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TOPIC | [Pinkerlocke] - All That Was Lost
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@Petall It was good to look in on Khepri! We finally have some answers about His Past™, and the letter from his company is really intriguing too. I'm with him on this one; it would've been easier if they'd sent an employment termination notice or something. The way it's been written is...shifty. "The expansion of the Thunderforge into the Tangled Wood"?? Good to see him perking up at the end of the segment, though! Poor Khepri really needs a break. Wow!! [emoji=guardian star size=1] Age is really rocking that crown! She looks awesome in that outfit. And yes, now we're getting to the interesting stuff: organizing the finer details of kingdom-running! I've always been pretty interested in stuff like that, how government or societal systems are put together and so on. Also, after the slightly gloomy scene with Khepri, it was so nice to see a sweet one with Age and Accident. Those two are awesome. ^^
@Petall It was good to look in on Khepri! We finally have some answers about His Past™, and the letter from his company is really intriguing too. I'm with him on this one; it would've been easier if they'd sent an employment termination notice or something. The way it's been written is...shifty. "The expansion of the Thunderforge into the Tangled Wood"?? Good to see him perking up at the end of the segment, though! Poor Khepri really needs a break.

Wow!! Age is really rocking that crown! She looks awesome in that outfit. And yes, now we're getting to the interesting stuff: organizing the finer details of kingdom-running! I've always been pretty interested in stuff like that, how government or societal systems are put together and so on.

Also, after the slightly gloomy scene with Khepri, it was so nice to see a sweet one with Age and Accident. Those two are awesome. ^^
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This was good. I require goodness after the Nevaeh death. Thank you.
This was good. I require goodness after the Nevaeh death. Thank you.
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Pinkerlocke? Not now, but one day...
@AlchemyFox

Honestly, I always forget about the whole snappers-not-sleeping thing. I wouldn't be surprised if I referenced Khepri waking up earlier...

@Dynami

Oh my goodness, that is such a high compliment, thank you so much! I honestly try not to make the whole romance thing very forced, which is why often my dragons have nests before they're fully established, because I don't want to force anything just for the sake of a nest.

I'm going to miss Nevaeh toooooooo

@Disillusionist

He sure does... I kinda feel bad for all I've put him through, but hey, it's writing!

Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! I was worried all the technical politic stuff would get boring after a while, but building the clan and exploring that rather than jumping to when its properly established is part of the fun!

@MisterMylez

I figured after what we all went through yesterday, we could all use some fluff
@AlchemyFox

Honestly, I always forget about the whole snappers-not-sleeping thing. I wouldn't be surprised if I referenced Khepri waking up earlier...

@Dynami

Oh my goodness, that is such a high compliment, thank you so much! I honestly try not to make the whole romance thing very forced, which is why often my dragons have nests before they're fully established, because I don't want to force anything just for the sake of a nest.

I'm going to miss Nevaeh toooooooo

@Disillusionist

He sure does... I kinda feel bad for all I've put him through, but hey, it's writing!

Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! I was worried all the technical politic stuff would get boring after a while, but building the clan and exploring that rather than jumping to when its properly established is part of the fun!

@MisterMylez

I figured after what we all went through yesterday, we could all use some fluff
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Fluffy fluff! Am content!
Fluffy fluff! Am content!
8BSeJPmyIO3z8AAAAASUVORK5CYII.png
Pinkerlocke? Not now, but one day...
@Petall Ah, don't worry, I think the only time you really mentioned him waking up he was sick at the time... or depressed. or being tortured. Jeez, I just realized you've been really rough on him!
@Petall Ah, don't worry, I think the only time you really mentioned him waking up he was sick at the time... or depressed. or being tortured. Jeez, I just realized you've been really rough on him!
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----- [center][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/2698754/38#post_40240765]Previous[/url][/center] ----- [center][b][u]Day 46: Prone to Wander[/u][/b] [item=Common Locust] Sentence: 20-30 Coli Battles[/center] ----- [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=53798929][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=53798929&skin=0&apparel=5685,1253,5691,5686,5675,2973&xt=dressing.png[/img][/url][/center] [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=53798928][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=53798928&skin=0&apparel=1706,1547,2978,2976&xt=dressing.png[/img][/url][/center] Bonegnasher and Bahat lounged in their shared room. Bone lay on his back, staring aimlessly up at the ceiling as his wing hung over the side of the bed, resting on his brother's head. Bahat was slumped on the floor, trying to read a book. Bone was bored. A month had passed since his parents engagement, and the wedding itself was still a few weeks away. Things had settled down since moving into the palace. There was no more danger and excitement, no one had seen hide nor hair of Heaven, and life had faded to monotony. Life as a prince was predictable, and rather than planning secret rebellions, his mother was now more focused on things like council meetings and lawmaking. When he found out that he was a prince, this wasn't how he had thought it would be. Bone let out a large sigh, not for the first time. Bahat rolled his eyed and flipped the page. "I'm trying to read," Bahat said, tone bordering on irritation. "Oh come on, you can't actually be enjoying that book," Bone huffed. Bahat didn't answer. "I'm bored." Bone complained. "So you've said. Several times already, actually," Bahat said tersely, flipping another page. "Oh come on, you didn't even read that page! No one reads that fast!" Bone rolled only his belly and turned, front paws hanging over the bed, so he could see his brother. "Alright, so I don't like the book!" Bahat snapped. "But what are we going to do about it? There's not exactly much for us to do right now!" "That's my point! We need adventure!" Bone exclaimed. "That's not what I meant, I like the peace and quiet," Bahat said, turning back to his book. "It makes for a nice change." Bone wasn't listening. "Do you think Bailaduel would be down for an adventure?" He asked. "Hmm?" Bahat said, not looking up from his book. "It's just that Bailaduel's so awesome," Bone gushed. "Like, she's cool! She always knows what to do! She has it all together and won't let anything stop her!" "Not this again," Bahat rolled his eyes. "What's making you so grumpy?" Bone asked. "You're not usually like this." "Maybe I'm just tired hearing about you gush about Bailaduel all the time," Bahat huffed. "Seriously though, you always want to spend time with her, and we never just spend time as brothers anymore. Can't we have our own adventures for once? It's not like she's going to be around forever." "What do you mean?" Bone asked. "I mean that she's not the sort to stick around," Bahat pointed out. "She's done her job, we're safe and sound and fully trained, and now she's going to move on to the next thing." "You really think so?" Bone's heart hammered at the thought of losing her. She had taught him so much, and every time he spent time with her, he felt like he was getting better and stronger. "Yeah, so give it a rest. We can plan our own adventures," Bahat offered, closing his book. Bone was only half listening, and found himself getting to his feet and moving towards the door. "Where are you going?" Bahat asked. "To find Bailaduel. If she's going, I want to go with her," Bone insisted, and with that, he left the room to seek her out. He disappeared before he could notice the way his brother rolled his eyes, slipped a bookmark in his book, and followed him. [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/38b30b419b80446dfb5163715d894882/tumblr_pr6wevGMDK1ugssd3o3_500.png[/img][/center] [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=52846259][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=52846259&skin=0&apparel=492,10385,26359&xt=dressing.png[/img][/url][/center] [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=54489021][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=16&bodygene=24&breed=7&element=7&eyetype=1&gender=1&tert=117&tertgene=20&winggene=20&wings=92&auth=90285713e9e4c1508e102566097c2e60af4722e0&dummyext=prev.png[/img][/url][/center] "Karma! No!" Seaberry exclaimed, pulling the squirming spiral from behind a sack of ancient potatoes in the pantry of the tavern. The hatchling just giggled, slipped out of her grasp, and dove for a bag of rice, ripping it open and burrowing inside. Seaberry was almost glad one of her hatchlings had disappeared in a flash of light soon after hatching. She couldn't imagine having to do this with two. She had a rare flash of empathy for her mother. Between her and her siblings, her parents had three wriggly spiral hatchlings to deal with. "Karma, this is old food. It's gross. We don't want to eat it," Seaberry said, trying to be as patient as possible. Her daughter responded by throwing a ball of moldy rice at her face, landing with amazing accuracy. "Or play with it," she added with a sigh. Another ball went flying through the air, narrowly missing Seaberry and hitting the wall behind her. She really should have cleaned out the pantry sooner, but she hadn't expected to need it so soon, or to have a child who decided it would make the perfect playground. "Alright, come here you," Seaberry growled slightly, diving at the rice bag after her daughter. Karma broke through the other side and fluttered in the air, giggling and holding an armful of the old rice. She threw tiny bits at her mother as she soared around the room, wriggling just out of grasp every time Seaberry got close. She could feel specs of rice sticking to her scales. Finally, she saw her daughter's gaze dart down at the spilled rice, and she was able to intercept her as she dove to grab more ammunition. "Gotcha!" Seaberry exclaimed, causing Karma to collapse in a fit of giggles. "Alright, playtime's over, you're coming with me." Seaberry carried her giggling daughter up out of the pantry and into the main room of the tavern. She immediately went for the sink, taking care to wash all the rice off of Karma and trying to get what she could off of herself. She managed to just clean her face by the time she heard a voice behind her. "Is she yours?" Seaberry spun around in shock, allowing herself to get just distracted enough for Karma's slippery body to slide free just in time to see her mother standing in front of her, on the other side of the counter. [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=51025816][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=51025816&skin=0&apparel=12267,739,17239,17260,17284&xt=dressing.png[/img][/url][/center] "What are you doing here?" Seaberry asked. Her mother had never come to visit her here at the tavern before, and she couldn't image what had prompted the visit. "Your hatchling is getting into your drinks," Bailaduel said, nodding towards where Karma was trying to pick up a particularly heavy bottle. Seaberry darted to catch it before it hit the floor and shattered, and wrapped her tail around her daughter so she couldn't get free. "Thanks," Seaberry said, mumbling a half-meant thanks. "Is she Jett's?" Her mother asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Why, are you going to judge me for it?" Seaberry shot back, feeling bitterness rise within her. "No, actually, I was going to compliment you on a job well done," Her mother responded, surprising Seaberry. "I mean, he's a fool and completely not worth it, but hey, none of us thought of seduction as a tactic for bumping him off the throne, and it worked." "Why are you getting so sentimental all of a sudden?" Seaberry narrowed her eyes. "Are you leaving? Is that why you're here? To say goodbye?" "My job here is done," her mother confirmed with a nod. "But you were offered a seat on the council! Aren't you going to take it?" Seaberry asked indignantly. "I thought you would be happy to move on, your selection here isn't exactly the best," Her mother said, obviously making a jibe at her romantic habits. "Of course, you don't need to come with me, you are welcome to stay here. I can't say I'd be pleased to have a hatchling along for the ride." She eyed the wriggling Karma with mild disdain. "She'd slow us down, and make it difficult to get a job." "I can't believe you," Seaberry shook her head. "What?" Her mother asked. "Do you actually have feelings for Jett?" "No, of course not!" Seaberry scoffed, pushing away her memories of that night. "I just can't believe [i]you[/i] would give this up! For years we've been wandering without friends, without a place to call home, a place to belong, and now we're here, and you are being offered an honorable position, one that would offer security and status and connections and you're throwing it all away?" "You don't understand," her mother looked away uncomfortably. "No, Mom, I understand perfectly," Seaberry shot back. "Things are getting to close, aren't they? You're [i]scared[/i]. You won't admit it, but you're scared that you'll get close, that you'll form bonds and relationships and open your heart again, and then they'll betray you like dad did." "No, you don't understand," her mother snapped back. "After I was forced to kill Ghostlantern, I was left with [i]nothing[/i]! I don't want to rely on other dragons for my livelihood. Let me earn it on my own. That way, if I get stabbed in the back, I'll still have my dignity, I'll still be able to walk away, and I'll have something." "But you didn't have nothing," Seaberry growled, feeling tears well up in her eyes. They embarrassed her, but she could do nothing to hold them back. "You had [i]me[/i]!" Bailaduel turned away, but didn't say anything. "Fine! Go, stay, I don't care! I'm staying here, where I have [i]friends[/i]! Where I have a [i]business[/i] I've built for myself! I will live a rich, full life and I will make sure [i]my daughter[/i] never feels the way you made me feel!" Seaberry said, feeling herself growing taller with each word. "If you want to wander Sornieth on your own, with your heart all shriveled and bitter, be my guest. Just know what you're turning your back on. You may not have wanted to be a mother, I get that, I didn't exactly want to be a mother either, but unlike you, I'm not going to let that stop me from giving my daughter the best life I can. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go get my daughter settled with whatever toys I can find in this forsaken city and get back to work. I'd appreciate if you left now, if you're not going to order anything." As she turned to take Karma back into the back room where she had set up her living quarters, she felt the tears coming back, and for the first time in a long time, she let herself cry. She didn't care if they made her weak anymore. She knew what her mother truly thought of her, and there was no point in having any dignity anymore. [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/38b30b419b80446dfb5163715d894882/tumblr_pr6wevGMDK1ugssd3o3_500.png[/img][/center] Bailaduel felt numb as the tavern door shut behind her. She had thought it would be freeing to be able to leave without Seaberry tagging along, but the air felt strangely empty beside her. Had she really been that bad of a mother? She thought of the way her youngest died as a hatchling, starved because she and Ghostlantern had struggled enough to feel themselves in the Scarred Wasteland, let alone three extra mouths. She thought of the way that pain sat with her, how she wanted her other two to thrive. She may have been harsh on them, yes, but her own mother had been harsh, which was how she had learned the skills she needed to survive. But what was done was done, there was no going back now. Seaberry had made her choice, and Bailaduel had made hers. There was no point in wallowing. Taking a deep breath, she pulled a small bottle out of her pocket. It contained a common locust. It was a silly plague superstition that they were good luck, and would lead you to better hunting. Bailaduel hardly believed it, but she had fallen in the habit of releasing one every time she set off again to let it guide her in the direction of her next job. Pulling the cork off the bottle, she dumped the locust on the ground. As it jumped into the air and flew off, Bailaduel's heart sank as she saw it fluttering towards the palace. She didn't [i]want[/i] to go there. She wanted to leave, to move on. Just as she was about to turn to go in the opposite direction, she heard a pair of voices behind her, growing closer. "Do you think she can tell we're here?" Bonegnasher asked. "Well, maybe if you could be a little quieter..." Bahat grumbled. Bailaduel spun around just as the brothers popped out from around a street corner. "Aw man, she totally spotted us..." Bonegnasher sounded disappointed. "Bahat's right, if you really want to sneak up on someone, you need to shut your mouth," Bailaduel shook her head. "That's just stealth 101. I thought I taught you better than that." Why was it easier to talk to these to than it was her own daughter? Despite herself, Bailaduel had [i]grown[/i] attached. The hospitality and determination of the royal family had wormed their way into her heart, against her better judgement. This was why she had to leave. But maybe, there was no harm in staying until the wedding. She could sneak away sometime after the festivities, once everyone was busy celebrating after the ceremony. Then, no one would see her leave and be able to stop her. ----- [center][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/2698754/40#post_40289936]Next[/url][/center] ----- [center]@CleverDual @HauntedWhale @Disillusionist @AlchemyFox @Tirtouga678 @catmeow1 @Leopardmask @Midwinter @chantric @Dynami @ShinyDecidueye @tigressRising @FallenEclipse @Stitched @Willnotgogently @Sabariel @MisterMylez @Skystrider @Starongie @icetail0912 @myriadofstars @Aetherstorm @Weredogalism @Nargeorgicorn @WeaverofLies[/center] ----- I know I'm not supposed to have favourites, but I'm pretty sure writing Seaberry standing up to her mother has bumped her up to my favourite in my books. Also, Seaberry's son was absolutely stunning! I desperately wished I could have kept him, I really wanted to keep them both, but unfortunately I flipped tails on him. He's not up for grabs because CleverDual has laid claim on him already, but I wanted to show you all who could have been a part of the clan: [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=54489020] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/544891/54489020_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] Also, fun fact, I like to have a naming scheme for the offspring of some of my pairs! In my main clan, I had a whole bunch, like place names for Lin and India's children and names of musical characters for Sugar and Summers, and I've decided on a few naming schemes for my pairings beyond the alphabet legacy challenge rules: [LIST] [*]I named Karma with a K name because Jett is the son of the I generation of CleverDual's alphabet legacy challenge and I want to carry that tradition and name all of his kiddos with K names (If Virtue ever gets a mate, she probably won't follow the same rules, despite being the daughter of the U generation of the same challenge). [*]Likewise, all of Age and Accident's kids will have B names, even after the first nest, and the same will probably go for my heir of each generation. [*]Khepri and Nevaeh's was a lot of fun, it's a pity I only got to use it once. Because Khepri is the name of an Egyptian god and Nevaeh is 'Heaven' backwards, I decided to name all their kids mythological names. Oh yeah, before I forget, Khepri is now level 6 and Bone is now level 5! Scoril is still at level 6. [/LIST]


Day 46: Prone to Wander
Common Locust
Sentence: 20-30 Coli Battles

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Bonegnasher and Bahat lounged in their shared room. Bone lay on his back, staring aimlessly up at the ceiling as his wing hung over the side of the bed, resting on his brother's head. Bahat was slumped on the floor, trying to read a book.

Bone was bored. A month had passed since his parents engagement, and the wedding itself was still a few weeks away. Things had settled down since moving into the palace. There was no more danger and excitement, no one had seen hide nor hair of Heaven, and life had faded to monotony. Life as a prince was predictable, and rather than planning secret rebellions, his mother was now more focused on things like council meetings and lawmaking. When he found out that he was a prince, this wasn't how he had thought it would be.

Bone let out a large sigh, not for the first time. Bahat rolled his eyed and flipped the page.

"I'm trying to read," Bahat said, tone bordering on irritation.

"Oh come on, you can't actually be enjoying that book," Bone huffed. Bahat didn't answer. "I'm bored." Bone complained.

"So you've said. Several times already, actually," Bahat said tersely, flipping another page.

"Oh come on, you didn't even read that page! No one reads that fast!" Bone rolled only his belly and turned, front paws hanging over the bed, so he could see his brother.

"Alright, so I don't like the book!" Bahat snapped. "But what are we going to do about it? There's not exactly much for us to do right now!"

"That's my point! We need adventure!" Bone exclaimed.

"That's not what I meant, I like the peace and quiet," Bahat said, turning back to his book. "It makes for a nice change."

Bone wasn't listening. "Do you think Bailaduel would be down for an adventure?" He asked.

"Hmm?" Bahat said, not looking up from his book.

"It's just that Bailaduel's so awesome," Bone gushed. "Like, she's cool! She always knows what to do! She has it all together and won't let anything stop her!"

"Not this again," Bahat rolled his eyes.

"What's making you so grumpy?" Bone asked. "You're not usually like this."

"Maybe I'm just tired hearing about you gush about Bailaduel all the time," Bahat huffed. "Seriously though, you always want to spend time with her, and we never just spend time as brothers anymore. Can't we have our own adventures for once? It's not like she's going to be around forever."

"What do you mean?" Bone asked.

"I mean that she's not the sort to stick around," Bahat pointed out. "She's done her job, we're safe and sound and fully trained, and now she's going to move on to the next thing."

"You really think so?" Bone's heart hammered at the thought of losing her. She had taught him so much, and every time he spent time with her, he felt like he was getting better and stronger.

"Yeah, so give it a rest. We can plan our own adventures," Bahat offered, closing his book.

Bone was only half listening, and found himself getting to his feet and moving towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Bahat asked.

"To find Bailaduel. If she's going, I want to go with her," Bone insisted, and with that, he left the room to seek her out. He disappeared before he could notice the way his brother rolled his eyes, slipped a bookmark in his book, and followed him.

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"Karma! No!" Seaberry exclaimed, pulling the squirming spiral from behind a sack of ancient potatoes in the pantry of the tavern. The hatchling just giggled, slipped out of her grasp, and dove for a bag of rice, ripping it open and burrowing inside.

Seaberry was almost glad one of her hatchlings had disappeared in a flash of light soon after hatching. She couldn't imagine having to do this with two. She had a rare flash of empathy for her mother. Between her and her siblings, her parents had three wriggly spiral hatchlings to deal with.

"Karma, this is old food. It's gross. We don't want to eat it," Seaberry said, trying to be as patient as possible.

Her daughter responded by throwing a ball of moldy rice at her face, landing with amazing accuracy.

"Or play with it," she added with a sigh.

Another ball went flying through the air, narrowly missing Seaberry and hitting the wall behind her. She really should have cleaned out the pantry sooner, but she hadn't expected to need it so soon, or to have a child who decided it would make the perfect playground.

"Alright, come here you," Seaberry growled slightly, diving at the rice bag after her daughter. Karma broke through the other side and fluttered in the air, giggling and holding an armful of the old rice. She threw tiny bits at her mother as she soared around the room, wriggling just out of grasp every time Seaberry got close. She could feel specs of rice sticking to her scales. Finally, she saw her daughter's gaze dart down at the spilled rice, and she was able to intercept her as she dove to grab more ammunition.

"Gotcha!" Seaberry exclaimed, causing Karma to collapse in a fit of giggles. "Alright, playtime's over, you're coming with me."

Seaberry carried her giggling daughter up out of the pantry and into the main room of the tavern. She immediately went for the sink, taking care to wash all the rice off of Karma and trying to get what she could off of herself. She managed to just clean her face by the time she heard a voice behind her.

"Is she yours?" Seaberry spun around in shock, allowing herself to get just distracted enough for Karma's slippery body to slide free just in time to see her mother standing in front of her, on the other side of the counter.
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"What are you doing here?" Seaberry asked. Her mother had never come to visit her here at the tavern before, and she couldn't image what had prompted the visit.

"Your hatchling is getting into your drinks," Bailaduel said, nodding towards where Karma was trying to pick up a particularly heavy bottle. Seaberry darted to catch it before it hit the floor and shattered, and wrapped her tail around her daughter so she couldn't get free.

"Thanks," Seaberry said, mumbling a half-meant thanks.

"Is she Jett's?" Her mother asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Why, are you going to judge me for it?" Seaberry shot back, feeling bitterness rise within her.

"No, actually, I was going to compliment you on a job well done," Her mother responded, surprising Seaberry. "I mean, he's a fool and completely not worth it, but hey, none of us thought of seduction as a tactic for bumping him off the throne, and it worked."

"Why are you getting so sentimental all of a sudden?" Seaberry narrowed her eyes. "Are you leaving? Is that why you're here? To say goodbye?"

"My job here is done," her mother confirmed with a nod.

"But you were offered a seat on the council! Aren't you going to take it?" Seaberry asked indignantly.

"I thought you would be happy to move on, your selection here isn't exactly the best," Her mother said, obviously making a jibe at her romantic habits. "Of course, you don't need to come with me, you are welcome to stay here. I can't say I'd be pleased to have a hatchling along for the ride." She eyed the wriggling Karma with mild disdain. "She'd slow us down, and make it difficult to get a job."

"I can't believe you," Seaberry shook her head.

"What?" Her mother asked. "Do you actually have feelings for Jett?"

"No, of course not!" Seaberry scoffed, pushing away her memories of that night. "I just can't believe you would give this up! For years we've been wandering without friends, without a place to call home, a place to belong, and now we're here, and you are being offered an honorable position, one that would offer security and status and connections and you're throwing it all away?"

"You don't understand," her mother looked away uncomfortably.

"No, Mom, I understand perfectly," Seaberry shot back. "Things are getting to close, aren't they? You're scared. You won't admit it, but you're scared that you'll get close, that you'll form bonds and relationships and open your heart again, and then they'll betray you like dad did."

"No, you don't understand," her mother snapped back. "After I was forced to kill Ghostlantern, I was left with nothing! I don't want to rely on other dragons for my livelihood. Let me earn it on my own. That way, if I get stabbed in the back, I'll still have my dignity, I'll still be able to walk away, and I'll have something."

"But you didn't have nothing," Seaberry growled, feeling tears well up in her eyes. They embarrassed her, but she could do nothing to hold them back. "You had me!"

Bailaduel turned away, but didn't say anything.

"Fine! Go, stay, I don't care! I'm staying here, where I have friends! Where I have a business I've built for myself! I will live a rich, full life and I will make sure my daughter never feels the way you made me feel!" Seaberry said, feeling herself growing taller with each word. "If you want to wander Sornieth on your own, with your heart all shriveled and bitter, be my guest. Just know what you're turning your back on. You may not have wanted to be a mother, I get that, I didn't exactly want to be a mother either, but unlike you, I'm not going to let that stop me from giving my daughter the best life I can. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go get my daughter settled with whatever toys I can find in this forsaken city and get back to work. I'd appreciate if you left now, if you're not going to order anything."

As she turned to take Karma back into the back room where she had set up her living quarters, she felt the tears coming back, and for the first time in a long time, she let herself cry. She didn't care if they made her weak anymore. She knew what her mother truly thought of her, and there was no point in having any dignity anymore.

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Bailaduel felt numb as the tavern door shut behind her. She had thought it would be freeing to be able to leave without Seaberry tagging along, but the air felt strangely empty beside her.

Had she really been that bad of a mother? She thought of the way her youngest died as a hatchling, starved because she and Ghostlantern had struggled enough to feel themselves in the Scarred Wasteland, let alone three extra mouths. She thought of the way that pain sat with her, how she wanted her other two to thrive. She may have been harsh on them, yes, but her own mother had been harsh, which was how she had learned the skills she needed to survive.

But what was done was done, there was no going back now. Seaberry had made her choice, and Bailaduel had made hers. There was no point in wallowing. Taking a deep breath, she pulled a small bottle out of her pocket. It contained a common locust. It was a silly plague superstition that they were good luck, and would lead you to better hunting. Bailaduel hardly believed it, but she had fallen in the habit of releasing one every time she set off again to let it guide her in the direction of her next job.

Pulling the cork off the bottle, she dumped the locust on the ground. As it jumped into the air and flew off, Bailaduel's heart sank as she saw it fluttering towards the palace. She didn't want to go there. She wanted to leave, to move on. Just as she was about to turn to go in the opposite direction, she heard a pair of voices behind her, growing closer.

"Do you think she can tell we're here?" Bonegnasher asked.

"Well, maybe if you could be a little quieter..." Bahat grumbled.

Bailaduel spun around just as the brothers popped out from around a street corner.

"Aw man, she totally spotted us..." Bonegnasher sounded disappointed.

"Bahat's right, if you really want to sneak up on someone, you need to shut your mouth," Bailaduel shook her head. "That's just stealth 101. I thought I taught you better than that."

Why was it easier to talk to these to than it was her own daughter? Despite herself, Bailaduel had grown attached. The hospitality and determination of the royal family had wormed their way into her heart, against her better judgement. This was why she had to leave.

But maybe, there was no harm in staying until the wedding. She could sneak away sometime after the festivities, once everyone was busy celebrating after the ceremony. Then, no one would see her leave and be able to stop her.


I know I'm not supposed to have favourites, but I'm pretty sure writing Seaberry standing up to her mother has bumped her up to my favourite in my books.

Also, Seaberry's son was absolutely stunning! I desperately wished I could have kept him, I really wanted to keep them both, but unfortunately I flipped tails on him. He's not up for grabs because CleverDual has laid claim on him already, but I wanted to show you all who could have been a part of the clan:
Also, fun fact, I like to have a naming scheme for the offspring of some of my pairs! In my main clan, I had a whole bunch, like place names for Lin and India's children and names of musical characters for Sugar and Summers, and I've decided on a few naming schemes for my pairings beyond the alphabet legacy challenge rules:
  • I named Karma with a K name because Jett is the son of the I generation of CleverDual's alphabet legacy challenge and I want to carry that tradition and name all of his kiddos with K names (If Virtue ever gets a mate, she probably won't follow the same rules, despite being the daughter of the U generation of the same challenge).
  • Likewise, all of Age and Accident's kids will have B names, even after the first nest, and the same will probably go for my heir of each generation.
  • Khepri and Nevaeh's was a lot of fun, it's a pity I only got to use it once. Because Khepri is the name of an Egyptian god and Nevaeh is 'Heaven' backwards, I decided to name all their kids mythological names.

    Oh yeah, before I forget, Khepri is now level 6 and Bone is now level 5! Scoril is still at level 6.
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Awww, mischievous Spiral bab! [emoji=spiral tongue size=1] Yes, noodles do indeed belong in the pantry, Karma, don't let anyone ever tell you differently! And... really, Seaberry? You didn't clean out the abandoned-for-generations tavern as soon as you got it? What if the kingdom got a health inspector? On the other hand, I don't think Seaberry ever went into a tavern for anything besides drinking and flirting, so she probably forgot that taverns usually do food too...
Awww, mischievous Spiral bab!
Yes, noodles do indeed belong in the pantry, Karma, don't let anyone ever tell you differently! And... really, Seaberry? You didn't clean out the abandoned-for-generations tavern as soon as you got it? What if the kingdom got a health inspector? On the other hand, I don't think Seaberry ever went into a tavern for anything besides drinking and flirting, so she probably forgot that taverns usually do food too...
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@AlchemyFox [quote name="AlchemyFox" date="2019-08-16 16:50:48" ] Yes, noodles do indeed belong in the pantry, Karma, don't let anyone ever tell you differently! [/quote] I DIED AT THIS COMMENT OH MY GOODNESS And yeah, she really should have done that sooner, but she's also not great at keeping up with that sort of thing. She was raised in the Scarred Wasteland after all, rotting food was kind of the norm.
@AlchemyFox
AlchemyFox wrote on 2019-08-16 16:50:48:
Yes, noodles do indeed belong in the pantry, Karma, don't let anyone ever tell you differently!

I DIED AT THIS COMMENT OH MY GOODNESS

And yeah, she really should have done that sooner, but she's also not great at keeping up with that sort of thing. She was raised in the Scarred Wasteland after all, rotting food was kind of the norm.
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@Petall XD It's really funny to see how the brothers' interests differ. I can understand where each one is coming from; having peace is great, but gosh, it can get boring after a while.

The scene with Seaberry and Karma was so cute!! Seaberry's been pretty flippant since she was introduced, so I was pleasantly surprised to see how sweet a mother she was.

And wow, the interaction between her and Bailaduel was fraught with emotion. Interesting contrast. Seaberry's learning to let her feelings show, whereas Bailaduel's fighting to hold hers inside. Something tells me things will come to a head at the wedding.
@Petall XD It's really funny to see how the brothers' interests differ. I can understand where each one is coming from; having peace is great, but gosh, it can get boring after a while.

The scene with Seaberry and Karma was so cute!! Seaberry's been pretty flippant since she was introduced, so I was pleasantly surprised to see how sweet a mother she was.

And wow, the interaction between her and Bailaduel was fraught with emotion. Interesting contrast. Seaberry's learning to let her feelings show, whereas Bailaduel's fighting to hold hers inside. Something tells me things will come to a head at the wedding.
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@Disillusionist

The only thing they really agree on is that they like to do things together XD

That scene was a lot of fun to write, to be honest! I wanted to make her not particularly skilled at being a mother, but to be trying her best because she doesn't have the heart to abandon her daughter after all she's been through herself.

Bailaduel and Seaberry are such interesting character to write with each other because they have a dynamic I don't often have with a lot of other characters! It certainly makes things a lot more explosive!
@Disillusionist

The only thing they really agree on is that they like to do things together XD

That scene was a lot of fun to write, to be honest! I wanted to make her not particularly skilled at being a mother, but to be trying her best because she doesn't have the heart to abandon her daughter after all she's been through herself.

Bailaduel and Seaberry are such interesting character to write with each other because they have a dynamic I don't often have with a lot of other characters! It certainly makes things a lot more explosive!
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