Xaviera

"Really? To go-- exploring? Darling, you shouldn't, you'll get muddy. You've got such lovely colours, such a thing's not suitable...."

Xaviera grew up chafing at the bit, curtailing her love of adventure for the sake of her clan. When she was chosen by the mysterious Water Clan, Storm's End, nestled snugly in the rocky spine of Fishpine Reef, warm from the thermal venting of undersea geysers, she'd expected more of the same. After all, hadn't the strangely rainbowed massive guardian, slick like an oilspill, gazed at her with a distant eye and said "I want her colours?" Of course, only breeding. Nothing else. That's what they wanted her for.

It was rather to her surprise when she arrived in a lair in which no-one babied or condescended to her (as a matter of course, at least. Some of her new lairmates' personalities, on the other hand...) Even more so when even after an absentminded "here, do you mind removing those spines?"-- no-one approached her about breeding, either, though she knew her mate was long picked out-- a shining gold warrior of the clan, who despite his amazing colours walked quietly, taciturn and humble behind his dented gold armour. Even so, that same taciturn nature made it hard to approach him. Plus, he already had a mate... though the two of them seemed chaste. Perhaps their children weren't judged beautiful enough? So she didn't dare say a word, lest she disturb this tentative balance they all seemed to live in. No need to force something she wasn't particularly eager for in the first place, and shatter that quiet pair, forcing her breeding partner's mate out of the clan to become a replacement she didn't even want to be.

She certainly didn't expect her own planned breeding partner's mate to approach her. Certainly not first.

The answers to her questions were even more surprising.

"Ah-- no no. Well, you know we have no space... And right now, the last set of hatchlings we had... We didn't expect anything great from them, except maybe Tsunami herself, as a mother..." a pause to hitch orange wings. The skulls on those wings shifted, too, seeming to wink, a little knowingly.

"Only... she left, Cloudburst did, and then she was queen of another clan, and they'd fallen to civil war. So everyone's a bit... We formed a clan alliance, but it's a bit fraught to be having babies, I guess. But you can if you want! They'll send you to one of our allied clans, Tokoha went, you know."

No, no, that was fine. More than fine. But her planned partner...?

That got her a soft, hastily stifled laugh. "He's quiet. That's all. No-- mm? No, he won't come looking, it's not his thing... It's a little awkward... why we haven't...? No, I don't mind, it's not personal. I guess neither of us like it much, so this is more comfortable.... it's nice to just enjoy each other's company, and Kai, and Aichi's and everyone. Plus, you can tell he's happiest out there fighting too, right~?"


And the question that shocked her the most. "But what d'you like? That's what I came for, really, you haven't said anything, and it wouldn't be nice if you weren't happy here...."

She hadn't meant to blurt it out, honestly. Wasn't an adolescence of demurral enough? Better to lie, and sneak out when she could. But...

"Oh...! You should have said. We always need new people. You can't be comfy in that silk dress then? Don't mind, it's just for dress-up. You can do what you like, so long as you help out. But you'll need sturdier gear than that, for sure-- no, it's fine, really!! This is what treasure is for."

Her own voice. Faint, a little uncertain. What happened to that child dragoness, sure she'd map the whole world? "I... you're sure...? In that case.... I don't care how long it takes! Nah! I mean it! I'll scavenge for it myself!! I'll make my own stuff and trade for it!" Honesty had never felt so good. Her new friend's happy peal of laughter warmed her heart second only to her own enthusiasm.

And she had something new to think about, too. She'd thought that distant kind Guardian uninvolved with the affairs of the lair, bending low over her cauldron, but this new month was just full of surprises. Her jaw hung agape as the scroll was pressed into her forepaws, barely drawing herself back in time enough to avoid getting nicked by the older Guardian's glowing claws.

"Your name is based on your colouring, your appearance. Should you wish to change it in the future, as a symbol of your new life and your own passions... This is for you."

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Journeyman's Satchels:
Rotting Leather 100/100
Moldy Leather 25/100

Rename Scroll: Get!

Remove Tertiary: Get!