#AED6F1

[asano_san]

[ color ]

I have an egg.

What am I supposed to do with it?

Comments

[asano_san]

I think it was my reward from when Kaoru and I found the sphinx. It showed up around then, but then I was kind of busy being trapped in an ice palace and didn't ask about it right away!

Oh, and she says you should look at it.

[good_ideas]

huh
yeah i can take a look at it
i'm the apprentice to a mysterious egg expert after all

but if this is a euphemism like kaoru-chan thinks it is then i'll make sure you don't have even one left

okay~? <3

[asano_san]

Can you come over here? I don't want to move the egg.

And I wasn't talking about that!

[good_ideas]

sure I'll come find you

And yeah I know

[This is just the way she is.]

[asano_san]

If you knew, why did you have to say anything?

[He knows.]

[good_ideas]

to check if you're paying attention
i'm on my way now so if you have any other complaints you can save them for later

[And as promised, she's there in about 15 minutes, knocking on his door.]

[asano_san]

[He tries to think of a good list of complaints, but in the end, he just lets her in.]

The egg's in my room.

[He always thought knowing a girl he would bring to his room this often would be more exciting and filled with promise.

When they get there, the black egg is placed on a pillow with a blanket wrapped around it thanks to Maya dropping by.]

[good_ideas]

[Shiho had actually thought he'd be complaining? Instead he's all docile. She pouts even as she follows him to his room.]

So... I guess this makes you a dad now, huh? Congratulations. [But she's leaning down now to take a closer look, reaching out to touch said egg.]

[asano_san]

[Normal levels of Keigo complaints will return when he's a little less...ahem...shell-shocked over realizing he's agreed to hatch this egg.]

I'm not ready to be a dad!

[good_ideas]

Well, it's too late for that. You better start getting ready since it's happening. Besides, is that any way to talk to your egg-kid? You'll give them a complex.

[Though whatever is in there.... is blocking her psychometry? It's full of magic, that much she can see but that's all. It overwhelms everything else and she's left looking worriedly down at it.

After all.... Keigo is her friend. Even if she spends most of her time teasing him. If this thing was powerful, Keigo could get hurt.]

[asano_san]

It has a really hard shell! It's not going to hear me through that!

[Baby's are supposed to be able to hear you talking to them, so that's not the part he can take issue with.

The next issue, in what is sure to be a long list before he's done with hatching an egg, is Shiho's expression now that she's had a chance to examine the egg.]

What's that look? What's wrong with the egg?

[good_ideas]

[Shiho looks away from the egg to look back at him.]

Well... babies are supposed to hear their moms even while they’re in their stomachs. [ergo whatever is in the egg should therefore also be able to hear him.

And maybe her.]

...I’m just wondering what kind of egg this is. If you might get hurt if it hatches. [And she’d feel very guilty if he ended up injured because of this.]

[asano_san]

I'm wondering the same thing! I thought you were going to be able to tell me!

[Miss Supposed Egg Expert.]

[good_ideas]

Normally, I can! [Shiho turns to him fully now, eyebrows knit in a frown.] But there's something different about this one.

[asano_san]

And it's bad different, isn't it?

[He doesn't know why he's asking when the answer is so obvious.]

Why couldn't my reward be a nice, normal egg?

[good_ideas]

It might be. But it might also not be a bad thing. It's just... a powerful thing. [And as far as she's concerned, being powerful meant only that. It could be a benevolent creature?]

And maybe they thought you needed more excitement or something.

[asano_san]

Powerful things are usually bad things! [Keigo has a much different perspective.]

Have you been in the same town as me? There's no way anyone could think I needed more excitement!

[good_ideas]

They're not, you big coward. [Because that gets just a touch too close to what other people have told her before.]

And if you can't handle it, they're obviously going to give you more excitement until you can.

[asano_san]

I don't mind being a coward when it's about things everyone with sense would be scared of!

And I don't want to learn to handle it!

[So negative.]

[good_ideas]

They shouldn't be and you're going to learn. [And she's going to make him learn!]

[asano_san]

It's not like I have much choice.

[Whether it's Shiho or Chroma in general trying to teach him.]

[good_ideas]

That's true, you don't. [And would he be better for it?

Maybe.]

It's better to learn to get over your fears, after all.

[asano_san]

I'm keeping the egg and hatching it.

[Even if he's severely doubting this decision now.]

That counts as my lesson for now, right?

[good_ideas]

Becoming a dad? I guess. [Dads work pretty hard sometimes, after all.]

[asano_san]

Not just a dad. Probably a monster dad!

[Monster dads work the hardest of all. Or they die. It could go either way.]