station72 | (no subject)

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. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

If it is a dragon.

[ Not that any of them can rule it out. Nestmates had circulated in and out of their vicinity, but all the speculation hadn't come up with anything definitive. And even with Noctis' formidable recollection of beasts and monsters, none had quite matched up.

The idea of something new with this many teeth isn't particularly reassuring. Bellamy's fingers flex again, restless, tapping Noctis' fingertips as he curls his hand into a fist. ]

We might have to come up with a new word for it. Or hope Prince comes up with something in one of his library books.

[ Tendrils of his mind hook into Noctis' as Bellamy shakes his head at him. Don't tempt fate. The idea of being joined at the wrist for the rest of their lives isn't appealing. ]

I've seen too many dragons to want one. For now.

[Considering he's killed many a dragon-like thing on the front lines, he's probably okay without a pet dragon for the time being. Maybe one day it would be incredibly sick to have one.]

Where'd it come from, anyway? If it came from somewhere, it'll have a name from that place, right?

[Maybe. Any image of dragon-like things that come into his mind that could be this thing don't seem to entirely fit.]

You could call it a handcuff.

[Ha ha hilarious Nyx.]

[Egh, he gives Bellamy a half-hearted little mental shoulder push back. He was just kidding.]

It was one of the prizes from Shril. We were kind of in a hurry to leave before we could ask exactly what kind of-

[And then Nyx makes a terrible handcuff joke, cutting off Noctis' train of thought completely. The King of Lucis stares at him.]

You're terrible at names.

[ Bellamy leans slightly into him, elbow knocking Noctis'. Forgiven for tempting fate. ]

I doubt it was native to Shril. That planet was more of a hub than anything else.

[ Any one of the teams they'd faced could have brought it there. It could have come from a smuggler, or a merchant like the one whose warehouse Murphy led them through. Tracing the egg back to it's origin could take more work than just returning to Shril, and Bellamy frowns over that as much as the idea that they'd name the creature handcuff. His disapproval is projected outward in silent rebuff. ]

[Both of them, complete rays of sunshine.]

I'm pretty, not smart.

[He's grinning all the same, because apparently his new favorite pastime is irritating the locals.

Though he'd done enough of that with the Glaive... maybe some things never change.]

Still, if it grows... might be worth looking into training it. Anything with that many teeth isn't looking for a smile on an off-chance. [But then...] It kind of looks like Leviathan. [For this, he glances at Noctis. Maybe he's invoking some kind of godly wrath, maybe it's one of the best coincidences that could happen.] Maybe you'll be getting a mini god by your side again.

[The severity of Noctis' frown is immediate upon the mention of Leviathan. Nyx may not be aware of it, but Noct does not have the best associations with the Astral, despite eventually garnering its cooperation. Immediately, there's imagery of a city caught in in a monstrous whirlpool of water. Leviathan's rage, coiled and twisting and thrashing; the city of Altissia, helpless under the wrath of a god. Ardyn Izunia, ending Lunafreya's life with something as simple as sharpened dagger slipping into flesh.

He sets his jaw, swallowing, obviously uncomfortable.]

Nothing like Leviathan, I hope.

[Nothing else. Noctis' mind recedes, as if allowing Bellamy to take up that space -- to continue the conversation.]

Edited 2017-06-27 14:21 (UTC)

[ Noctis' reaction sweeps down the line between them, cool where Noctis' mind had been warm. Bellamy's gaze breaks from Nyx to look at him, but judges that commenting on the images rattling between them won't be welcome. All he can do is maintain the thread of contact, projecting his concern quietly as he turns his attention back to their charge. ]

I'm going to check with Prince and Cathaway. They might have some insight.

[ Though Bellamy isn't holding out much hope, at this point. ]

Odds are low it'll grow into something any of us recognize.

[ That assertion is tacked on for Noctis' benefit; it's an alien, and it'll likely be an alien, so the horrors in Noctis' mind might never be something to worry about. ]

[The flicker is minimal at best, but fucking hell is the best approximation of Nyx's reaction, along with an anger he's keeping in check. If it isn't the Nifs, it's the gods, and if it's not the gods, it's daemons.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

He'd never had what he'd call a connection to the gods anyway, besides Bahamut. Even then, he never exactly counted on Bahamut to sweep in and save the day, nor really any other god.

As for Lunafreya and Ardyn? Nothing. He refuses to make anything of it right now.]

Maybe. Maybe not. I'll take my leave here.

[He struck a nerve he wasn't even aware was there. He at least has some sense to get out before he pisses someone off again. What a great impression you're making around here, Ulric.

He just nods to the both of them and takes a step before leaving the pair and their dragon.]

[Well, shit.

That empty space that Noctis had left is filled with guilt as he watches Nyx leave. The man be able to feel it trailing behind him as he walks off, and it wouldn't be terribly hard for Bellamy to sense it pooling at his feet, either. Noctis makes no effort to hide it.

The young king curses under his breath, then gives Bellamy an apologetic glance.]

Sorry. ...That was awkward.

[He hadn't tried to run the man off. He'd have to talk to him later.]

[ This particular exchange doesn't do much to improve Bellamy's impression of Nyx. He can sense something deeper at play between the two of them, but it's complex in a way the reminds Bellamy of Polis and the veiled political climate Clarke had so willingly engaged in. Noctis' guilt is a heavy weight, flooding down the bond and mingling with Bellamy's own ever-present awareness of his own sins. His hand flexes as if Bellamy means to draw away, and is rewarded by the hatchling's claws pricking as it's arms tighten around them. ]

You don't have to apologize.

[ There wasn't much either of them could have done. Bellamy hadn't been able to keep the conversation from straying to a topic that had upset Nyx and Noctis both, and now he can't give Noctis time to recover himself. ]

I'm sorry it went like that.

[ Whatever "that" was. Bellamy isn't asking for an explanation. ]

Do you want to stay here?

[ There's not very much to offer in the way of distractions when they're stuck in this position. ]

[He shakes his head, unwilling to let Bellamy apologize. His own apologize rings in every word.]

Don't be sorry. Not your fault. Just some leftover stuff from home rearing its ugly head.

[It's not fair to burden any of that on his companion for now. He wants to focus on the creature looped around their hands and wrists, not commiserate over a fallen Altissia, or memories of destruction and loss. Noctis tries to rein it in, but it's a bit like trying to grasp at sand. He still hasn't gotten a hold of wrangling his emotions into one concise point within him, though he certainly wishes he could.]

We can keep moving. At this point, I don't think we're going to find any answers, so we might as well just keep ourselves from being bored in the interim.