and dragon fully matched.

Her voice was a pleasant midrange Soprano, and she put her own tune to it. " I love the ballads of Pern." she said, walking over to Cairrean. " Although I put a different tune to the Duty Song" she said as she hummed her version breifly. " I also LOVE the Firelizard song." she added, and looked over the eggs. " Now that is something I would love to have... A little Queen firelizard to call my own..." she trailed off, with a smile.

[Mother Nature]

Anywhere at Any Time

As Cairrean's hands caressed the mottled shell, a feeling of content seemed to urge forth from it, like the waves on a beach. It was there then gone, a kiss of something unseen. Or was it even there to begin with?

[Itoshii]

Jessie eyed Acacia for a moment, wondering if she may have already let slip the club's secret. Then sighed and nodded, knowing that the girl's siblings were bound to discover the secret sooner or later. She had only hoped it would be later. Though they could use another candidate she supposed. "You may as well. She'd find her way in eventually."

The smile returned as she listened to Zoey sing. They would need Harpers. Perhaps once the dragons hatched they could find some among the Club that would be willing...

[Lynn]

Darius was quiet as he continued to watch and wait, and once Jessie answered Acacia's question, he scribbled in his notebook, then returned to watching her. He was moving again though, drawn inexorably back towards the eggs, wanting to be near them. Again, he found himself near the "Always Tested, Never Bested" egg, and shifted slightly so he was less than a foot from it, one hand dropping to lightly touch the textured shell once more. "I always thought you'd be smooth," he murmured, more to himself and the egg than to the others. He then smiled wryly when he realized what he'd done, that he'd spoken to the egg directly, as if it could understand him and reply in some manner. Shaking his head, he moved and seated himself beside it, seeming more than content to sit there and not move, not for the moment anyways, just watching and scribbling in his notebook.

Outside in the shadows of the tree, something moved, something that was green, brown, gray and black, all mottled together in an indiscernible, shadowy pattern. The Mansion was being curiously watched, but not suspiciously so, for the watcher knew the reputations of most of those inside. One was unknown, but most of the others had been local for awhile now...

[summerrain]

Cairrean sighed quietly, smiling as the strange feeling of content filled her heart. But the next moment, it was gone. She sat still, blinking, looking at the egg with confusion.

Acacia smiled softly. "Thanks Jess," she said before putting the phone back to her ear. "Aster, I'll meet you in the front room of the mansion. There's something you need to see." After her sister's reply, she hung up and put her cell back in her purse.

"Alright sis," Aster replied. "I'll be there in a minute." She hung up and put her phone back in her pocket, then heard a noise not far from her. She whipped around, heart pounding suddenly. Someone else was there... She sent a quick text to her sister. Someone else is here, outside somewhere.

"Jess! There's someone else outside!" Acacia reported quickly. She showed Jess the text she'd just gotten from her sister. Then another one came through. I think it's a man, but I can't see whoever it is, so I can't be sure. Let the others know. She hurried outside, her phone in her hand. She shined the light around the yard, spotting Aster coming up the walkway to the porch steps. Aster quickly ascended said steps and stopped by her sister's side. They were dressed very differently, Aster in a black tank-top and red basketball shorts next to her sister's purple t-shirt and denim short skirt. But they were obviously identical, and twins if people didn't know about Galax. "I don't see anyone..."

"I swear I heard something move somewhere..." Aster insisted. She was nervous, her hand in a fist rested over her heart, which was still pounding. "Let's just go inside..."

"Alright," Acacia agreed. She went inside, followed by her sister. She closed the door and put the chain up. "Hopefully that'll keep out whoever's trying to come in. Now brace yourself. This is gonna be a hell of a surprise."

"It has to be," Aster said quietly. "You just cussed. You never cuss. That means it must be big." She followed Acacia through the door into the egg room and froze, hands drifting to cover her mouth. "I see why you were reluctant to tell me..." Aster said quietly. "Are they...?"

"Dragon eggs," Acacia nodded. "Real dragon eggs. From Pern." Aster was shocked into silence, eyes wide. Acacia smiled softly, eyes shimmering with apology. Her sister was taking this a lot better than Acacia had expected. She'd expected anger, yelling, maybe an argument. But this shocked silence was almost scarier.