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

[octoblot]

[Oh, interesting. Azul has never really seen baby wyverns up close before, so seeing them like this is fascinating, and he can't help the amused snort upon Leona appearing on camera with one in his arms. To think that Leona of all people would end up having a lizard becoming attached to him, Malleus or others from Diasomnia would probably have a field day teasing Leona for that one if they were here to see it... alas, he'll have to do it himself it seems...

... And then Azul's eyebrows go shooting up a fair bit on his face here upon witnessing the exchange between Leona and Khalid... huh?]

My, it seems like you two have quite a lot on your hands here.

[deepstar]

Oh it's not nearly as bad as what people think. Right now they are small so even if they have a lot of energy, they are still tiny.

It's when they get toddler sized that you start to have issues.

[octoblot]

[Luckily, Azul is in fact capable of focusing on the actual conversation at hand and not... whatever's going on with Claude and Leona for now.]

Is that so... what kind of issues are we talking about then, in that regard?

[deepstar]

Mostly they are bitey and have a lot of energy. They'll want to get into things this young.

[octoblot]

I see. Are you sure that it'll be enough between the two of you, to handle that kind of youthful energy these little creatures have got going for them?

[deepstar]

I had Azita since she had been a hatchling too. One can say that I am more than prepared for the terror these little guys are going to bring.

Not so sure my partner in crime does though.

[octoblot]

Hm... given how Leona-san acts around a certain dragon back home, I imagine that this will all certainly be quite the test of patience for him.

[... Leona acted like he couldn't go running off gossiping to his classmates about what Leona's up to if they ever showed up now, but did not tell Azul to shut his mouth about saying anything potentially rude to Claude himself.]

[deepstar]

I heard a bit about that, though I think a baby wyvern and some guy you have a grudge match with are two different things.

Maybe you should ask him why it likes him so much.

[octoblot]

Oh believe me, I will, though there is a chance he will be rather stubborn about actually answering me honestly about it.

[Same for the other question Azul wants to ask right now, but... for now, just openly shittalking Leona because that's the normal thing Azul Ashengrotto should be doing instead of asking about that...]

[deepstar]

"Rather stubborn" is kind of putting it mildly. Who knows. You might be surprised.

[octoblot]

Oh, I know I could have phrased it a different way, but I don't think he would have appreciated it otherwise.

[Azul, Leona can see and hear everything you are literally saying right now as we speak...]

[deepstar]

Ah, you should just come right out and say it. The expression he'll have is priceless either way.

[octoblot]

Say what? That he's obstinate, uncooperative, or as ornery as a mule, or however the land expression goes when it comes to a dear classmate trying to get a straight answer from him? That might be too rude of me to say here...

[Except he literally just did, because Azul knows exactly what he's doing here.]

[sunsetking]

Don't you dare mention any of this to anyone back home if they come here.

[Or he'll turn you into a skewered octopus.]

[octoblot]

Oh? What could ever be the problem with our classmates knowing about this, Leona-san?

[And which part are you not wanting him to gossip about? The part about the wyverns, or the other thing that seems to be happening here? Gonna need you to be more specific...]

[sunsetking]

You know exactly what the problem would be.

[The lizards, clearly. The other thing is going to be left unmentioned unless one of them brings it up.]

[octoblot]

Are you worried that they might think you're going soft on all of us now?

[... Again, for the lizards or Claude, he doesn't specify which one he means by that.]

[sunsetking]

They wouldn't believe you, anyway.

[And Leona is not going to specify at all.]

private

[octoblot]

Please, I doubt I will even have to say anything at all; they can just see for themselves with their own eyes how you look right now, should any of our classmates ever show up to this place in the near future...

[But despite his teasing, Azul suddenly goes quiet for a moment--his gaze very briefly slides over to see where Khalid is and what he's doing right now. He waits until Khalid appears to be distracted with speaking to someone else on the network rather than hovering over the lion's shoulder, before a private filter goes up so that only Leona sees and hears Azul now, as a rather abrupt question is suddenly asked of Leona--]

Are you happy right now?

private

[sunsetking]

[Oh, he...isn't too surprised by the sudden filter. It has him raising a brow, though there's a brief glance back at Khalid before he looks back at the shellphone. The question, however, has him giving a low hum.

Thinking. Considering.]

If I said I wasn't, what would you do?

[Because despite his words, he is happy. Or as happy as this moody lion can be. Softer around the edges that he normally isn't.]

private

[octoblot]

[Ain't that the million dollar question... it takes a moment before Azul answers.]

... I would probably do what I've always done: offer a helping hand if you are in need of one.

[Then again, that hand isn't always just a hand when it comes to Azul--Leona of all people would know that more often than not, that hand is holding a contract waiting for a signature first before it will ever actually reach in to pull someone out of the depths of their unhappiness and misfortune.

... And Azul is self-aware of that too, so he adds--]

For you, I'll even waive the usual fee this time. I'll consider your honesty on this particular topic enough of a fair exchange this time.

[And yet, Azul himself still isn't being particularly honest giving that as his excuse instead of the usual sly demands for compensation, is he? But saying that he's been thinking about how he actually wants Leona to be happy lately, without demanding something in return like always... he can't quite get those exact words to leave his mouth so easily. Because he might end up saying a lot more than that if he isn't careful.]

private

[sunsetking]

[Huh, isn't that something to hear?

Leona knows better than anyone here that Azul isn't the type of person who'd give out freebies. The octopus has managed to rack up an impressive amounts of debts to Leona since he's gotten here that he's actually surprised he won't be trying to take some kind of advantage of it.

On the other hand, there's something unsaid in Azul's words that has him tilting his head.]

How kind of you.

[A low hum.]

I'll have to keep that in mind for the future. Who knows if things will change in the future.

private 1/2

[octoblot]

[its true that Azul doesn't typically offer freebies but to be fair, Azul is getting something out of this already in exchange for even making that offer, namely the confirmation that Leona is in fact apparently happy in this place right now. Happy with his silly dumb dragon thats clinging on to him, happy with Khalid-san by his side... but then...

"Who knows if things will change in the future."

And for the briefest of seconds, of all the things Leona could have said in response, Azul really wishes that Leona had not said that. Because, even if only for one second, it allowed Azul to even consider the possibility of something that he had been about to accept as unattainable, to consider a future where Leona is suddenly no longer content with what he has and actually reaches out to Azul to take that "helping hand" in his own...

... and Azul finds he hates himself for it, for even allowing such a petty, envious, selfish thought that almost feels like a disgusting form of hope to spring to mind at what would otherwise be a rather shrug-worthy statement. In fact... it even scares him a little.

Azul is greedy and can be rather cold when it comes to his opinions on certain matters--hell, he's taken advantage of other people with these exact emotions before, even calling the legend that his people are so fond of regarding the mermaid princess and everything she wanted and felt as "naive"... and yet, here he is, acting and feeling like those same idiots who were desperate and hopeful enough to actually turn to a witch like him and sell their voice or hair just to get the person they wanted the most to notice them...]

private 2/2

[octoblot]

[... and then he seems to realize that he's been rather quiet for more than a minute, and thus between one blink and the next, Azul hums as if he had merely been lost in absent thought rather than thinking about something so dire. He's rather glad he had been wearing his hat and had kept it at an angle that helps hide most of his expressions today.]

Well, putting the future aside, it sounds like you won't be needing my particular services here right this moment.

[And he sincerely, genuinely wants it stays that way, despite where his train of thought prior had tried to lead and tempt him down the path of. Azul Ashengrotto may be greedy, but he refuses to become the kind of weak, pathetic person poisoned by the desire to break up someone else's relationship just because he's, what, jealous? When Azul doesn't even know what exactly he even wants for himself by comparison here in the event if he had succeeded in doing something petty like that to them? That's lame.

And he's supposed to be--no, he is better than that.]

private

[sunsetking]

[The silence is telling enough. While Leona wouldn't really pride himself in knowing Azul enough to be able to tell what's bothering him, he can be rather good at reading people. Azul, despite his bravado, can be a rather open book as well. It makes him wonder if the younger man is even aware that his actions give him away more than words ever could.

Such as hiding his face with his hat even at an angle.

But Leona isn't going to touch that. Not now, possibly not ever. It's irrelevant. Both of them know better than to touch such a sensitive subject, especially like this. Especially if certain thoughts begin to spiral in a dangerous way.]

Fortunately, I don't. Though, if you're eager for some kind of work, babysitting is on the table.