#the blue tongue lizard is Fred

[restart-the-cycle]

Can we compare lizard species in our regions, by chance? I'm still discovering more, but I'll tell you as soon as I do find any new ones!

For now, here's a list and some basic features. I'm curious what yours are!

White Lizards - Camouflaging and a long, sticky tongue. An ambush predator mainly coming in shades of white and gray with black accents. Some back spikes.

Blue Lizards - Dark blue and black lizards with long, sticky tongues that cling to walls and chase their prey, trapping it and closing the distance quickly. Some back spikes.

Sea Lizards - A variant of Blue Lizards that, in addition to everything they do, can swim excellently and hold their breath underwater. I believe them to be the result of a Blue Lizard and Eel Lizard or Salamander.

Eel Lizards - Fast-swimming semi-aquatic lizards with narrow, wiry bodies. Mainly black and green with hydrodynamic spines along their backs. I have observed them climbing walls and poles, though rarely leaving the water. They can breathe underwater.

Salamanders - Another semi-aquatic lizard, though far thicker built than Eel Lizards. They come in pale shades of pink and white commonly, but are sometimes darker. They also have a shorter tongue, but can fully breathe underwater.

Coral Lizards - A unique species of lizard that is gold or pale yellow in color. They usually come in groups, and while they lack a particularly vicious bite, tongue, or spit, they overwhelm prey. They can hold their breath for a long time and communicate with a pair of tendrils on their head, and tend to drown their prey.

Shark Lizards - A fully aquatic lizard species. They're mostly gray and white, but interestingly, they have fins instead of hind legs and along their back. They tend to hunt in shallower waters, and their dorsal fin tends to breach the surface before they strike. Rather interesting, is that they cannot survive on land.

Storm Lizards - Dark gray and black lizards with wavy and curled edges instead of spines or spikes. They are excellent swimmers, but most notably, they are adapted to hunt during the storms. I'm still studying it, but they hunt near the end of a cycle and force creatures out of dens to die in the rains or stalk safe places to snap up fleeing prey.

Hurricane Lizards - I've only found two of these in my region, and they tend to fight frequently. They're dark purple, and humongous. The ground quakes when they move. They're also highly aggressive and deadly to be around. I shudder at the sight of them. (OOC Note: Train Lizard, Monarch's just a lil' stupid)

I am currently exploring another two species that may be here. I cautiously dub one 'Archer Lizards' and the other 'Rainbow Lizards', but truly, I have no idea yet.

-@monarchtonone

sure!

i have have white lizards and blue lizards, and the hurricane lizard sounds similar to the train lizard i have here.

i also have

green lizards - black with a green head and some green on the end of tail and legs. it is a slower and heavier but tougher lizard, has a more lethal bite, and can charge towards it’s victims. it also cannot climb at all. it is the base lizard for the laser lizards

cyan lizards - lizards that are, who could’ve guessed, cyan. they have rings on them, much like my alternate in keeper’s portal. they are able to climb walls and leap, which the leap is very quick and can function as both a way of capturing prey and getting around quickly. the leap can cause them to fall or drop it’s prey, though. they also have a tongue, although it is shorter. it is the base lizard for the zoomies lizards

caramel lizards - large white and caramel colored lizard that has six legs and a rectangular head . it can charge, similar to a green lizard, and it can spit projectiles. it also cannot climb at all. it is the base lizard of fred

pink lizards - you’ll never guess what color it is, although i have also seen them be purple or red as well. it doesn’t possess any notable abilities aside from being more aggressive than others that i have seen. it can climb poles but not walls. it is the base lizard of the winged lizards

yellow lizards - these lizards are unique. they are found in packs of 2-5, and are able to communicate and coordinate with each other. they communicate through antennae on their head, although i have noticed they can no longer communicate with each other if the one with the longest antennae, or the “alpha”, is killed. they can climb poles but not walls

strawberry lizards - these lizards are smaller, but more durable than a pink or yellow lizard. they have a white body with a light pink head. they have a tongue, which can be used to grab creatures like normal but can also be used to grapple onto walls or creatures to pull itself towards them. they have poor hearing, but possess insane eyesight, being able to see creatures from very far away. it can climb poles but not walls. it is was the base lizard for the messenger to nine drops of iron

black lizards - opposite to the strawberry lizard’s amazing eyesight, the black lizards posses no eyesight, instead relying on hearing to find it’s prey. they tend to stay in the dark areas of my ecosystem, like underneath my superstructure. they are typically found in large groups, although they don’t form packs like yellow lizards. they can climb poles but not walls

red lizards - these lizards are very dangerous. they are the most durable, largest, and most aggressive of them all, and have many abilities. it can spit projectiles, much like a caramel lizard can, and it has a tongue that can be used to take items and snap them, rendering them useless. they also don’t appear to be afraid of vultures, instead i have seen some take down vultures or even king vultures before. they can climb poles but not walls. it is the base lizard of the flamethrower lizards

winged lizards - pink lizards that have been given vulture wings. they are highly aggressive due to their base lizard as well as being unstable, and are also one of the few lizards i made that are able to reproduce. they can climb poles, although they prefer to use the wings to walk and fly around.

laser lizards - green lizards that have been outfitted with a miros vulture’s laser in their mouth. i also gave them the ability to climb poles, but not walls. they are less aggressive than the winged lizards, but more durable and heavy. they are also very unstable and able to reproduce (sorry, i was new to genetic configuration when i made these!)

fire breathing lizard - the fire breathing lizard has the base of a red lizard. unfortunately, due to it’s ability to breathe fire, it is unable to use most of the red lizard’s abilities. it cannot spit or use the tongue, but still has the very lethal bite, as well as the addition of breathing fire. it is less aggressive than my other experiments, but is still mildly aggressive due to it’s base lizard. it can climb poles but not walls

taser lizard - a white lizard base with some modifications. the most obvious is that it has the armor of a red centipede while still retaining the camouflage of the base lizard, making it very hard to spot, and if spotted, very hard to kill. it has two tongues that it uses to grab creatures and send an electrical shock through them, killing them. i have amplified the power of the electrical shock to be able to kill most anything.

zoomies lizard - with the base of a cyan lizard and the dna of a yeek, eggbug, jetfish, and a fast aquatic slugcat that ran through my structure at some point. the first of my lizards to be able to make it to your ecosystem, but don’t worry as they are harmless. due to all of its dna, it is very hyper and extremely mobile, but mostly harmless and not very aggressive. actually, they are quite friendly! one of the lizards i made that are allowed to reproduce, this time on purpose

spear-throwing lizard - blue lizard base, with some help from the alternate me in keeper’s portal, it is able to create and throw spears. i used some dna from seven red sun’s messenger to give the lizards the ability to create endless spears (although i let them keep a mouth). they still have a tongue and can climb walls

messenger lizard - strawberry lizard base combined with the aquatic slugcat dna. made very quickly as a messenger to bring slag reset keys to nine drops of iron so he didn’t collapse, but it ended up being a fake water call. dead, presumably killed and dissected by nine drops of iron himself

saint lizard - [TERMINATED]. too deadly, i don’t want to ascend

camouflage vulture - not a lizard but an honorable mention. i gave a miros vulture the camouflage of a white lizard to see what would happen. it went exactly as you would think. i still lose it sometimes, even with it’s collar on

f r e d - fred is… an interesting specimen to say the least. with the base of a caramel lizard, he has six legs and the ability to spit. unfortunately, what he spits is eggs that function the same as a singularity bomb, which is a smaller, damaged, rarefaction cell. as his base lizard is a caramel lizard, he can also charge at his prey, although he rarely uses it and opts for spitting at them instead. the way he can spit these is because the other part of his genes comes from a strange slugcat that passed through my superstructure. it was able to create these eggs, and was smart enough (or stupid enough) to use them in combat. he mostly has this creatures genetics, which caused him to be highly unstable and aggressive. he started spitting the eggs at me as he made its escape. due to mostly having slugcat dna, he is also able to climb poles. his species is called the big bang lizard, but there is only one fred

[perhapsarat]

My students know I am fond of swans and in turn they are starting to become fond of swans too (eg arguing with each other over who gets to use my swan pen etc) and anyway a couple of them are trying to convince me to buy some custom swan stamps and I said I wanted to but couldn’t think of any swan puns etc to put on there, I said the only thing I could think of was ‘swantastic’. So my student went away determined to think of something and later on comes up to me and goes ‘I’ve finally thought of something for the swan stamp! Swantastic! - wait no that’s the one we already have damnit!!’

[schoolmascotbyday]

BASIC QUESTIONS

First name? “Frederick.”

Surname? “Frederickson.”

Middle names? “Flamarion.”

Nicknames? “Fred, Freddie, Dumbass, Knuckle Head, Idiot, Mr. Fred, Lizard Guy, Fredzilla… Fredzilla totally counts.”

Date of birth? “I was born on August 15th of 1997.”

Age? “I am twenty three years young.”

PHYSICAL / APPEARANCE

Height? “Six foot even.”

Weight? “140 or something. Don’t body shame me.”

Build? “I guess I’d be a mesomorph.”

Hair color? “It’s blond-ish.”

Hair style? “Medium length. Sometimes it is straight, sometimes it has luscious waves.”

Eye color? “Grue. (That means green-blue.)”

Eye shape? “They’re kind of squinty, whatever you call that.”

Glasses or contact lenses? “No sir!”

Distinguishing facial features? “I have a big nose.”

Which facial feature is most prominent? “My nose.”

Which bodily feature is most prominent? “My chest.”

Other distinguishing features? “My hair. If you see my hair, you know it’s me.”

Skin? “White. Disturbingly white. I should get more sun…”

Hands? “Big.”

Make up? “I don’t understand how people wear makeup everyday. It’s hard. It would take me hours to not look like a clown. I wore eye shadow for the pride parade, and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.”

Scars? “Nothing too noticeable.”

Birthmarks? “Nada!”

Tattoos? “None, but I think one day I’ll get a big monster on my entire back .”

Physical handicaps? “I don’t have any.”

Type of clothes? “Worn out.”

How do you wear your clothes? “Too long.”

What are your feet like? “Also big. My socks are dirty. So are my shoes. There’s a hole in my favorite pair, and the bottom is coming off…”

Race / Ethnicity? “Caucasian.”

Mannerisms? “I am overexciteable and it shows.”

Are you in good health? “I keep forgetting to make a doctor’s appointment. Actually, I just don’t wanna do it by myself. But probably.”

Do you have any disabilities? “Fortunately no!”

PERSONALITY

What words or phrases do you overuse? “I think I just shout too often.”

Do they you a catchphrase? “I say whoa-ho-ho a lot. Is that a catchphrase? Or should I have said that for my overused word and/or phrase?”

Are you more optimistic or pessimistic? “Optimistic!”

Are you introverted or extroverted? “Extroverted.”

Do you ever put on airs? “I turn the AC on a lot.”

What bad habits do you have? “Sometimes I chew with my mouth open and I stay up too late and I ramble and I don’t eat healthy foods and get obsessed with entertainment and I don’t blink enough when I’m playing video games and I choose being lazy over being productive and, oh, yeah, run-on sentences.”

What makes you laugh out loud? “A lot of things. I laugh all the time.”

How do you display affection? “Bear hugs and hair ruffles.”

Mental handicaps? “I don’t give myself time to be sad.”

How do you want to be seen by others? “Helpful, loving, loyal, genuine, fun!”

How do you see yourself? “Helpful, loving, loyal, genuine, fun!”

How are you seen by others? “I don’t worry about it too much.”

Strongest character trait? “I care so much.”

Weakest character trait? “I care too much.”

How competitive are you? “I can be kind of competitive, but I don’t trash talk or anything.”

Do you make snap judgements or take time to consider? “It depends on the situation, but I usually make snap judgements.”

How do you react to praise? “A lot of thank you!s and beaming.”

How do you react to criticism? “I don’t usually let it get to me, I try to be better.”

What is your greatest fear? “Losing another person I love.”

What are your biggest secrets? “Sometimes I say I know what I’m doing when I don’t have a clue what I’m doing. Shh.”

What is your philosophy of life? “Life is short, have fun.”

When was the last time you cried? “I don’t remember. A long time ago.”

What haunts you? “Losing Tadashi. Not being able to save him.”

What are your political views? “I’m probably a liberal.”

What will you stand up for? “Anyone that needs me to stand up for them.”

Who do you quote? “My friends. They’re so smart.”

Are you indoorsy or outdoorsy? “Indoorsy.”

What is your sinful little habit? “Buying a lot of merch. A lot of merch.”

What sense do you most rely on? “Definitely not common. Hearing.”

How do you treat people better than you? “I try to learn from them!”

How do you treat people worse than you? “I try to teach them!”

What quality do you most value in a friend? “Genuineness.” 

What do you consider an overrated virtue? “Chastity.”

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? “I think I’d like to be smarter. Just a little bit, just enough to understand half of the things my friends talked about.”

What is your obsession? “Manga, comic books, video games.”

What are your pet peeves? “Being rushed, people being mean, being ignored.”

What are your idiosyncrasies? “I talk too fast.”

FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Is your family big or small? Who does it consist of? “Small. It’s just me, my dad, my mom and Heathcliff — the butler.”

What is your perception of family? “They’re supposed to be loving and accepting.”

Do you have siblings? Older or younger? “No. I think that would’ve been nice, though.”

Describe your best friend. “I have five, and they’re the best friends in the whole world. Tadashi isn’t here anymore, but he’s still one of my best friends. They’re all smart and unique and I love being around them.”

Ideal best friend? “Anyone who can be themselves around me.”

Describe your other friends. “Most of them are online.”

Describe your acquaintances. “I don’t have acquaintances, just friends.”

Do you have any pets? “I have a bunch of fish in my saltwater aquarium!”

Who are your natural allies? “Hm, Haven.”

Who are your surprising allies? “The rest of our friends.”

PAST AND FUTURE

What were you like as a baby? As a child? “Loud, wild, energetic, friendly.”

Did you grow up rich or poor? “Rich.”

Did you grow up nurtured or neglected? “I don’t want to say my parents neglected me…”

What is the most offensive thing you ever said? “I don’t even know of anything I’ve thought that was offensive.”

What is your greatest achievement? “My current grades.”

What was your first kiss like? “Quick and nervous.”

What is the worst thing you did to someone you loved? “I didn’t save Tadashi.”

What are your ambitions? “I want to write comics that people want to read.”

What advice would you give your younger self? “Enjoy being a kid while you can!”

What smells remind you of your childhood? “Freshly cut grass, pancakes, steak.”

What was your childhood ambition? “To be a superhero.”

What is your best childhood memory?

What is your worst childhood memory? “The birthday my dad told me they’d be home in time for, but missed. They didn’t come home for another week, and I’m pretty sure he forgot about it completely, because the handwriting on the card that ‘came in the mail’ looked an awful lot like Heathcliff’s.”

Did you have an imaginary childhood friend? “A few.”

When was the last time you were crushed with disappointment? “Sometime last month.”

What past act are you most ashamed of? “Shame is not an emotion I know.”

What past act are you most proud of? “Beating Dark Souls (Demons Souls).”

Has anyone ever saved your life? “Probably.”

Strongest childhood memory? “The day I broke my arm falling out of a tree.”

LOVE

Do you believe in love at first sight? “Why not?”

Are you in a relationship? “Nope.”

How do you behave in a relationship? “Like myself. I’m an affectionate guy.”

When did you last have sex? “It’s been about five months, probably.”

What sort of sex do you have? “All sorts.”

Have you ever been in love? “I fall in love all the time.”

Have you ever had your heart broken? “My heart broke when Tadashi… when I lost my friend.”

CONFLICT

How do you respond to a threat? “Just shrug and say ‘bring it’.”

Are you most likely to fight with your fists or your tongue? “I don’t like fighting, but I’ll do what a situation calls for.”

What is your kryptonite? “Funko Pops.”

If you could only save one thing from your burning house, what would it be? “My fish.”

How do you perceive strangers? “50/50. Could be friends, could be villains.”

What do you love to hate? “Cliffhangers and hard to beat games.”

What are your phobias? “Death.”

What is your choice of weapon? “Depends on the game I’m playing.”

What living person do you most despise? “I don’t despise anyone.”

Have you ever been bullied or teased? “I’ve been teased, but it doesn’t bother me much.”

Where do you go when you’re angry? “The kitchen to get a snack. The only time I get angry is when a game is being really frustrating.”

Who are your enemies and why? “I don’t have any, but maybe one day I will be a true crime fighter and I will.”

WORK, EDUCATION AND HOBBIES

What is your current job? “Sign spinning.”

What do you think about your current job? “I love it. I don’t need the money, I just like bringing in more business to the local shops and showing off my skills!”

What are some of your past jobs? “I’ve never had to work.”

What are your hobbies? “Sign flipping, gaming, writing and drawing, reading comics, binging anime, practicing guitar, coming up with new costume ideas.”

Educational background? “I didn’t do so hot in high school, but I’m in college now.”

Intelligence level? “You could say I’m a selective learner.”

Do you have any specialist training? “I wish! That would be so cool!”

Do you have a natural talent for something? “I want to say my sign spinning is a natural talent — I kind of just picked it up one day and realized I was good at it. Also, super-hearing, headlights and flame throwing.”

Do you play a sport? Are you any good? “I’m not much of a sports guy.”

What is your socioeconomic status? “Ask someone who knows what that means.”

FAVORITES

What is your favorite animal? “Maybe lizards.”

Which animal do you dislike the most? “I don’t dislike any animals.”

What place would you most like to visit? “I’d like to go on a family vacation someday. I don’t really care where we go.”

What is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen? “The ending of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.”

What is your favorite song? “You’d laugh.”

Music, art, reading preferred? “Reading mixed with art.”

What is your favorite color? “Blue. No, orange. No, green! Yellow! I don’t know! There’s too many colors!”

What is your password? “FredzillaRulesTheWorld.”

Favorite food: “Changes too often to really say.”

What is your favorite work of art? “Death Note.”

Who is your favorite artist? “My dad. He counts, right?”

What is your favorite day of the week? “Sunday.”

POSSESSIONS

What is in your fridge? “A whole lot of ingredients I’ll never use and probably some I can’t pronounce.”

What is on your bedside table? “A lot of junk. I should clean that off...”

What is in your car? “Phone charger, aux chord, a half eaten bag of barbecue chips, stick of deodorant, loose change, hair ties.”

What is in your bin? “It’s empty. I have a butler.”

What is in your purse or wallet? “A group picture with my friends, money, a few different bank cards, a condom, more loose change.”

What is in your pockets? “My keys and my cell phone.”

What is your most treasured possession? “All of my pictures with my friends. I wouldn’t trade them for the world. You never know when you won’t be able to take another one...”

SPIRITUALITY

Who or what is your character’s guardian angel? “I’m sure Tadashi is somewhere looking out for me right now.”

Do you believe in the afterlife? “Yes.”

What are your religious views? “Loosely Christian.”

What do you think heaven is? “A place where everyone is happy and free and there’s no pain. And you can play games all day.”

What do you think hell is? “Sad and lonely.”

Are you superstitious? “A little bit.”

What would you like to be reincarnated as? “A fire breathing dragon!”

How would you like to die? “In a way that matters. If I’m going to die, I’d like to save someone while I’m doing it.”

What is your spirit animal? “Probably iguanas or something.”

What is your zodiac sign? “Leo.”

VALUES

What do you think is the worst thing that can be done to a person? “Torture.”

What is your view of ‘freedom’? “Pretty much how my life is now. I can do what I want, when I want --- for the most part.”

When did you last lie? “It’s been a long time. I don’t lie unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

What’s your view of lying? “It can be easily avoided. Just be honest.”

When did you last make a promise? “I can’t remember.”

Did you keep or break your last promise? “I’m sure I kept it, I don’t make promises unless I plan to do something about it.”

DAILY LIFE

What are your eating habits? “Questionable.”

Do you have any allergies? “I’m allergic to assholes!”

Describe your home. “It’s big. Real big. The yard is big and freshly cut. There’s not a blimp of imperfection until you get to my room, then it becomes a randomized mess.”

Are your minimalist or a clutter hoarder? “Hoarder.”

What do you do first thing on a weekday morning? “Turn my alarm off.”

What do you do on a Sunday afternoon? “Relax. Wait for my dad to call.”

What do you do on a Friday night? “Stay up late gaming.”

What is your soft drink of choice? “Mountain Dew.”

What is your alcoholic drink of choice? “Just beer is fine.”

MISCELLANEOUS

What or who would you dress up as for Halloween? “Oh, I love Halloween! I go all out! I’ll dress as another superhero this year, or maybe a villain to spice it up!”

Are you comfortable with technology? “I love technology.”

If you could save one person, who would it be? “Tadashi. I wish I could’ve saved Tadashi.”

If you could call one person for help, who would it be? “Haven, she always knows what to do.”

What is your greatest extravagance? “All the merch in my room, or my tank.”

What is your greatest regret? “Not doing anything to help my friend.”

What is your perception of redemption? “Putting someone else before yourself. If you do that, if you selflessly risk your own life or needs or wants for another person, you’re obviously redeemed.”

What would you do if you won the lottery? “Donate it all to charity.”

What is your favorite fairytale? “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

What fairytale do you hate? “I don’t hate any fairytales. People put a lot of hard work into their stories and I respect that.”

Do you believe in happy endings? “I do.”

What is your idea of perfect happiness? “Living every day how you want to live it.”

What would you ask a fortune teller? “I’d give my opportunity to someone else. I don’t need anything answered.”

If you could travel through time, where would you go? “Back to save Tadashi or die trying.”

What sport do you excel at? “Is flame throwing a sport?”

What sport do you suck at? “Soccer. I get confused and score for the other team. Every. single. time.”

If you could have a superpower, what would you choose? “All of them! Fire breath, x-ray vision, flying, rocket fists, gravity manipulation, invisibility, walking through walls, the ability to teleport through people’s phones so if they needed me I’d be right there... yeah, all of them!”

[storyplease]

The Girl Who Liked To Go Walking

Once there was a girl who liked to go walking.  She would put on her red dress, her soft, cotton socks, her bright yellow rainboots (in case of puddles), and her favorite hat- the one with the flower in it.  Then, she would pack a lunch with a thermos full of cold, freshly-squeezed lemonade in her backpack along with a few other useful items, and set out for her walk.

One morning, she decided to try a new path. She went over a hill, through a bright and sunny meadow full of wildflowers, and into a deep, dark wood.  It was cool and comfortable under the canopy of thick, green leaves, and she smiled as she continued on her way.

Suddenly, she heard a plaintive cry from the tree nearby.

"Young lady, would you be so kind as to help me? I appear to be stuck."

The girl looked around but could not see anyone.

"Up here," said the voice.

She craned her neck to look high up into the tree.

There, on a thick branch, lay a very disgruntled-looking black cat with curious golden eyes.

"Did you speak?" the girl asked.

"Who else would it have been?" the cat replied a bit sarcastically.

"I've never known a cat to talk," the girl said.

"Have you ever known a cat to fly?" the cat replied.

The girl squinted and realized that the strange, fan-like objects on both sides of the cat's body were not leaves at all but dark, glossy wings.

"You're...a catbird?" she asked.

"Don't be daft," the cat replied. "I'm a cat. I'm just a rare breed."

The girl had never heard of a winged breed of cat, but she held her tongue because she knew that it would be rude to pry.

"Now then," the cat replied, "There was something shiny in this knot up near the trunk and I stuck my paw inside, but now I can't get it out.  Might you be able to help me get free?"

The girl looked up at the tree.  It didn't look very easy to climb, but there was a tree next to it that seemed a bit easier to scale. She carefully took off her boots and her socks and placed them next to the tree before shimmying up the thin trunk and pulling herself onto the first branch.  

Soon after, she had finally jumped into the tree where the cat had trapped its paw and reached him in no time flat.

"Hmm," she said, as the cat scrunched over slightly to help her get a better view, "Are you in pain?"

"No, but I can't pull the shiny thing out with it in my paw," the cat complained, swishing his tail back and forth, his wings fluttering in agitation.

"Why not let it go?" the girl replied.

"What, and lose a perfectly lovely shiny treasure?" the cat asked, "Are you mad?"

"What if," the girl said with a thoughtful look, "I were to get it out for you using this?"

She rummaged in her knapsack and pulled out a pair of tongs.

"Why would you have such a thing with you?" the cat asked.

"You never know when you'll need a nice set of tongs," the girl said with a shrug.

"Hmm," the cat replied, "that may just do the trick."

He let go of the object very reluctantly and his paw slipped out instantly.

The girl lowered the tongs into the hole.

"You promise you won't take it, right?" the cat asked anxiously.

"I promise," she replied, and with a quick snap of the tongs, she pulled it out.

They both gaped at the large, pearlescent orb. In the dappled sunlight, it appeared to refract the light, throwing tiny rainbows around it.

"What is it?" the girl asked.

"It's mine, obviously," the cat replied, batting at it in his paw.

"That may be true, but don't you want to know what it is?" the girl replied.

"Hmph," the cat replied, "you obviously know nothing about cats."

With a bored gesture, he batted the orb so hard with one paw that it flew off the branch and plummeted towards the ground.

The girl let out a surprised yelp and quickly slid down the tree as quickly as she could, but the orb hit the ground before she could catch it. Instead of breaking, it seemed to bounce as though it were made of rubber. The girl quickly grabbed put on her cotton socks and slid her feet into her boots and ran after it just as the cat spread its wings and took chase as well.

They followed the bouncing orb out of the forest, through the bright and sunny meadow filled with wildflowers, over a hill and finally...

"My home!" the girl exclaimed, as the little cottage came into view.  The orb didn't stop, though, and bounced right through her open kitchen window.  The girl heard a loud crash and unlocked her front door with the flying cat not far behind.

There, on her stove, was the orb in one of her large stew pots.

"Oh no!" she cried, seeing the large, ugly crack up one side of it, "now it's broken!"

The cat cocked his head to the side as he placed one furry ear against it. "I don't think that's it," he replied.

With a loud cracking noise, the orb bounced into the air and flew towards the girl. She caught it with a squeak of surprise and held it tightly.  The orb was almost feverishly warm by this time and she could feel that more cracks had appeared on the exterior of the orb.

"It's an egg," she said with wonder, as a large piece of the shell finally fell away, exposing a large, violet eye.

"Squeak!" said the eye.

"Well, come on then," the cat said impatiently to the egg, "we don't have all day."

The creature stirred and pushed hard against the shell of its egg with renewed vigor, and soon the tiny lizard had broken free.  It lay panting in the girl's hands as it recovered from hatching.  A tiny spout of flame poured from its nostrils and the girl watched in awe as tiny leathery wings unfurled from its heaving sides, the membranous skin so thin that she could nearly see through them.

"It's a dragon," she breathed.

"She's a dragon," the cat replied smugly. "Only the girls have the jeweled tails."

Sure enough, when the girl looked, she could see that the baby's tail was adorned with rubies.

"I'll be taking her, then," the cat said, making a move for the baby.

"Oh no you don't," the girl replied, closing her hands protectively over the baby dragon. "You said you wanted the egg. Well, here you go."

She placed the egg shell in a pile on the floor for the cat.

"Hmph," the cat said, "you're no fun. Besides, do you even know the first thing about caring for a baby dragon?"

"I'll learn," the girl replied. "I won't let you hurt her."

"Hurt her?" The cat seemed to think this was amusing. "I don't want to hurt her. Who do you think is going to teach her to fly? A wingless human such as yourself? Don't make me laugh.  I'll just have to stick around so that she can learn what it really means to take wing."

"Are you sure you don't just want to stay for a free saucer of milk and a nice warm sunbeam to sleep in for as long as you like?" the girl replied with a smirk.

"Well I won't say no if you're offering," the cat said, puffing up his chest.

And so, the dragon and the winged cat came home to stay with the girl who loved to go on long walks. She knitted a scarf for the dragon, who she named Ruby Tuesday for the song and her tail. She made a shiny collar of bronze and gold for the cat, whose name, she learned, was Fred.

"Such a common name for such an uncommon cat," she mused, as they picnicked in the sunny meadow filled with colorful wildflowers. Ruby half-glided through the air and collected colorful flowers in her mouth as the cat sprawled out on his back, warming his fur.

"You're not so bad yourself," the cat replied, receiving a lovely tummy scratch from the girl.

Then the girl smiled and lay back, looking up at the deep blue sky, which was dotted with tiny white clouds.  It was shaping up to be another beautiful day.