AkaPip

NOTE: MorrisSeeker, HeliodoreBlade, Terpander (high risk, high yield), Thalasken (iffy)

---

Important note: Akapip is pronounced "Ah Ka Pip" and means red seed.


Moonrun meandered slowly through the thick growth. What thorns thre were did not come close to penetrating her thick hide. She kept her wings arched over the foraging baskets she wore. Originally she had been accompanied by Tourmalinecirrus and Cai.

The two impatient spirals had gotten bored and were now weaving patterns through the upper foliage. One would twirl pattern around an acorn laden oak, shaking the acorns free and the other would fly lower in a sort of counterpoint hold out a basket in each hand. They dropped more than they caught, but it was still plenty.

Moonrun mused to herself. "Lots of food to share with hungry hatchlings."

Something moved just to her left and Moonrun turned to look.

Greenery hid most of the newcomer; what little Moonrun could see was shimmering violet and green with iridescent wings to rival any butterfly. The newcomer stayed mostly hidden both by the wild growth here and also the shade of an enormous magnolia tree. "You would share your food with hungry young ones?"

Moonrun nodded. "Of course, that is what family is. Sharing and growing together. "

"May I offer you this?"

The newcomer held up something like an oversized oddly colored coconut. At Moonrun's nod of acceptance she carefully inserted it, along with some cloth covered thing into Moonrun's left basket. A rustle of wind and leaves, and the Tundra was along again.

That was until Cai and TourmalineCirrus returned, looping around each other in flight despite mostly filled sacks. They called for her to move her wings.

When she did so, the new large seed was buried under a generous pile of acorns and apples.



AkaPip grew up knowing she was loved. However despite the affection, she felt that she did not compare to the loveliness of many of the members of the clan. She didn't know if nocturne dragnons tended not to have the patterns or shimmer of so many other dragons; the only three (and completely non patterned) nocturne members of the clan had all been found as eggs.

It was two of her brothers that offered to help her. PhiloVossi, an Abberation, and MoonShadow, a Fae, were both apprenticed to Baldwin as alchemists. One day they sat her down, to propose an experiment.

"You see," Philo (the left head of her Abberation brother) said earnestly, "we can disrupt the carotenoids and phycobilins in the melanin and pigmented layers of your skin to create patterns." He went on in this way for a while. The details were beyond her bare acquaintanceship with the alchemical arts, but the gist seems pretty clear.

"I won't turn a new color," She repeated back cautiously, "but I will have some designs."

"Only if you are sure," MoonShadow said, but his wings were nearly vibrating with eagerness and hope.

She took a breath. "I'm sure."