Prepare to be Analyzed

[M'kel]

The Weyrleader nodded curtly in response to Anya's statement. Sitareh, too, seemed satisfied at this mild declaration. Ambition was a healthy quality, but it was not to be wished of in girls standing at a Clutch containing a gold egg. Impressing a dragon, whatever its colour, ought to be rank enough.

Kerji's answer was extremely brief, but M'kel was hardly expecting speeches from everybody. The importance of these questions was more to instill the realization that the Weyr now came before other priorities, and that success in Threadfall would be dependent upon cooperation.

Altair's first assertion brought M'kel up short, and the Weyrleader's eyebrows raised in surprise. He remained in front of the lad for quite some time, listening to the entire speech and considering it. He was thoughtful, and Sitareh's comments drifted to him through Aviciath. He knew that she was most wary of strong-willed females, and no Weyr could succeed without strong men. These points he voiced in the silence of his mind, for love was a sometimes foolish but undeniable affliction.

The bronzerider's eyes regained focus as he considered Altair once more. It looked as if the boy expected to be dismissed at that moment. Instead, M'kel allowed a hint of a smile to trace his lips and moved on.

The next boy, Tarren, seemed downright chipper in his answer. His youthfulness shone vividly through, for he rambled about jokes and humour. It was not an answer that most mature dragonriders would give when presented with that question, but humour was always an unrecognized necessity in any stressful situation.

Silence greeted his query of Hunter, and M'kel waited for the boy to find his words. Unaware that he had struck a chord in his absentminded comparison of Thread with a storm, the dragonrider raised a brow at the continued silence. When the answer finally came, it seemed satisfactory enough. Only an arrogant blowhard would claim complete confidence, and having a dragon by one's side did conquer fears.

The girl Kagairo had obviously never experienced the kind of conniving, power-hungry competition M'kel had grown up with. She was blissfully unaware, which suited Sitareh's purposes fine. When the fearful girl apologized for her fire lizard's antics, the bronzerider murmured, "It's all right. Just don't let him come on your shoulder to the Hatching."

All of his fears were realized, though, when Keldara's eyes glistened with an upwelling of tears. Their shimmering depths held him as she backed away, and M'kel had the terrible feeling that he had dealt her more terrible a blow than even he had expected. She was unable to speak, and the bronzerider couldn't hold her gaze. Why was he letting Sitareh do this? This was taking matters to the extreme.

Before he could speak to attempt to amend matters, however, another familiar candidate strode in front of him in defence of Keldara. This was the confident young girl he had met in the corridors of the Weyr, the one who already had questionable suspicions about him...

The shout that pierced the air caused M'kel to mirror Keldara, stepping backwards in surprise. Trilia was a little bundle of indignation and hurt, and the bronzerider regretted all the more this treatment of already nervous candidates. He opened his mouth to apologize, to try and assauge the two girls, but different words came to his mind. Horrified, the bronzerider remained frozen for a few moments. Then the words tore themselves from his throat, sounding distant to him. "You may leave the Hatching Grounds, Trilia. You will not be standing at the Hatching."

((OOC: Too late for me to continue! Finally settled into my basement suite, though not fully unpacked! More questions for candidates coming tomorrow!))

[M'kel]

M'kel couldn't bear to meet Trilia's eyes any longer. He turned away, horrified by the words he had spoken, that he had crushed the little girl's dream. Hopefully no others would meet such a fate. His unseeing eyes eventually fixed upon Ayalexie, and he spoke mechanically. "How do you view conformity? How do you retain your identity in the pressures of a close-knit culture, such as the Weyr, while conforming enough to be accepted?"

To Felina, the question was, ironically, "How will you cope with pain? Your dragon may be injured, your friends may be injured, or you may be injured by Threadscore. Will you let this fear become overpowering?" Silly question for Sitareh to ask, for it was obvious when looking at Felina that she had plenty of experience with pain.

Next, the bronzerider approached Riza. "What does responsibility mean to you? You have likely been responsible for yourself in the past, but how capable are you of taking care of others?"

It was Draien's turn. "You will need to protect your dragon, above all else. This includes when he/she is newly Hatched, as well as in Threadfall. What steps would you take to ensure the survival of one of the most precious creatures on Pern?"

Alana's question certainly seemed to be a potentially loaded one. "You have lived in the Weyr for some time now. You have seen how dragonriders live, and you have seen how other Pernese live, having recently been one of them. What makes life in this Weyr more rewarding and meaningful than life in the rest of Pern?"

Next, M'kel strode along the line to stop in front of Degellin. "What value does honesty have? Do all people deserve honesty, or only those you are loyal to? Who are you loyal to?"

He spun and faced Minelli. "When is the right time to speak? If a decision is made that you don't necessarily agree with, would you let your views be known? How would you go about doing that?"

M'kel's manner was almost interview-like as he made his way down the line once again to Hirun. He was hardly paying attention to the questions anymore, just wishing for this to be over. "What is your greatest personal fault, and how do you work to overcome this?"

The dragonrider turned to Calysta. "How strong are you in the face of temptation? Are you able to abide by the laws of your Weyrwoman, or will you succumb?"

Making his way down the line once again, he stopped in front of Anah. "Once you place your trust in someone, how do you deal with potential betrayal? What guards do you establish to protect yourself?"

[kati]

Anah thought about it for a second. She had been betrayed before, and it did hurt her, but then again, she didn't trust many people since. If she did put her trust into someone, that person more than likely wouldn't try and betray her, but if they did, oh, they'd wish they hadn't. Did she put up fronts? Yes, she wouldn't tell someone if she didn't like them or not, she'd pretend she did to see what they really wanted, and if it wasn't to her standards, then she'd simply ignore them, or learn their value. Guards on the other hand, she just simply wouldn't allow herself to be hurt anymore, even if it meant closing her heart to everyone, after all, very few, if any, people could actually be trusted with truth. She blinked slowly and told him her answer.
"If a person betrays me, it would be no surprise, few people in this world can be trusted with the absolute truth." She paused for a second and took a breath, then continued. "As for guarding myself, I don't let people extremely close to me, don't tell everyone, with the exception of the few I do put my trust in, everything that I know." she said, as simply as she could without giving away too much.

S'cam's heart fell as a candidate did have to walk away. It shouldn't of surprised him, as it was obviously bound to happen, but still, he couldn't help but feel sorry for this girl who wanted so much to impress a dragon. He listened to a few more answers and started to really hate M'kel for doing this. He didn't absolutely have to go to this extreme. Not being able to take it he stood up.
"Weyrleader, don't you think you're being a bit to harsh on them? Most of them are still children after all!" He knew he shouldn't have said anything, but he did, and he had that feeling that M'kel was going to bite his head off. Of course, he favorite blue just laughed at the fact that S'cam was sticking up for anything other than a boy he wanted to have.

(83 Fun Fun)

[Felina]

(Altair froze as the Weyrleader appeared to come back from whatever alternate reality he had briefly disappeared to. This was it, then. The end of his candidacy. At the very least, he could go back to where he had been. And even if it meant giving up something that had meant so much to him for the brief time that he had thought it possible, well, the end of one thing wasn't necessarily the end of life. So it came as a great surprise to him when he simply smiled slightly and moved on without a word.

He was a candidate, and that way he would remain until he either Impressed or was sent home, though that latter option didn't appear to be happening any time soon. Turning to Corenne, he gave her a thumbs-up, even though it was entirely a useless gesture. But, then, there really was no way to express his happiness right then, whether with words or with actions.


M'kel obviously hadn't counted on outside support. And usually, Corenne would have been of no mind to give it. But to condemn one simply for speaking their mind was preposterous. Above all, Corenne had absolutely nothing to lose. So, stepping carefully on the shifting sands, she was able to approximate the spot where Trilia's outburst had occured.

"Are you mad? Or are you simply ignorant beyond your years? You act like an old Uncle, bitter and remorseless, to ask such a thing! I could understand it of an Uncle, for they're not all there, but from one who is supposed to carry the responsibility to run a Weyr? I thougt it took a certain degree of empathy to Impress a dragon. What I hear here is a blatant disregard of anything resembling empathy, or emotion for that matter. You would send her away for being outraged at the outrageous?" she asked, blue eyes flashing angrily.


Felina stood stock-still as M'kel approached her, unconsciously tugging the sleeves down farther, though all that really accomplished was pulling at the neckline. She'd heard the questions that others had been asked, and currently had no desire whatsoever to be subjected to one. However, her mind was quickly changed for her as the question was asked. Surely, surely this could not have been all that was expected of her. Not after so much else had transpired that had resulted in one even losing her candidacy.

"I'm not afraid of pain," Felina said confidently, "if that's what you mean in asking." Of course, even if it hadn't been, her answer would still have been the same. Pretending to not quite understand a question and giving a suitably vague answer didn't point to ignorance, and would still keep any questions about her treasured suitability as a Candidate to the wayside. After seeing one dismissed, Felina had no desire to be the second.

[Flamewolf]

Minelli's mind was whirling. There was too much going on; M'kel apparently was forced to say something harsh (and unjustified) to a candidate he'd known, and forced her to breakdown. Which was odd, because Minelli had met the girl, and she was good at controlling herself. Then, one of the youngest candidates stood up for her and got kicked out of the hatching for it! The harper was astonished. This was nothing like the songs and ballads she'd been taught; so when he spun on her, she paused before answering.

"Well...You should only speak up if you know they're going to listen..." What was she doing? Answering as if nothing had happened moments before, just like the weyrleader was doing! Shards, she was contradicting herself in the her own answer. "Weyrleader, this is wrong. Dragonriders shouldn't be doing this. Every candidate that is searched has the right to stand, without a...questionarre." She shook her head. "But I can't do anything. But," she paused, glancing to Keldara, "the consequences of what has happened already is on your head." Then she fell silent.

Her voice wasn't harsh, reprimanding; it was sad, because she realized how the dragonriders had changed, and that their old teachings were being ignored. And she had the feeling that it wasn't M'kel's fault, but actually the Weyrwoman's; so she looked straight into his eye, her gaze sad, because she wasn't normally one to speak up, and she wasn't doing that now, but was rather informing him that what he was doing now could turn ugly later on.

*~*

Keldara was astonished when the young girl who stood up for her was forced to leave. The candidate gave her a strangled, guilty look; she hadn't wanted for the girl to get kicked out! Her gaze followed the Weyrleader as she slowly regained herself, astonished at what he was doing. This wasn't like him, to insult the candidates and then just keep walking. And his gaze even looked like he wanted to apologize, but he hadn't. She had the feeling that Sitareh was the reason for this; and a sudden hatred for the woman burned in her. But, she turned her back on the Weyrleader as well, mad that he'd allowed himself to be turned into a puppet, as she finally conquered her feelings and stood stonily upon the sands.

[D'gellin]

Trilia's face seemed to collapse at M'kel's words. Her brows pulled together, and her gaze slipped from his, as if she couldn't quite understand what he'd just said. Her mouth worked wordlessly before it turned into a subtle tremor of her lower lip. She wouldn't be standing? She couldn't stand? She couldn't impress? She couldn't impress a dragon? When she looked back up the tears were there again, but only pride kept her from crying out loud. She hadn't anticipated a dismissal. Somehow things were supposed to just work out when you were in the right. And she was in the right, so why...?

But M'kel had already walked away, picking up exactly where he had left off, as though her interruption had meant nothing. She suddenly felt a jolt of abandonment. Her world had been paralyzed but everything around her still moved, continued on. And she was left behind. Everyone else here could stand but her. The loneliness bore down on her. Trilia hardly heard S'cam's protest in her favor; it was like everything was coming in muffled, distant and detached. She was adult enough to recognize that nothing he said would dissuade the decision. She should have known this would happen...no, she did know. But she chose to ignore it, let her instincts grab hold. Her only consolation was that Keldara was no longer being interrogated. Maybe Keldara could still impress. That would make Trilia very happy. Though she didn't feel very happy at the moment.

She glanced up again. She wanted to say something impressive. She wanted to make an impression. She wanted everyone to understand that M'kel's words were way over the top. But she couldn't find her voice. All she managed was a small sob, and the desire disappeared as quickly as it had occurred. She'd have to find a different way to correct things. But not right now...It hurt to be around them all, and the suppressed cries were contorting her throat so that it hurt.

There was one thing she could do though. And she only hoped M'kel or Sitareh or even Aviciath or Tirenth saw it. She squared her little shoulders and, though it took some effort, smiled. If nothing else failed, she hoped it would tick them off. She wasn't beaten, not yet. Then she turned and smiled tentatively at Keldara. There was no reason for the older girl to be upset too! Keldara was still standing.. "Don't let them rule you, okay?" She whispered, her voice cracking a few times, before she walked as steadily as she could off the Hatching Grounds. It took every bit of her will-power not to look at the eggs, at any one of which could have been her life-mate. And despite her tough act, she ran the last few feet to the exit; even pride couldn't hold her up forever. She was beginning to feel resentful and jealous of everyone on the Sands...

~*~*~

Degellin watched with trepidation as one of the candidates was dismissed, and suddenly the danger became more real. He didn't think they'd actually take away the privilege to stand...No, the honor. His mouth pulled down slightly on one side. His insides began to squirm in anxiety, though it wasn't the usual pleasant high he'd get out of a prank. Pranks were harmless, but the wrong words here meant everything. And he liked weyr life. He enjoyed being here. It was so unlike him to be content anywhere, but he'd never once felt quite so at home. The idea of loosing that contentment sent a thrill of discontent down his spine, and he shuddered.

All too soon the weyrleader stood before him, rattling off his questions for Degellin. The petite boy swallowed convulsively, wishing the inquiries could be repeated but figuring that it probably wouldn't be the best thing to ask. Honesty was important but sometimes honest got you in trouble...like now. He unconsciously flexed his hands at his sides as he tried to pull together a proper answer. Honesty...wasn't always necessary. Honesty could cause panic, honesty could cause discomfort, honesty could do a lot of harmful things under the wrong circumstances. But in the end, wasn't honesty the best way to go? If you wanted people to trust you...It's what he would want, even if he wasn't always true to that. "Honesty...is important...really important." He started lamely, fighting to find the right words. "But...if people aren't loyal to you it's a little unfair to be loyal to them." He paused, frowning, not liking the way his response was working out. "I'm honest to whoever is loyal to me, and I'm loyal to whoever who is honest to me." He said at last, lifting his head a little higher. "And the weyr, is honest, right?" He added quickly. "So, I'm loyal to the weyr." Degellin tried his best to look confident in the weyr. If that got him kicked out it would only prove they weren't honest. So it was in their best interest to keep him now, right? He hoped so...

[paryal]

The newest Candidate descended from the back of the Searchdragon with somewhat shaky legs, a grin plastered on her face from the thrill of the flight and the absolute nothingness that was /between/. How could people be scared of it? Some people were sharding wherries. Paryal could swear by that.

No sooner had she touched ground than Paryal was told by the Searchrider that all Candidates had to present themselves to be analyzed by the Weyrleader and his dragon. Or perhaps it was the Queen? It was rather a jumble to Paryal's mind, still sleepy. It was only just dawn at her home, and this Search had been a surprise. Out of all the girls and boys present, only Paryal had been chosen. That fact still gave her a thrill of pleasure, and validated all her old dreams and hopes of becoming a dragonrider. It hadn't just been her own high self-esteem speaking when Paryal had declared to a group of girls that she was going to be a dragonrider one day, just they wait and see. At the time, the idea had been dismissed as the boasting of a young child, but now, Turns later, the look on the girls' faces had been worth it. They all viewed life in the Weyr as somewhat glamarous- handsome bronzeriders, rakish brownriders, stately Queens all just waiting for the right girl to come around and Impress them. Would Paryal be that right girl?

Quickly dropping her things off at the mouth of the Candidate Barracks, the female Candidate straightened her tunic, running fingers through her messy, dirty-blonde crop of hair. It had been too early to bother with such things as brushing; however, if she had known that she would be upon the Hatching Ground right away, Paryal would have done something more to aid her appearance. Ah well. She had to go as is. Hopefully the dragons would understand that. They simply had to. They would see the Paryal within- the confident, ambitious leader. Too ambitious? Paryal didn't know the history of this Queen, and the dislike the Weyrwoman felt for any girls as ambitious as herself. If Paryal had known, she might have calmed the inner confidence that was raging in as she walked into the Hatching Ground, bowing before all asssembled that looked to be of any vague importance.

Standing there on the hot sands in all their uncomfortable glory, Paryal couldn't help but let a smile pass across her face. She was at the Weyr now, and felt as if nothing would stop her from reaching her goals. What those goals were were not clear even to the young woman, though she wouldn't settle for anything less than the perfection she often tried to assign to herself to achieve. Seeing the clutch, the Queen egg glittering above all, made her sea eyes glitter in turn, confidence and ambition rising more and more as the heat rose through the soles of her thick boots. "I am Candidate Paryal, newly arrived." Those simple words out to be enough.

[Journye]

((I would have replied a lot sooner, but my internet was down till today. Sorry.))

Calysta watched the Weyrleader as he made his way down the line. He was a handsome man she thought with a slight smile hovering on her lips. She allowed the smile to fade as he stopped in front of her to ask his question of her. She tilted her head slightly in a thoughtful manner, but she wasn't silent for long "The Weyrwoman's word is law, I would be a fool to go against her word. Whatever she wishes of me I will do my best to do as I am bid." she answered. She knew she had a reputation amongst the male riders, but to her being able to impress was more important then a romp between the sheets, besides once her dragon was old enough things could possibly return to normal for her 'appetites'

[M'kel]

The bronze rider's shoulders tensed as a voice spoke from behind him, and he swiveled slowly to face S'cam. It was terrible enough that he had to endure this Analysis of Sitareh's; the last thing he needed was to deal with the tactlessly voiced opinions of the Candidatemaster as well. The Weyr must have a united front, and such could not occur if those in positions of rank spoke out against the leadership of the Weyr in front of others.

Sitareh's words flowed like honey into his mind from Aviciath, but he brushed them aside angrily. This, he could deal with on his own. "S'cam, you may leave for the duration of this Analysis. I will expect you in the Council Chamber once I have finished, for we have things to discuss." Once there, the bluerider would be dealt a swift warning, for no Candidatemaster would keep his rank if he continued in such an impudent manner.

Having resolved that issue, though the adrenaline was still pumping in his veins, M'kel turned back to the candidates to conclude the Analysis when another voice ripped at his back. This tone held derision and bite, both of which had been lacking in S'cam's pleading statement. Startled, for M'kel had been unaware of any others in the Hatching Ground aside from the Weyrleaders, candidates, and Candidatemaster, he whirled to face this new attacker. A lone girl stood upon the edge of the sand, her unseeing eyes fixed upon a spot past his left shoulder.

Already disgruntled by the inappropriate questioning of Weyr protocol by one of rank, the bronzerider simply stared in bewilderment for a few moments. He had no idea who this person was, nor why she was in the Grounds. Since when had the culture of Pern degraded so thoroughly that rankless females dared criticize the Weyrleader, M'kel wondered bitterly. Rather than snapping back, as he wished to do, he spoke instead with an eerie calm. "You are obviously here as a friend of one of the candidates, accompanying him or her and uninvited by the Clutchmother or her rider. I am sure that you would not wish to risk your friend's success as a candidate with your disrespect, no? Consider that before you speak to a Weyrleader in such a manner again."

The shock at his dismissal of Trilia was slowly hardening into anger, for M'kel was disgusted at the degradation of respect for a Weyrleader. If a little bit of fear was what it took to earn that respect back, it was about time that he started making it happen.

M'kel nodded sharply at Felina's response. At least someone here was thinking clearly enough to answer reasonably. Degellin's statement of loyalty was the perfect one to make, and M'kel nodded once again.

Minelli's statement, however, was not to M'kel's liking at all. He gritted his teeth, repressing the desire to grip her shoulders and shake her. Did these foolish youth not realize how important this was? It was cute, yes, that they had all bonded and held such loyalty towards each other, but risking their own candidacy for it was stupid. Obviously he had done something wrong so far, as Weyrleader, for these candidates obviously viewed themselves as equal to him somehow. Would they have spoken in such a manner to a Lord Holder or Mastercraftsman? Pern had forgotten how to respect dragonriders. It was time to demand that respect back.

"Obviously you don't heed your own beliefs as demonstrated in your answer, for this is not the time to speak. No dragonrider is going to listen to the opinions of a candidate who might not even stand." His voice rose in intensity, though not volume, and there was a chill snap to his words. "Let me make this clear...a dragon can sense if a child has the potential to Impress a dragon, because he or she has certain empathic qualities. However, the Weyr is not going to permit everybody to stand simply because they have potential. You must have other qualities as well, and a commitment to the Weyr and dragonkind. You have not earned the right to stand simply for being born with potential. It's not a birthright. You must deserve it. And that is for the Weyrleaders to decide. You will be fighting Thread with us and representing us in Pern. Don't you think we'd only want capable individuals in a position that could either save us or kill us?" This was directed at Minelli, her final chance to redeem herself and earn the opportunity to stand.

He hadn't had much opportunity to fight Thread, what with the end of the Pass sweeping in soon after his Impression to Tirenth, but he had experienced enough to speak these last words with fervour and belief. An inept dragonrider could injure others, both in practice and in Threadfall. He didn't want his Tirenth flamed down because some airheaded buffoon had become distracted by the clouds during practice.

M'kel studied Calysta while she answered his question, and he furrowed his brow slightly. He hadn't met her personally before this, but there was something familiar about her. Maybe he'd heard her described by someone in some story? He couldn't remember what that might have been, though. Her answer was sufficiently humble, and he unconciously murmured, "That's right," before moving on.

Anah seemed rather breathless in her response, and she divulged rather more than he had expected. M'kel quirked a brow in surprise. It all seemed perfectly in order though...one couldn't trust anyone absolutely. Except his/her dragon, of course. It was good to be wary.

A new candidate, Paryal, strode into the Hatching Ground just then, and M'kel decided to approach her, for he was near the end of the line. "Would you consider yourself a leader? How would you feel following a leader?"

Next, he turned to Myra. "What is your greatest fear upon becoming a dragonrider? There is the possibility of failure and injury. What potential situations frighten you most?"

M’kel took a few steps to the left, and moved to face Kitari. "Will you accept your place in the weyr, whatever rank it may be? Will you follow the orders of your betters?"

Stopping at Theodoros, he fired off another question. “Your relationship with your dragon is the deepest and most important you will ever have. Your dragon requires your constant love and acceptance. Can you provide this?"

M'kel rounded on Aldric. "While the most important relationship a rider has is with the dragon, it is also important to stay on good terms with the riders in your wing. Can you treat them all respectfully, whether they rank above or below you?"

The next face he set eyes upon was a girl’s. Vinxi’s, to be exact. "Threadfall is undeniably dangerous, and there is a high possibility that one of your friends could be hurt, or even killed. Can you handle the loss you will feel?

It was Shikai's turn. "If you needed to step up and lead, could you do it? Others of higher rank may fall, and the times may require others to take their place unexpectedly. Are you a natural, or would it be forced?"

Turning suddenly to Barec, M’kel threw a question at the boy. "A fighting wing is a team. You must trust and get along with each other to succeed. Can you be comfortable with those in your wing when Thread is falling and when it is not?"

Moving down the line, Elkie’s face caught his eye. "A dragon, especially a young one, can be persuaded to take risks that it otherwise would not. Will you be able to handle the responsibility of being a dragonrider?"

[riza]

"What does responsibility mean to you? You have likely been responsible for yourself in the past, but how capable are you of taking care of others?"

The question echoed in Riza's mind and she stared blankly at M'kel. All she could focus on was the uncomfortable heat radiating from the sandy earth, scorching her feet through her well-worn shoes. The question M'kel gave her so bluntly made Riza bite her lip in nervousness. He had said it so fast that she couldn't really understand what he meant. She had never been competent when it came to impromptus and especially with the weight of her future dangling in the answer to this incredibly important question, Riza was even more unable to complete a coherent thought in her head that could possibly answer his question and guarantee her a good chance of making it to the Hatching. Her brain essentially shut down, abandoning her to gape at M'kel like she had just seen Thread.

After several awkward moments her brain fired but not enough to muster a good response and she feebly replied, "I... I suppose so.... I don't really know..." She winced, hearing her own words replay back in her mind. She had responded so weakly and he was likely not going to be impressed. But that was all she could do, the chaos of the situation had frozen her thoughts and she was left standing like a herdbeast, maw slightly agape and eyes bulging slightly. She was doomed.