[Look, if it's a competition of who can look the least impressed, Dylas is going to try his damnedest to win. He huffs, maintaining that look until he realizes Lance is changing his clothes. And then he looks away like he's watching something much more indecent, refusing to look. Maybe it's because he was raised by a dragon, or maybe it's because he has crippling intimacy issues, but either way he's not watching someone strip.
Once that show is over, he finds a nice place to sit and goes to town on...doing absolutely nothing. He's not watching for Lance. He places the egg between his legs where he sits cross-legged no far from the shore, only he's maneuvered his tail into his lap and around the egg. It's like a periwinkle scarf. He is nicer to this egg than he will ever be to Lance, honestly, as he makes himself comfortable and waits...talking to the egg a little as he does so.]
it only takes lance a couple of tries, always resurfacing in 3-4 minute intervals, but eventually he gathers enough of those crystal drops to have created a pretty sufficient pile by the shore edge.
when he finishes, he climbs out of the water, hastily reaching for his discarded shirt to wipe himself down as much as he can, before using that to hold all his bearings. ]
Ta da! [ he comes over to where dylas has sat, squatting in front of him. ] I managed to find eight, so I figure you could bring in four, and I'll bring in the other four.
He tells himself he's going to stop talking to the egg when Lance gets close. He has the ears to do that, but he gets so engrossed in what he's talking about that maybe Lance will hear Dylas' last sentence to the egg as he approaches.
'And so sharks aren't the only fish with teeth. Goldfish have teeth, too, but they're in the throat. They're called pharyngeal teeth, and they're for crushing up food. Most people don't appreciate that...'
But lo and behold, Lance is there and Dylas clears his throat, assuming his 'bedtime story' went unheard.
I don't want 'em. [He's straight to the point here. And he's making no motion to hand over the egg, he's...sort of going to miss it? But if it were a fish inside, he'd be happier eating it.] I'm not worried about money, and the last time I helped someone here they put my name up on signs all over town.
[ lance's only response to that goldish teeth talk is a slow, steady blink. he says nothing of it (for now), instead turning his attention to what dylas actually directs to him. ]
What kind of signs..? [ like. graffiti? wanted signs? ] Well, I gotta pay you back for watching Junior somehow...
Forget it. I shouldn't have said anything. [Does Lance remember Dylas' charming habit of bringing up topics he doesn't want to talk about? Yeah.] I guess you're out of luck. I'm not gonna accept any payment.
[You know, more 'why is he like this' qualities to consider? Most people? "Oh, no need to pay me." Dylas somehow turns doing a favor into sounding extremely unpleasant...at least he looks sort of not angry to be still holding the egg?]
[ it's a decidedly more brusque way to deny repayment, for sure, but lance has spent enough time with keith that he isn't all that fazed by it by now. so instead, he just shrugs, and gives dylas a smile. ]
Well — thanks! That's real nice of you. But if it makes you feel any better, I wouldn't have done that to you.
[Keith...ruining everything for Dylas. How are people supposed to take him seriously when they're already used to the non-horse version of him??]
Er...yeah. You think people would ask before plastering your name all over town, but nope. It's a real pain in my tail.
[The tail currently wrapped around Junior as best as a horse's tail can! Dylas sort of has to hold the tail in place with one hand since it's not really monkey-like in any way, but it's not painful for him.]
He's fine. He missed you.
[His voice is so deadpan...is he serious? Is it a joke? No one knows.]
[ joke or not, lance just beams, turning to the egg as if it could, in any way, actually emote or express itself. ]
Aww, I missed you too, buddy!
[ he reaches over, giving the egg a tender half-pat, half-caress, but he actually makes no move to take it from dylas just yet. they seem pretty cozy. instead, he will work on gathering up the crystals and stuffing them into the little pouch he'd brought along. also drying up and getting dressed... ]
[Dylas makes a face at the smiling baby talk and the egg being caressed while it's, you know, still between his legs, but he doesn't say anything about it. Lance can go ahead and get ready, Dylas wants to be done with his job and definitely isn't sad that he doesn't have an egg of his own. Between Lance and Atsushi, he's a little jealous...but he doesn't think he'd be a good dad, so it's for the best?
Lots of thoughts going on that Lance doesn't get to hear, basically.]
[He sighs. This poor egg. It's going to be raised by this guy? With any luck, it'll hatch into something that can take care of itself. He pats the egg. Good luck, little guy.]
You're not the first one to get one. They've got some kinda monster up there that keeps laying eggs or something. Probably more than one. Atsushi's hatched into a tiger.
[ lance's head finally pops out of the right hole, his dumbfounded expression directed towards dylas. ]
The — Orbiters?
[ he grows silent, just starting at the other, too shocked to even let his mind wander at the idea of some magical egg-laying creature being robbed of all her babies...
why would the orbiters be giving people eggs to take care of... and why wouldn't they say anything about it??? ]
[At least Lance's head is coming out of the right hole? He was so sure it was going to come out of a sleeve at this rate.]
My fr...someone...my friend [emotionally stunted horse, go!] had the same thing happen to him. And he was up there when it happened. It hatched into a tiger named Prince.
[ interesting... lance is wondering if revealing this particular bit of information will make keith even more paranoid about this egg or not. he considers kind of sitting on this information for a while... hrm. ]
Do me a favor and don't tell Keith that. It'll just make him worry.
[He hasn't noticed yet. One phone conversation and Lance taking a swim while he watches an egg is like the bare minimum interaction he can have while still interacting. What nightmares lie beneath Lance's surface are lost to him. For now.]
That's even better, then. I probably hate him.
[There's zero animosity behind the word 'hate,' though.]
[What does that face even mean??? Dylas doesn't want to know, and that means it's time to remove his tail and spread his legs like he wants to stand up.]
Can you hear that? Junior says he wants you to hold him.
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Once that show is over, he finds a nice place to sit and goes to town on...doing absolutely nothing. He's not watching for Lance. He places the egg between his legs where he sits cross-legged no far from the shore, only he's maneuvered his tail into his lap and around the egg. It's like a periwinkle scarf. He is nicer to this egg than he will ever be to Lance, honestly, as he makes himself comfortable and waits...talking to the egg a little as he does so.]
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it only takes lance a couple of tries, always resurfacing in 3-4 minute intervals, but eventually he gathers enough of those crystal drops to have created a pretty sufficient pile by the shore edge.
when he finishes, he climbs out of the water, hastily reaching for his discarded shirt to wipe himself down as much as he can, before using that to hold all his bearings. ]
Ta da! [ he comes over to where dylas has sat, squatting in front of him. ] I managed to find eight, so I figure you could bring in four, and I'll bring in the other four.
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He tells himself he's going to stop talking to the egg when Lance gets close. He has the ears to do that, but he gets so engrossed in what he's talking about that maybe Lance will hear Dylas' last sentence to the egg as he approaches.
'And so sharks aren't the only fish with teeth. Goldfish have teeth, too, but they're in the throat. They're called pharyngeal teeth, and they're for crushing up food. Most people don't appreciate that...'
But lo and behold, Lance is there and Dylas clears his throat, assuming his 'bedtime story' went unheard.
I don't want 'em. [He's straight to the point here. And he's making no motion to hand over the egg, he's...sort of going to miss it? But if it were a fish inside, he'd be happier eating it.] I'm not worried about money, and the last time I helped someone here they put my name up on signs all over town.
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What kind of signs..? [ like. graffiti? wanted signs? ] Well, I gotta pay you back for watching Junior somehow...
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Forget it. I shouldn't have said anything. [Does Lance remember Dylas' charming habit of bringing up topics he doesn't want to talk about? Yeah.] I guess you're out of luck. I'm not gonna accept any payment.
[You know, more 'why is he like this' qualities to consider? Most people? "Oh, no need to pay me." Dylas somehow turns doing a favor into sounding extremely unpleasant...at least he looks sort of not angry to be still holding the egg?]
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Well — thanks! That's real nice of you. But if it makes you feel any better, I wouldn't have done that to you.
[ the posters thing...
anyway. ]
How's Junior doing?
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Er...yeah. You think people would ask before plastering your name all over town, but nope. It's a real pain in my tail.
[The tail currently wrapped around Junior as best as a horse's tail can! Dylas sort of has to hold the tail in place with one hand since it's not really monkey-like in any way, but it's not painful for him.]
He's fine. He missed you.
[His voice is so deadpan...is he serious? Is it a joke? No one knows.]
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Aww, I missed you too, buddy!
[ he reaches over, giving the egg a tender half-pat, half-caress, but he actually makes no move to take it from dylas just yet. they seem pretty cozy. instead, he will work on gathering up the crystals and stuffing them into the little pouch he'd brought along. also drying up and getting dressed... ]
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Lots of thoughts going on that Lance doesn't get to hear, basically.]
So, what is it? Do you know?
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[ this response comes from the depths of lance's t-shirt, in which he has somehow managed to get lost in. darn you, confusing sleeves... ]
It kinda just showed up on our doorstep one day, you know? It was addressed to Keith like some kind of package, but we still don't know who it's from.
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[He sighs. This poor egg. It's going to be raised by this guy? With any luck, it'll hatch into something that can take care of itself. He pats the egg. Good luck, little guy.]
You're not the first one to get one. They've got some kinda monster up there that keeps laying eggs or something. Probably more than one. Atsushi's hatched into a tiger.
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The — Orbiters?
[ he grows silent, just starting at the other, too shocked to even let his mind wander at the idea of some magical egg-laying creature being robbed of all her babies...
why would the orbiters be giving people eggs to take care of... and why wouldn't they say anything about it??? ]
—wait, someone got a tiger?
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[At least Lance's head is coming out of the right hole? He was so sure it was going to come out of a sleeve at this rate.]
My fr...someone...my friend [emotionally stunted horse, go!] had the same thing happen to him. And he was up there when it happened. It hatched into a tiger named Prince.
[You know, the big 'up there.']
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[ interesting... lance is wondering if revealing this particular bit of information will make keith even more paranoid about this egg or not. he considers kind of sitting on this information for a while... hrm. ]
Do me a favor and don't tell Keith that. It'll just make him worry.
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I won't. The longer I go without having to talk to him, the better.
[He might not mind running into Lance again? Maybe. This hasn't been horrible.]
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lance knows all too well that keith isn't exactly... the easiest to get along with...
so instead he just gives a strange sort of smile. ]
I promise he's not that bad, [ he says, almost apologetically. ] But I get it.
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[Dylas is just that friendly of a guy.]
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He'd probably hate that.
[ idk if you noticed, dylas, but lance is kind of A Lot to handle. ]
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That's even better, then. I probably hate him.
[There's zero animosity behind the word 'hate,' though.]
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Your experiences were that bad, huh?
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[That's another four letter word for you. Dylas is aggravating like that.]
So you really like him, huh?
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The experiences got better.
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I regret asking.
[What does that face even mean??? Dylas doesn't want to know, and that means it's time to remove his tail and spread his legs like he wants to stand up.]
Can you hear that? Junior says he wants you to hold him.