shellphones | video

Type: Video
Sender ID: Khalid |

deepstar
To: General
Subject: Hatching Time
Warnings: None

[ Initially, only Claude's face appears on the feed, alongside is wyvern. She is resting her chin on his shoulder and that hand of his is giving her a pat pat pat. So much patting. ]

I'm sure you all remember me talking about this several moons ago, but hey! The time finally came. I was starting to get a little worried, considering I have no clue what the incubation time for wyvern eggs are here. Everything went smoothly though, I promise. They actually hatched a few days ago, but I wanted to give them some time.

[ Now the video feed shifts, away from Khalid and Azita, and onto the little baby wyverns. Special guest star Leona is also present, already holding a small lizard in his arms. Seems like it's already attached. There's another one, in Claude's arm. ]

Leona and I are going to be co-parenting these kids for a little while so -

[ Unfortunately, Claude gets cut off. With Leona shoving the man's face, ears folded back. ]

Don't say it like that.

[ Too bad Khalid is unbothered, catching Leona's hand and winking. ]

Sorry, gorgeous. I meant co-parenting the hatchlings. [ Another laugh and moving right along. He's looking at the camera once more, ignoring the grumbling from behind him. ] As you all can probably tell, one little one is spoken for. I don't know about this one, so we'll just have to wait and see.

Ironic that they'd hatch while we're having issues with wild wyverns.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I think if they stress him out, I'm still worried for you for reasons that have very little to do with the hatchlings.

[Sir he's going to kill you.]

[ Oh... Had. He not... Mentioned certain developments? ]

I... Have no idea why you'd be concerned for me that extends beyond the care of these cute little lizards.

[YOU NEVER NAMED NAMES, KHALID.

also parenthood is a huge stressor on new couples, you two should be careful--!]

...Tell me, Khalid, do they sleep through the night?

Better question:

Do I sleep through the night?

[...IMPLYING, KHALID?]

I imagine your teeth aren't as sharp.

I could say something, but I won't.

No, they are hungry little things right now, but it's fine. For the most part Azita will take care of things and we'll just give her a break.

What you're implying is already speaking volumes, Khalid.

[LIKE. BRO?]

I suppose that's true, they're hardly orphaned. Though I suppose the father still hasn't bothered to turn up to pitch in?

Aww come on, Kavs. You know I have to play it up a little.

Anyway, no. I don't think that he will either. Not until next year, that is.

Sometimes I wonder if you were a theater performer back home.

[Kaveh chuckles, and shakes his head.] Until Ocard comes back around, you mean? Poor Azita. At least she's not entirely saddled with single motherhood. It's...quite difficult, to raise a child alone.

Politics. Theater. It's kind of all the same thing, when you really put your mind to it.

[ Oh yeah... Has he ever mentioned that part to Kaveh? Hmmm! ]

Usually the entire aery has a hand in raising the little ones. It only makes sense that I step up and help. My partner here was just an added surprise.

You were a politician, then? [Kaveh considers it.] I don't think I'd know much about it, all Sumeru's politicians are academics.

[But then his train of thought visibly screeches to a halt.]

Partner, is it?

[Khalid you done fucked up now.]

From I understand of Sumeru, it's a bit different anyway. People are people, though. They are motivated by the same things in the end. Even academics scheme and seek power in order to push their own agendas.

[ A shrug. And sliding away maybe from having to explain he's not uh. Just a politician. ]

Turns out, that second date went great.

Sure, but you can't deny that culture affects both the end go and how they're motivated to carry out those "schemes". Human nature isn't so uniformly dark, Khalid. [He pauses, and then sighs.] Though after five hundred years of oppression, maybe it's simply that we've once again had hope breathed back into our lungs.

[BUT ENOUGH ABOUT THAT he's putting his chin in his hands.]

Oh, I see. And you only see fit to tell me now? I'd almost be hurt, Khalid.

[...a part of him is uneasy though. Doesn't his sound like the man Azul described...? ~~I can't remember if Kaveh's learned Leona's name yet~~

...He doesn't have a right to meddle, and no one really did anything wrong, but oh, that makes the heart ache, doesn't it?]

I'd argue that, actually. Though I don't necessarily think of it as "dark" either, Kavs. People can do the same things for the sake of a better, more hopeful future. I still lied and schemed to make sure that a bunch of factions remained in a stalemate for five years just so that our region wouldn't collapse.

[ That's just how things go. But Khalid is someone that plays 5D chess anyway so~! ]

Hey now. I would've said something but there was a lot going on.

I'm not arguing that, but I don't think it's the inevitable consequence of all forms of governance to end in this kind of scheming. Certainly, we don't come from worlds where there's an alternative, but isn't that the point of striving for better? If we don't believe it's possible, what would we even be working towards?

[It's not that Kaveh's naive, not really. And the thing Khalid implies about his world and his role in it...

Well, there are things Kaveh's not gonna poke at on a public network post, because unlike SOME PEOPLE he has TACT.]

I'm not actually upset. I'm just glad to hear things are going well, even if fatherhood is happening a bit faster than most couples tend to bring children into the equation.

I don't think it's impossible to achieve, just difficult. First, it means creating a culture where people don't feel the need to scheme and plot for their own ends. It just takes time and, ironically, scheming to out do those that are greedy.

[ Sylvain's here now so it's probably only a matter of time... ]

Anyway, this isn't my first time raising a wyvern. Yet I'm happy to share the experience with someone else.

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