(no subject)

[deployed]

CHARACTERS: Bellamy + Noctis, their gross offspring, and you.
WHERE: The Station
WHEN: DAY :048 - DAY :050
SUMMARY: accept a visual representation
WARNINGS: Will update as necessary.

( the hatchening | closed to bellamy and noctis )

[ At first, Bellamy thinks he's broken it somehow in the transition. Can you take this? There's something else I want to do, he'd asked after having come across Noctis in the hall. There's only so long anyone could hold an egg, and Bellamy finished in the library. He'd meant to pawn the egg on the first willing party he found, and go to the training wing. Instead, as he extends the egg towards Noctis, there's an audible crunching noise. Bellamy stalls, looking down to where both his hands and egg are poised over Noctis' outstretched hands. ]

Is it...leaking?

[ Something is dripping, slick over Bellamy's hands and splattering over Noctis' upturned palms. It's black. Bellamy's thoughts flicker to nightblood and Ontari, chest split open and Murphy and Abby's arms stained black to the elbow with her blood. It's a gruesome image, even if it only lingers for a split second before obvious worry over what's happened to the egg crowds it out of his head. ]

Was this supposed to hatch?

[ Surely someone would have been keeping track of when it was supposed to hatch. The idea that it's happened by chance is worrisome, though Bellamy's afraid to move in case he makes the situation worse, even if it's to go find Cathaway or Prince to try to foist the splintering egg off on them. His mind latches hard onto Noctis, fretfully wrenching his attention to the matter at hand as if Noctis isn't already attentive enough. ]

( the baby shower | ota )

[ They're stuck.

This becomes very obvious about five minutes in, after the initial panic has settles. For all intents and purposes, Bellamy and Noctis are holding hands. They have six little legs wrapped from wrist to wrist, with six tiny sets of claws to pinch each time they try to detach. To be fair, neither of them have tried very hard upon mutual agreement.

At least the dripping has stopped.

Feel free to bump into them and remark upon their snoozing appendage's charming visage. ]

Comments

D48, whenever is convenient

[polyphonos]

[The corridors are quiet, easy, and then Cathaway is abruptly there: drifting across their paths at some crossroads without any immediate awareness as to the nature of their situation. But perhaps something tugs at her mentally or maybe the smell is simply hard to miss, because after a moment her attention shifts and she comes to a halt in the middle of the corridor.

She gives the creature linked around their hands a momentary study, blank faced, then suddenly brightens]

Oh! Look at that!

baby shower

[hymnals]

[ Well, this is a charming sight. Adra pauses when he comes across the two men and a whelp, his eyes widening slightly. ]

Is that -- a dragon?

[ He squints, leaning forward, trying to determine its flight. Initial inspection suggests that the little lizard baby isn't precisely like the dragons he's familiar with, but it's close enough for concern. ]

time 2 bring diapers 2 the party

[servitor]

[Nyx had been minding his own business, or as much as any person in a hive mind can mind their own business, when a sudden jolt of panic sears through his mind. Panic, he recognizes, as not his own, but someone's panic in the brood.

Leave it to Nyx to go towards it, instead of away.

He find Noctis and Bellamy... and he just sighs and shakes his head.]

I thought accessories weren't supposed to bite.

[somnifacient]

[Well, it had been a nice try, regardless. No harm in asking, even though Noctis has basically resigned himself to not knowing exactly what this baby thing is that's decided to latch itself him and Bellamy.

He's interested, though, in the way it seems to react to Ilde's touch.]

Not at all. Just... be careful. It might want to make you it's home if you get too friendly with it.

[somnifacient]

[Noctis almost starts with a jolt when the creature snaps at Annie. In that annoying feedback loop, he feels a sting at his own hand -- it's disorienting, something that he hasn't quite gotten used to when caught off guard in such a way.

Also, definitely retracting his hand now. Also Bellamy's. Sorry, buddy.]

Annie. Seriously. You're pissing it off.

[He eyes her fist, now marked with tiny teeth bites.]

What if it's poisonous or something?

[somnifacient]

[Unfortunately, Noctis is also the sort of person who doesn't need any extra urging when it comes to taking care of animals. Or, in this case, some strange, oozing alien dragon. He has too much sentiment in him, and for years, he always found it easier to connect with animals -- only because it's infinitely more difficult to know how to approach a person, in all their complexities, in everything that they might expect from him as part of the Lucis Caelum line.]

Well, one way we've been affected is pretty clear, I think. Bellamy and I are going to become best friends at this rate.

[A... joke. He knows that's not what she meant.]

[somnifacient]

[Cathaway might as well have been a ghost, the way she appears from around a corner. He can feel her approach, of course, but there's still something in Noctis that looks surprised to see her regardless. Relief seems to exude from him the moment he does, though, and at her apparent recognition of the creature, the young king looks hopeful.]

Do you know what it is?

[somnifacient]

[He's getting used to people staring at the dragon whelp at this point, but he isn't really all that frustrated. Tired, a little embarrassed, but not frustrated. To be honest, he'd probably be gawking too it had hatched around another duo.]

I... actually have no idea what it is. It might be.

[A beat.]

Dragons don't ooze, though, do they?

[somnifacient]

[The swell of panic had been quite alarming in the moment; mostly because he wasn't sure if the newborn thing curling around his hand at the time was going to try to kill him, poison him, burrow into his skin, or all of the above.

It's just sleeping now, though, and so he's not as tense as he was before. And seeing a broodmate (Nyx, especially) brings a small amount of relief for whatever reason, even if his response is dry.]

You're hilarious.

[It's true he could just... phase through this whole mess, and just leave Bellamy to do with it. But he doesn't know how his magic will affect the creature, or maybe it'll startle it, or maybe he shouldn't just leave poor Bellamy to deal with this on his own--

He'd cross his arms if, you know, there wasn't a little dragon thing there.]

What if we're stuck like this forever?

[servitor]

[Nyx leans over to inspect the little creature latched on Noctis's arm, cozy as can be. If you squint, it's a little cute.

In that sort of weird and disgusting kind of way.]

You're telling me that's the size it's going to be forever?

[There's a dramatic pause as he starts to eye Noctis, letting it sink in that this idea in his head could be terrible, even fatal.]

You think it might be a new broodmate?

A MILLION YEARS LATER....

[decommission]

[ A light huff of amusement, his gaze moving from one lizard-prisoner to the other, then settling on the creature again. He's not too disappointed that the egg didn't hatch on his watch, being handcuffed to someone else all day isn't too appealing. ]

I've met some cats that were real sonuvabitches - [ an open mind will see a quick flash of memory: a view from above, the sounds of yowling and hisses and banging metal, the colors dull and dank. ] - at least this guy's kinda quiet.

[deployed]

[ At any other moment, Noctis and his mental catalog of horrific creatures would have been of great interest to Bellamy. Some of them immediately spark an answering scrap of mythology, breaking through panic and disgust to telegraph curiosity before the tightening grip of the little creature on their arm reminds him of the more pressing issue. Bellamy's fingers flex but he doesn't try to pull free. It feels useless, and he's already concerned about what agitating their new charge might cause. ]

Maybe it's a hybrid, [ Bellamy offers, attempting for a reasonable theory when the closest he'd ever come to a creature like this were the radiation-mutated animals roaming the forests at home. ] I don't think we can break it's grip.

[ Not without injury, maybe. Bellamy raises both their arms, squinting at their snoozing attachment. ]

I don't know. Maybe she's on her way already, but how would she take it from us?

[ As unappealing as it look, Bellamy doesn't want to kill it. He doesn't even want to consider hurting it. Somehow, it's registered as a baby, even with it's heinous features. As much as Bellamy wants to extricate the pair of them from it's grip, he wants to handle it in a way that won't hurt the creature. ]

[deployed]

Do dragons cling onto people like this in your experience?

[ The question is transparently about ways to coax the little lizard off the pair of them rather than identifying it. Bellamy's curiosity over the identify of the creature hasn't been as enduring as Noctis', likely because Noctis has been so reliable in questioning people about it. It frees Bellamy up for other considerations.

Though that being said, his priorities aren't always in order. And he's got a soft spot for it, even if stroking fingers down its back had his finger tips come away stained. ]

I've read stories, but none of them mentioned this. Or the dripping.

[ Or that any of this was real. But all things considered, whether or not something could be real is low on his list of concerns. ]

A MILLION MORE YEARS LATER

[deployed]

[ The memory of cats sparks a flicker of interest. Bellamy had never encountered one. The Ark hadn't any room for domestic animals. Or animals full stop. There's an urge to hook into that flash of memory and pull until Steve's mind yields more, but the pressure of Bellamy's curiosity lifts away politely instead. ]

So far, [ Bellamy agrees. ] If it's got any complaints, it hasn't made them known.

[ If it even could. Bellamy hasn't felt anything rising from it's mind, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. ]

Hopefully it doesn't decide food is our hands next time it wakes up.

[ Which is the obvious concern here, right? ]

[deployed]

[ Noctis isn't the only one who regards Cathaway with immediate hope. It's clear from the way Bellamy exhales a relieved breath that he expects Cathaway to disentangle them and collect the creature. Their troubles are obviously over. ]

Are you here to take it?

[ Nevermind getting a solid answer on what it is; Bellamy just wants to know if she can coax it off them. ]

We thought it would have waited to hatch until it was with you.

[deployed]

[ Bellamy shakes his head, curling his fingers into a fist and then stretching them out. He's rewarded with little pricks of claws again, and ceases the motion. ]

We don't hatch. Cathaway showed me the process.

[ Not that Bellamy's going to rule out the possibility of a very alien broodmate, but— ]

This is going to be something else.

[ A really gross mascot, maybe?

Though he shoots a sideways look at Noctis, nudging him mentally. Don't even say it, Noctis. The idea of being linked at the wrist forever is just a bit much for Bellamy to consider at this point. ]

[hymnals]

I mean ...

[ No. No to all of that. He shakes his head. ]

Usually, if there's dripping, it means poison's involved--but you both look healthy. The little one looks healthy, too. I'm sure it's just clinging because it's imprinted on the two of you.

[ He leans forward, extending an experimental finger. ]

The real question is what it eats.

[servitor]

Best I can say is you have a new pet with a child leash.

[That's probably the nicest way to put it. Hopefully it grows up and detaches, but then again, does anyone really want to see that thing grown up?]

[deployed]

[ And Bellamy is, unfortunately, a caretaker in spite of everything. The idea of having a pet is completely foreign to him, but something freshly hatched and vulnerable pricks at his conscience. It hasn't show itself to be harmful yet, and Bellamy can't help but suspect that it would die if left to its own devices. It doesn't seem very mobile. ]

After practically holding hands for this long, that seems likely. I'm going to know Noctis better than anyone else here.

[ Familiarity is inevitable. Noctis has napped beside him. Bellamy's comfortable classifying them as more than a casual acquaintance, even by the Nest standards. ]

I haven't felt it trying to communicate. But it's mostly been sleeping. Maybe it'll get around to that when it wakes, and we can worry about it then.

[ Among other issues that are inevitably going to rise up. Such as food. And whether or not the slime staining their skin had long term impact on their health. ]

[adamance]

There is meant to be a point to it. [Lexa says it as a statement, which is why there is no question mark, no sense of it. The egg is the result of a point, though she finds herself doubting that at this moment. Perhaps it will be of some benefit to Noctis and Bellamy. It had better be a Bellamy that doesn't radically alter them. She will have some major questions for Cathaway in that case.]

And it's not because you're due to bond with each other. Have you spoken to Prince or Cathaway about your circumstances?

[Have they thought to?

Lexa wonders.]

[somnifacient]

A hybrid... of snake and slug?

[He looks down at the creature again, and is not so bold as Bellamy to even attempt to flex his fingers. It's true that relaxation has settled into his mind (only slightly), pushing back the initial spark of panic. But that doesn't mean he's at all comfortable with how this entire hatching situation has played out.]

We should go... find her. Don't you think?

[He won't move his arm -- he keeps it still, even when Bellamy pulls it up for the both of them -- but Noctis will take a tentative step forward. Surely Cathaway has all the answers. Surely she can remove it from their hands!]

[somnifacient]

[The answer to that is, plainly, no. Don't judge them.]

We're... working on it. [That is to say, they haven't actively found either of them yet. But they will, once they're finished being gawked at by the rest of the Nest, probably.]

But you really think there's much of a point to this thing, other than the fact that we brought back an egg and it decided to hatch? The Station need a mascot or something?

[He almost scoffs at his own question, his wryness threatening to override much of everything right now.]

TEN MILLION YEARS LATER

[somnifacient]

Cats are fickle, but they're mostly pretty nice.

[An idle comment, brought on by his own bias towards felines. It's neither here nor there, but for some reason Noctis deems it necessary to say anyway.]

And please don't say that. [-he says in response to Bellamy's comment.] I really like this hand, and I don't want it to become some alien lizard's snack.

Besides, you don't think... Cathaway and Prince would allow that to happen to us, would you? [The question is directed to both.]

[somnifacient]

[Noctis blanches immediately at the word poison, though this showing lessens a bit when he hears that it's unlikely. Even so, he's not quite sure if he feels much better about imprinting.

That implies a strange responsibility of... parenthood. Of an attachment from a creature that he didn't ask for -- not completely unwanted, but certainly not something he was ever really prepared for. This isn't exactly the same as looking after a baby chocobo chick, after all.

Adra can pet the little ooze dragon if he likes. It won't do anything other than continue to sleep, and maybe flex its claws into Bellamy and Noctis' wrist a few times more.]

Do you know what dragons usually eat? [He's just so full of questions.]

[somnifacient]

[The mental nudge gets a mental nudge right back, even if he doesn't immediately look at Bellamy in return. What?]

Wanna take it from us, Nyx? [It's mostly a joke, framed with a tiredness that's trademark of Noctis.] You can be the first Glaive with a pet dragon.