#it landed stunned and confused but slithered off fine after a minute

[moteldogs]

today I watched a rattlesnake get flung a good 20 feet in the air

[potter-imagines]

Off Limits (Draco Malfoy)

Summary: Y/n and Draco Malfoy have been secretly crushing on one another for quite some time. Draco and his friends notoriously taunt students, especially Gryffindors. So why is Y/n, a Gryffindor, off limits? What happens when a friend attempts to harass Y/n?

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x reader

Disclaimer: Anyone else on DracoTok ??? Set in fourth year (no mentions of tri-wizard tournament, sorry saving it for later) xx 

Warnings: Little bit of bullying (hp edition bullying)

Word Count: 4.5k

“Y/n… are you alright? That was your third cup of tea- you’re going to be jittering out of your seat in Charms!”

Through the bustle of her thoughts a worrisome voice tore Y/n from her daydream. The Great Hall was bouncing with energy. All houses were scarving up their lunch as the chatter filled the enormous room. Y/n sat quietly with her fellow Gryffindor classmates.

Physically she was sitting with her friends but mentally, she was across the table sitting with the bleached blonde Slytherin Prince himself. It was a recurring game between the two. Stolen admiration and stares. Words were rarely exchanged, and neither could answer why. Draco had told her once he wished she was in Slytherin, but otherwise they only spoke together when necessary. She made him nervous, and it was a feeling he didn’t like. He found himself worrying over the unfamiliar emotions he felt towards her. Both being too scared to act on their feelings, it all went unspoken.

Her attention has been drawn on him for the last 20 minutes. She casually sipped on her tea, filling her cup back up each time it grew bare. The warm of the lavender brew kissed her taste buds and slithered down her throat, emanating her body in a hug.

It wasn’t until her curly haired friend placed a hand on her shoulder that she was forced to look away.

Hermione was in the middle of an argument with Ron over who was to blame for Gryffindor losing ten points during Potions. Snape loathed the house so it was no surprise to anyone when he eagerly took points away when Ron’s cauldron exploded and split in two. Hermione paused when she noticed her best friend staring intently behind her.

Y/n sent her a quick reassuring smile and said,

“I’m fine, Hermione. Just thinking.”

Harry was busy rushing to finish his Charms paper before next period. He would add a comment every few minutes but was removed from the conversation for the most part. Ron interjected himself into the conversation as he shoveled a load of mashed potatoes into his mouth,

“More like worrying. What’s got your knickers in a twist, Y/n?”

Y/n winced as she got a full view of his meal in his open mouth. Y/n could hear Hermione gasp as she reached forward to smack Ron on the arm. He gave her a look of bewilderment, clearly not expecting her reaction.

“Ron! Dear Merlin, have some manners.” Hermione’s eyes were wide as she glared at the red head. Ron just shrugged and resumed with his meal. Steam rose from his plate and if she wasn’t so mentally withdrawn, Y/n would’ve been happily digging into the feast. There was not a day that goes by where Hogwarts meals fail to impress.

Although the uneasy feeling building in her stomach did not allow this. It was almost nauseating to be surrounded by the delicious foods. Y/n leaned forward towards the table and pursed her lips. Her e/c eyes looked past Hermione, as if she was invisible, and landed on the rambunctious table behind her. A small wisp of white flashed behind Hermione and Y/n felt her heart leap in her chest.

Her maroon sweater clung loosely to her body. It was Friday so there was no hassle over her neglecting her robes. Rubbing her thumb against the sleeve Y/n allowed herself a moment to wander. She thought of Draco. How it would feel to hold his hand. To lay in his arms and run her hands through his snow white locks. To take late night adventures with him around the castle after hours. To be his rock and hear all the little thoughts running rampant in his head. To be his.

A far off thought, yes but a girl’s allowed to imagine right?

Cautionless the young witch sitting before Y/n whipped her head around to see what was captivating her friend so much. Expecting to see a dinosaur with a shark’s head, as she had never seen her friend so mesmerized, Hermione furrowed her dark brows in confusion as she scanned the scene. All she saw was the annoying table of Slytherin’s and a gloomy, cloudy sky outside the windows. Draco and his friends were loudly talking, Hermione rolled her eyes at his. They never failed to annoy her. Most of the students sitting in the group infuriated her. Pansy was constantly harassing Hermione with her cruel words and bothersome antics. Crabbe and Goyle took more interest in pestering Ron and Harry but they still found a way to get to her as well. Draco was the worst of all cause he seemed to be in charge of all the taunting and hell. Sure, since the start of the group's fourth year in the fall he had laid off, but not completely. Snarde comments were thrown here and there but the intensity had decreased.

The oddest part of it was none of Draco’s wrath was ever placed on Y/n. Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy got their insults in on her daily but never Draco. There were times Hermione caught him scolding his friends in the courtyard for a comment they made towards Y/n and it baffled her.

She hadn’t noticed she was staring- or rather searching- for very long until Pansy’s sharp, hateful eyes caught hers.

“What’d you think you’re staring at, mudblood?” The sneering Slytherin glared dangerously at Hermione. Pansy sat between Draco and Blaise, the corner of her lip lifted as if she was growling at Hermione. Her hands were clutching the wood of the table ready to pounce. The loud conversation died down as the surrounding Slytherin’s and Gryffindor’s listened in, half out of amusement and the other out of fear.

“Are you gonna answer me or just sit there looking dumb with your iditot friends? Huh?” Her thin brows lifted towards the ceiling, intimidation emanating off her skin. Y/n winced in guilt. Hermione was only curious as to what caught her attention and now she was caught in Pansy’s.

“If anything dumb is the most lazy insult you could use against Hermione. If I remember correctly she’s the top of our class and if I can remember correctly, you’re number 36 out of 40. Did I get that right?”

“You filthy little blood traitor, you’re gonna regret-” Pansy had shot up like a predator ready to kill their prey. Y/n was almost certain she saw flames burning in Pansy’s dark orbs. Gasps emerged as students readied themselves for a fight. Ron was frozen in shock, no help at all, only stunned. Harry had only rejoined the conversation when Pansy’s wrath began, making him just as taken back as Ron. Y/n knew this wouldn’t end well but she couldn’t handle Pansy berating her friends for game. Just as the devilish Slytherin threw her leg over the bench, Draco snatched her arm stopping her actions all in one move. A noticeably screech came from her lips from the pain of his grip. Her fists were clenched by her side and her plans were obvious to the whole crowd. By this point, everyone in the Great Hall was watching the mess unfold.

The brunette girl snapped her head to the leader of their group. Her gaze screamed ‘let me go’ but Draco was not about to let that happen.

“Pansy, shut up and sit. You’re not gonna do anything.”

“Draco she just-” Suddenly Pansy was forced back into her seat causing a loud thump. Draco practically shoved her into compliance snarling in the process. If the scenario had been different, Y/n might’ve giggled at Pansy’s befuddlement. Even Blaise was astonished! The tension was too thick for a laugh to lighten any moods.

“I said, shut up and sit down.” His words were final. The girl now coward under his icy stare. If looks could kill, Pansy would be 6 feet under by the hands of Draco Malfoy. The silence was uncomfortable and no one wanted to be the first to make the next move. Shakily, Pansy grabbed her fork and resumed eating, pretending she didn’t just get humiliated in front of the entire school.

Y/n remained focused on Draco, studying his expression. His eye remained glued to Pansy but not in a loving way. The rage in his eyes could be seen from the moon. He was testing her, installing fear in her. When he decided his message stuck, he turned away and looked forward at the h/c witch sitting across from him. Y/n’s body shuttered at his movement and quickly looked to Hermione. A wave of electricity ran down her spine. He felt it too. Draco’s gaze stayed fixed on Y/n unable to tear away. He spent a lot of time staring at her, examining her features, although he took these stolen glances when she wasn’t looking. This time he knew she saw him, the only difference is he didn’t care. A part of him hoped her doe eyes would move back to his somber ones.

“What just happened?” Ron was the first to speak up among the table. Y/n could feel the endless pairs of eyes on her. It seemed everyone was seeking answers.

“I have no bloody clue.” She mumbled. Hermione reached out and tugged on Y/n’s hand, a silent thank you. A small gleam tugged on Y/n’s lips as she squeezed her hand back. Lifting her head she found the familiar pair of stormy eyes. This time, she didn’t look away.

Rain drops kissed the stone of the castle as a storm brewed outside. A continuous thump played on repeat. It was a soothing lull to Y/n as she walked back to her dorm from the library. The last few hours she was cozied into an armchair staring out the window. Her initial intentions were to study but after an hour of skimming through her Potions textbook and feeling more lost than ever, she gave up and lost herself in the weather.

Most students were busy socializing, it was a Saturday night after all. Harry, Ron and Hermione begged Y/n to join them at the Gryffindor party for 4th years and ups but she politely declined. Typically she’d tag along and set aside some time to enjoy herself but for the night, she preferred to be alone. Ever since her odd encounter with Draco and him defending her, she had a difficult time controlling her thoughts. He seemed to be the only thing occupying her thoughts.

The corridors were empty for the most part. A few giddy students tipsy off firewhisky rushed by her. She was approaching the staircase towards the common room when the calling of her name stopped her in her tracks.

Y/n clutched her books to her chest and she turned around. The hallway appeared empty, though the crashing rain made it hard to hear. Y/n wrote it off as her imagination and resumed her walk. Her cheeks were rosy from the harsh breeze sweeping the grounds. She decided on a detour wanting to delay her arrival in the common room. Fred and George would surely convince her to join in the partying and she wasn’t in the mood for that at the moment.

Y/n’s steps clicked against the ground filling the empty void. Bright flames created lighting in the halls guiding Y/n on her journey. Her feet carried her around effortlessly, the destination still undecided.

If it were a weekday, she wouldn’t be able to make it a few feet wandering around this late without a perfect stopping her. She was scolded a handful of times but never written up. Maybe that was because it was typically a Gryffinor or Huffelpuff who caught her. Undoubtedly a Slytherin perfect would waste no time turning her in.

Suddenly a noise caught Y/n’s attention. It wasn’t loud, almost nonexistent but Y/n knew her ears had not tricked her. It sounded like a clank, similar to when she would drop her wand on the stone floor. Y/n peeked over her shoulder but once again, it was empty. Nearly. If he hadn’t stumbled Y/n would have missed him but she didn’t.

The black cloak left the trail. His fast movements to hide caused it to wave back ever so slightly. A tiny look of his bright locks poked out from the stone corner. Y/n smiled to herself as she thought, was he following me?

The happy witch swiveled back around and gracefully continued down the corridor. She pretended to not notice the presence behind her as she led him to a spot, unbeknownst to him. Draco had no inkling that Y/n was on to him. He was sure his hiding skills were immaculate. He had been playing hide-n-go-seek with the house elves since he was a child. His only mistake was calling out to her earlier. He was desperate for a conversation, but his nerves got the best of him. Draco tiptoed a safe distance behind Y/n as she skipped down the wavy path.

She quickly rounded a corner causing Draco to pick up his pace. It wasn’t until he turned the corner that confusion graced his face.

“What?”

Without warning a hand clamped around his wrist and yanked him backwards. A door slammed loudly making Draco whip around to face his attacker. Much to his surprise the beautiful Gryffindor he had grown so infatuated with stood before him. Her h/c hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail but she still looked gorgeous. This was the first time the pair has been so close to one another. She could smell the hint of peppermint wafting off his breath. It reminded her of a potion she had smelled months ago.

Both speechless, the pair stood inches away from each other. Draco’s eyes flickered from her plump peach lips to her eyes, then back to her lips. He was hoping she’d speak first and luckily, that was exactly what she did,

“Why are you following me?”

Draco griminced growing bashful. His head fell down to his chest as he stared at the ground trying to come up with an answer. This was not an emotion he was accustomed with. Never in his life has a blush of red painted his cheeks from the actions of a girl. Especially a Gryffindor girl. He wondered how his father would react then pushed away the thought. Y/n leaned her head down forcing Draco to meet her gaze.

“What makes you think I was following you?”

She gave him a knowing look. He was caught and there was no denying that. Draco took a moment to take in the closet she had shoved them both into. It was a supply closet by the looks of it. There was one window with a small nook overlooking the vast forest extending beyond the castle grounds. A few dusty textbooks, some beakers, empty test tubes, and four old broomsticks. He hadn’t spent much time on this half of the castle. He found himself exploring a lot of new areas of the castle while following Y/n around. It started last year, the beginning of their third year. It was far easier for him to admire her from afar then risk rejection.

“Fine, I’ve been following you. I just wanted to know what you’re up to. There’s about seven parties going on tonight so you can’t tell me you weren’t invited to one.” “I was, but I didn’t feel like socializing tonight. I could ask you the exact same thing.” Draco smirked. He might not be the biggest fan of Gryffindor’s, but her playfulness and ease to serve it right back enticed him.

“Maybe I didn’t feel like socializing either.” Y/n shot him a look of skepticism. He wasn’t fooling you but you decided to play his game.

“But you want to spy on me?”

“I wouldn’t say spy-” This earned a scoff from the Gryffindor. Draco rolled his blue eyes and sighed, “Okay I just enjoy ‘spying’ on you at times. Don’t make me explain it please. You’re amusing. Quite odd too, but amusing nonetheless. I don’t know.”

Y/n could feel the heat kissing her cheeks at his words. If it was any other boy, she would tell them off or find it a bit creepy but she had been crushing on Draco now for years so she couldn’t help the rapid beating in her chest. Draco searched Y/n’s face for disapproval, he thought he had scared her off at this point. Instead, she looked up at him and gave him a teasing smirk,

“How many other girls do you spy on, Malfoy?”

The usual cocky boy was taken aback by her question. The last thing he needed was for Y/n to think of him as some sleaze. In all honesty, he had never taken genuine interest in a girl until he met you.

“Only you, I swear. No other girl in this school has held my interest as long as you.”

“Why did you stick up for me yesterday at lunch? With Pansy… I thought you two were y’know… and you made her stop. Why?”

It was hard to ignore her sadden expression. A pang struck his heart at her brokenness. He wanted to hug her but he hardly even knew her personally. It was funny in a way. He had spent almost two years observing her and taking notes over her actions but had never made a move. Quickly he shook his head,

“I’m not with Pansy, if that’s what you think. She’s quite annoying, can’t spend more than an hour around her without a bloody headache. Not exactly my type.” Y/n giggled causing Draco to smile. It was the first genuine smile he had in awhile. “But I’m not sure. I just didn’t like the way she was speaking to you. She was wrong anyways so why let her get away with it? Not that you needed my help, anyhow. You can hold your ground pretty well, love.”

Y/n’s breath caught in the back of her throat at the phrase. She heard it from her friends but never from Draco. It had a larger effect on her. A small precipitation built in her palms. The closet was becoming crammed with the growing tension between them. For the first time tonight Draco held the confidence and he took full advantage of it. Seeing her frail and shy made his heart melt and long to protect you. It was a feeling that scared him but he was willing to invite it.

“Cat’s got your tongue?” Draco teased the girl like a game of cat and mouse. It was new to him, seeing her wiggle uncomfortably. Lately she has been on the upper hand. Now it was his turn. Her flustered state caused his stomach to do flip flops. She was the most adorable girl he had ever laid eyes on.

Y/n placed her hand on his stern chest keeping a small space of distance between the pair. Draco tried to deny the sensation that rushed through his bones under her touch.

“Shove off, Draco. I don’t like the way your friends treat mine.” She rolled her eyes carelessly. This was an issue she wanted to end. It hurt Y/n to see the way Draco’s friends treated hers. She didn’t like seeing Hermione upset and ashamed over her blood status, which holds no importance in her mind.

“I’m sorry, darling. It’s hard to explain but I can tell them to lay off a bit. They haven’t done anything to you have they?” His hand now rests over her own, still placed on his chest. This was the first time she had felt the warmth of his hand on hers. The butterflies in her stomach were screaming but she resisted their cries. “No, actually that’s the weird thing. I think today was the first time I’ve actually had a conflict with one of your friends. Why is that?” Draco grinned at her confused expression. All this time he spent admiring her from a distance, he never realized how breathtaking she really was up close.

“They know better, I wouldn’t allow that.”

He hadn’t fully processed his words before they slipped. Y/n’s head tilted to the side watching his profile. She waited for a chuckle, for him to admit it was a ploy. Draco’s posture stayed fixed and tense. His words held more weight than one might think. It led onto more and Y/n wanted to hear him say it. Vulnerability was an uncomfortable emotion for Draco and for the first time in a long time, he was scared.

“Why do you treat me differently, Draco? I’ve never heard you say one bad thing about me. You stood up for me yesterday. You’ve been spying on me. You look out for me… why?”

Y/n’s hand slipped away from his and folded near her lap. The tension was as thick as honey. All Draco could think about was the hint of cherry in Y/n’s perfume that was tattooed in his memory. He thought about her all summer long, never able to get the sound of her childish laughter out of his head. Spent hours in his mother’s garden sitting underneath a large cherry tree thinking about her. The only thing he wanted to change about Y/n was to make her his.

Maybe it was the cunningness of the Slytherin in him, he just couldn’t resist the opportunity. Rejection was the last thing on his mind, it was worth the risk.

In a light manner Draco pushed Y/n back a step until her back was pressed into the stone wall and the back of her head against the glass of the window. A small yelp came as Y/n was caught off guard by his sudden movements. Even through the darkness Y/n could make out Draco’s features. He looked assured- not his usual arrogant, high and mighty demeanor. Draco’s hand snaked up above Y/n’s head, giving himself stability as his face neared hers.

His free hand slowly curled around Y/n’s chin, taking his time. Y/n was positive he could hear the pounding of her heart. She reached up and pinched the skin of her arm between her finger tips. Draco stroked her cheek, brushing his thumb to her chin every few swipes. Nope, not dreaming, Y/n thought to herself.

Their eyes locked and Draco sent her a look of approval, not wanting to cross a boundary. She answered his question by closing the gap between them, leaning up on her tippy toes to meet his lips. Her hands slipped around his neck pulling him in closer. She savoured the taste of peppermint and apple on his lips. His kiss was soft, but overflowing with passion. It wasn’t sloppy but smooth, like two puzzle pieces matching up. Y/n’s lips moved with his happily. Her hands found their way to his platinum blonde hair, grazing at his soft locks earning a groan of pleasure from Draco. They continued on for another minute or so until Y/n’s need for oxygen got the better of her.

Pulling away softly Y/n rested her forehead against Draco’s. The only sound filling their air was the two of them trying to catch their breath. Drunk off adrenaline Draco’s eyes lit with glee. The happiness rising in his chest was addicting. Placing his gaze on Y/n Draco felt warmth,

“I really, really like you, Y/n. Even if you are a Gryffindor.”

Little chuckles came from both as they basked in the moment. Y/n was excited to run back to her dorm and share her night with Hermione. Hermione- what would she say?

A pit of worry settled in Y/n as she started to process what was happening. Draco noticed her shift in moods and moved his hold to her shoulders pulling her back a step. Y/n shifted her attention to the window and furrowed her eyebrows,

“What will your friends say? Your parents-” Before she could finish Draco beat her to it. He gently moved her chin to focus herself back on him. She drew her bottom lip into her mouth, biting on it nervously. Draco smirked at this, her little action driving him mad. Reassuringly, Draco bent at the knees a bit and placed a tender kiss to Y/n’s lips, then her cheek, holding her face in his hands. She was beyond flustered, her cheeks had yet to stop burning since she pulled him in the room. His hair swept against her forehead as he shook his head, “I don’t give a shit about any of them right now. Just you. Please be mine, Y/n.”

Her breath caught in the back of her throat. Draco scanned her face looking for any signs of an answer. He had never officially asked a girl out before so this was all new. She could easily say no and tell all her friends about it and torture him for years. Instead, Y/n nodded ‘yes’ then reconnected her lips once again with Draco’s. He moved to get a better position but just as he did, the closet door swung open causing a ray of light to burst in.

The two separated in an instant, scared shitless over the intruder.

“Well look here Georgie! We were right about all that lip smacking! It’s Y/n and Malfoy!”

“No way!” Soon rough George Weasley popped his head into the closet with a mischievous grin. Fred folded his arms over his chest smirking at the two of you. He was already planning out who George and him should spill the news to first. The endless chuckles began to emanate when he took in the sight.

Annoyed at their presence Draco shot dagger worthy glares at the twins. She shoved his shoulder trying to diffuse his frustration. The twins were her friends after all. Draco shot one last look at the twins before sneering,

“Get lost, Weasels!”

This only escalated the giggles between the twins as they rushed out singing loudly,

“Y/n and Malfoy sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G-, first comes love, then comes marriage-”

When they got far enough down the hall, Y/n sent a look to Draco. He was annoyed, not mad. Y/n moved towards him, leaning against his chest. The Slytherin Prince gripped her waist embracing her.

“If you don’t want to go back to your dorm yet, I know a spot. We’ll have to take a lot of stairs-” Y/n groaned in response earning a small laugh from Draco. “I know but I think you’ll like it. We can see the stars from up there.” Draco had only ventured up to the Astronomy Tower a handful of times though taking her there seemed to be a perfect idea. She’d love the stars, and it would give him more time to spend with her.

Y/n laced their fingers squeezing his hand. Draco pulled her hand to his lips pressing a chaste kiss to the skin.

“Okay, lead the way Draco.”

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Ruri & Kayn: First Meeting

A gift fic for @rurifangirl

So sorry if I got anything wrong! haha!

It was a dark and frightening day in Tokyo. The rain came down in sheets, flooding the road and the thunder and lightning flashed constantly. The city lights were like stars in the expansive dark. It felt isolated from the world. Even though the vast majority understood nothing about dragons, they knew that the climate was going haywire. The cherry blossoms had bloomed out of season and the rain was never ending, like it was the monsoon season in spring.

If that wasn’t all, a great earthquake shook the entire city. The skyscrapers swayed dangerously. CCTV was shown on broadcasts of objects falling off the shelves in convenience stores and people fleeing late night karaoke bars in a panic. Fire and rescue sirens blared as their volunteers sped to the rescue, kicking up large wakes onto the sidewalk.

But that was nothing compared to the horrors going on inside the Genji Heavy Industries building. 

Fierce monsters slithered down the halls. They seemed impervious to all but the strongest of weaponry. They were fast and powerful and smashed through doors and even through walls. They killed dozens of people. Worst of all, when the survivors tried to get through the exits to escape the swaying building and the beasts inside, they couldn't escape. They were trapped.

Kayn had never been so scared since Black Swan Bay. He didn’t understand why he was so dizzy when the earthquake hit, so he didn’t understand why so many people were running for the exits. He just happened to run into Lu Mingfei in the chaos.

Lu-Kun dragged Kayn through an endless maze of halls and stairwells until they both reached a strange high security area of the building. Luminous seemed as stunned as Kayn and stepped through the vault door. And there were more and more doors after that. Every time the doors opened with a single click, and every time, the door recognized Luminous and welcomed his "return." , “Welcome commissioner of the Executive Board Ricardo M. Lu back to the "ξ" level.” 

But Lu-Kun said he’d never been here before.

Each time they passed through the vault doors, the door behind them would close, locking them inside and forcing them to go forward. Were they trapped? Kayn asked inwardly. Were they going to be stuck here forever? Maybe Lu-Kun thought he found an exit… but this wasn’t an exit. 

But they couldn’t go back. Only forward. There are no windows to the outside. The walls are made of hard black metal, and various signs of "Dangerous Area" and "no entry" are pasted on them in English and in Japanese.

Finally, they entered a corridor where the air was suddenly sucked out! If they lingered even a few minutes in that hall, they would pass out and possibly die from suffocation! Lu-Kun crawled on hands and knees to open the door and when he opened the door he found something like a hospital setting…

And a girl. Lu Mingfei quietly spoke to her and then held up a rubber duck. Ever since then, they seemed to be friends. Lu-Kun even knew her name from what was written on the duck. 

Erii.

This girl was amazing. Just tossing a toothbrush made the deadslave monsters flee in terror. She took Kayn by the hand and dragged him and Lu-Kun through the corridors, killing many monsters along the way. She seemed to know the way out. But following close behind them were members of the Hydra!

Eventually, they found themselves on the roof of a waiting helicopter! They had nowhere to run. Kayn could only wait in terror. Would they be found out? Would they end up having to jump off the building? They were going to die? Or was Erii going to kill them all?

But Erii didn’t seem concerned. Even though she was a monster killing machine, she was more fascinated with the pretty lights of the city laid out on a canvas before her.

Another light suddenly shined down from above. Kayn ducked away from the extreme downdraft as a helicopter landed. He was ushered on and an oxygen mask was placed over his face and his blood pressure was being taken. It was all very confusing but soon the helicopter took off from the roof of the Genji Heavy Industries building while the Executive members of the Hydra helplessly looked on, having arrived too late.

They didn’t land at the hospital but in an out of the way place. Like a park. They needed somewhere to hide and Erii picked out a Love Hotel nearby.

“Kayn. I’m going to get her settled in. Can you find some way to contact Caesar?” Lu-Kun looked at Kayn in earnest and Kayn brightly saluted. 

“Yes sir! Yes Lu-Kun sir!”

“Here.” He shoved a wad of money into his hand. “Find somewhere to talk to them! Quick! Tell them where I am!”

Kayn dutifully hurried out into the pouring rain. He ran for a few blocks before realizing he had no clue where he was or where he was going… or where he had been.

He spun around in a circle a few times, in a growing panic, soaking wet. He wanted to ask for directions but he didn't speak Japanese. “Oh no…” He whimpered. “Oh no!”

The city suddenly turned into a dark, rainy maze that he would never find himself out of! “Kayn, Kayn! Don’t panic! Just try. You have to try. Just find some place that’s open. You’re a foreigner. They’ll take pity on you in such an emergency!”

He walked into the nearest place that was open and opened the door. 

The door jingled cheerily and closed behind him. Every head turned and looked in his direction. They were all older men save a few younger women and the place was full of smoke and the smell of booze. The dark old wood paneled walls and ceilings held onto shadows. Only where there were dimly lit wall sconces could Kayn see anyone’s face.

A man walked up to Kayn. He pulled back his jacket and revealed a heavy revolver. 

“Hi! I’m looking for directions!” He squeaked!

The man paused. “Where are you going?”

“English! You speak English!” He breathed a sigh of relief. “I just need to use the phone! I’m lost. I um.. I have money.” He pulled the pile of wet bank notes and shoved him at the man.

The man with the gun looked at the large banknotes in amazement. Then he grinned. “Phone. Got it.”�� He put an arm around Kayn’s shoulders. “You’re lost, alright.” He pressed the gun against his temple. “Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of you here.”

“Wait! Don’t shoot! I just want to use the phone! Phone!” 

Laughter echoed across the room as everyone watched him escort poor Kayn towards a back door. “Yes, yes… phone…” The man said, kicking the door open.

Inside was a dark room with a filthy bed and dirty walls. Dark ominous stains were on the floor next to what looked like zipties. Kayn realized that he was being kidnapped!

The man pressed a phone to Kayn’s chest. “Here you go… now make a phone call. 5 million dollars.”

“Make it 10! 10 million!” Someone shouted from the dining room.

“Let him go. Now.”

The man turned his head at the sudden youthful voice. His eyes widened with surprise. In a flash, he turned his revolver towards the voice. Kayn felt a sudden breeze, and heard something like wind. Something collided with them. The kidnapper’s eyes went wide. The gun slipped from his hand and hit the wood floor with a loud thump.

The scent of tobacco filled Kayn’s nose. He felt a warmth of a body against his own and the touch of fine silk against his cheek.

He lowered his eyes the next moment. A crimson blade was sticking out from the kidnapper’s torso and ran with blood down to the tip where it was dripping in a solid stream. A soft, malicious voice said something in Japanese and the sword twisted hard. Blood sprayed in a fountain from the wound and the man collapsed, sliding off the sword and onto the floor..

Everyone in the room suddenly got up to run away, fleeing through the door. That glass door swung and the bell that cheerily rang over and over.

Kayn found himself looking into two dark beautiful eyes with a pale feminine face. The man who had killed the kidnapper was wearing a black kimono with red flowers, with wooden clogs on his feet, and a long red scabbard on his waist. His kimono was open and his delicate ribs were faintly visible.

Those eyes smiled and offered incredible kindness. “Hello. My English isn’t that great. Please bear with me.”

“M...my English…” Kayn looked down as the blood was pooling and almost touched his shoes. He wanted to get away from the blood. He didn’t want to be stained by it but the man held him close. Kayn reflexively hugged him tightly.

Despite the fact that Japanese didn’t hug strangers, this one lightly touched his hair. “You’re younger than I imagined. You must be very scared. Let’s get out of this place. I’ll take you somewhere you can rest.”

[monstersandmaw]

Embers - male dragon shifter x reader, Part Thirteen (sfw)

Hey folks - sorry I didn’t post it yesterday. Here it is, at 6.30am on a Saturday for you instead! And we finally get a glimpse of Mikaeïl in his... bigger form too...

Next week is our final chapter! I can’t believe it! Thank you so much to those of you who’ve let me know you’re enjoying it, and to those of you who have reminded me (on more than one occasion!!) that Friday means Embers day, and where the hell is the story, Ghosti!! haha.

One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve

Mikaeïl’s request that you ‘bring something warm to wear’ for your weekend with him confused and mystified the hell out of you. Added to that, he absolutely refused to give you any more information about it, so you found yourself driving over to his house with a number of different jumpers and coats packed, and a knot of anxious tension in your stomach.

It didn’t help that he’d texted you before you’d set off to say, ‘When you get here, come round the side of the house to the back terrace.’ And that had been it.

So, dutifully, you followed the gravel path around the side of his huge, sandstone, ancestral mansion, and emerged onto the upper lawns.

At the sight that greeted you, your fingers lost their strength and you dropped your weekend-bag to the ground.

Standing on the lawn, resting his huge, coppery wing on the thumb joint like a bat, was a gleaming wyvern. Large, perhaps thirty foot tall when he drew his head up to its full height, with metallic scales the same colour as those you’d seen on his human body, ranging from bright copper to tarnished bronze and even gold along the crest of his back, Mikaeïl was stunning.

Drawn by the movement of your arrival, he watched you fall still and stare openly at him, though a soft, familiar, low-frequency rumbling pervaded the whole garden, and the sound of it stirred you back to life.

Leaving your bag where it lay abandoned on the sunny gravel path, you walked over to him with awe etched onto your face, and breathed, “Mikaeïl?”

The wyvern nodded once, slowly, golden eyes glinting.

“Can you talk when you’re like this?” you asked as you continued to approach him.

“I can talk,” he said, though his voice was different. It still had all the delicate enunciation of the Mikaeïl you knew, but it was richer, far more sonorous, and much deeper.

When you were standing beside him, you raised your palm, barely noticing the trembling excitement in your fingers, and pressed it gently against his cool scales.

He lowered his head and sank his body to the ground, lying down for you like a colossal dog while you just explored the miraculous strangeness of his incredible body. “You’re so beautiful…” you whispered. Two horns curved back over his head, the same ruby-red, flecked with gold, that you knew from his other form, only they were so much larger like this.

“God, Mikaeïl,” you chuckled in wonderment. “You are just so beautiful…” He was; fabergé looked like they could have taken inspiration from him for one of their unbelievable creations.

If wyverns could blush, you suspected Mikaeïl might well have done. As it was, his nostrils flared, and his head shied away slightly, showing off the beautiful array of spikes at the edges of his jaw and head, and he rumbled something again more deeply. In response, you put your palm on his deep chest and felt the vibrations of it shiver through you.

Suddenly, the penny dropped about the clothing, and your eyes went wide. “Mikaeïl… when you said to bring warm stuff to wear… You’re not… We’re… We’re not going to…”

A slow, deep laugh rolled out of him and he shifted his weight slightly, drawing your eye from his glimmering scales - each one like hand-hammered bronze - down to his clawed hind feet and the tip of his wing which rested on a single, massive, taloned thumb. While you waited for his reply, your fingers wandered to the leathery, sunset-yellow membrane of his wing, right near the knuckle which propped him up, and a shudder ran through him, all the way to his barbed tail.

“Sensitive?” you murmured with a wry smile.

“Mmm,” he rumbled, lowering his head and slowly, luxuriantly, inhaling the scent of your skin right by your neck. “How do you feel about going for a short flight?” he asked softly.

“Honestly…?” you said breathlessly, “I have no idea. I’ve never, uh… flown before. I mean, not like that…”

“Test flight?” he asked.

“Please tell me that you don’t have spines on your back because I’m not sitting on that and trying to cling on…”

Mikaeïl laughed his rich, deep laugh and said, “Take a closer look at the junction of my neck and shoulders…”

He rolled slightly towards you but still you couldn’t see the top of his back properly, so in the end he had to help you up with his wing like a leg-up onto a horse. His back was smooth for perhaps a foot and a half between the end of his sinuous neck and the start of his back - the perfect space for someone to sit. You ran your hand over the space and he shivered again.  

“It’s like it was made for someone to sit here,” you commented.

“Not quite,” he said dryly, “But my family were royal guards, a thousand years ago - which is why we have three forms: human, half human, and this. We have been known to carry royalty into battle or over long distances…”

“Royalty,” you cooed as he lowered you back to the ground. “Nice… You sure I’m worthy? I’ve never even sat on a motorbike, let alone a wyvern…”

Again, Mikaeïl laughed at your sense of humour, and nuzzled his nose affectionately against your stomach while you rubbed his forehead. His head was as big as a small couch and it was going to take some getting used to, but he was so damned gorgeous that you could hardly process the fact that this magnificent creature was the Mikaeïl you’d come to know.

“Put on a coat to keep warm while we fly, and I’ll take you for a little trial run… if you like. You don’t have to though…”

“You’ve got something else planned though, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” he admitted. “But it’s alright if you don’t want to fly there.”

“No, let’s try it,” you said, as you scuttled back to your bag and dug out the warmest coat you had. You imagined that with the wind rushing past you, even on such a sunny day, it would be cold.

And you were right.

You clambered warily onto his back, settling yourself in the smooth crook of his shoulders, nestled at the base of his neck and the start of his hugely muscular wings. Conveniently, he had two large horn-like spikes at the base of his neck, to which you clung for dear life as he began to flap his wings, trying to get some lift. You clamped your thighs around him as tightly as you could and leaned forward, honestly terrified.

“I won’t let you hurt yourself,” he promised and then you lurched upwards into the sky.

The ground rushed away beneath you and he continued to rise in jerky movements that made your stomach churn and drop each time. Eventually he had climbed as high as the roof of the mansion, and began to glide, the canvas of his great wings spread to catch the air, and you tried hard not to lose your breakfast all over his beautiful scales.

Mikaeïl did one lap of the parkland of his property and then began to descend gradually, spiralling down until the ground rushed up to meet you and he landed with a jolt that his body absorbed before it could throw you from your tenuous position atop his back.

“Alright?” he asked nervously, tilting his head to one side to see you out of the corner of his golden eye.

Taking a moment to catch your breath, with your heart still pounding in your ears, you nodded and swallowed. “Yeah,” you croaked. It had felt like a rollercoaster ride, only much, much wilder. “That was… amazing…!”

His laugh rippled through you and he said, “Why don’t you stow your bag in the conservatory, and if you could lock up, that would be amazing. Then if you’re alright with it, I want to take you somewhere a little further away.”

You nodded, slithering and landing weak-kneed on the grass beside him.  “Come here first,” you said, crooking your finger and beckoning his head closer.

He obliged, curious and amusedly wary, and when his muzzle was level with your face, you took his smooth, leathery head in your hands and kissed him squarely on the tip of his nose. His laugh came out as a warm blast of air through his nostrils, ruffling your hair, and you laughed too as he closed his eyes for a moment, clearly enjoying the closeness and the contact.

Nudging you playfully away after a minute or so, he rumbled happily, the sound halfway between an alligator and an elephant, only much deeper and louder, and you trotted off to do as he requested.

Once back, you ran your hands over his shoulder and chest again, letting the deep, appreciative sounds thrum through you, and watching as he closed his eyes again in pleasure. “You’re going to cause trouble if you keep touching me like that,” he said eventually. “And then I won’t be able to fly.”

“Not decently, anyway,” you grinned and he shook his head, laughter dancing in his yellow eyes.

“Get back on board and we’ll go before you render me incapable of flight altogether.”

“Would that be such a bad thing?” you asked coyly and were met with a snarl that held no danger.

“Get. On.” he said but the fierceness of his tone was ruined by the laugh that bubbled out of him immediately afterwards.

“Fine,” you pouted, and clambered back on his back the same way you’d done before.  

With a final glance up at you, those eyes turned serious and he said, “Are you ready? Comfortable?”

“Yeah. How long will we be in the air?”

“About twenty minutes,” he said. “You let me know if you need me to land though, alright?”

You nodded, and he turned his attention away from you, hind claws gripping the earth as his great leathery wings, the colour of saffron, began to beat again, and he lifted skywards once again.

To be concluded next week...

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[undercoveravenger]

Snakes & Study Dates

Pairing: Nick Scratch x Male!Reader

Original Request: "Hii, I was about to request a Descendant one but I saw CAOS so I couldn’t pass it up cuz I barely finished 2 seasons of it. Can I request a fic where reader (male or G!N is fine with me) and Nick has a ‘study date’ and reader’s pet/guardian, a snake preferably but any is fine, keeps trying to have their hands hold each other and a lot of blushing and flirting and asking out and full on puking rainbow fluff. I love all of your stuffs btw, thank you ❤️"

Warnings: Mentions of snakes, I guess?

A/N: Oh, anon, you've got a big storm coming with the new season if you still haven't seen it by this point. RIP your feels. No worries, there's no spoilers. I hope I wrote him okay! Hope you enjoy!

__________________________________________________________

To say that you were ready for your ‘study date’ would be a massive overstatement. You knew that the actual studying part was no big deal, you ranked quite high in most of your classes at the Academy of Unseen Arts for a reason after all, but the fact that the most popular (and most gorgeous) warlock in the entire coven would be in your room in a few minutes was a little nerve-racking.

Sage, your familiar, slipped up onto the bed next to you, coiling up and looking at you with intelligent black eyes.

You rolled your eyes, “Don’t give me that look,” you chided, reaching out to run a finger down her iridescent black scales, “It’s perfectly natural for a guy to be nervous about another guy coming over without there being an ulterior motive.”

“There’s no need to be nervous,” you couldn’t help but jump as Nick’s voice echoed from behind you. The warlock chuckled a little as he made his way into the room, closing the door behind him. He smiled at you, taking a seat on the edge of the bed near you and setting his satchel beside him. “It’s just me after all.”

“Right, just you.” You swallowed sharply, turning to look at your familiar warningly. Sage knew exactly how you felt about the raven-haired boy, even if you refused to admit it, and if she got it into her head to interfere then your little crush would be exposed before you knew it.

The rainbow boa let out an amused hiss, looking between the two of you for a second longer before uncoiling and making her way toward the pillows piled at the head of your bed.

“No need to sound so disappointed,” Nick teased, the corner of his lip twitching up into an attractive smirk and his dark eyes gleaming mischievously. “I’m sure there’s plenty of things you can do with just me.”

You rolled your eyes at his flirting, writing it off as his typical playboy attitude, “Yeah, like the Conjuring homework.”

“Like the Conjuring homework,” Nick echoed, a slightly disappointed tone to his voice as he turned to grab his book out of his bag.

The warlock jumped when he was faced with the bared fangs of your familiar, the large snake coiled in front of his satchel hissing violently. Nick scrambled to back up, knowing that, while she was your familiar, Sage was also a very large snake that he would much rather not get bitten by. His hand landed squarely on yours as he backed up and, as Sage struck out, his eyes closed reflexively in preparation for the pain.

Only Nick didn’t feel any pain. In fact, once he opened his eyes, he didn’t even see Sage for a minute. Then he noticed the cool scales surrounding part of his wrist and looked down at the hand clasping yours.

The boa was acting true to her breed, having twined her way around both of your wrists in the moment of panic and was using her considerable strength to hold yours and Nick’s hands tight against one another.

For your part, you looked just as shocked as Nick felt, (e/c) eyes wide as you stared down at your conniving familiar. “Sage, let go,” you demanded, straining against her coils. She only hissed at you, shooting a pointed look at the boy you were bound to. “You can’t be serious,” you groaned, realizing what she was playing at.

“What?” Nick asked, clearly confused as he looked between you and your familiar. “What’s going on?”

“I’m being blackmailed, that’s what,” you muttered, giving one last fruitless tug against the snake’s grip before sighing and giving up. “She knows how I feel about you and wants me to own up to it.”

The warlock looked stunned, dark eyebrows furrowing over even darker eyes, “how you feel…?”

You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him while you said it, the butterflies in your stomach suddenly feeling much more like wasps. “I like you,” you finally forced yourself to say, “I have for a while now, but I never said anything because you’re well out of my league and-”

Nick cut you off by resting his free hand against your face and gently tugging you forward so he could press his lips to yours. The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but it was definitely enough to shut you up. He grinned shyly as he pulled away, the expression was out of the ordinary, but quite adorable on the normally confident warlock, “You should’ve said something sooner,” he interrupted himself by leaning in to kiss you again quickly, “I’ve been pining after you for ages.”

You let out a disbelieving laugh, finally able to pull away since Sage had released the two of you, seemingly convinced that her job was finished, “No way in Hell, you’ve got to be messing with me,” you replied, getting to your feet and starting to pace. “There’s not a chance that Nick Scratch, the most popular guy in the entire Academy, has feelings for me.” You crossed your arms over your chest, “I won’t let myself be just another notch on your belt.”

The taller male made an affronted noise, standing and planting himself in front of you, “I wouldn’t do that to you.” He has the audacity to look sheepish, “I know I haven’t exactly been known for my lasting relationships in the past, but I really like you and I want to be with you.” He took a breath, reaching out to take your hands in his, “So will you please give me a chance? One date, and if you don’t enjoy it or if you decide that this- us- wouldn’t work for you, then that’s it, no hard feelings.”

You thought about his offer, and while you knew the odds of getting hurt were kind of high, the look in Nick’s eyes reassured you. He wasn’t the kind of guy who would hurt someone on purpose. “Okay,” you said finally, unable to keep from grinning at the overjoyed look on his face. “One date.”

“You won’t regret this,” he promised, pressing a kiss to the back of your hand.

He really didn’t need to promise, you found yourself thinking as the two of you finally got to work on your homework with Sage slithering over to coil happily between the two of you. You were sure he was right, after all.

[im-pawsitively-a-shapeshifter]

this story became longer than I thought but nonetheless, I have almost been writing every day. 

I wrote about my OC's Gemma (a Norwegian forest troll) and Kyanite (a dragon nicknamed Blue) so the story is that they met a week ago when Blue got lost in the forest for a reason I have yet to make (it’s a work in progress, but this is mostly so I get practice) 

feel free to leave a heart if you enjoyed it!

day 4: Boat

words: 2220

They treaded further into the endless woods,

“umm, can I ask where we are going?” Gemma turned on her heal and stared at Blue with a serious expression,

“you may not,” she started walking, a mischievous smile formed on the young troll’s face, “you wouldn’t know where it is anyway”.

Were all trolls this easy to read? Gemma’s excitement was poorly contained with her tail swishing eagerly and her eyes glittered as she had answered Blue, she was anything but serious, it made Blue a little anxious

        After a while of walking, Blue trotted up beside Gemma “does this have anything to do with what the elder trolls talked about last night?” Gemma had caught Blue trying to sneak near the meeting but none of the elder’s hushed chatter made much sense, Gemma slowed down and a pained expression flashed across her face, but she shook it off with a laugh and grinned, “we’re here!” she bounded off past the trees, Blue could see something glistening ahead, out of the woods was a vast lake. A grassy slope led towards the water, past clusters of big rocks, she decided to sit and wait for Gemma, who had vanished back into some bushes.

Blue sat until she felt the sun's rays seep under her scales, this was taking too long, sniffing the air she followed the scent of honey and tree sap. Everything smelled so much different than back home in the mountains, suddenly a twig broke behind her, she stopped, ear twitching for the next sound, someone was following her, under a muttered breath she sighed “better get this over with.” her tail swished with annoyance. A bush rustled at her side, whoever it was that was following her was a poor stalker, she turned speedily, giving force to her tail as she aimed for the bush, expected to feel the weight of a body her tail went clean through, there was nothing there. Standing still, she tried to hear for any more movement, but her pulse was the only sound against the quiet. Then the sound of branches moving snapped her eyes upwards, it seemed to almost slither around her, aiming for her side, it jumped at her, Blue’s instinct was to shield the attack with her tail, half-paralyzed with fear, she closed her eyes screaming, her attacker clung to her tail and after what seemed like five minutes of screaming she opened her eyes. “Gemma!” she yelled, her voice exasperated, body tense, “you were walking into the forest so I decided to follow you,” she stared into Blue’s eyes, slightly confused, still holding on to her tail, “you seemed like you had a plan.” she still hung on with both hands “but why would you spy on me?” Blue stared at her smiling face, “oh, that, I just wanted to surprise you.” “so that was the whole reason you dragged me to a lake?” her voice growing in irritation, “I have a serious mission I need to continue and you drag me to a stupid lake-” Gemma interrupted her “no, I found a boat,” her smile grew wider “I wanted to show you the boat so I can show you the lake” Blue could see her brown eyes sparkling with anticipation, Blue relaxed her muscles, confusion replacing her irritated glare,  “there cannot possibly be any boats here, unless there are only fragments of one.” “nope, a whole entire boat at our disposal.”

Blue paused for a second to decide her thoughts and landed on the only logical decision, “show me.” because her entire life had been on the mountains, she had only seen boats from high altitude, usually when her mother took her out to practice for becoming a warrior,

“do you see those things that float on the seas, Kyanite?” “yes mother. Are they bad?” her mother looked at the ships with cold eyes “those are the machines of mankind, crafted out of metal to help humans conquer the ocean, and you must never be seen by them.” Blue’s eyes went wide with wonder “why?” “because, humans bring nothing but death and destruction,” her eyes hardened as she looked at Blue “that is why you will promise me to stay away from them for as long as possible, never to seek them out.” “I promise.” that was the advice given to her by her mother, and the promise Blue had to make, it was the reason no dragon would dare fly on a clear day.

Gemma who was still hanging on to her tail, led Blue in the right direction and eventually they stumbled upon an old wooden boat, Blue stopped in front of it and swung her tale to her side, and Gemma jumped off, “here it is, isn't it cool?” “it’s made of wood, I've never seen a ship at near range, but I was told they were made of metal.” “you’re talking as if this isn’t the entire boat,” she laughed, “did you not know that boats came in different sizes?” her question demeaned Blue’s intelligence, was she making fun of her? She flushed, looking away, “that information has never been necessary to know before now, apparently.” Gemma had not seen Blue’s embarrassment because she had just lifted the boat over her head and started walking away, stunned at the small troll’s strength, her ears perked up “how are you able to carry that?” an entire life of believing trolls didn’t exist and now Blue had stayed in Gemma’s village for a week. “first of all, the boat isn’t heavy, and second, even though I'm the smallest around here, I am still a troll,” she walked to the lake and flipped the boat onto the water, “now get in, we’re losing precious daylight.” “you’re joking, right?” she was standing in the water seeming to think that her holding it would make Blue weigh any less, Blue stared at her dumbfounded, “it’s going to sink.” “it won’t sink.” “it will.” “it won’t.” she only smiled, waiting for Blue to get in, “will you stop badgering me about the stupid boat if I prove to you that it will indeed sink?” “yup.” there was a pause, “ugh, fine.” carefully she climbed into the boat, defiantly sitting down, ears flat. Gemma pushed off and they floated quietly on the water, Blue’s ear flicked “oh...” they were still floating, “told ya.” she climbed on top of Blue, “hey, w-what do you think you are doing,” she felt scrambling feet and hands on her back and side, “oof, are you trying to push me through the boat?” “lie still, or we’re going to fall,” a short moment passed where they gazed at each other, “by the way,” she pointed to the water, “this is what I wanted to show you as well.” Craning her long neck over the side, below the surface Blue could see another wooden boat at the bottom, “I wonder what the story is behind that one.” “oh, it sank,” Gemma said bluntly, “I sank it. I should have checked it for holes, but I was so ecstatic to have built it.” Blue caught a glimpse of Gemma’s reflection in the still lake, smiling down at her failure, “wait a minute,” a few ripples distorted the water’s surface, but without a doubt right beside the first boat, was another, “did you sink that one as well?” Gemma let out a laugh, “that’s the second boat I made, if you look a bit to your left you can see the original boat, which I found down there before I had a chance to sink it.” Genuine curiosity spread through Blue, “where did you learn how to make boats?” “it was a hot summer day, and I wanted to go for a swim, so I did, and then I found the old boat by chance. Somedays I swam down simply to study the Viking inspired carvings, I have tried to pull it out, however, even I have my limits,” The last sentence made her brow furrow, “half of it is stuck in the murky bottom, makes for horrible footing.” “you learned all of this on your own,” she gave a glance at Gemma, then the water, “no wonder they sank.” Gemma’s laugh rang through the still air, Blue was confused, but didn’t care to know why, but the troll was uncomfortably close, has she never heard of personal space?

After staring at the drowned boats, Gemma laid down onto her back, still on top of Blue, “I’m getting comfy.” “no, no no, do not get comfortable, I have no intention of wasting the rest of the day on... staring at clouds, or for you to-” her sentence interrupted by a hand patting Blue’s metallic scales shimmering in the light, her voice sleepily whispered with a smile, “you’re so warm” she stretched her arms behind her head, and fell asleep. Blue blushed but remained still. She didn’t want to appear affected by being touched, especially in this situation where she couldn’t get away without seeming to be rude, so she laid there quietly listening to the faint wind in the trees.

Blue started to stir, she had fallen asleep, an hour must have passed, the sun had started to set, creating a beautiful peach-hued sky. With the light changed it appeared to hit something in the water, something shined up at Blue, she dipped her head under, reaching a little closer, she leaned in but her balance shifted throwing her in the lake, she swam down beside the boat that had inspired Gemma, disappointed she saw only a piece of glass that had caught the sunlight. she was about to head back up when the carvings of the boat stopped her, a dragon and a troll standing next to each other. Her curiosity piqued, convincing her to try and pull it up, she grabbed the sides and pulled, barely budging. She got her legs on the murky ground and pushed it upwards, finally it started to move, she heaved up towards the surface, gasping for breath.

Gemma who was a few feet away feeling quite awake, was paddling ashore as Blue showed up, towing a large Viking longboat at her side. “this is the boat you tried to recreate? You made barely a quarter of the boat.” Dripping wet with a stunned look on her face Gemma said, “holy snaptrapper! I was really wrong on that one, I’m admitting that.” Blue heaved the boat up on the shore, and shook off the water, she indicated towards the carving, “please tell me you know what this is supposed to mean.” “That look’s like us.” Astonished she grazed her fingers over the troll carving, “I highly doubt that.” “then maybe it has something to do with the past?” “It could simply be from a story, a myth.” “but we are the myths.” She gazed at Blue, who was sticking her head over the side looking in. “what are you doing?” “hold on, there’s something here.” Tipping the ship slightly as she clawed over, and grabbed a tiny wooden box, Gemma was thrilled at the sight and bounced from one leg to the other, her voice squealing with delight, “open it, now, hurry!” Inside were five gemstones, one which Blue recognized, a polished crystal shined with different shades of blue in her palm, “this is a kyanite.” “but that is your name.” “all the mountain dragons, that I know of at least, are named after gems and rocks,” Blue laid it in her hand and she watched the lines and color change in the light, “when a dragon is born, they are brought forth to be given a name by the lithosphaino. Only a female dragon can be chosen to become a lithosphaino, for it is said that only females can truly understand what it is to feel grounded to the earth, to believe in themselves, as they help hatchlings into the world with a name so they can remember to believe in their own strength.” “so, a mother’s love is what you value.” her eyes drifted over the blue gem, deep in thought, until Blue interrupted the silence, “look at this one, it has a brown hue like your hair and fur.”  “you’re right, I’ll keep that one, I think we were meant to find them.” “I don’t know about that, but it is cool nonetheless.”

The peach-colored sky was beginning to fade, soon leaving them with the dark of night. “we should head back, I’m hungry.” They got up and stared at each other, “what do we do with the boat?” “we’ll come back for it.” Gemma answered simply, “are you going to try and build this one as well?” “I have to, I am too far into this boat building knowledge, you never know when you might need a boat, though perhaps with this one I could use some help.” “let’s get some food first before you start making me chop down trees for your project.” “What should we do about the rest of the gems?” Blue chuckled, “Hey, maybe we can find who they are supposed to be with.” She joked but Gemma thought that one gem strangely reminded her of her friend. They walked into the forest, leaving the lake still and quiet, once more.