Fragaria
(#78646558)
Level 25 Pearlcatcher
Familiar
Wood Ear Deer
Click or tap to view this dragon in Predict Morphology.
Energy: 47/50
This dragon’s natural inborn element is Water.
Male Pearlcatcher
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Personal Style
Apparel
Skin
Scene
Measurements
Length
6.34 m
Wingspan
5.5 m
Weight
374.52 kg
Genetics
Antique
Skink
Skink
Slate
Blend
Blend
Jade
Peacock
Peacock
Hatchday
Breed
Eye Type
Level 25 Pearlcatcher
Max Level
STR
7
AGI
6
DEF
7
QCK
6
INT
6
VIT
6
MND
7
Lineage
Parents
- none
Offspring
- none
Biography
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Fragaria
He/Him
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His mane boasts small clusters of strawberries, however most of the time the fruits have a strong sour flavor. Fragaria often feels most comfortable around Kachori, the Guardian dragon who claimed the restaurant as her lifelong charge, even though neither of them are formal members of the establishment. Whenever he's near Kachori, Fragaria's mane begins to sprout much sweeter fruits than usual.
Oatmeal probably uses his strawberries for her baking, but sometimes gets frustrated due to how the flavor is so inconsistent.
Neosi: "I want to get a g1 pearl cerdae one day"
This kid: *Hatches twenty minutes later*
Pearl Cerdae Subspecies
Ink and Berries
Written by CupcakeNova
“I’m telling you, Hen, this is definitely it for me.”
The old harpy just chuckled, continuing to work with her mortar and pestle. She tossed a few more dried flower petals into the stone bowl to deepen the purple tones, and went back to grinding. She’d clearly heard this declaration before.
“No, I’m serious this time!” Her companion paced before her, a pale Pearlcatcher with tiny stunted wings and thin vines growing through his mane, his pearl balanced perfectly along his back. He reached the end of his short lap and then turned and headed back towards her, his rant uninterrupted. “I know that my stint as a herbalist didn’t really work out, and the whole weaving thing was a bust, but this time I know I’m on the right track. I have a sense for a story, and everyone always says I’m a good listener, right? Admit it, my idea is brilliant.”
“Oh my sweet Fragaria, you’re just like my granddaughter. Always looking for adventure, always trying to find your place and your purpose.” Hen sighed, shaking her head. “You young ones don’t seem to realize, you don’t need to figure it out all at once. Take your time, find your passions naturally. Very few find their true life’s calling when they’re your age.”
“I’m not that young,” Fragaria huffed, but that only seemed to make Hen laugh. Annoyed, he flopped down next to the harpy under the shade of her tent, and simply watched her work for a while.
“I am serious, though,” he eventually spoke up, trying to show her how earnest he was. “I think I could make a great reporter. Even though this place isn’t some great big city, there are plenty of interesting things happening that I’m sure people would love to know about. All that I need is a chance to prove it, just one opportunity, just one big story to - ”
“Oh Hen! There you are!”
Suddenly another harpy swooped out of the sky, a massive grin on her face. “Did you hear? I just came from the Cozy Kitchen, and everyone is in such a tizzy. Apparently this great big Guardian dragon showed up and is refusing to leave! Can you imagine?”
Hen started to open her mouth to reply, but before she could, the newcomer harpy suddenly had a facefull of overly eager Pearlcatcher.
“Sorry, where did you say this was?” Fragaria asked breathlessly, eyes sparkling.
The harpy blinked in startled surprise, before giving him a wide smile.
=====
“Thanks for the lift!” Fragaria called up to the two harpies as they disappeared back into the sky after safely dropping him off at his destination. He watched until they were specks in the distance before turning back towards his goal, giving his mane a little shake to make sure the little berries dotted along it would lay nicely. This would be his first gig as an investigative reporter, he needed to look his best!
After a quick check to make sure his satchel contained all of his supplies - notepad, quills, ink, charcoal for sketches, his pearl, all check - he started down the well worn path that the harpies had sworn would lead him straight to the Cozy Kitchen. He’d never been there himself, but plenty of the villagers had mentioned it before, and if the rumors were to be believed then their cooking was some of the best around. Fragaria had always wanted to try it, but with his stunted wings making it hard to travel far, he’d never really found it worth the effort of leaving the small village he called home. But now he was here to finally discover his calling as an investigative reporter, and that was more than worth the trip.
His eyes lit up as he turned the corner and the restaurant came into view. It was bigger than he had expected, with several floors built up atop the main building like a haphazardly stacked cake, and it occurred to him that the family that ran it must have lived here too. He pulled out his notebook and started jotting down observations as he made his way towards the front door, eager to get started on his story.
But then, just as he was walking towards the front door leading to the restaurant, he saw her.
Silver-grey scales glittered in the sunlight, while immense white wings stretched high above like the sails of a ship. A pair of rich brown eyes so deep they were almost grey stared out over the path, watching carefully over anyone who was approaching. The Guardian stood almost as tall as the building, her powerful tail curled absently around one of the support columns while her massive claws pawed almost daintily in the dirt that lined the edge of the path. She was gigantic. She was terrifying. She was awe-inspiring.
She was beautiful, and Fragaria found himself falling in love at first sight.
Fragaria hadn’t realized how long he’d been standing there, frozen and just staring, until he heard someone clear their throat behind him. He yelped, and spun around so quickly he almost fell over.
“Sorry!” the Pearlcatcher who had been behind him winced. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you!”
“No, no, I’m sorry,” Fragaria quickly apologized. “I was, uh. Lost in thought for a moment there.”
The Pearlcatcher’s eyes darted between Fragaria and the Guardian dragon standing watch nearby, before she gave him a sweet smile. “Oh, were you spooked by Kachori? Don’t worry, she looks intimidating, but she hasn’t given anyone any trouble yet, unless they’ve given us trouble first. Just be polite, and she’ll leave you be.”
“Oh, I wasn’t - I didn’t - I, um. Yes. Right. I see, yes, I’ll definitely keep that in mind.” Fragaria kind of wished he could find a hole to hide in, he’d never made such a fool of himself in such a short time. And he’d tried acting!
“Were you looking to come in for something to eat?” The Pearlcatcher asked him.
Gathering his wits, Fragaria gave himself a little mental shake. He was supposed to be a reporter! He had to get it together! “Actually, I’m here to investigate a potential news story I heard was brewing here; something about a Guardian claiming this restaurant as her charge? I assume that would be this Kachori?”
The Pearlcatcher laughed. “Yes, that’s right! She came by for lunch about a week ago, and afterward refused to leave, no matter what we said or did. Mom and dad were up in arms for a bit, but after a while we’ve kind of gotten used to her. She doesn’t cause trouble, and she’s been great for keeping away some of the unsavoury types that used to try to dine and dash. She’s already chased off at least two dragons who were causing a ruckus and disturbing the other diners. Personally, I think she’s welcome to stay.”
“Oh, are you one of the workers here?” Fragaria asked, jotting down as many details as he could catch.
“Yes, my mom and dad own the restaurant. My name is Oatmeal.”
“Well, Ms Oatmeal, it is a pleasure to meet you,” Fragaria said genially. “This has been incredibly helpful for my article, thank you very much.”
“Of course, I’m happy to help. I can’t really give any insight on Kachori’s thoughts on the whole thing, though. For that you’ll have to speak with her.” Oatmeal jerked her head meaningfully towards the Guardian in question.
Fragaria let out a little squeak. “Y-you think I should?” he asked, his voice suddenly about an octave higher.
Oatmeal gave him a teasing grin. “Isn’t that what you reporters do? Get all sides of the story?”
“I, uh. Well, yes, I suppose that’s true.”
“Go on,” Oatmeal laughed, giving Fragaria a little push of encouragement. “Like I said, she’s harmless. Go say hi!”
“A-alright. I will! Be right back!” And with a determined nod, Fragaria strode off towards the Guardian lurking just ahead.
Five minutes later, he was hiding behind a tree up the path, his face buried in his claws. “I can’t do it!” he moaned. “She’s just too beautiful!”
He hadn’t realized that Oatmeal had followed him until she started laughing. “Well, that was a pretty poor first attempt!”
“Ugh, I know,” Fragaria moaned. “I’ve never been so tongue-tied around another person! I swear, this has never happened to me before!”
“Aww, this is kind of sweet, you think she’s pretty?”
“Yes!” Fragaria gave Oatmeal an incredulous look. “I mean, did you see her eyes? Her scales? She’s lovely!”
“You’re so adorable,” Oatmeal laughed, giving him a gentle pat on the head. It started out as something comforting, if a little bit teasing, but then suddenly Oatmeal paused, her claws catching on something in the hair. “Hang on, you have something in your mane.”
She pulled carefully, trying not to yank in case the object was tangled in, but all too easily it came out, and Oatmeal found herself holding a perfectly ripe golden strawberry in her claws.
“Hmm? Oh, I wasn’t expecting those to ripen until next week,” Fragaria mused absently when he caught sight of the berry.
“Wait a second. Are you one of those Pearl Cerdae?” Oatmeal asked, her eyes darting between Fragaria and the berry, and then back to Fragaria again. “Is this growing in your mane?”
“Yes, and yes,” Fragaria replied.
Oatmeal popped the berry in her mouth without a second thought, chewing for a moment before pausing to savour the taste. When she finished it, she spoke. “I’ve been struggling to find a reliable supplier for golden strawberries for months since my last one decided to switch to growing minty jadevine. How many berries can you typically grow?”
“Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever really paid attention,” Fragaria admitted. “Why?”
“I haven’t been able to make golden strawberry tarts in ages since I ran out. If I could harvest at least a pint or two from your mane, I’d be able to make a few batches again.” She eyed him consideringly. “How fast do they grow back?”
Fragaria didn’t love the calculating look in her eyes. But then he looked back towards the restaurant, and the Guardian standing watch beside it, and he felt a plan brewing in his mind. Perhaps what he needed was exposure therapy…
“Tell you what. I don’t want to leave here until I’ve managed to finish my story. My home is too far away by foot and I can’t reliably catch a lift back home. If you let me stay for a while, until my article is complete, I’ll let you harvest any and all berries that I grow in that time, does that seem fair?”
Oatmeal’s eyes were practically glowing. “Sold,” she agreed immediately, and Fragaria only had a split second to wonder what he was getting himself into before he was suddenly being yanked along the path back towards the restaurant.
“Hey, wait! Where are you taking me?!”
“To the kitchens,” Oatmeal answered. “To harvest whatever berries you’ve already got, and then to the dining hall to get you something to eat. You’ll need your energy if you’re going to grow as many golden strawberries as possible while you’re here.”
Fragaria gulped, but resigned himself to follow along in the other Pearlcatcher’s wake. Little did he know, this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
=====
In the end, it had taken over a week to work up the nerve, and Fragaria had only been able to squeak out a single question - asking Kachori why she had chosen to stay at the restaurant. Kachori’s answer had been simple, that she had found her lifelong charge, but the sound of her rich, deep voice had nearly caused Fragaria to swoon, and so he’d simply nodded his thanks and rushed away before he could make a bigger fool of himself.
“You really are too cute,” Oatmeal had cackled when he ducked back into the kitchen, feeling like his face was glowing brighter than the sun. Curse his pale scales! They showed his blushing so easily.
“I…I actually talked to her!” Fragaria crowed, beside himself with excitement. Sure, it was only one question, but it was a start!
“Too cute,” Oatmeal repeated, and then reached out to pluck a stray berry from his mane.
The other Pearlcatcher ended up making out like a bandit while Fragaria stayed with the restaurant. She had checked his mane several times a day for ripe berries, harvesting even the tiniest morsel, and had swiftly got to work baking up her tarts. Even Fragaria had to admit that the results were kind of spectacular. Definitely worth being picked at on a regular basis.
But eventually he felt his article was as written and polished as it could get, and he bid Oatmeal and the Cozy Kitchen a fond farewell and headed back to his little village to get himself hired and published in the local paper.
Of course only then did he find out that his village didn’t actually have a local newspaper.
“I thought you knew!” Hen had laughed at him when he’d once again thrown himself dramatically down on the floor of her market tent to lament. “Honestly, that’s probably something you should have investigated first!”
“Just because you’re right, doesn’t mean I don’t hate you a little right now,” Fragaria had told her haughtily, which only made the harpy laugh harder. “Ugh. I guess I’ve made it this far, what’s a little extra work to achieve my dream?”
“What are you going on about now, child?”
“Well,” Fragaria explained. “It’s simple. If there’s no local paper to publish me, I’ll just have to make one myself.”
And to the surprise of probably everyone who knew him, including Fragaria himself, that’s exactly what he did. He used the extra funds he’d earned from supplying Oatmeal with berries to purchase a little shop to set up his newspaper. A few of the locals, intrigued by Fragaria’s plans, offered to help out, and all too soon Fragaria’s newspaper was releasing its first copies to the village, and several others nearby. It was a surprising success, and Fragaria was pleased to find that he had been right after all; reporting was his calling. He ended up writing several other articles and news stories, though none of them were quite as life-changing for him as the first.
Eventually he settled into a new routine, managing his newspaper, and making biweekly trips up to the restaurant to supply Oatmeal with new golden strawberries and to catch up on any gossip. Life was good. Life was perfect.
Well. Almost perfect. Fragaria still had one goal, one dream he hadn’t yet achieved, but he swore to himself that he would someday.
Asking Kachori out on a date.
Art by me
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