(no subject)

[socrowdedinhere]

 

Leah: *gathers the hatchling to her and starts to breath blue flames over the baby.*

Darnell: *rapt the whole time, though he'll have to pull himself away once to relieve himself. He's pulled out his journal again and written and sketched. If the dragons will allow, he's taken pictures of them - if only for himself! He swears again that he has no intention of /outing/ them, he knows that'd mean their deaths, but...he doesn't have a dragon's memory. Finally, the baby is all the way out of the egg and he's close to tears, emotional at having just witnessed the birth of a /dragon/.*

Leah: *looks at Darnell, a mother's proud smile on her face.* Would you like to meet her?

Darnell: *breathless* I-I'd love to.

Baby: *shifts her head around to look at him.*

Darnell: */grinning/* Hi. I'm Darn-...I-I mean...Detective. I'm Detective.

Aiden: *smirks* He can learn. *teasing*

Baby: ...Hello.  *she sounds...weak. Or perhaps she's just tired.*

Darnell: *smirks back* I get things sooner or later. *to the baby* Welcome. You must be pretty tired now. *he's not surprised, it took her /how/ long to fight her way out of that egg?*

Baby: *seems to give him a little smile* Yes...

Leah: You may call her Finna, Detective.

Darnell: Finna . . . I'm /really/ pleased to meet you, Finna. *looks between her and Leah...and Aiden* I...should probably back off and let you guys get in some family bonding or something. *though he doesn't want to withdraw...he wants to get /closer/, wants to /touch/ her, wants to just.../be/ there in this incredible moment*

Leah: You are not intruding.

Aiden: *soft rumble, but doesn't seem adverse to Darnell staying.*

Darnell: Well . . . still . . . she should rest. That was a long fight out of her egg. */wow/ it's everything in him to stay put, to sit still, hands clasped firmly in his lap over his journal*

Aiden: *eyes him* You look like you’re fighting to stay still, Detective.

Leah: ...You would not disturb her to touch, Detective. I recall how much humans always wanted to touch things. *little smile.*

Comments

[neverasked4this]

Darnell: ........things are somehow more real when we can lay hands on it. Our sight and our hearing can betray us or be manipulated, but touch can't be fooled so easily. Still, I've tried to be respectful. *he's not touched /any/ of them more than they allowed/initiated. But . . . he'll finally pull to his feet and approach, stopping short of mother and baby. He looks at Finna, raising a hand by her shoulder (or tail, or muzzle, whatever he can most easily reach)* May I, Finna?

[socrowdedinhere]

Finna:*lifts her head a bit to sniff at his hand....and softly pushes her muzzle into his palm. Her skin is a mix between hide and smoothe scales like a snake’s, and her nose is about as big as a Clydesdale’s.*

[neverasked4this]

Darnell: *softly brushing his hand over her nose, then up her muzzle, starts to reach with his other hand too but then stuffs it into the pocket of his slacks as he sticks to one hand to just...love on her, absolutely rapt*

[socrowdedinhere]

Finna: *seems to enjoy the touch, will even shift a bit closer to him to press her head against his chest and stomach.*

[neverasked4this]

Darnell: *okay, no, he can't resist aftet that. He curls over her, both hands brushing and lightly scratching over her head and down her neck a bit - softly* I can't believe this. It is absolutely amazing.

[socrowdedinhere]

Leah: *has her muzzle lightly pressed to her daugher’s side, just keeping contact.*
Aiden: *has a hand on Finna’s hind end, also just making contact.*
Finna: *low rumble, almost like she’s purring, she’ll get an arm around Darnell’s legs and just kind of hold hom to her.*

[neverasked4this]

Darnell: *just stsnds there loving on her, could do that forever! ...o-or at least until his stomach GURGLES, making him /flinch/ and shift back, hand on his stomach and face flushed* Whoa...sorry about that. *he had a really good dinner, but that was HOURS ago. He's had some fish since then, but again, hours ago, and he didn't even finish what he had*

[socrowdedinhere]

Finna: *bumps his belly, and seems to give him a smile.*
Aiden: I will hunt. *he’ll get up and leave the cave.*
Leah: *gives Darnell a little smile.* You must ne tired as well. It was evening when you followed me. *it’s middle of the night now*

[neverasked4this]

Darnell: *grins* I should be, but I'm also used to being up overnight on investigations. Also, this is just...too exciting to sleep through. *will...finally also reach over to brush a hand on Leah, whatever he can easily reach*

[socrowdedinhere]

Leah: *seems to smile as he hand brushes up her muzzle.* I imagine so. *puts a hand over Finna now that Aiden has left. The other egg is still tucked to her belly, but it’s still.*

[neverasked4this]

Darnell: Any idea how long it usually is between eggs hatching?

[socrowdedinhere]

Leah: *expression is /pained/* This one will not hatch.

[neverasked4this]

Darnell: .......no? *worried*

[socrowdedinhere]

Leah: *softly, mournfully* ...no. Hatching takes place at the same time. If an egg has not yet started to show signs of hatching while other eggs in a clutch are hatching, then it will not. *grieving, and snuggles Finna to her a little tighter.* ...This world is less and less suitable for us, Detective. Has been for a very long time. I suspect we will not exist in another century at most...

[neverasked4this]

Darnell: ...no. There has to be /something/! Tell me what it is that you need, for minimal and optimal health. Let me talk to my superiors - part of our business is covering up what the public can't or shouldn't know. Let me see if I can find a place where you and your kind can live.

[socrowdedinhere]

Leah: *studies him* ...And what happens when you and your superiors are gone, Detective?

[neverasked4this]

Darnell: ......I don't know, but depending on what places we can find for you, I know some of them have remained undisturbed for centuries, maybe even longer. It . . . I don't know, it might give you a chance...? The highly classified data about you and your kind would persist after us, to those who follow. *he...can't guarantee how it'll be handled, but...seeing how it'd be a British government agency handling it rather than American, that might better their chances*

[socrowdedinhere]

Leah: ....Perhaps something can be done. ....You will have to tell your supperiors no matter what, won't you?

[neverasked4this]

Darnell: ……………..no, actually. I could come up with something, and they'd believe me. But I may not be able to help you, really get all the resources you need, on my own.

[socrowdedinhere]

Leah: But your superiors could. *is what he’s saying, right?*

[neverasked4this]

Darnell: *nods* How widespread are your kind? Are they all here in North America, or…?

[socrowdedinhere]

Leah: We are hidden anywhere we can be all over the world.

[neverasked4this]

Darnell: Are you able to communicate with each other? Can you somehow travel to one another, or anywhere else, easily? Provided it's a known safe spot.

[socrowdedinhere]

Leah: In a way, yes. We can summon meetings among our kind, though we have not done so in a very long time.*

@,@ time, what's that... OTOH I have another card for Joe almost done. 8D

[neverasked4this]

Darnell: *nods . . . will start asking questions about what they need - what do they eat, how much, do they need a water source, how much space would be ideal, etc*

Re: @,@ time, what's that... OTOH I have another card for Joe almost done. 8D

[socrowdedinhere]

*Leah is sharing these details when Aiden returns. He’s amused to find Darenll still half caught by his daughter. Finna is basically cuddling Darnell as he and her mother chat. Aiden has two deer, he’ll used salt and his magical flames to season and cook the meat. Darnell is welcome to take some of the meat for himself, the rest is for Finna.*

[neverasked4this]

Darnell: *happily cuddled as he sits with his journal balanced on a knee, taking notes. And yes, he'll have some meat, thank you!*

[socrowdedinhere]

Aiden: *seems extremely uncertain about Darnell’s plans, but Leah feels this is their only chance, so he keeps his peace. Darnell will still be able to tell, though.*
Finna: *seems very weak as she moves to eat.*
*Leah and Aiden exchange concerned looks.*

[neverasked4this]

Darnell: *also worried, but…what can he do? Except what he's already intending*

[socrowdedinhere]

*The won’t help her, but they watch...*
Leah: *will gently scoop Darnell up, improvised meal in his hands, and will kind of cuddle him to her.*

[neverasked4this]

Darnell: *surprised, but will readily snuggles to her, eating before looking up at her.../very/ softly* She's...already not doing well, is she? Do you know why?

[socrowdedinhere]

Leah: *very softly* She is weaker than she should be. I am uncertain of the true reason, but my guesses have much to do with environment and magic.

[neverasked4this]

Darnell: ...what can we do?