Creative Corner

[center][b][size=5]Found[/b][/center] Wow, I think this is the longest thing I've ever written. [s]Which is kinda sad really but oh well[/s] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=38719751] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/387198/38719751_350.png[/img] [/url] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=38487881] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/384879/38487881_350.png[/img] [/url]         Atlantis was looking for his charge. He had traveled from his birthplace, the outskirts of the Sunbeam Ruins bordering the Sea of a Thousand Currents, to the place where he felt the strongest pull. The Tangled Wood. He hesitated. When he was younger, the pull of his charge was bright and flickering, flitting about in bursts of joy and excitement. He had been sure his charge was another dragon. (His mother told him that he was special, to be able to tell) But, recently, the sparks had diminished. The were still there, but....dim. It felt like they had been covered up, like someone had poured something thick and syrupy on it. So, he had finally decided to set out and find it. His charge. He traversed through the twisting woods, until finally, surrounded by a great patch of brambles, he arrived at a sprawling kingdom. He followed the sparks, the dim, pulsing sparks, until he came to a elaborate mansion that looked to be made entirely out of....gold? That can't be right. Maybe it was only gold leaf. That made much more sense. He knocked and waited, but no one answered. 'The gate is open, so hopefully the owner won't mind if I come in?' he thought. He slipped in and entered the building. The inside had the same, if not even more so, intricate gold decorations and pillars. He shook his head, and continued on, his talons clicking on the shimmering metal. His charge was definitely somewhere in this building, and he was going to find it. 'Them?' This room...they had to be in here. He lifted his claws and reached for the door, grinning. He gripped onto the necklace his mother had given him, saying all the guardians in his family had worn it while searching for their charges, all the way back to his great-grandmother, Sundew. (Who was actually a coatl, but oh well). ' T-this is it, I am going to find my cha-'         "What are you doing here?" A frosty voice said from behind him. Atlantis spun around and saw a bristling skydancer, her shimmering purple pelt raised and golden wings unfurled. She was covered in gold silks, multiple amber jewels draping from her graceful neck. 'Were her claws glowing?' He straightened up and said, trailing of at the end,         "I-I am searching for my ch-charge Ma'am. I knocked but no one a-answered and the gate was open so I-I thought you w-wouldn't mind if I c-came in...?" He wrung his claws nervously, looking at the glowering skydancer.          "It's a mansion. I am not going to hear you if you just knock. There's a bell for a reason." "O-oh, I d-didn't notice th-that..."    "Of course you didn't," the skydancer sighed, pinching the bridge of her snout, "And why exactly were you trying to get into my personal chambers? And stop stuttering, it's annoying."         "Y-your rooms?" Atlantis exclaimed, eyes wide, "I-I'm so sorry, I d-didn't know! And s-s-sorry about the st-stuttering too, it h-happens when I'm n-nervous..." He said, bowing his head in shame. "O-oh, and I was looking for my charge, like I said before..." he gripped his necklace.         "Well, I'm afraid I'll have to-" She cut off abruptly, staring at Atlantis' claws, "Where did you get that necklace?" "M-my necklace? My mother gave it to m-me. She s-said it was my g-great-grandmother's..." He stuttered. 'Does she think it's p-pretty or something?' The skydancer frowned, then sifted through her many necklaces, muttering. She picked one out, lifting it over her head. It was a brown cord with a piece of yellowy-orange stone on the end. She then reached out and snatched Atlantis' dark blue necklace with her other paw, ignoring his cry of protest, and held the two stones up close.          "Yes, yes, same craftsmanship, no doubt...your great-grandmother you say? and what was her name?" She mumbled, before directing the question towards Atlantis, who startled when he realized she was asking him.         "U-uh, it was S-sundew...?" He said, sounding a bit unsure. The other dragon hummed, looking pensive, "My great-great grandmother had the same name...and she gave me this necklace. And quit stuttering already, it's irritating."          "S-so we're related then? Thats really n-neat...uh, and sorry..." He exclaimed. "Yes, it seems so...well then, I suppose you'll have to live here from now on. Your rooms and other necessities will be provided of course, and then we'll have plenty of time to bond, although I suppose we will have to find something for you to do while I work...Ah, and I am Lady Gilded by the way. I work as a goldsmith."         "Stay here!? I c-could never! I would b-be intruding and besides, I still need to find my c-charge a-and-" "You did say your charge was here didn't you? So, I'll help you look. Although, I do hope you'll at least let me clean my rooms first..." She said imploringly, grasping his talons in hers, "And besides, I get so lonely, the servants never want to talk to me..." Gilded cast down her eyes, looking forlorn.         "A-ah, well, I suppose if it really isn't a b-bother, I could s-stay...ah, and of course I'll let you c-clean your rooms first! I-it would be rude not to...And, t-truth be told, I feel a bit lonely sometimes too, so perhaps it m-might be nice to have some family while s-searching for my charge.." He said softly, looking at the skydancer while smiling. "O-oh, and my name is Atlantis, Aunt Gilded." She smiled too, gazing fondly at the young guardian.         "That would be wonderful, Atlan-wait, Aunt? I'm not that old you know!" "A-ah ha, s-sorry..."

[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=43375793] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/433758/43375793_350.png[/img] [/url] [font=century gothic] “Ugh, seriously? I thought you had to be organized to do a job like this,” Reyna muttered. Her lips curled up in disgust as she looked down to the battered spiral. Her bright, green eyes glowed with resentment in the darkness. In response, the magical chains tightened. Reyna turned back to the bag in her claws. The letters inside were a scrambled mess. She took it, and turned it upside down. Her captive’s muffled cries of protest rang loud. Reyna ignored her as she looked over the heaps of envelopes. The ones without the writing showing flipped over, revealing their writers. She could not rely on the name, only the writing. Blue ink eliminated about half of the possibilities. The seal was silvery-blue, which left her with surprisingly few. Whatever she rejected flew back into the bag. Reyna sat back onto her haunches as she studied the writing on the envelopes. She could safely remove some options. [i]No… her D’s were not crossed like that… she had a noticeable slant to her writing… she wrote large…[/i] She managed to settle on three possible matches. Even as she studied them closer, she had to be aware of her writing captive. Reyna huffed as she tucked the letters into her cloak. She turned to the spiral glaring venomously up at her. With a single swipe of her tail, she sent the bag flying at her. Reyna spread her wings, and launched through the sparse trees. The spell would not last much more than two hours, and she had little concern. Someone would likely find her before then. She rose quickly, the moonlight tinting her scales dark blue. Reyna sped toward the illuminated city, yet she had no intention of stopping for it. She headed toward the immense cliff overlooking it. Even rushing there, it took her nearly half an hour to close in. Reyna landed in one of the many shallow alcoves marking the stone. Her heavy breaths bounced off the claustrophobic walls. Brushing her wings against the sides, she curled up with a loud huff. She couldn’t help but smirk to herself as she pulled out her letters. One of them held the secrets she wanted… it made her pride swell. Reyna tore the first open, her claws gliding effortlessly through the wax seal. Quickly scanning it, she found it little more than a familial exchange. [i]No… she doesn’t have a brother… [/i] She tossed it aside. The second one was some love letter. [i]No, she has a husband…[/i] The last, to her disappointment, was nothing more than a bill. Reyna’s tail lashed at the ground. [i]This isn’t right. One of them is her’s. I do [/i]not [i]fail.[/i] She could safely eliminate two of them. The last, that love letter, was all she had. Reyna sighed deeply. [i]How disappointing… all that work for something so trite…[/i] She took the time to properly read it, now having nothing else to do. [i]My dearest Arrie, As you know, my heart belongs to you. No matter what may come, I cannot see anything that would make my feelings change. The thought that you are nearly as close as before makes it hard to concentrate at times. When I hear about your home, I feel homesick, as though it were my own. You are my home, warmer than any of my own. ...I have wondered what it would be like to have a sibling or two like you do. I never did take the chance to ask Father before our fight. If I had a sibling, would I become like Valour? I would have my duty, yet I would have you. It agonizes me to think you could be hurt… ...I don’t think I regret making my choice. Though it causes me immense pain, and I know it is the same for you, I could not live with myself if I failed you…[/i] Reyna found herself engrossed in the words. This was her. This was more than some affair… it changed the whole course of her life. As she dissected each line, she could only think, [i]I found it.[/i] [699 words]

[center][i][u][b][size=7]Found[/size][/b][/u][/i][/center] [quote name="Author's Notes"] Hey, everyone! Back at it again with another prompt! Congrats to FantasyMyth for the win today! You can read [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2566260/6#post_36563583]the first Author's Notes[/url] for some background on how my clan works! In this excerpt, the clan is going camping near the equivalent of a modern-day shopping mall. Today's and tomorrow's excerpts will be short, since I'll be very busy! Here we go! Trigger warning for mentioned mild blood and death![/quote] "Oh, Rapture! How lovely to see you this fine evening!" The Spiral sighed as she phased back into view. It seemed that unlike back in the Tangled Wood, almost everyone seemed to know when she was around. She would much rather be invisible at the moment. "...Shouldn't you be asleep, Samara?" The Guardian laughed heartily. "Nonsense, my friend! The beauty of the night intrigues me. All my favorite things happen at nighttime - hauntings, mysterious deaths, wine parties, the once-in-a-while Danse Macabre - all so splendid! And besides, the stars never come out during the day!" Rapture rolled her eyes. Samara and her mate, Petgeon were... strange dragons, to say the least. Well, to be truthful, everyone in the clan was strange in their own way, but the two dragons stood out very well. This was the first clan she had ever come across where necromancers were allowed to stay, and live in the same house with, of all people, the clan mortician. Yet, they seemed like a perfect pair. One was rarely ever seen without the other. The two of them seemed very loving and attached to one another, however, which was a very refreshing sight, better than the constant romantic drama she used to see wherever she went. "Samara, darling! There you are!" [i]"Speak of the devil,"[/i] the Spiral thought with a sigh. Petgeon walked into the clearing, dressed in his usual macabre garb, his birdskull necklace making a light jingle as he walked up to his lover. "Ah! Rapture! Evening, dear. What brings you outside tonight? Has Samara invited you to watch the graveyard in the sky?" Rapture stared at him for a moment, confused. "'Graveyard in the sky'....?" "Oh, yes, dear! Petgeon is referring to the stars, of course. You see, the way space works is that due to the long distance between planets and stars, it often takes a long time for light to reflect off of something to let us see it. When stars die, it will take some time before you see them disappear. Because it takes so long for the light to reach Earth, you will still see them shining in the night sky for years, sometimes even centuries! So perhaps, in a way, you could call the night sky a graveyard. A beautifully morbid graveyard of light, you might even say." She grinned, turning her head towards the sky. "Isn't it gorgeous? Stars still willing to shine their light for us and guide our way even after they have long disappeared... such good souls they are." Rapture looked up, gazing at the sky as well in amazement. "I've...never thought about that. Fascinating! But... unfortunately, that isn't the reason why I came out tonight. I came because I heard strange noises near the lake." "Strange noises, you say?" Samara's eyes sparkled with curiosity. Mysteries, especially if they happened to be murder mysteries, were right up her alley. "I know for sure that it isn't either of you. Neither of you are that loud. Did... either of you hear anything?" Before Samara or Petgeon could speak, the sound of screams filled the air. The three dragons glanced at each other, startled. "...Oh, my." "The noise definitely didn't sound like that earlier..." "If it's... not an intruder, than perhaps... it might be [i]him[/i]. He may have followed us here." Petgeon and Samara gave each other a knowing glance. "Rapture, if you don't mind, may we borrow your bioluminosity for a moment? It's quite dark out here." A magic circle appeared underneath Samara's and Petgeon's feet, and two scythes materialized out of thin air. One was made out of frozen bone, its blade crafted out of sharp ice. The other was made out of dark wood, and had starblossoms lining its hilt. The blade was glistening and glittering, as if the stars themselves were painted on it. "...'[i]Him[/i]'? I'm...still a bit new to the clan, so I have no clue who that is..." "You may have already heard of him. We'll explain when we get there. Now, come! We must protect the clan! It is part of our job as a member of the Reaper house, after all." Samara grinned at her. Rapture nodded. "Follow me! Quickly!" The outline of her skeleton began to glow a bright cyan as she took off, heading in the direction of the noise. Samara and Petgeon followed, their scythes in hand. They dodged branches and bushes until Rapture abruptly stopped right in front of a forest clearing, almost out of fright. "Rapture? Is something the matter, dear?" Samara landed next to her and stopped as well. Her eyes widened, stunned at the scene that unfolded before her. "...Oh... oh, dear. Sweetheart, we need you! You were right, it [i]was[/i] him! Get over here!" "I'm here, love! What - " Petgeon rushed in, almost akin to a knight in shining armor, but skidded to a halt upon seeing what had apparently occurred. A pile of dead bodies. Other corpses of dragons scattered around the area, large bags of what seemed to be large moonstones in the middle, next to the campfire the dragons had made. And right next to them, a shining Imperial, with a glowing grey skeleton outline just like Rapture's, was licking his claws, which clearly had lots of blood of them. The trio was silent for a long time, unsure of what to say, until Samara finally spoke up. "...He doesn't kill without good reason. It must have been what was inside the bags." She murmured, glancing at her lover. Petgeon nodded and cautiously walked over to the bags. The Imperial stopped what he was doing, eyeing him curiously, as if to read his mind. As he got closer, they stepped out of the way, walking over to the side, and took a seat on the other side of the burned-out campfire, watching. Rapture gulped, a bit unnerved, as Petgeon opened the bags, one by one. "...Eleven have mercy. You two need to see this." Rapture followed Samara cautiously, refusing to take her eyes off of the Imperial until she was next to Petgeon. She glanced at the bag and gasped in horror. The bags were full of eggs. Water eggs, to be more specific. Some were still warm, as if they were fresh from the nest. "...These aren't moonstones. They're eggs. These dragons must have stolen them from nearby clans and hiding here to sell them to the black market." Petgeon growled. "[i]Fiends[/i]. How heartless can you be to take eggs away from their parents?" Samara glared angrily at the dead corpses around her. Rapture shook her head. "How cruel..." She turned to the Imperial, who was still watching them. "Ah, yes, I almost forgot! Rapture... this is our local cryptid, Ectoplasm. Ecto for short. He's... quite the strange one, but he has been very helpful to our clan, so we allowed him to stay." Samara gestured to the Imperial as if to assure to him that Rapture was a friendly dragon. Ecto gazed at Rapture, his eyes piercing through her as if he was trying to look into her soul. [i]"Erutpar uoy teem ot desaelp."[/i] Rapture blinked. What was that she heard just now? Was he...talking to her? He didn't even open his mouth! And even though his words seemed jumbled, she somehow understood what he was saying. Samara chuckled. "Ecto isn't a talker. He prefers telepathy. That's his way of saying hello." "O-oh! I see. It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Ecto." "We should probably alert King Polaris so that he can alert the Flight's forces immediately..." Petgeon sighed. "Most definitely. Those poor parents, by the gods..." Rapture glanced at the eggs. She remembered the sorrow she felt whenever she had to guide dead hatchlings through the Tangled Wood to the other side. Some of them were so young. Surely, she thought, what was found can surely be salvaged. (Just thought I'd finish this because I didn't get to finish it last night!) Featured Dragons: [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=45307935] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/453080/45307935_350.png[/img] [/url] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=45650648] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/456507/45650648_350.png[/img] [/url] Samara and Petgeon, the clan's necromancer and mortician, respectively. They consider their jobs an honor and work hard at what they do. They're fanciful, elegant, bashful, and overall friendly (and I based them off of Morticia and Gomez Addams from the Addams Family, respectively, though Samara's much more talkative)! They are part of my clan's Reaper House, along with Rapture and a few of my upcoming dragons! The main function of this house focuses on the undead - burials, funerals, necromancy, talking to spirits, reaping spirits, etc. While none of them are truly finished until I give them full-on outfits and lore, some will work for the S.H.I.!) [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=45307164] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/453072/45307164_350.png[/img] [/url] Rapture, the quiet Wispwillow Guide from the Tangled Wood! She has a bit of lore written in her bio which will eventually be expanded, but the main idea is that she herself is technically a cryptid, and a reaper of sorts, guiding those that are lost in the Tangled Wood home and bringing the dying to the other side. Like her clanmates Samara and Petgeon, she is a member of the Reaper House. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=45829643] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/458297/45829643_350.png[/img] [/url] Ectoplasm, the clan's cryptid! Not much is known about him other than the fact that he comes from outer space, just like Polaris and many other dragons in the clan do. He's quiet but stealthy, and prefers to be alone, watching the clan from afar. He considers himself as the clan's protector and has high morals. He's hinted to be very ancient and seems to know a lot of things. How or where he gets this information is currently unknown. Music Inspo for Today’s Prompt: [url=https://youtu.be/X6QzbvH-ZNo]The Addams Family theme[/url] (Yup, I did, in fact, listen to this on repeat the entire three hours I was writing this).

[center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=35811587] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/358116/35811587_350.png[/img] [/url] [u]day 5[/u] f o u n d[/center] Swirls of dust rose, illuminated by rays of sunlight as heavy wings beat the air, disturbing the cave opening. A large Imperial landed on a dusty outcrop, settling down surprisingly gently for someone of his size. He folded his wings and dusted himself off, a small smile on his face as he watched the specks of dust float around in the light of the setting sun. He'd found it, he was sure of it. He took a few steps into the cave, the small opening leading into a tunnel that curved around and disappeared into the cliffside. He paused and pulled a battered book from his pouch, flipping through pages of hand-written notes and drawings, coming to pause on a page with a rather impressively drawn map. It was impressive in how accurate it was for something that looked so crude. Yup, this had to be it. He snapped the book shut and returned it to his bag, then lumbered on into the cavern. He walked for quite some time, the light gradually dwindling until finally he had to pull a small lantern from the bag. It illuminated, as if by magic, and cast a soft, turquoise light around him. He smiled again, excited to reach his destination. Khamyr had always been a collector, a tinkerer, he had many projects on the go, liked to build things, and found the beauty in what others would usually consider junk. He also had a knack for taking actual junk and making something interesting out of it. He tried to keep his lair tidy, but often the projects took over. His mate never complained, and even took interest in what he was working on, usually admiring him, however, rather than whatever he was trying to show her. She always had love in her eyes, and his heart would swell every time he caught her looking at him in such a manner. He walked deeper into the cave, eventually rounding a corner which opened up into a vast cavern, the likes of which would take his mate's breath away. The way she watched the sunsets and shooting stars of Dragonhome with such wonder, the way she poked and gazed at the glowing mushrooms of the Tangled Wood, he knew she would simply die for this place. He stood atop a ledge on the edge of a vast room, undisturbed by centuries of civilization. Stalagmites rose from the ground to meet the stalactites growing from the ceiling. The room was filled with a soft glow, similar to the one his lantern provided, except on a much, [i]much[/i] larger scale. All around the room, on the ledges, the ceiling, and all the little crevasses, were glowing crystals, their soft light gentle and comforting as a summer breeze. The light shimmered off of the surface of the pooled water on the cave's floor, adding to the ambiance within. Khamyr smiled and knew he would have to make the trip back here one day with his mate, she would love to experience this herself. For now, he padded around the room, searching for the perfect crystal to take back for her. He wanted to bring her a gift, and he hoped to find a few of decent size to take, so he could make a few more small lanterns, but also have a prominent crystal for her to display upon her shelf. He tried not to bring her too many trinkets from his travels, only the most beautiful and exciting pieces. This time he had made a special trip out of his way to come visit this place, he hoped she would love it as much as he did. After spending some time wandering through the cavern, admiring it's beauty, and trying not to disturb anything too much, he had accumulated a handful of the glowing minerals. Tucking them gently into his bag, he turned to leave when his eye landed on one particular crystal on a ledge above him. [i]That one![/i] That was definitely it. It was almost as big as his paw, but it had perfect proportions, and clean edges. It's color was the most true out those surrounding it, and he knew that was the perfect stone for his mate. It was an easy reach with the help of his mighty wings, and after admiring it for just a moment, he wrapped it gently in his scarf and added it to his collection. He smiled, proud of his find, and couldn't wait to show his mate what he had found. [i](757 words)[/i] [quote]Got kind of long again! I had fun writing this though, I bought this boy as a mate for a dragon that I was feeling meh about, but I'd had her for a while and wanted to at least breed her before perhaps getting rid of her. I ended up writing a bit about their first meeting, and now they're this cute couple in my lair :3 And yes, I've spelled his name differently here than in his bio, I've been meaning to change it but just... haven't. For the cave I am envisioning something kind of like [url=http://www.vorply.com/media/721/they-make-silk-webs-to-catch-the-insects-7.jpg]this[/url], although this cave glows because of bioluminescent worms rather than magical crystals :/ It's tough to describe so I hope the photo helps! Thanks for reading![/quote]

Continuing from last time, poor Menkhe has bad dreams. Warning for light body horror - disembodied hands!

Found

Following a path of alleyways and empty streets, Menkheperre hurried to his residence after his meeting with the city’s High Priestess of Jaundice. He still had no idea why she’d summoned him - what did the mystery poison matter, if it even was a toxin? - but he definitely wanted no part in her affairs. He didn’t know, but he could sure hazard a guess that it involved his curse of sight.

Exactly how she’d learned of this worried him. It was a relative secret, he had few friends and had never told officials or doctors of his abilities. His mother, a renowned seer, had quite a tragic history and fled the city specifically when she’d been found out by those in charge, so perhaps they finally tracked him as her child? But he’d assumed they always knew of this and only thought him important enough to keep hidden sights on.

No matter. He retreated to his home, a communal apartment in the city’s poor burial town, officially named the Bilirubin district. His belongs were sparse, but he kept a chest full of identical vials of potions labelled as sleep agents. Tonight he chose a more potent mixture, a sour smelling substance that looked more like black waste product than a tonic, and downed it with an early dinner. Time to dwell on today’s events sounded less than pleasant.

Typically he slept dreamless with a potion so strong. This time, he awoke in a cold sweat during the night. His feathers prickled with physical discomfort as if someone had tried to pull them out.

He knew he was dreaming from the pallid mist hanging low to the floor, stinking of the chapel’s incense and stabbing his heart with a sense of undefinable dread, the same sort you’d feel when waking at night for a drink and every step is as loud as thunder, every breath you can swear something is listening. Beside his nest waited the chalice from earlier. Its contents were oily black, strange particles floating within.

Instinctively he thrashed his tail, smashing it into the side of the chalice. It spilled, the blackness gleaming in reds and yellows and the colors of sickness under the mist. Plaguebringer forgive him. He leapt clear over the mess and wrenched open the door.

The walls outside were composed of hands. Not dragon hands, but hands more belonging to the Beastclans; the strange limbs of centaurs and serthis alike, they swayed like stalks in a bountiful field and wiggled their digits as he neared them. Startled, he stepped backwards into his room, but his head darted from the hands to the pooling liquid.

He chose the hands. They grasped at his mane and limbs and wings and anything they could reach. Not pulling, only touching, but this alone panicked him. He reacted with teeth and claws and then they pulled, gathering great fistfulls of his feathers and just tugging until a yelp escaped his throat.

Down the hall he saw a figure approach, something draconic with endless rows of hands erupting from its silhouette. It stopped before him. Cocked its head, glasses shining. Pointed a long finger at his chest.

“I’ve found you,” it said.

This was a nightmare. The gift of being a seer. He bit the inside of his mouth, sliced his fangs into the tender flesh until blood spilled, but the near-dragon remained in his sight and the dream didn’t end.

“Let’s take a drink.”

[center][img]https://orig00.deviantart.net/8a8e/f/2018/295/c/d/h1_by_cas_a_fras-dcq466z.png[/img] [b]December 6th: Mask[/b][/center] Gah, every day I fall more and more with all of your lore! You all come up with some pretty fascinating stuff! I particularly enjoyed the different ways you interpreted Found! I can't wait to see what you come up with for today! Today's Prize: [quote=December 6 - mask]Moodboards for 2 Dragons - CleverDual[item=Windbound Mask][/quote] @CleverDual @Petall @GreatLordHades @Cheryy @MysticalScribe @Rhosen @Pantali @St0rmy @Kitanya @remnio @TigerFestival @dillykai @lessthan3 @LadyFairchild @Harana @Nettletea @Knickknacks @MarinaQuakenbush @Rhosen @Braixen @Zafer @HauntedWhale @RidleeKi @Talismarr @FantasyMyth @humanityxpeople @Biuret @Blightwyrm @Alstroemeria @inn

Day 6: Mask Word count: 554. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=4446696] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/44467/4446696_350.png[/img] [/url] The sun was setting when Vaati put the finishing touches on her costume. The part-time performer took a step back and admired her work. Weeks of careful planning were about to pay off. The skydancer shrugged off her colorful jester's outfit in exchange for a lovely purple dress that shimmered when she moved, thanks to careful application of glitter and sequins. Her homemade ball gown wouldn't pass muster under scrutiny, but it would do for tonight. The final part of her costume was her favorite. Little bits of glass and quartz, along with yet more glitter, made for convincing diamond studs. Vaati admired herself in the mirror. Underneath her masque, she could have been anybody. After a quick glance to make sure none of her clanmates were about (a grey spiral was playing a card game with a similarity-colored pearlcatcher, but neither of them were looking in her direction) Vaati spread her wings and flew out of the camp, towards the forum of the obscured crescent. It was a full moon, and she had a masquerade ball to get to. [img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=4446696&skin=0&apparel=28010,28011,28017,28012,28013,28018,28019,28015,590,28014,1631,27909&xt=dressing.png[/img] Sneaking in uninvited was easy when all the other guests were wearing masks (when they're this fancy, it's pronounced masque). None of the Tangled Wood's various social elite could tell that she wasn't one of them, that she was no more than a common thief. Vaati was careful to avoid conversation, lest someone realize she was a party crasher, but so subtly that none of the other guests would realize she was avoiding them. Most of her life had been spent playing a role, when it came to it. Harmless jester, skilled performer, toy maker, and now rich socialite. Perhaps that was why she'd taken to the stage so well. But at the end of the day, if you tore off all the masks she wore, she was Vaati the Thief. And she wasn't here to enjoy herself. She had a job to do. "May I have this dance?" A tundra wearing a smart tuxedo was asking her. "Of course, good sir" she replied. The pair swept out onto the designated dance floor, and Vaati slowly steered her unsuspecting partner toward another dancing pair. Her target was the diamond necklace the snapper was wearing. Once they were close enough, Vaati swung her partner into the snapper's partner, another tundra. "Oh! I must apologize" her partner said. Both dragons were entirely focused on her dance partner/patsy, so Vaati sidled up to the snapper. Claws which were equally deft at plucking lute strings, manipulating marionettes and picking pockets undid the clasp. Vaati shoved the necklace down the front of her bodice and slipped away from the confrontation, all without anyone noticing. She couldn't just fly away, someone would notice and get suspicious. No, she just had to wait a few more seconds, until... "My pendant! My diamond pendant's gone!" the snapper wailed. Everyone's eyes turned back to the snapper. Perfect. Vaati crept behind a tree, and tore her sparkly garments off. She stuffed the bundle, along with the necklace, into a burlap sack, and crept off into the night. Sometimes Vaati wondered if her life would be happier if she gave up thieving and made an honest living as a performer. But when it came down to it, 'performer' was just another mask she wore. [This was...not the was I originally invisioned this, but I'm happy with the result.]

Lore for a friend of mine's dragon.

word count: 238



Albashiea thought that everyone wore a mask. Ever since she was a hatchling and her parents told her to go scavenge some food from the border back when they were starving, and she had come back to a home barren of all life and resources. They had worn a mask of caring and love. She should have known better. For another example, her own name that her parents had gifted her. Albashiea. Ugly. It wasn't her fault she was born with hideous red scarring all along her spine, or that her sense of smell, a prime factor for any living in the Scarred Wasteland, was gone, or that her feathers were scraggly and limbs weak. Others looked at her, and pitied her, veered away from her, feared they would catch her disease. But none helped her. Hers was a mask of looks. She should of known better. The dragons who took her in after her parents left, making her believe they cared so she would stay with them and they'd get their monthly treasure deposit. Their mask was of compassion. She should of known better. That's why, this clan too, was temporary. She'd wait until they showed a crack in their masks, and then she'd leave. She knows better now. But, if you go to a certain clan deep in the Starfall Isles, you would find a happy, beautiful skydancer who goes by the name of Alba. White.

[center][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=41003573&skin=0&apparel=12937,588,12899,12923&xt=dressing.png[/img] This is what I hope he will look like one day :) [i][size=7][color=purple][font=papyrus]~~Mask~~[/font][/color][/size][/i][/center] Redtide slept apart from the clan. One eye closed, the other open behind his male mask, he watched the sleeping dragons suspiciously. Redtide had never been a part of the close community, always distancing himself. Part of it was bitterness. The members of his clan never approached him. The dragonets were afraid of him, his creepy black coat, and his pure white mask. No one knew what kind of dragon lay behind it, or the wall of emotionlessness that Redtide had been building for years. His shuffled slightly, and closed his eye. At this time of night, no one was awake, no on until to pay attention to. Except Nimue. She had disappeared an hour ago, her astronomy tools clutched beneath her arm. Redtide had watched her as long as he could, before she had disappeared around a corner. He never let any dragon know he was watching them, so he remained where he was. A moment passed. Then, Redtide heard a strange noise. He opened both eyes. He turned his head, towards the sky where the noise was coming from. A dark blot was moving across the starry expanse. As it grew larger, Redtide realized it was a familiar dragon he had seen disappear some time earlier. Nimue soared down to the grassy plain, coming to a bumpy landing. She didn't stop, but dashed over to the sleeping form of Typhoon. “Typhoon!” She whispered loudly. “Chamois! Wake up!” Dragons began to stir. Typhoon stood up blearily. “Nimue,” he said, rubbing his eyes. “It's the middle of the night. Not everyone can stay up to watch the stars like you can...” he yawned. “It's not about the Stars!” said Nimue excitedly. “Well... it kind of is, but at the same time, it isn't!” “You're not making any sense,” said Typhoon, shaking his head. “What is it?” “I can't explain it,” said Nimue. “You just have to come and SEE! Come on, come on! Hurry!” Nimue scamper to the edge of the grassy plain, flapping her wings. Typhoon exchanged a glance with Chamois. “What are we going to see?” Chamois called after Nimue. Nimue turned around. Her eyes shone with excitement, and her face split in a wide grin. “We're going to see a star,” she said dreamily. “A star unlike anything you've ever seen.” A murmur went through the clan. Everyone was awake now, woken by Nimue's sudden appearance. A shimmer of excitement now emanated from the clan. Redtide got to his claws. He didn't show it, but beneath the mask, there was a glow of interest. Behind the wall her had built, he could see a bright light of opportunity on the horizen. Typhoon exchanged a glance with Chamois. “Lead the way, Nimue,” he said, over the whispering of the clan. “Let's go see a star.”