SamaSama

Heartswirl Apparel A flurry of love. 1100

- - sáma-sama | adult | they/them (two eyes) + she/her (three eyes) uses no labels for gender + sexuality unknown -

alan menken - part of your world reprise (demo version)
machigerita - part of your world (cover)
yes i know it's sort of the same song. but the tones are wildly different and they both work here

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backstory
- lovers cursed by the inability to confess their mutual feelings and the whims of a cruel deity who thrived on schadenfreude

i'd give my life
i'd sell my soul
'cause i can feel i'll never be whole
but i can see
i'll never be
part of your world


other
- sáma-sama is tagalog for "together"

---

long ago, a nocturne was smitten by another dragon in their clan, a childhood friend they were close with. they doted on her for a while, and recently she assumed a new form as a skydancer. by the gods, they would be lying if they said she wasn't as stunning as before. her squeaky laugh, her bright plumage, and her compassion captivated them like moths to a flame. if they could, they'd sing high praises of her for all to hear.

but... she didn't know. the nocturne never told her about the romantic feelings they had. they couldn't! every time they'd muster up the courage to confess, it all crumbled away in a snap, and instead they awkwardly offered to help her with menial tasks.

the skydancer did hear whispers of a foolish nocturne who fell in love with her. a small flame lit within her at the thought of them. the way they hid their face underneath their red wings was adorable. her heart fluttered whenever she thought about that compliment on her blue pinions they gave her the day she became a skydancer (albeit they stumbled so hard on the delivery they flew off in embarrassment).

however, she dismissed the words of other dragons as gossip fabricated by bored clanmates. they all talked so lowly of the nocturne; it seemed unfair to them. if the rumors were true, then why hadn't they said anything upfront? when she asked herself that, it wasn't out of annoyance. she preferred they tell her outright...

or more accurately, she hoped that the meek little nocturne would profess their feelings first. like them, the skydancer couldn't bring herself to tell them her own feelings — uncharacteristic of her, as she was known in the clan to be direct with everything, from the way she wanted her food prepared to how she felt about their leader's latest impulsive decision to spend hard earned treasure on useless baubles.

day by day, the nocturne's love for her grew so much that it became unbearable to bottle up. they cried — not out of sorrow, but out of the sheer love they had for the skydancer. however, they had to put an end to their streak of failed confessions. they couldn't do it alone.

so, one evening, they prayed to the gods. after lighting some incense, the nocturne sat still in the dimly lit den, waiting for a response.

seconds ticked by...

then minutes...

then hours...

until, dejected that the deities they worshiped would not answer their call, the nocturne got up to snuff out the flames from the incense sticks and sulked their way to bed. perhaps praying for help in garnering more confidence to confess was a fool's errand.

the creator, the most powerful of the gods, visited them in their dreams that night.

"i have received your prayer little one," it began, "and i shall help you personally."

awestruck by its presence, the nocturne bowed and thanked it profusely.

"answer me this, mortal: how would you like me to help you? shall i whip up a potion for her to drink, and thus, fall in love with you?" a bright pink vial appeared out of thin air.

the nocturne shook their head. they only wanted to tell her how they felt, not expect her to fall head over heels for them. and, if she did feel the same way, they wanted it to be from the heart, not from a vial.

"perhaps... i put you under a temporary curse that can only be broken by a true love's kiss?" a book of spells fluttered open.

the nocturne shook their head again. that plan, in their eyes, was flawed — what would quantify as a true love's kiss? what if she wasn't the one? besides, they'd like to be awake the moment she does just that.

at a momentary loss, the creator pondered. "hm... i ask you, little mortal: what do you want me to do?"

they gulped, then spoke:

"oh mighty deity, i wish to profess my love to a beautiful skydancer in my clan. she is the apple of my eye, but i cannot bring myself to tell her that. there is a hole in my heart that grows each day. i will be ridden with guilt if she leaves before i can say how much she means to me. i hope it is not too greedy of me to ask for some more courage."

upon hearing the mortal's answer, the creator smiled. to the nocturne, it looked gentle, befitting of its majesty. its smile turned into a wide grin.

"i have an idea. i know how to help you."

they looked up; a glimmer of hope sparked in their eyes.

"little nocturne, here is what you shall do: ask the skydancer to spend the day with you. you may not realize it now, but i have granted you the courage you need to do so, as well as make sure that your date does happen." the creator brought forth a projection of their home. it pointed to an area located in the outskirts of the clan's lair. a mangrove tree stood on the other side. "take your beloved to this small swamp. it may not seem like much now, but at sunset, you'll see its true beauty. that will be the perfect time to confess to her."

tears in their eyes, the nocturne groveled and thanked the creator again. when they asked about payment, it shook its head, still maintaining its wide grin.

"i do not need payment. being able to watch love blossom into a beautiful flower is more than enough for me. in a moment, this dream shall come to an end, and you can then enact the plan. i bid you farewell."

birds chirping outside the den woke up the nocturne. newly invigorated, they puffed up their chest, and marched out.

by the gods, they will confess to her. true to the creator's word, the nocturne was able to ask the skydancer if she'd like to spend a day together. she accepted, as another dragon offered to take over her work shift. they found it surreal things went their way... but who were they to complain? not only that, why should they doubt the words of a deity?

both dragons spent the afternoon in each other's company, talking about the goings on in their lives and trying new foods that the clan cook had to offer among many things. as the day wore on, the nocturne and skydancer fell more in love. they had to stop themself short from confessing early. arduous as it was, they knew waiting would be worth it come sunset — patience is a virtue.

when the nocturne noticed the bright sun setting and warm colors of dusk gracing the clear blue sky, they urged the skydancer to follow them.

"oh? alright. where are we heading?"

"it’s a secret. you shall see soon." they winked before flying onward.

the nocturne and skydancer flew to the edge of the lair, then weaved through a winding swamp. dense, tangled roots covered the ground. murky water beneath them, she couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of apprehension. it dissipated quickly when she laid her eyes on the tall mangrove tree. like the other trees they passed by, most of its complex root system was submerged in water, twisting every which way. the nocturne perched on said roots, specifically on one they believed looked thick enough to support both dragons.

she settled down next to them, and stared in awe at the sight before her. the sun slowly set from the vast horizon leading outside the clan; the water reflected its bright orange. she didn't hear the root creaking under their weight while she tried to get a better footing.

"this... this is beautiful..." the skydancer muttered under her breath.

"it really is..."

finally, the moment they had been waiting for. their heart pounded out of their chest; they could not mess up now; it's the perfect opportunity; they had to strike while the iron's hot.

the nocturne stepped closer to her, ignoring the creaking underneath. they almost lost their footing, but luckily for them, the skydancer caught them before they could fall. both dragons locked eyes; the world around them slowed to a crawl.

as much as they wished to stay like that forever, the nocturne clambered back onto the root, thanking her for her help. after all, there was a confession to profess.

and so... they took a deep breath...

in...

and out...

"i’m glad i got to spend this time with you," they began, voice shakier than usual. internally the nocturne urged themself to press forward. they already got help from an almighty deity — they could not fumble. not now.

"is everything alright?" she tilted her head to one side, waiting for them to continue. the way she looked at the nocturne had them weak in the knees.

they nodded wildly, shaking the root they both perched on. "i am fine, thank you. what was i about to say... oh, yes. i... you..."

"what about me?" the skydancer held her breath, waiting eagerly.

the nocturne sharply inhaled. "you are gorgeous and you mean a lot to me — i mean when you showed off your new form to everyone i was breathless i know you looked nervous but please believe me when i say that you’re a very pretty skydancer and you're so generous to the hatchlings in the clan and compassionate and i love you a lot and it will be alright if you do not feel the same i just wanted to let you know because i felt like i could not bear the thought of not telling you—"

"breathe. you look like you are about to pass out."

they listened to her and wheezed. after taking some deep breaths, they hid their face beneath their red wings. “i... i hope you don't hate me for that."

"hate you?" the skydancer giggled. for a second, the nocturne’s heart twisted, until: "why should i hate you? i don't — far from it!"

they blinked owlishly. "you... you don't?"

"of course not! if i am... going to be honest... i also feel the same way. i still think about the time you told me you liked how my wings looked. and your laugh is cute too — very cute."

"m-my laugh is cute? very cute?"

she nodded, smiling at them mirroring her last few words back. "yes, it is." the skydancer cleared her throat. "actually... now that i know you feel the same way i do... i was wondering, if maybe, we can spend more days like this? as, well... partners?"

"oh! oh thank the gods!" the nocturne jumped excitedly, unable to contain their overwhelming glee. the root bounced up and down. "this is the happiest moment of my life! yes, i would love to be your part—"

SNAP!

the makeshift perch the couple rested on broke in two, sending them spiraling into the water, smacking into hard stems along the way. helplessly they flailed; neither of them could fly out, as submerged roots were thick, providing insufficient room for them to take flight. little did they realize, their struggles only sealed their fates. the imposing mangrove tree entangled limbs fighting to break free; it felt like it tried to drag both of them down.

their cries for help would reach no ears. no one in their clan lived or worked near the area.

they fought, and they thrashed, desperate to get out...

... until the swamp grew silent, save for the buzz from local fauna. once the commotion died down, the creator got a good look at the scene before it. the same grin it showed off to the foolish nocturne during their dream plastered its face.

"ohhh noooo, so much for that blossoming flower," it groaned sarcastically before breaking into a giggling fit. the creator picked up the nocturne and skydancer from the entangled mess of roots they got themselves in before throwing them onto the base of the tree like sacks of meat. "it wilted sooo quickly, who knew it wouldn't survive in this swamp!"

after nudging them in specific positions, its hands glowed a bright scarlet. "no matter, all i need to do to get this flower blooming again is a little bit of this..." the nocturne glimmered the same red hue. "a little bit of that..." the skydancer shone as well.

the creator mumbled an incantation... they woke up. a groggy growl thrummed up from the back of their throat. the world around them blurred, heads pounding.

... heads?

"oooh, wonderful! it worked!" it clapped giddily. "not that i am surprised — i knew it would, heheh."

where am i?
i don't know what happened, are you okay?
we were in the water — wait. you can hear my thoughts?
"here, let me help you," snickering, the creator snapped its fingers, sparking a small flame.

distressed at the most recent development, they looked down at their new form. when their vision finally cleared up, a coat with gnarled claws came into focus — red, like the nocturne’s. and... blue manes the same hue as the skydanc—

manes.

their heart dropped.

WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN "END UP LIKE THIS?!"
I DROWNED! WE DROWNED!
WE'RE DEAD WE'RE DEAD WE'RE DEAD WE'RE DEAD WE'RE DEAD WE'RE DEAD—
as the ungodly aberration wailed, their creator pondered, paying little attention to its latest work's visible distress.

"aha! i know what to name you both!" it exclaimed. "since you're now together as one... i shall name youuuu... sáma-sama! very fitting, is it not?"

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fr changelog
hatched on february 22, 2022 at 22:22 fr time
march 2, 2022: changed breed from nocturne to aberration
tfw the first thing i thought was "haha funny terezi colors"
march 7, 2022: changed secondary from basic to noxtide
march 13, 2022: changed primary from basic to ribbon
march 18, 2022: changed primary from basic to fangs

outfit
n/a

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by riseofthebread