video

[deepstar]

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.

Comments

[philancer]

[ Sylvain is still trying to figure out how these strange devices work. They'd had something similar back at the resort, but he'd never used them much there, either> As it is, his video reply probably starts far too close to his face before he fumbles with it and adjusts it back to where his face can actually be seen. ]

Wait, you hatched baby wyverns here? Aww, they're cute.

[deepstar]

[ He'll help you out, Gautier. All you have to do is ask. ]

It was a complete and total accident. I had no idea the dragons of this world would be. Ah. Compatible.

[philancer]

[ He's not that desperate yet.

Still, the way Claude phrases that has him laughing. ]

I'm sure that discovery was... enlightening.

[deepstar]

While it was never something I considered before, I can't say that I'm all that upset.

[philancer]

Well, you did get baby wyverns out of the deal. Is there just the two? They're pretty cute.

[deepstar]

Yeah, just the two. I don't think you'd get any more than that since it's not like they grow too fast. It's kind of like dealing with horses. You won't be able to ride one right away and it takes a while for them to grow big and strong enough to manage you with armor.

[philancer]

Yeah, it takes quite a few years before a horse is ready to be broken in for riding, I would imagine it's not too different for wyverns.

[ There's a moment when a flicker of longing flashes through his gaze, but he brushes it away with an easy smile. ]

So are you gonna start your own flock?

[deepstar]

It really isn't. I was only really starting to ride Azita here for maybe two years before I had to leave her behind for a while. The wyvern that I had in Riegan wasn't bad, but it wasn't the same, you know?

[ A laugh and he shakes his head. ]

But no, I don't want to be a wyvern wrangler.

[philancer]

Yeah, I know how that is. I missed mine when I came to the Academy, too.

[ He arches an eyebrow at the little red and black one currently wriggling around in his arms. ]

I think it might be officially too late for that.

[deepstar]

[ That makes Claude laugh. He just wiggles his fingers and the wyvern nips at them. ]

Oh this isn't too hard when it's just one or two, Gautier. I've been around wyverns for most of my life. It's nothing I can't handle.

[philancer]

They weren't very fond of the cold of northern Faerghus, so I didn't get to spend much time around them until I was at the Academy. And by then I was usually busier with the ground mounts, to get to spend much time with them.

[deepstar]

You know... If you had grown up in Almyra, you'd have been trained to handle both.

The horses are less hairy though. It reminds of the first time I saw the Fodlani variant. I thought it was a llama.

[philancer]

[ He blinks, because this is the second time Claude’s brought up Almyra, although he hadn’t really paid much attention the first time around, since it had been thrown in as a counter-reference to Fodlan. Although considering Sylvain’s long had his suspicions about Claude’s mysterious childhood, this has him honing his attention more.

So Claude had grown up in Almyra, had he? Interesting. That wasn’t so strange in the Alliance, he was pretty sure, as they shared a border and it was pretty obvious Claude was more than just of Fodlan descent. But he’s pretty sure Claude had always danced around giving any information on his past, so he’s not sure what changed between then and now. Was he not hiding it anymore?

Of course, he doesn’t just ask that. That would be too easy. Instead he focuses on the most ridiculous part of that statement. ]

What the hell is a llama?

[deepstar]

They tend to live in higher altitudes, where it's a little chillier. It's like a camel, but with a lot fluffier. Like if a sheep and a camel had a child.

[philancer]

[ He stares at Claude for a long moment before rubbing a hand over his face. ]

I understood the sheep part of that description.

[ He’s never seen a camel. They probably wouldn’t like Gautier either. ]

[deepstar]

Lucky for you...

[ Sylvain is going to be sent a photo ]

I happen to have a picture of one we came across while doing some exploring.

[sunsetking]

[Leona holds back a snort.]

Come adopt one.

[philancer]

Worried they're gonna see you as the herbivore? I think their teeth might be more impressive, honestly.

[ Sylvain. Stop baiting the kitty cat. ]

[sunsetking]

Hardly. I'm not the one struggling to use a phone, you know. I'll be sure to send one your way to use you as a snack.

[Or throw you into the ocean. Leona won't hesitate.]

[philancer]

I have known these phones existed for all of three days. There's a learning curve.

[ That's not entirely true. From what he's been able to figure out, they function a little like the watches back at the resort. But Sylvain had never used those very much either, so... ]

I'd be worried about that threat, but it's hardly the first time a wyvern's taken a bite out of me. [ He had several scars to prove it. ]

[sunsetking]

It ain't that hard to figure out.

[Don't be so archaic, carrot-top.]

Oh good, that makes you the perfect candidate to adopt one then.

[philancer]

[ He can't help it, he comes from magical Victorian England, he has a lot to catch up on. ]

I dunno. They look pretty attached to you.

[sunsetking]

[Time to get to it, old man.]

Your eyes must not be working if you think you're seeing that.

[philancer]

They’re working just fine. If Claude is trusting you with baby wyverns, clearly he sees it, too.

[sunsetking]

Clearly you both need to get your eyesight checked.