[ Saber jogs over to said coop and peeps into it. The egg in question gives a meek little kick, and Saber startles slightly as if kicked herself. There's no chick forthcoming quite yet though, so... ]
All we can do is wait. The chick will emerge on its own.
[ ............. She assumes.
She lowers herself to sit on her knees, her eyes still glued to the egg. Fight hard, little chick...! ]
Sit with me, Dextera. This will be a sight to treasure.
[ to emerge, he means. dextera wants to reach out and touch the little delicate shell, to help peel away the egg so that the chick can free itself, but even he knows that it’s a bad idea.
so he crouches next to saber, too, balancing himself by placing his palms flat on the ground. ]
Hm... Those are astute questions. I suppose it would be the same as if we woke to find ourselves in giant eggs. The desire for air, the urge to stretch our limbs, the boredom inside and the courage to venture out into the world... One or all of these things could be driving the chick to escape its egg. Regardless, it will be ready; it was ready from the moment it decided to break down the only wall of safety it has ever known.
[ She looks away from the egg for a moment to smile at Dextera. ]
The egg has not hatched, and you already sound like a doting mother.
[ dextera is staring hard at the small egg as saber explains her thoughts, and so he doesn’t immediately realize when she turns to look at him—only the comment about motherhood gets his attention, but it’s in a way, more appropriate than saber realizes. much of dextera’s life has been shaped by motherhood, in one way or another, even if he doesn’t remember the woman he was born to.
he returns her smile, awkward, but soothed at having someone else here. ]
I don’t think that’s a bad thing. A mother… created this egg.
[ dextera gasps softly, and leans closer. now that a significant part of the shell has been cracked off, dextera can see something—okay, well, it’s unsurprisingly colorless inside even if the egg had color, but the little grey-skinned chick is moving. it’s grotesque, and yet, dextera finds himself captivated. ]
[ dextera’s naming sense is unique, as evidenced by leliel’s name amongst all those chickens named after baked goods. he feels like he should keep in with that theme rather than his own, to honor their origin. ]
Not yet. But I think… something like its mother’s… would be good.
[ dextera hasn’t tried half those things, but when saber says one particular word, it jumps out to dextera as an absolute necessity. any other name would be doing the chick a disservice. ]
[ dextera does not know who archer is, which makes him all the more reluctant to let one of his precious chickens go. of those who exist, bagel seems like the best candidate for going to a new home, but… ]
Ah, pardon me. I thought you might have known him.
[ Tristan seemed to know of Dextera, at any rate. Perhaps it was only passing knowledge. ]
He is a melancholy but sincere and well-meaning man. He was more interested in the chicken's eggs, as his housemates are avid cooks. Their names are Jim and Xie Lian, and I can personally vouch for their good character.
[ Sensing Dextera's hesitation, she adds: ]
But it is not a pressing matter. Merely a thought for the future.
[ melancholy… sincere… well-meaning. dextera searches his memory. ]
Ah… he asked me about…
[ guren’s defense force.
dextera had been in the throes of agony when archer had posted to him, and dextera doesn’t remember much from that period of time. from his perspective, as well, it’s been months.
remembering the defense force, or archer’s interest in it, however, does somewhat assuage him. ]
[ dextera is pleased, in fact, and it’s visible just beneath the surprise on his face. saber is so kind, and gallant, and intelligent—it’s hard to feel like he’s the sort of person she would like to spend her time with. ]
I am glad to hear it. I would welcome you to my abode as well, but I fear there is little of interest there.
[ Some people would say it's beneath her station to be playing at a livestock farmer with a somewhat delicate, mild-mannered man, but she loved the most humble of her people, and Dextera and his small flock remind her of them. It's nice to spend time in a small, peaceful bubble like this, a break from the nonsense of Chroma and her often complicated knights.
The egg wiggles once more, and the crack widens into a split. The two halves of the shell tilt away from each other, exposing a quietly heaving mass of gray feathers, but the chick halts in its progress as if too exhausted to come out fully. ]
[ such is dextera’s gentle comment, before he looks to the egg once more. it’s breathing, it’s alive, but for the moment, it doesn’t seem to be attempting to finish the process. in response to it, dextera shifts forward, leaning his weight on his palms to get a better look at it.
he doesn’t want to touch it, in case he harms it by accident, but he can’t help but think of how easy it would be to pluck it right from the rest of the shell. ]
[ But this is new territory for Saber, who rarely had time to sit around and watch an egg hatch. She joins Dextera in leaning forward for a better look at the chick, though not as far as he. Sensing his temptation, she continues: ]
Let us wait a while longer. It was strong enough to break its shell, so it should be strong enough to revive itself. And overcoming difficulty on one's own is what builds character, no?
[ saber’s advice is true and correct, but it doesn’t make him worry much less for the little bird. he supposes, though, that if it comes to the point that it can’t break out, then they could step in. any earlier, though, and it could damage the delicate balance that nature tries to strike with its creations. ]
dextera doesn’t think that bagel is going to be doing any crushing under any heels anytime soon, and hopefully he never encounters any enemies in his idyllic chicken life, but he can appreciate the enthusiasm, especially from a warrior like saber. ]
…bravo, Bagel.
[ he can’t yell, but the whispered encouragement is earnest enough to match. the chick, whether responding to them or not, does seem a little more able to pick itself up. go, go…! ]
[ Volume is only half of what matters, with heartfelt feelings the other, so Saber is happy to have Dextera join in with as much as he can manage. ]
You are doing wonderfully, Bagel! You have come too far to give up now!
[ The chick clumsily stumbles to its feet, swerving left and right unsteadily before plopping tired to the ground again near Dextera. Saber makes no move to help it up, looking instead to Dextera with a smile of support. ]
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All we can do is wait. The chick will emerge on its own.
[ ............. She assumes.
She lowers herself to sit on her knees, her eyes still glued to the egg. Fight hard, little chick...! ]
Sit with me, Dextera. This will be a sight to treasure.
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[ to emerge, he means. dextera wants to reach out and touch the little delicate shell, to help peel away the egg so that the chick can free itself, but even he knows that it’s a bad idea.
so he crouches next to saber, too, balancing himself by placing his palms flat on the ground. ]
What if it tries to escape too early…?
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[ She looks away from the egg for a moment to smile at Dextera. ]
The egg has not hatched, and you already sound like a doting mother.
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he returns her smile, awkward, but soothed at having someone else here. ]
I don’t think that’s a bad thing. A mother… created this egg.
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[ The egg rattles in place, drawing Saber's attention once more. And then a tiny piece of the egg pops off, leaving a small puncture in the shell. ]
Oohh. A mighty blow!
[ It's happening!! How unexpected that such a tiny event could seem so exciting. ]
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[ dextera gasps softly, and leans closer. now that a significant part of the shell has been cracked off, dextera can see something—okay, well, it’s unsurprisingly colorless inside even if the egg had color, but the little grey-skinned chick is moving. it’s grotesque, and yet, dextera finds himself captivated. ]
It’s really… alive.
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Which means it will soon need a name. Have you put any thought toward what it will be?
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[ dextera’s naming sense is unique, as evidenced by leliel’s name amongst all those chickens named after baked goods. he feels like he should keep in with that theme rather than his own, to honor their origin. ]
Not yet. But I think… something like its mother’s… would be good.
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[ And she loves breakfast, so she'll love whatever name they decide on, no matter what. ]
I can think of toast, donuts, crepes, cake, bread rolls, bagels...
[ she'll keep going ]
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[ dextera hasn’t tried half those things, but when saber says one particular word, it jumps out to dextera as an absolute necessity. any other name would be doing the chick a disservice. ]
…Bagel.
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[ by whose standards
The crack in the egg widens, and then widens some more until it reaches around the entire egg to meet itself. ]
... Ah. By the way, Archer has expressed an interest in having a chicken of his own for his household.
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[ dextera does not know who archer is, which makes him all the more reluctant to let one of his precious chickens go. of those who exist, bagel seems like the best candidate for going to a new home, but… ]
What kind of person is he?
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[ Tristan seemed to know of Dextera, at any rate. Perhaps it was only passing knowledge. ]
He is a melancholy but sincere and well-meaning man. He was more interested in the chicken's eggs, as his housemates are avid cooks. Their names are Jim and Xie Lian, and I can personally vouch for their good character.
[ Sensing Dextera's hesitation, she adds: ]
But it is not a pressing matter. Merely a thought for the future.
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Ah… he asked me about…
[ guren’s defense force.
dextera had been in the throes of agony when archer had posted to him, and dextera doesn’t remember much from that period of time. from his perspective, as well, it’s been months.
remembering the defense force, or archer’s interest in it, however, does somewhat assuage him. ]
…if he wants them to cook the eggs… that’s okay.
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[ Did they talk about a next round? She's saying there's gonna be a next round. ]
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[ it’s not that he’s opposed to it, but rather, he’s surprised that saber would continue to involve herself in the matters of his chickens. ]
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Of course. It is an important project, is it not? And coming here has become a treasured part of my routine.
[ Her routine is a little pathetic, all things considered, so it's nice to have something to look forward to... ]
Unless you have any objections?
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[ dextera is pleased, in fact, and it’s visible just beneath the surprise on his face. saber is so kind, and gallant, and intelligent—it’s hard to feel like he’s the sort of person she would like to spend her time with. ]
I’d be happy to see you here. Anytime…
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[ Some people would say it's beneath her station to be playing at a livestock farmer with a somewhat delicate, mild-mannered man, but she loved the most humble of her people, and Dextera and his small flock remind her of them. It's nice to spend time in a small, peaceful bubble like this, a break from the nonsense of Chroma and her often complicated knights.
The egg wiggles once more, and the crack widens into a split. The two halves of the shell tilt away from each other, exposing a quietly heaving mass of gray feathers, but the chick halts in its progress as if too exhausted to come out fully. ]
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[ such is dextera’s gentle comment, before he looks to the egg once more. it’s breathing, it’s alive, but for the moment, it doesn’t seem to be attempting to finish the process. in response to it, dextera shifts forward, leaning his weight on his palms to get a better look at it.
he doesn’t want to touch it, in case he harms it by accident, but he can’t help but think of how easy it would be to pluck it right from the rest of the shell. ]
Is it… okay…?
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[ But this is new territory for Saber, who rarely had time to sit around and watch an egg hatch. She joins Dextera in leaning forward for a better look at the chick, though not as far as he. Sensing his temptation, she continues: ]
Let us wait a while longer. It was strong enough to break its shell, so it should be strong enough to revive itself. And overcoming difficulty on one's own is what builds character, no?
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…you’re right.
[ the chick wiggles. ]
Oh…!
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It seems Bagel is as firm in spirit as the bakery good he has been named after.
[ It does feel a little lackluster just sitting on the sidelines and watching, though... ]
Perhaps he can find encouragement in our support. The cheers of an audience can reinvigorate the weariest warrior. For instance...
[ Saber cups her hands around her mouth and raises her voice into an almost-shout. ]
Have heart, Sir Bagel! Crush the enemy under your heel!
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dextera doesn’t think that bagel is going to be doing any crushing under any heels anytime soon, and hopefully he never encounters any enemies in his idyllic chicken life, but he can appreciate the enthusiasm, especially from a warrior like saber. ]
…bravo, Bagel.
[ he can’t yell, but the whispered encouragement is earnest enough to match. the chick, whether responding to them or not, does seem a little more able to pick itself up. go, go…! ]
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You are doing wonderfully, Bagel! You have come too far to give up now!
[ The chick clumsily stumbles to its feet, swerving left and right unsteadily before plopping tired to the ground again near Dextera. Saber makes no move to help it up, looking instead to Dextera with a smile of support. ]
Go on. It should be safe to pick him up.
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