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"Smaug has legs." "Well yes, but I guess I just expected him to have more." "How many did you expect, twenty?" Not even bothering to glance in his sister's direction as he spoke, Caspian instead stayed focused on the plants he was currently tending, gently nipping off the dead leaves from one before moving onto the next. "Four. I expected four." The resigned tone in her voice showing that his teasing hadn't gone unnoticed, Capsian did pause in his work to briefly glance at her this time, not supressing a grin. "All Dragons don't have four legs and two wings, you know." Ok, there was a tendancy towards that perhaps, at least so far as the Dragons they'd encountered in their lives, but that wasn't the definition as such. "Well I still expected Smaug to have four." Returning his attention to the plants in front of him as his sister leaned back against settled herself on a bench nearby, Caspian gave another shrug. "In anycase, did you enjoy the films?" That Serena and had been able to sit through all three of The Hobbit films had vaguely surprised him, but he refrained from making that comment aloud. She'd had a free day and it had kept her out of his way, so he wasn't about to knock it. "Mhmm." Resisting the urge to laugh as his sister got up again almost as soon as she'd sat down, Caspian instead simply nodded a farewell as she started to wander off - her interest in the conversation apparently already over. |
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For all that Caspian had been born and raised aboard The Neptune, he wasn't one of the ships residents who'd never left it. Indeed, he'd spent a number of years elsewhere, both studying during his education years and then later as part of various research teams. Having the opportunity to visit The Refugium however (even if he had visited a number of times in the past), was still something he found as exciting as the first time he'd visited. Meaning that as soon as the shuttle crew had opened the door, he was out and starting across the hanger bay. He had two days, which was fairly any time at all to his mind, so he intended to make the most of it. The museum was on his to do list of course, even if he'd probably seen it from top to bottom half a dozen times, but he'd also heard tell that there were some new residents in some of the biodomes and that was - of course - his first priority. Maybe he'd make time to sleep at some point, but it certainly wouldn't be the first time he went without when time was limited. Still, he organised a room while checking in at the visitors center, if for nothing else than somewhere to leave his things. Not having to carry things always made life a little easier. "Did Chanossa's clutch all bond successfully?" Caspian asked once the necessary formalities had been completed, smiling across at the visitor service assistant who'd gotten him settled, "- I know she was fretting a little." The dragoness had been in one of the clutching bays the last time he'd visited and he'd admired her and her eggs, if only briefly. Her eggs should have hatched by now, but the information hadn't reached The Neptune yet - or, if it had, it hadn't been passed on to him. "Not all bonded, but they all hatched healthy - Chanossa's on the Mwari Station looking after those that didn't." Nodding at the answer, with a quick murmer of thanks, Caspian moved away from the desk with a smile - they had other people to tend to and he had things to do. If he had time perhaps he could visit the Mwari Station, but he suspected that might be stretching his availability a little, it was something to consider though. "Apparently there are Myrmex in one of the biodomes this time," Having almost forgotten his sister had also come to the Refugium, Caspian glanced at her quickly. "Myrmex?" He'd thought they'd been wiped out, a victim of the short sightedness of other species. "Really?" That the Refugium of all places was where he'd come across them shouldn't be a surprise, but the simple fact had already pushed all other thoughts and plans from his mind. He'd heard about Myrmex, even seen pictures, but he'd never actually seen one in the flesh - had always assumed he'd never get the chance. "Where are they?" He'd heard conflicting information about the species over the years, largely driven by what was fed back from the military sorts 'defending' their planets from them, but Caspian's tendancy had always been to treat such information with a large dose of salt. "The Subterranean Biodome." Catching the word biodome this time, Caspian's step faltered as he twisted to look at his sister, "- you mean there is a Queen?" From what he understood, the number of Queens had always been vastly outnumbered by the Warriors and Drones, so that the species was in a biodome suggested there was a Queen and eggs. "That's what she said," Serena was clearly not as interest or excited by the information as Caspian was, her words being accompanied with an off handed shrug, but it didn't matter - she'd given him the information he'd needed and he had a new destination in mind. Which, apparently was obvious to his sister as she reached out a hand to slide his bag from his back and took the room key with the other. "Go on, I'll catch up with you later." Opting not to bother trying to convince her to come with him now, Caspian just grinned instead, his expression one of a child just given free rein to go and spend money in a candy shop. He didn't need any further prompting, spinning away, familiarity with the station meaning he knew exactly where he was heading. They were smaller than he'd expected. That was the first thought Caspian had as he entered the dome and caught his first proper look at the Myrmex. After the stories he'd heard, he'd been half expecting creatures that towered over him, with vicious looking teeth and horns and claws. Instead, the Myrmex that he saw first looked almost, delicate? Barely reaching his chest and a light mix of white and pink in colour. Croke, if he'd remembered the information he'd read outside correctly, was busy tending to some of the eggs nearest to the door and well - she looked the picture of a caregiver. Attentive to her task, even if his arrival had caught her attention. Attention she turned fully on him as she seemed to finish the task she'd been doing. Welcome, welcome There was a feeling of energy about her that made him smile, a feeling of curiousity that was almost childlike in it's enthusiasm - the string of questions that she posed at him prompting only the briefest of hesistations before he responded easily, relaxing as she drew him further in towards the eggs and the other drone busy at work there. Bold? Boldness? Boldest? He couldn't remember off hand, but in her chatter Croke gave him the answer before he needed to admit his ignorance. Boldly. In moving closer to the eggs however, it also put them in view of both Tempered and the Queen herself. Tempered - while the smaller of the two by far - was much more like what Caspian had been expecting to find, though, the way the warrior was settled near the eggs was somehow unthreatening. Undoubtedly, the warriors would have been where the Myrmex got the reputation that he'd heard about, but even so Caspian wasn't worried by the sight of the darker one. Aware, yes; respectful, yes; but not afraid. In part, it was because of how unconcerned Croke was about him, besides - the staff hadn't been overly worried. He had to behave and be sensible and all would be well. Stay and bond grublings? Croke was still happily chattering away, tucking away each answer he gave her and coming back with two more questions, as they stopped to allow her to tend more eggs. He'd been happily answering the questions without any hesitation - he had nothing to hide - but this last question gave Caspian a moment's pause and he stopped to consider the question even as the 'little' drone halted in her own task to look up at him expectantly. That would certainly be one way to learn about them. Certainly a more productive use of his time than learning about yet another dragon species that there were plenty of out and about. "You think I could?" accompanied by a slight frown, the question was as much to buy himself another moment to think, as to really validate whether he'd be someone they wanted to bond to grublings. At the drone's entusiastic confirmation, Caspian's expression softened again, still thoughtful. Much to teach, much to show, grublings would be lucky, It was a flattering statement that brushed away the last of Caspian's doubt and he smiled warmly and nodded at Croke. Yes, he'd stay. Even if it meant finding another way to get back to the Neptune, he'd figure it out. Good. Eggs hatch soon. Day. Maybe two. Soon. Perhaps, if he was lucky, it would be the next day and he wouldn't have to worry about figuring out alternative arrangements. He wasn't exactly lucky, it was infact two days later when the eggs hatched, but he'd spoken to the Neptune and one of the smaller ships that docked with her had agreed to linger behind and wait for him, their captain as curious about this rare species as he was. So, as he headed into the dome when summoned (he had, for once, not been there), Caspian wasn't worried about 'next steps', instead, quietly excited about what would come of the next few hours. It wouldn't be evident perhaps, but his expression was on the warmer side of neutral - a slight smile settled on his face as he took in the sight of the eggs starting to hatch - some of them taking with them the little hats and scarfs some of the eggs had been wearing. Another of the candidate's doing, he'd gathered. Perhaps it was best that Serena had chosen to stay and watch, but from outside the dome, based on some of the excitement he could see in some of the grublings, they probably didn't need both of them returning to the Neptune with Myrmex in tow. It was possible he was already going to end up wrangling his sister in to help care for whichever little ones he took home with him. Still, he hoped she could see how stunning they all were from where she was. So many different sizes and colours and shades. And legs... "Woah, that's a lot of legs." Caspian goggled as a very large green arbor made its way toward him. Eating his sister? The suggestion prompted a laugh, imagining his sister's reaction to that suggestion, but Caspian was none the less relieved as the arbor started to dig into the food on offer. "I doubt she'd taste that good," he mused, as he crouched alongside Many Legs, studying the grubling as he made short work of the food in front of him - apparently with little concern for what he was eating - he'd been warned they weren't picky eaters. :: I could try! :: Stiffling another laugh at Many Legs' enthusiasm, Caspian instead shot a glance up towards the viewing area - trying to pick out his sister's mop of bright hair amidst those there. "Aye, maybe you could..." Hopefully he wouldn't have to find out. |