(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

[somnifacient]

I know that. [That snakes don't have feet. He almost rolls his eyes, because Bellamy knew what he menat..]

Well then we better start stumbling. Unless you can think of anyone else on the Station that knows a thing or two about... strange creatures that hatch from eggs, we don't seem to have much of a choice.

[He watches as Bellamy pets the thing. Noctis isn't if he should frown or do the same.]

...Doesn't seem to mind the attention at least.

[deployed]

[ As he runs his finger across the soft, vulnerable flank of the monster, a single thought presents itself: it's just a baby. A horrific-looking baby, maybe, but it strikes Bellamy as barely formed and more than a little helpless. It would be so easy to kill it right now. Noctis likely has a giant knife somewhere about his person. The resolve to keep it safe starts forming, even as Bellamy's gaze lifts back to Noctis. ]

The scales are still forming, [ Bellamy points out, ignoring the sticky black stain he's earned himself. ] So we can probably assume it's going to grow. And get bigger.

[ Yikes. ]

Let's just start walking. If we can find her, or maybe the Prince, one of them might be able to do something.

[ Though at this point Bellamy's caveat is "something" can't cause harm. ]

*meant....

[somnifacient]

[Noctis has several sharp objects tucked away in his magic, that much is true. But despite being uncertain about this new creature wrapped around their wrists, there's something about the way Bellamy touches the hatchling that gives him pause. He feels what must be a protectiveness, and he seems to relax slightly, allowing the emotion to dredge up his own softness for animals.

He sighs a little. He wonders if this is what a mother chocobo feels like, upon greeting its new chick after hatching.]

...Yeah. You're right. I wonder how big.

[A rhetorical question at best.]

Let's get walking, then. I bet the others are really going to be curious about this, though, so prepare yourself for all the questions that we don't have answers to.

should we wrap this!!

[deployed]

[ Bellamy, who has no frame of reference for a chocobo, isn't sure what to make of that particular train of thought. But he recognizes the gist of it: mothers and newborns. The association that Bellamy has in mind is painfully raw, but he knows that neither of them had looked at this tiny monster the way his mother had looked at Octavia. His lack of experience with animals is very clear in this moment. ]

If it gets too big we'll have to drop it off at the next stop.

[ This is only half a joke. ]

Questions without answers aren't anything new. [ Admittedly in Bellamy's experience they are usually based in life or death situations, so this is a welcome change. ] We'll manage. Come on. We can try the garden first.

sure thing! c:

[somnifacient]

[It seems like Noctis has a lot of to explain to Bellamy someday, starting with what chocobos are. And while he'd be more than willing to in the future, right now it would probably be prudent to focus on the matter at hand. Literally.]

You think we'd really have to drop it off?

[And that is only half of a real question, one that he doesn't expect an answer to. Logically, he knows that if thing gets too big and too hungry, they'll have to figure out how to deal with it sooner rather than later.]

All right. Lead the way.

[Bound to Bellamy, as seems to be the case for an unknown amount of time, Noctis will follow. Along the way, maybe they'll figure something out.]