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]

[ 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.

[philancer]

[ His head already hurts.

Khalid. What the actual fuck. ]

Am I going to be murdered in my sleep tonight for learning top secret state secrets?

[deepstar]

Cute that you think I'd go out of my way like that.

Besides, it's not like any of that matters here, right? Claude. Khalid. Doesn't matter.

[philancer]

So what's your real title, Khalid?

[ He's pretty sure he doesn't want to know. ]

[deepstar]

The same kind of title that Dimitri should have. Just of a different country.

1/?

[philancer]

2/?

[philancer]

3/?

[philancer]

4/?

[philancer]

5/im done i think

[philancer]

What the fuck do you mean you've been a secret prince all this time?!

[ Oh, he has definitely almost started an international incident then, at least three times. ]

1/2

[deepstar]

[ BRB HE IS LAUGHING BECAUSE THAT REACTION?

Absolutely priceless. 100% what he hopes other people from Fodlan will do. ]

[deepstar]

[ Then he calms down, wiping a tear from his eye. ]

Surprise!

[philancer]

[ He needs a drink. Or ten. ]

So your stint as the Duke was... what, a ruse? A plot? Are you going to be invading next once Edelgard gets done with all of us?

[ He doesn't actually believe that, but this is a bit more of a shock than he'd anticipated. ]

[deepstar]

A near decade-long stint in Fodlan would be one hell of a ruse, Sylvain.

I don't want to invade, you knucklehead. What I want is just the opposite.

[philancer]

And yet. If anyone would have the patience for it, it would be you.

[ Okay. Take a breath. Take a few breaths. Despite this being a shock… he’s not sure it actually changes anything? At least not for him in the here and now.

Other than he doesn’t know this guy at all, apparently. ]

Finally. Some good news. Please tell me that means you intend for us all to live happily ever after together, if we can manage to survive the current war, then?

[deepstar]

Hmm. True. Still, that's a very long time just to try to start something with my mother's home nation, you know? She would not be happy with me if that was my goal and you've never seen what a demon she is.

[ And that's not even an exaggeration. Anyway! ]

I can't guarantee anyone's happiness, Gautier. All I can do is create an opportunity for those that want to chase after it.

[philancer]

Claude. You’re best friends with Hilda. I can make an educated guess.

[ A statement that might have gotten him axed, had she heard it. ]

That’s putting a lot of faith into a people who have stubbornly clung to a system and resisting all semblances of change for generations now.

[ Sylvain has definitely felt like the odd one out in that regard, when so many others seemed fine with a system he saw as so terribly broken. ]

[deepstar]

Don't be talking about my girl like that. If she ever shows up, I'll be sure to tattle on you.

[ Because for sure that comment would have gotten him in trouble with Hils. Maybe not the axe, but he'd be doing favors and running errands until collapsing. ]

Anyway, it is and I know it. I can honestly say that I didn't have that until about the end of the war.

[philancer]

[ He just shoots the other man a dry look through the little screen ]

Are you actually gonna sit there and try to claim, with a straight face, that Hilda isn't a terror at times? Because I definitely know that's not true. I remember sparring against her on the practice battlefields several times. I can only imagine age and experience has honed it even scarier. And as for off the battlefield...

[ He gives a playful little shudder, recalling all the times she'd wheedled him into doing her chores for her. it hadn't been often, but it'd certainly been often enough to leave an impression. The librarian had never forgiven him, and it hadn't even been his fault! ]

I would ask how the war turned out for you, but I don't think it would matter. My memories of home rarely aligned up with any of the others I met from Fodlan.

[deepstar]

Hilda is the sweetest girl that ever existed. She is the loveliest and kindest person that anyone could possibly meet.

[ Someone might have been trained. ]

Anyway, you could still ask if you wanted to. Although I'll respect it if you don't want to know too. It's really your call.