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

[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.

[philancer]

[ These crazy youngsters and their weird technology.

But he blinks at the picture, never having seen anything like that before. ]

I would accuse you of making shit up to prank me, but at this point, the more ridiculous it is, the more likely it seems to be true.

[deepstar]

[ Sorry Sylvain. Claude's going to laugh. ]

You have got to live a little. As in, get out and explore. Experience things that aren't snow, battle, snow, and flirting.

Did I mention snow?

[philancer]

Look. I haven't seen real snow in almost two years. I would be thrilled to dive into snow right now.

[deepstar]

Pfft. That's the part you're going to focus on?

[philancer]

Absolutely. Because the fact that you're telling me, of all people, to live a little is ridiculous at best.

[deepstar]

Have you though? The way that you really want to?

[philancer]

[ Wow, Reigan. How dare you try to make this get all serious on him without warning.

But he… actually has an answer for that now. Even if he still looks a little uncomfortable about admitting it. Or being called out this way in the first place. ]

I’ve started to. More than I ever had back home, at least.

[deepstar]

If that's the case, then I'm happy for you, Sylvain.

[philancer]

[ He squints. What are you up to, Claude? ]

What about you?

[deepstar]

[ Wow. Who said he is up to anything? ]

What about me?

[philancer]

[ You're always up to something. ]

If anyone had more secrets than me back at school, it was you.

[deepstar]

Sure I did. When you enter Sreng territory, do you say you’re a Gautier?

[philancer]

[ He's not sure what Sreng has to do with this, but the question still makes him laugh. ]

Uhh. No. I don't need to. All they need to do is take one look at my hair and they know exactly what my name is. Apparently, they have a word for our family that basically translated to "fire hair".

...Why?

[deepstar]

You know that actually makes sense. Silly question that I thought would relate but apparently doesn't.

So you really think that I would've been able to walk around Fodlan freely if I entered the country under my real name and title?

[philancer]

[ Sylvain just blinks at him again, completely lost now. ]

Your... real name and title??

[deepstar]

Sylvain. I'm not Fodlani. Still a Riegan, but I didn't step foot in Fodlan until I was in my teens.

[philancer]

I did know that much. My guess has always been Almyran. But what do you mean name and title? Claude von Riegan wasn't fancy enough for you?

[deepstar]

"Claude" was given to me by my grandfather, Gautier. People would start asking questions if I were to walk around using Khalid.

Becoming the heir to Riegan was technically a step down status-wise.