Creative Corner

[center][font=Georgia][color=104984][b][size=5]Day 35[/size][/b][/color][/font] [font=Georgia][size=4][b]98[/b] Art[/size][/font] Unfortunately, my big final is coming up this Friday, so I'm a bit too busy to sit down and draw anything. I'm also too poor to buy art atm LOL but I will include an art piece in an update after Friday to make up for today! [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img][/center] "There! This suits you [i]much[/i] better, believe me." Asher awkwardly lifted his arms, looking over the length of his own body. Dark grey armour now rested against his scales, its weight heavy but not uncomfortable. [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=50767402] [img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=50767402&skin=0&apparel=311,1254,2597,2603,2959,4005&xt=dressing.png[/img] [/url][/center] He looked up at Veritas with narrowed eyes. "This is... surprisingly practical." The Imperial had his ever-lasting smile on. "Of course, my friend. Who do you take me for? I am very aware of our circumstances, I'll have you know." "Maybe," Asher said, still shifting around a bit to get used to the new outfit. "I guess I expected you to drape me with silks. You know." The Nocturne glanced pointedly at Veritas' own silk-covered self. Veritas grinned. "Weeell, since you brought it up first... I [i]do[/i] have a rather wonderful collection with me, if you'd like to try that--" "No! No," Asher protested, sighing as the Imperial laughed at his response. Veritas had arrived but half an hour ago, and his prominent presence was already causing a ruckus. When a dragon like Veritas showed up on your doorstep, [i]everybody[/i] knew about it. Asher still seemed mistrustful of his intentions, but the Imperial decided his job was done with the Nocturne for now. He turned away and grabbed his pretty blue travelling bag, then looked around the area for another dragon to beautify. His eyes almost passed over her, but he caught himself and looked again. A pale blue feathered form was approaching the nearby house, her colours blending perfectly into the icy environment. Veritas gasped, and within seconds his large form easily caught up to her side. "My, my!" he exclaimed, and the Skydancer paused in her steps to look up at him. "I came here to fix you lovelies up, but I see at least some of you understand about dressing well." He looked over the Skydancer one more time, then gave a satisfied nod. "Why, you're gorgeous, my friend." She seemed unaffected by his words, and said in a calm tone: "I am glad you find my appearance acceptable." She paused, and even Veritas felt somehow pinned by her stare. "May I help you with anything?" "Ah, no, I merely wanted to offer my compliments," Veritas said gently. "I simply [i]had[/i] to express my feelings upon seeing you. My apologies if I've caused offence." Now the Skydancer's expression shifted to an almost-smile. "I see," she said. "Well, thank you. I am not offended, but I must be on my way." "Of course," Veritas moved out of her way, and shortly she disappeared inside the house. He stared after her for a few moments. "Tough crowd, hm?" Veritas turned around to see a familiar Mirror walking up to his side, looking amused. He sighed. "I'll say! A pretty but cold Skydancer, and a Nocturne who I had to talk into letting me dress him for twenty minutes straight!" Nevertheless, the Imperial was smiling. "Ah, perhaps you've come for your turn?" "Not at all," Aleksei chuckled. "Sorry, bud, that's just not my thing. I'm off on duty anyway." They looked over their shoulder, towards the hill. "My friend's coming up soon, though. I think you should talk to him." "I hope that means he'll at least be willing to listen to me," Veritas huffed. Aleksei smirked. "Sure, maybe," they said with a shrug, then moved past him. "Spindle's up in the cave, by the way. Say hi before you leave." Spindle had been mentioned to him in passing before as the leader of this merry group, so Veritas made a note to stop by and speak with her. For now, he started digging through his bag looking for something that could suit Aleksei. Sure, they'd say they weren't interested, but if he could find a style that piqued their interest, he was sure they could change things up. His choices satisfied the grumpy Nocturne, after all, did they not? Since they seemed to like their hood so much, perhaps he could work with that. Originally he'd wanted to free up their features, but he supposed he could give that up if they'd just try on one of his things... Just then the Imperial heard loud footsteps on the snow, and he looked up from his bag to find the source. The first thing he noticed was a very comforting shade of pastel pink. Then his attention was caught by the multitudes of glittering jewels, rings, loops, all decorating the dragon before him in an ornate but befitting fashion. Finally his gaze met a pair of yellow eyes, looking back at him with the same degree of curiosity. Veritas smiled, straying from the Wildclaw's gaze to take one more look at his outfit. Beyond the jewellery, he could already think of a number of ways to improve upon it, but still - this was no practical way to dress. The jewels were there for prettiness' sake, and that alone made the Imperial grin in delight. "Well." The Wildclaw broke the silence first, a smile slowly working its way onto his features. "My friend did mention you looked nice, but goodness do they have a talent for understatement," he said, his own gaze straying to the Imperial's form in an appreciative manner. No secret there; Veritas was very aware of his own assets. He [i]knew[/i] he looked good. But that didn't mean he didn't like being told so - on the contrary, he still felt a rush of joy at hearing the compliment, always glad to be admired. "You flatter me so," he chirped happily. "And I must say I am also impressed. Nobody told me there was a jeweller around." "Oh, I don't know if [i]jeweller[/i] is the right word. More like a [i]fan[/i] of jewellery, darling," the Wildclaw clarified. "Are you saying there's more where that came from?" Veritas asked in a tone of voice that very clearly implied a hint-hint, nudge-nudge intention. Vannifer's smiled turned playful. "Oh, yes. Plenty." He motioned over his shoulder with a nod of his head. "We've a den down there that houses my entire collection. Although, I am not sure that you could fit," he added with a pointed look to Veritas' large form. "My! I could not waste such an opportunity," Veritas declared, picking up his bag in his arms. "Please, lead the way, my friend. I am sure we can figure something out." He glided closer to the Wildclaw, and cheerily he said: "My name's Veritas, by the way. Pleased to meet you. And you are?" "I am Vannifer," the Wildclaw offered in turn, falling into step with him and throwing Veritas a sideways glance. Veritas thought he looked intrigued. "And the pleasure's all mine, darling." [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img] [size=2]@Rebbawskaced @Drachenschwinge @SpiceCookie @catmeow1 @Everburn I'm not gonna lie, with so many dragons, I'm having a bit of a tough time giving everybody equal screen time. But just so you guys know what's on the horizon, I'd like to give some time to Vannifer, Veritas and Rin in the lore soon, and of course our (checks lair) [i]seven[/i] new hatchlings! Sheesh. I look forward to developing their personalities, relationships and shenaningans, and I hope you do, too! I'd also like to take a minute to expand further on a Moroz-related plot line, which I've been hinting towards in a couple of the recent lore updates. Hopefully I can get to it before the next death streak comes knocking on the door. So many plans, so little time! [/center]

[center][font=Georgia][color=104984][b][size=5]Day 36[/size][/b][/color][/font] [font=Georgia][size=4][b]41[/b] Coliseum[/size][/font] Sorry for no updates. Again, my final is coming up this Friday, so that's taking priority. There likely will be no update tomorrow, and possibly Friday as well. For today, I did a very small number of battles with Harper, Veritas and Aleksei, and Aleks got to Level 2. [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img][/center] "Aster, stop it. Mother said we can't leave on our own," Cedar chided, watching as Aster stood at the entrance of the cave with her head peeking outside. She glared at him over her shoulder. "Mom says a lot of things. You don't always listen to her, either!" "What? I [i]always[/i] listen to her!" Aster smirked. "Oh, really? What about that time last week when you ran all the way down the hill by yourself?" "That was because Bronte slipped and her pearl rolled down the hill," Cedar said with a shake of his head. "You saw it yourself! Someone had to go and get it for her." Aster narrowed her eyes. "She could've gotten it herself." Cedar frowned. "You know she couldn't," he said quietly. "Why are you being like this?" "Whatever!" Aster huffed and turned away from him. "Stop me if you can, brother!" She leapt, and he ran after her, but stopped on the ledge outside of the cave. Aster was already skidding down towards the bottom, and Cedar watched her worriedly. He really didn't understand how Aster's mind worked sometimes. What was the point of leaving and getting herself into trouble? It never ended well. At least he was aware that someone should still be in the house below. He and his siblings were usually left alone these days, but the Spiral kids still needed a carer. Cedar just hoped they'd spot and scold his little sister before she got too far ahead of herself. Soft footsteps approached him from within the cave, and Bronte stood next to him, gripping her pearl tightly in her claws. Her bright eyes stared down the hill, watching Aster sneaking up to the house. Cedar sighed. "What am I going to do with her?" Bronte looked at him, then nudged his chest with her head. Cedar laughed quietly. "I know, I know." The Mirror shot one last glance at Aster, then turned towards the cave. "Let's get back. I'm sure we can find something to do. Maybe Minle can show us some more of his tricks." Bronte trailed after him without a word, carefully rolling her pearl ahead of her as she walked. * * * Spindle was starting to understand how Moroz must have felt when she and Harper strayed from the cave instead of listening to her. Spindle herself had ventured miles from it when she was even younger than her own hatchlings - but now, just hearing that Aster had tried sneaking into Mara and Asher's place was enough to give her palpitations. "How many times do I have to tell you?" she said, angry and tired of having this discussion again. "Do [i]not[/i] leave the cave on your own! Why is this so hard for you to do, Aster?!" Aster was glaring at her own feet, not looking sorry in the slightest. Spindle had wanted to talk to her one on one, so they were talking just outside the cave, even though she imagined their voices carried inside anyway. When Aster still said nothing, Spindle prompted: "I'm waiting, Aster! Answer me. Why did you leave the cave today?" "Because it's [i]boring[/i]!" Aster practically screamed, her furious gaze shooting up to meet Spindle's. "I've been stuck in there since [i]forever[/i]! You can't just keep us locked up in there!" Spindle was indignant. "Locked up? Aster, do you even understand the world we live in--" "Yes, yes. The Underice, big and mean and scary! And everyone's out to get me! Whatever, mom," Aster rolled her eyes. "I don't care. And I'm staying with Delphi tonight!" Aster ran off before Spindle could even blink, and she watched her daughter disappear away from their home, not for the first time. The Mirror sat down and waited until Aster reached the house, and then was let in by Asher. She saw the Nocturne glance up towards her, before disappearing inside again. She'd tried to explain it to Aster and the others so many times. They were told to stay in for their own safety, at least until they were older. Spindle wanted to dedicate proper time to giving them self-defence lessons at the very least, but still her heart was struck with fear at the thought of ever letting them stray too far away, lest something terrible befell them. Was she being protective, or over-protective? Spindle herself couldn't tell any more. She heard someone approach her from the cave, and could tell just by the sound of his footsteps who it was. "I see the talk with Aster didn't go so well," Harper commented quietly, sitting by her side. "No," Spindle sighed. She'd normally keep her worries to herself, but she felt comfortable opening up to Harper, and she looked up at him with a sullen gaze. "Am I being overbearing?" Harper's response came some moments later, his words carefully picked - at least, for his standards. "I... do think they are old enough to start helping out. Even with just small tasks," he said. "But I get that you're worried. I mean, me too. But it's not like we have to let them loose all on their own. They can come with us when we go gathering or hunting." "But Harper, we don't exactly stick to the borders when we go," Spindle pointed out. "What if... another attack happens?" Even Harper was frowning now, just as torn on what they should do as her. Slowly, he said: "The thing is, Spindle... They're gonna have to start leaving eventually. Like, you can delay it all you want, but you can't avoid it. And I feel like they'll learn better if they go now. Asher's gonna start training his kids to fight soon, so we can get him to help out with ours too. I think that's the best thing to do." Spindle's gaze trailed back down to the house again. Perhaps Aster was right. Spindle supposed she couldn't blame her daughter for wanting to leave the confines of her home, when she had little else to do with herself. She sighed. "Fine... But not yet," she said eventually. "Spindle..." "Just until Asher starts training them. Then I'll allow it," she said decisively. Harper chuckled. "Well, I know better than to argue with that look. I guess that's that." Spindle laughed too. "Yes, well..." She paused and leaned in closer to say: "But do you think we should fetch Aster back up here? I mean, I just want to be sure she's okay..." "[i]Spindle[/i]..." [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img] [size=2]@Rebbawskaced @Drachenschwinge @SpiceCookie @catmeow1 @Everburn [/center]

Wow, Aster is a real troublemaker xD

And good luck with your final! ^-^

[center][font=Georgia][color=104984][b][size=5]Day 37[/size][/b][/color][/font] [font=Georgia][size=4][b]107[/b] New Dragon[/size][/font] [s]aaaa aAAA AAAAAAAAAA[/s] We rolled another Nocturne, so look forward to meeting her below! Also, my final went pretty OK! I still have one more exam left, but it shouldn't get in the way of me posting. Yay! [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img][/center] When mother finally allowed them to stray from the cave, it was under a strict promise that they wouldn't go further than a hundred feet from the hill. It was a ridiculous limit, considering there was nothing to gather in such a short range, but the siblings were just happy to be let out at last, and so they had no reason to complain. For now. For the first few days, all of them were surprisingly diligent about keeping up the rules, worried their mother would revoke their rights to leave if they had so much as a single misstep. And then Aster started talking about wanting to go further, and Cedar started scolding her, and they'd argue, and Minle didn't want to see it. He felt that he had no right to interfere between the siblings - the [i]actual[/i] siblings - fighting, and he knew they wouldn't listen to him even if he did try. They were both stubborn, even the level-headed Cedar, and Minle decided to stay out of it for his own sake. Quietly, he backed away from the arguing pair, and started walking away to neither of their's notice. The Mirror did feel Bronte's watchful gaze stray to him, but she said nothing and remained rooted in her spot by Cedar's side, allowing him to make an easy escape. [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=51955958][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=21&bodygene=0&breed=3&element=6&eyetype=3&gender=0&tert=162&tertgene=0&winggene=0&wings=118&auth=54278a2dc0dec49d3fb48c8ef2d4cf1d4968d3c4&dummyext=prev.png[/img][/url][/center] Minle walked far enough that he couldn't hear Cedar and Aster's voices echoing off the ice, and then found himself a spot to sit in a field of long, dark teal-coloured grass poking out from underneath the snow. The grass was perfectly silent and still, with no signs of other plants or any bugs. Minle supposed it had been well-stripped of anything useful by now, but at least he could entertain himself with it. Experimentally, he pawed at one tall blade, watching it swoop down and then rise back up again in a smooth motion. Then, he neared his hand to it, open-palmed, and focused his mind. Bit by bit, traces of magic flowing through his veins found their way to his fingertips, building and building like water against a dam. A small, pale blue light emitted from his hand, and then he watched as a thin layer of frost covered the grass blade, leaving behind pretty, snowflake-like patterns across its surface. Minle lowered his hand and stared at his work with mild satisfaction. It was nice, but he wished he could do more. For some reason, magic felt both intuitive to him and completely out of his reach at the same time. These little traces of it were the most he could do, despite hours of practice back up at the cave, when he had nothing better to do. Before he could brood over his dilemma much further, he suddenly heard a rustle in the grass off to his left. The Mirror looked up hurriedly, wondering if one of the others had come here after him. But instead of the familiar dark shapes of his Mirror siblings, or the striped scales of Bronte, he saw a glittering blue-and-pink shape pass him by. Minle got to his feet and backed away a step. "Uh... Hello?" he called out nervously. What was that thing? Could it be dangerous? But mother said nothing dangerous would happen if they stayed close to the hill. He hadn't strayed! The shape stopped in its tracks. After a moment, he heard a meek voice call back: "Hello?" Huh. Another dragon? Cautiously, Minle took a few steps towards them. They twitched when they sensed him approaching, but then decided to wait, and soon enough the Mirror was close enough to make them out through the grass blades. [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=52156592] [img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=21&bodygene=7&breed=11&element=5&eyetype=1&gender=1&tert=99&tertgene=7&winggene=1&wings=25&auth=51fe93549b7b6896cf8d79a322a900e22c67259e&dummyext=prev.png[/img] [/url][/center] The dragon was a small Nocturne. She was sitting back on her haunches, her hands gripping each other in front of her, and she looked up at Minle with an apprehensive gaze. Minle stared at her in utter confusion, so she was the first to speak up: "H-hello? Are you okay?" Her voice was throaty and weak, as if she was holding back a cough. Minle blinked. "Uh, yeah," he said, shaking himself out of it. "But... Who are you?" The Nocturne looked troubled at his question, and she didn't seem to know how to answer. "I'm... I don't know. I'm just..." she trailed off, and then changed topics. "Sorry, is this your home?" "Kind of," Minle said. "Not like right in this grass, but yeah, we live around here." "We?" "Uh-huh. Me and my Clan," the Mirror clarified, then went on with a frown: "What about you? Like, how come you're here? And you're alone?" He followed his question by looking around again, but he didn't hear or see anybody else in the vicinity. "Oh, well..." The Nocturne looked sheepish. "My parents chased me out of the nest when I hatched. Because I look like this." She outstretched her arms, showing her hard, crystallised scales. "What? Why?" Minle asked, even more confused than he was before. He couldn't see anything off about the fellow hatchling. Asher looked much like her, too. What was the big deal? "I... I don't know," the Nocturne admitted sadly. "None of my siblings were like this, though... I was the odd one out. Maybe that's why." Well, Minle knew a thing or two about that. He gave her a sympathetic look. "So what are you doing then?" The Nocturne took a breath to reply, and suddenly started coughing loudly. Minle watched with mild distress as her coughing fit continued, not knowing what to do, but eventually she calmed down again. "Sorry... Um, I don't know that either. I was just... walking," she said, her voice sounding even more strained than before. "I didn't know what else to do..." Minle looked over to the hill. Mother's rants about unknown dragons coming in flashed in his mind, but he turned to the Nocturne all the same. "You should come with me. You sound kinda sick, so maybe you should sleep. We have a nest up there." He pointed to the cave with a nod of his head. "Really?" The hatchling asked with wide eyes. "Y-you don't mind? I'd love to..." "Yeah, I think it's fine." The Mirror smiled a little. "Also, my name is Minle. What about you?" The Nocturne winced again. "I, uh... I don't know," she admitted. Not even a name... Minle had no idea what to say. He simply got to his feet and motioned for her to follow, eager to get her out of the cold for now. [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img] [size=2]@Rebbawskaced @Drachenschwinge @SpiceCookie @catmeow1 @Everburn An FYI: since we have so many dragons, I will occasionally include their appearances in the post, just so you guys can keep track of who it is and don't have to check what they look like.[/center]

@Drachenschwinge oh yes! and it only gets worse! LOL

and a late thank you! <3

[center][font=Georgia][color=104984][b][size=5]Day 38[/size][/b][/color][/font] [font=Georgia][size=4][b]88[/b] Art[/size][/font] Once again, I shall include an artwork in one of the next few updates! That's 2 we need to catch up on. [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img][/center] [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=51955426] [img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=10&bodygene=21&breed=3&element=9&eyetype=0&gender=1&tert=47&tertgene=24&winggene=22&wings=175&auth=2089b08e0a4cefe61a4fbce4185c0093fdf3d6be&dummyext=prev.png[/img] [/url][/center] Aster hated this. She squished a snowball under her foot and watched the snow splatter across the icy ground. It didn't help her feelings much, but it was better than sitting still. Selena, who was next to her quietly making more snowballs, rolled another one over to Aster. The Mirror squished that one too. "Why is it always us?" she huffed, gathering up the loose snow together, only to squish it down again. Delphine was also by her side, curled up neatly on herself and busy adjusting her rose quartz necklace so it sat elegantly on her long neck. It had been a (rather unwilling) gift from Vannifer, after the Spiral hounded him for days about sharing one of his trinkets with her. [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=52089354] [img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=131&bodygene=18&breed=7&element=9&eyetype=0&gender=1&tert=7&tertgene=11&winggene=3&wings=71&auth=1b3cd6e38af6bb7b212e7c42293f3229e753d88e&dummyext=prev.png[/img] [/url][/center] She looked up from it at Aster with an expectant gaze, silently prompting her to continue. "It's always us who take in some random strays," Aster said bitterly. "Bronte was enough, and now some stupid Nocturne girl? Even [i]Minle[/i] isn't my proper brother," she pointed out with a roll of her eyes. "Why don't you guys adopt anyone?" Delphine turned her attention back to the necklace, twisting one of the quartz crystals until a neater side was facing outwards. "It's because no dragon with a brain would ever choose to stay with someone like Emil," she said in her lilting tone of voice. Emil, who was currently sat in the opposite corner of the room, glared at her. "You're so annoying, do you know that?" Delphine gasped. "Wow! Did you guys hear something?" she said with exaggerated surprise, looking around the room. "Oh, of course you didn't! You can't hear them talk if they don't exist! What a shame!" Emil narrowed his eyes, then turned back to what he was doing before without another word. Aster couldn't really tell what it was from here, but she could see he had his favourite sharp-tipped ice pick grasped in his hand, so she guessed he was drawing again. The whole room was filled with his drawings - that is, images etched on the walls and floor of the house, engraved in the ice through the use of the pick. Some of them were crudely scraped over with numerous claw marks. Aster guessed those were Delphine's. The Mirror sighed, reaching for another snowball made by Selena, and destroying it. If Selena was bothered by any of it, she made no mention of it, and kept quietly making more for Aster to take care of. "It's not like anyone's making you play with them," Delphine said, back to her calm self. "Just ignore them." "Easy for you to say. You don't know what it's like," Aster argued, unwilling to relent. She'd always found Minle slightly more acceptable company - at least he was a Mirror, like her and Cedar - but Bronte really grated on her nerves. She couldn't figure out what it was about the Pearlcatcher that annoyed her, but Aster hated how much she'd cling to Cedar all the time. And now with the other girl Minle brought in, Aster couldn't even comfortably spend time in her nest any more. Plus, her parents decided to name the Nocturne Iris, which just annoyed Aster more - that was [i]their[/i] naming convention! Not some random orphan's! Delphine shrugged. "Well then, just stay with us. In fact, you can take Emil's sleeping place!" There was an angry "hey!" off to the side, but the girls ignored it as they giggled between themselves. Selena looked a little sorry about it, but that didn't stop her from joining in. "Anyway," Aster said, deciding to change topics to something far more exciting. "I'm totally going to do it tomorrow. You know, the thing I told you about!" Delphine measured her with her gaze. "You mean about Veritas?" "Yup!" Aster grinned. "He's visiting again tomorrow. Well, I'm gonna follow him to his home when he leaves!" She was absolutely thrilled at the prospect. She had planned to explore on her own since days ago, but she didn't know where to go. The Underice was so big, the options open in every direction, to the point it was overwhelming. But she figured following the Imperial would take her somewhere new, and she'd be able to get back just fine if she paid attention to the route. Delphine looked unimpressed. "I wouldn't, if I were you." When she noticed Aster's frown, she shrugged and added: "But you can do what you want. I just think your mom is a bit scary when she is angry, that's all." Aster scoffed. "I'm not scared of her," she said. "What is she gonna do? She'll yell for a bit and then get over it." But speaking of, she had promised she'd be back up in the cave by nightfall, and it was definitely past that. Mara had popped to the room some time ago to remind her, but she was too nice to force Aster to leave, so Aster had stayed longer. Still, she figured she'd better get back and not put herself back on her mother's suspect list before her big plan tomorrow. "Okay, I'm gonna go," she announced, getting to her feet. "Take care on your climb up, darling," Delphine said, the nickname another trait she had picked up from their Wildclaw friend. "See you later, Aster," Selena said, her voice mild and soft as usual. Emil, of course, ignored Aster, but she did not care much for him either. She left the room, bid her goodbyes to the Spirals' parents, and exited the house. Later that night (after receiving the usual scolding from Spindle over her being late), Aster could barely sleep, excitement about the next day keeping her up until the early hours of the morning. [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img] [size=2]@Rebbawskaced @Drachenschwinge @SpiceCookie @catmeow1 @Everburn I'm having a really fun time writing someone a little more mean-spirited! Most of the other cast have been rather nice so far, so this is an interesting change of pace :D[/center]

Well, someon's jealous here. And poor Emil >.>

[center][font=Georgia][color=104984][b][size=5]Day 39[/size][/b][/color][/font] [font=Georgia][size=4][b]125[/b] New Dragon[/size][/font] .........Okay, is it cheating if I say I'd like to "stow away" this roll? When we have a smaller cast again, I might call this roll back and introduce another dragon, but for now... We really have a full house! Let me know if that bothers any of you though, and I'll commit to the roll and add someone in the next update if that's the case! [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img][/center] Delphine's reflection blinked back at her on the surface of the moonstone. She leaned in closer and turned her face to the side, staring at the left side of her face. The scar on her cheek was barely visible, thanks to her stripe-patterned scales, but it was still there. If she squinted, she could see the healed-over gash that ran horizontally across. The Spiral sighed curtly and put the stone down. She'd stopped wishing it would disappear forever ago, but the frustration was still there whenever she looked at it. "You okay there, little princess?" Delphine looked over her shoulder to see Vannifer walking up to check on her. She was currently in his den, "guarding" his collection. She knew he was just humouring her by letting her call it that, but she was also very proud to be the only hatchling allowed in here unsupervised. After all, she too had a real appreciation for his treasures, and was always careful with them. "Back at the moonstones, are you?" Vannifer asked when he noticed where she was. Delphine smiled and put the few moonstones she took out back into their shelf. "Yes, well. They are rather pretty. I like them." "They're supposed to have a kind of magic to them, you know," the Wildclaw commented. "I don't know about all that, though. I say there's enough magic to their glimmer!" Delphine nodded enthusiastically. "It's too bad you only have a few..." Vannifer gave her a sympathetic smile. "Delphi dear, I am sure you will have a magnificent collection of your own one day." If only that were true... The Spiral nodded, trying not to look too dejected. If she could, she'd spend all her time right here, but she knew there was probably a reason Vannifer had come in, beyond just to ask her how she was. And indeed, the Wildclaw soon said: "I believe your father is looking to take you and your siblings out training. He's asking for you." Delphine cringed. "Is he, now. I told him I'm not going anywhere with that idiot Emil," she said with a scoff. "Now, now, Delphi," Vannifer said in his best stern voice, which wasn't all that stern to begin with. On Delphine, who was used to putting up with her strict father on a daily basis, it made no impression. "It's true though," she said with a pout. "He's awful." Vannifer sighed. "I know it's not my family to be butting into, but perhaps if you two would just try to understand each other..." But Delphine didn't want to hear it. "No! I've already tried!" she cried. "And I don't think Emil even [i]wants[/i] to be understood. I'm so over him." Vannifer reached out to pat her gently on the head in order to soothe her. Delphine didn't normally like to be treated like a kid, but she stayed quiet and allowed it. She liked Vannifer enough to forgive him for the slight. "Alright, I'm sorry for upsetting you," the Wildclaw said. "But I'm afraid your father is going to be the upset one if you don't go out there to meet him, and that's not a fun time for anyone, is it, dearie?" That much was true. And Delphine knew Asher wouldn't get 'upset' so much as he'd get annoyed and snappy, which was honestly worse. "I'm sorry too," she choked out, though it hurt her pride a little to say it. Once again, for Vannifer, she supposed it was worth it. "I'll go... But, can I come back this evening?" Vannifer smiled. "Of course, Delphi. I'd welcome your company." They bid their goodbyes, and Delphine climbed out of the den, taking her time on the walk to the house. Outside of it, her father and siblings were already waiting. "There you are. Took you long enough," Asher barked. "Now let's hurry this along. I've still got lots of things to do, and I'm not going to have you three lazing about any more." Delphine groaned with a roll of her eyes. Lazing about! She wasn't lazing about. She just had a higher taste than anyone in her family, apparently. Her father ignored her and flew into the air. The three Spirals chased after him, Delphine and Selena flying side by side, while Emil trailed at the back. Delphi made sure to throw a single glare at him over her shoulder, before turning away to blissfully ignore his existence, just as it should be. [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img] [size=2]@Rebbawskaced @Drachenschwinge @SpiceCookie @catmeow1 @Everburn [/center]

[center][font=Georgia][color=104984][b][size=5]Day 40[/size][/b][/color][/font] [font=Georgia][size=4][b]124[/b] New Dragon[/size][/font] [s]Nope.[/s] [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img][/center] It'd been about two hours since Veritas had arrived, and Aster had spent both of them anxiously glancing his way to try and figure out when he'd be leaving again. The Imperial was mainly spending his time chatting with Vannifer, occasionally popping into the Spirals' house to talk to Mara, or fetch something from his bag to show off to his Wildclaw friend. Aster was determined not to appear suspicious, or so she thought. But maybe hiding behind a bend of the hill and constantly peeking out didn't look completely innocent. And when Cedar's voice sounded right by her ear asking what she was doing, the Mirror nearly jumped out of her scales. "Cedar!" she hissed angrily, glaring at him. "Don't do that again! Sheesh!" Aster turned away from him, glancing at Veritas and Vannifer worriedly - but they didn't seem to have been alerted by her little outburst. Good. "Leave me alone," she said under her breath, quieter this time. Still, she could feel her brother's frown boring into her. Cedar followed her gaze, and she knew he was trying to work out what she was up to. "I said leave me alone," she insisted. "Aster, I don't know what you're planning, but please don't do it," Cedar tried. "You [i]know[/i] it's going to end badly. Is it really worth it?" Aster rolled her eyes. "Yes," she said with a huff. "Why don't you go find something else to do, instead of bothering me? I think I hear a pearl rolling around," she added with venom in her voice. Cedar shot her a look. "At least tell me what you're going to do." "What, so you can run off and tell mom? I don't think so, Cedar," Aster replied with a shake of her head. With effort, Cedar said: "I'm not going to tell her. Just... Just tell me so I know. I'll leave if you do." Aster looked at him with suspicion and disbelief. But the concern in his voice and face looked real, so finally she budged. "Fine. I'm going to follow Veritas home." She immediately glared at her brother with warning in her eyes. "[i]Don't[/i] try to tell me not to! I'm doing it." Cedar was silent for a minute, but he gave up with a sigh. "Okay... But please, Aster, try to stay safe." "Yeah, yeah," Aster waved him off. "Now go away, you're distracting me." With one last careful look at her, Cedar left her to it, and it wasn't too long before she saw Veritas getting ready to take off. [i]Yes! Finally![/i] Aster thought in excitement, haunches wiggling as she prepared for her stowaway moment. Seconds later, the Imperial rose into the air and waved his friend goodbye, then leisurely started gliding away. Vannifer waved back and watched him for a while, and Aster kept chanting in her mind, [i]Come on, come on, come onnnn![/i] At last, the Wildclaw turned away and entered his den, and so soon as he was out of sight, Aster bolted. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, beating her wings every other step to give her a boost of speed. The Mirror caught up to Veritas fairly easily, and ensured to keep a decent distance behind him, so as not to be noticed. But as they moved away and edged the borders of the Clan's territories, the Imperial suddenly sped up. Like a spooked hare, his large form shot ahead with ease, and before Aster knew it, she could barely make out his silhouette ahead of her. Already her body, unused to such a workout, was starting to ache. Her chest was strained as she gulped in each breath, ice seeping in between her fingers and toes with each step. It wasn't too late to back out. She was still in the safe zone. She could just stop and turn around and nobody would be any wiser for it... But there was no way Aster was doing that. Committed to her self-imposed mission, she grit her teeth and forced her body to try and run even faster, her wings to beat even harder. She'd catch up, and see her goal through. She had to. If for nothing else, then at least for the sake of her pride. Minutes later, the hill where her family lived had completely disappeared behind the snowy horizon, and Aster didn't bother looking back as she chased after her visionary freedom. [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img] [size=2]@Rebbawskaced @Drachenschwinge @SpiceCookie @catmeow1 @Everburn [/center]

OMG you're Nope killed me. XD SO MANY DRAGONS