[Hatching]
X had set up the incubator inside his bedroom in the corner across from the door. It was just a few feet from his bed. Just in case it hatched while he was in another room or out, he'd set up a motion sensor inside and aimed it at the egg. It was set to send an alert message to his comm when it picked up movement or a change in position.
It was late in the afternoon when X received the signal over his comm. He was in his office, going over some reports for a staff meeting in a couple of days. However, when his comm chirped and he received the alert, X set down the datapad and slipped it into his desk drawer. He stood up, snagged his uniform jacket and shrugged into it as he stepped out of his office into the anteroom.
X nodded to his assistant at the desk in the anteroom when she looked up at him in surprise. "Something came up. I'm taking off for the rest of the day."
She nodded and couldn't help but smile at the fact that he was actually taking off work early for a change. "Of course, X. After all, there really isn't anything important needing your attention today."
X nodded and gave a wave over his shoulder as he headed for the door, in a bit of a hurry to get going. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."
She grinned and called after him. "And have fun!" X waved in acknowledgment over his shoulder as he stepped out into the hallway and let the door close behind him.
Once X was in the hallway, he glanced around. Seeing that the hallway was empty, he broke into a run, rushing the rest of the way to the lift. He nearly ran into a handful of rookies as he skidded around a corner. He twisted and managed to dodge them, but didn't slow down even as he called a hasty 'sorry' back to them before taking another corner, leaving the bewildered group to stare after him.
When X got to the lift, he found it was busy and he'd have to wait for it. He hissed in frustration and paced agitatedly for a moment. He didn't want it hatching in the incubator, there was nothing for it to eat in there. Then he nearly smacked himself in the forehead. In his rush to get back to his quarters, X had completely forgotten he could just teleport directly there.
X teleported directly into the kitchenette in his quarters. He shrugged out of his uniform jacket, tossing it onto the small table as he hurried over to the small fridge and pulled out the bowl of chopped meat he'd prepared earlier that week. X hurried across his quarters to his bedroom and stepped inside, triggering the command to open the blinds to let in some afternoon light.
X crossed the room to the incubator and quickly set down the bowl to open the incubator and lift up the top. Inside, his fire lizard egg was wobbling erratically on the towel he'd placed inside. He could faintly pick up the sound of cracking and tapping and could already see a few fractures in the mottled shell. Even as he watched a large crack split down the shell and a section broke off as a small, dark, damp snout poked out of the gap. The nostrils flared before the fire lizard creeled surprisingly loudly and then the egg wobbled dramatically as the large crack widened.
X reached in and carefully picked up the rocking egg, cradling it in his hands. As he lifted it out of the incubator, it wobbled and then split down the center, spilling the tiny bronze fire lizard into his palm. X stared in wonder at his little fire lizard as he flailed his limbs to right himself, his eyes whirling a vivid orange and red. X didn't even realize he'd forgotten to breathe. He was far too preoccupied with the incredible little creature he was holding in his hands. He didn't really need to breathe, after all.
X was jerked back to reality by the little bronze as he hissed, pricking at X's hand with his tiny claws as his eyes whirled red. X suddenly winced in surprise, but not because of his claws. X's eyes widened in confusion as he used his free hand to poke at his stomach. It felt like something was twisting or gnawing at his stomach from the inside. It was an odd, achingly empty feeling not quite like anything he'd felt before. Before he could figure out what it was, he was distracted by the little bronze as he creeled demandingly and dug his tiny, but sharp, claws into X's hand.
"Ah, okay. Okay, I'm sorry, little guy." X turned his attention back to his little bronze as he creeled demandingly at him, his eyes whirling red and orange. "You must be starving, huh." The little bronze flared his still damp wings and creeled louder. "Hang on." X carefully sat down on the floor, the little bronze clinging with claws and tail to his fingers as he moved, and pried open the lid of the meat bowl with one hand. The little bronze immediately turned his attention to the meat as X scooped out a small handful of chunks. As soon as X moved the meat close to the bronze, it hissed and lunged for the food, snapping up the chunks of chopped meat and swallowing them whole as fast as it could.
"Hey, hey, slow down. You don't want to choke," X murmured as he tried to project warm, loving, caring thoughts at the little bronze like F'nor had suggested. He hoped he was doing it right. He'd never tried telepathy or empathy before. The little bronze creeled up at him as he spoke, his eyes more an orange-yellow now, and it seemed to work because he did start slowing down.
X continued to feed the little bronze as he cradled him in his palm, continuing to project soothing, loving thoughts as best he could. Soon the whirling colors of his eyes had slowed to a blue-green as his appetite was sated. X chuckled softly and gently stroked a fingertip down the bronze's back. "Think you ate enough?" The little fire lizard crooned and arched into his touch before curling around to rub his triangular head against X's fingers, crooning softly. X grinned and gently rubbed a fingertip against his head knobs and eye ridges. The little bronze's inner eyelids closed in pleasure as it rubbed against his finger, crooning happily.
"What do you think of the name Zanzibar?" X murmured softly as he stroked a finger gently over the hatchling's distended belly. The little bronze opened his now blue-green eyes and chirped at X, flipping his wings against his back before crooning and rubbing his head against X's hand again. X just grinned wider and chuckled. "Zanzibar it is, then."
Zanzibar chirped sleepily and curled up in X's palm, soon falling asleep. It was a while before X moved from where he sat on the floor, his back against the side of his bed, cradling Zanzibar against his chest, lightly stroking the sleeping lizard.
It was late in the afternoon when X received the signal over his comm. He was in his office, going over some reports for a staff meeting in a couple of days. However, when his comm chirped and he received the alert, X set down the datapad and slipped it into his desk drawer. He stood up, snagged his uniform jacket and shrugged into it as he stepped out of his office into the anteroom.
X nodded to his assistant at the desk in the anteroom when she looked up at him in surprise. "Something came up. I'm taking off for the rest of the day."
She nodded and couldn't help but smile at the fact that he was actually taking off work early for a change. "Of course, X. After all, there really isn't anything important needing your attention today."
X nodded and gave a wave over his shoulder as he headed for the door, in a bit of a hurry to get going. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."
She grinned and called after him. "And have fun!" X waved in acknowledgment over his shoulder as he stepped out into the hallway and let the door close behind him.
Once X was in the hallway, he glanced around. Seeing that the hallway was empty, he broke into a run, rushing the rest of the way to the lift. He nearly ran into a handful of rookies as he skidded around a corner. He twisted and managed to dodge them, but didn't slow down even as he called a hasty 'sorry' back to them before taking another corner, leaving the bewildered group to stare after him.
When X got to the lift, he found it was busy and he'd have to wait for it. He hissed in frustration and paced agitatedly for a moment. He didn't want it hatching in the incubator, there was nothing for it to eat in there. Then he nearly smacked himself in the forehead. In his rush to get back to his quarters, X had completely forgotten he could just teleport directly there.
X teleported directly into the kitchenette in his quarters. He shrugged out of his uniform jacket, tossing it onto the small table as he hurried over to the small fridge and pulled out the bowl of chopped meat he'd prepared earlier that week. X hurried across his quarters to his bedroom and stepped inside, triggering the command to open the blinds to let in some afternoon light.
X crossed the room to the incubator and quickly set down the bowl to open the incubator and lift up the top. Inside, his fire lizard egg was wobbling erratically on the towel he'd placed inside. He could faintly pick up the sound of cracking and tapping and could already see a few fractures in the mottled shell. Even as he watched a large crack split down the shell and a section broke off as a small, dark, damp snout poked out of the gap. The nostrils flared before the fire lizard creeled surprisingly loudly and then the egg wobbled dramatically as the large crack widened.
X reached in and carefully picked up the rocking egg, cradling it in his hands. As he lifted it out of the incubator, it wobbled and then split down the center, spilling the tiny bronze fire lizard into his palm. X stared in wonder at his little fire lizard as he flailed his limbs to right himself, his eyes whirling a vivid orange and red. X didn't even realize he'd forgotten to breathe. He was far too preoccupied with the incredible little creature he was holding in his hands. He didn't really need to breathe, after all.
X was jerked back to reality by the little bronze as he hissed, pricking at X's hand with his tiny claws as his eyes whirled red. X suddenly winced in surprise, but not because of his claws. X's eyes widened in confusion as he used his free hand to poke at his stomach. It felt like something was twisting or gnawing at his stomach from the inside. It was an odd, achingly empty feeling not quite like anything he'd felt before. Before he could figure out what it was, he was distracted by the little bronze as he creeled demandingly and dug his tiny, but sharp, claws into X's hand.
"Ah, okay. Okay, I'm sorry, little guy." X turned his attention back to his little bronze as he creeled demandingly at him, his eyes whirling red and orange. "You must be starving, huh." The little bronze flared his still damp wings and creeled louder. "Hang on." X carefully sat down on the floor, the little bronze clinging with claws and tail to his fingers as he moved, and pried open the lid of the meat bowl with one hand. The little bronze immediately turned his attention to the meat as X scooped out a small handful of chunks. As soon as X moved the meat close to the bronze, it hissed and lunged for the food, snapping up the chunks of chopped meat and swallowing them whole as fast as it could.
"Hey, hey, slow down. You don't want to choke," X murmured as he tried to project warm, loving, caring thoughts at the little bronze like F'nor had suggested. He hoped he was doing it right. He'd never tried telepathy or empathy before. The little bronze creeled up at him as he spoke, his eyes more an orange-yellow now, and it seemed to work because he did start slowing down.
X continued to feed the little bronze as he cradled him in his palm, continuing to project soothing, loving thoughts as best he could. Soon the whirling colors of his eyes had slowed to a blue-green as his appetite was sated. X chuckled softly and gently stroked a fingertip down the bronze's back. "Think you ate enough?" The little fire lizard crooned and arched into his touch before curling around to rub his triangular head against X's fingers, crooning softly. X grinned and gently rubbed a fingertip against his head knobs and eye ridges. The little bronze's inner eyelids closed in pleasure as it rubbed against his finger, crooning happily.
"What do you think of the name Zanzibar?" X murmured softly as he stroked a finger gently over the hatchling's distended belly. The little bronze opened his now blue-green eyes and chirped at X, flipping his wings against his back before crooning and rubbing his head against X's hand again. X just grinned wider and chuckled. "Zanzibar it is, then."
Zanzibar chirped sleepily and curled up in X's palm, soon falling asleep. It was a while before X moved from where he sat on the floor, his back against the side of his bed, cradling Zanzibar against his chest, lightly stroking the sleeping lizard.