Creative Corner

I hope it's okay that I wrote a poem instead of lore.

I wear my fear like a mask,
in a room full of people swirling in a blur to silent music
Why can't I hear it?

I don't want to sink beneath the waves
the moon masked by dark waters,
my breath stolen by the weight of the sea.

Unmask me and make me breathe,
under golden skies and see
me for who I am in the light,
I am not this mask of night.

[center]*This is for Day 5: Found,, turns out I forgot to post this oops* [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=46810143] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/468102/46810143_350.png[/img] [/url][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=44350712] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/443508/44350712_350.png[/img] [/url] ------- Destin looked up from his cluttered desk covered in maps and papers just in time to see Mars walking down the dirt road to probably see Orion. He put down the paper he was studying and flew over his desk and out of his booth. “Hey, Mars! Can I talk to you for a sec?” Mars turned around to see the light-hearted and kind fae flying toward him. “Oh, hi Destin,” he turned around to face him. “How can I help you?” “So, you know those pens I like to use for my maps..?” Destin almost felt bad for asking Mars, though other people assured him that is didn’t bother Mars. “You... um... wouldn’t happen to know where they are do you? They keep disappearing on me...” Mars blushed like he always does, giving a neavous smile. “Um... probably...” he reached into his pocket, pulling out three black and gold fountain pens. He reached behind his head and scratched his neck nervously. “Sorry, people probably already told you about my little... um... habit,” he smiled again, feeling a little less uncomfortable under Destin’s kind gaze. “I totally get it. Old habits die hard, huh?” Destin laughed at his own joke and Mars laughing along to it. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it,” Destin smiled to the red fae. Destin turned and said over his shoulder, “I’ll see you later!” He took flight and flew into his booth and behind his desk, disturbing the maps and papers strewn about. He placed two of the pens on a short stack of thick volumes and used the third to scribble notes on the map he was looking at. Mars stoped and stood there for a few moments, looking after the other fae. “Well, that went better than it normally does~” he turned away for Destin toward the end of the street, now with a smile on his face.[/center]

[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=43254644] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/432547/43254644_350.png[/img] [/url] [font=Century gothic] Trudging through the snow, a scrawny whelp of a hatchling dragged a basket that was nearly as large as she was. Her head hung low, as she tried to hide away from the sharp winds. Even though she was bundled in furs and pelts, her wings still trembled from the freezing air. Every step she took made her sink to her elbows and knees. She was old enough to fly, but not strong enough to carry her woven basket. The longer it took her, the stronger the smell of fish grew. Her stomach turned in disgust, yet it didn’t discourage her hunger. The trek from the river to the rocky outcrop took her more than an hour. By the time she reached the gaping cavern, her golden wings dragged weaky at her sides as she staggered over the solid flooring. One of the current sentries, a sleek black Mirror, rumbled, “Lucia, the hatchlings have been waiting.” She lifted her head to look at him. Lucia murmured, “... I’m sorry.” He sniffed as he curled his long tail over his claws. She padded into the cave, managing to lift her wings back to her sides. As she travelled down the tunnel, the sound of the angry winds gave way to the chatter of dragons. Lucia walked into the curious gaze of some who had noticed the smell. The huge room, with many perches dug out of the stone, served as the centre of the clan. At ground level, more systems of tunnels branched out in every direction. Not one said a word to her as she strode toward the entrance farthest from where she had entered. This particular branch led to a steep incline up. Lucia had to dig her claws each step of the way so she would not fall. Her muscles protested as the basket wanted to tug her back down. Dragging herself up the final step with a loud huff, she nearly collapsed onto the even floor. The nursery was surprisingly quiet; she quickly found most of the younger hatchlings to be sleeping. Some older ones watched her with keen interest from their smaller nests. Only two parents were currently watching over them. She nodded to them as she turned to her harness keeping the basket tied to her. Lucia bit one of the leather straps, and with a quick tug, it released her. She groaned as she stretched her tired muscles. The skydancer glanced over the basket, before she turned to open it. Though her stomach protested, she reached her neck in to grab a sizable flying fish from the pile. Lucia spread her wings to take to the air. Her nest happened to be one close to the ceiling. Once she had crawled into the small room, she could let out the breath she had been holding in. Lucia pulled the curtain closed over the entrance, and wriggled out of her stuffy coat and bracers. Her chartreuse scales glimmered defiantly in the dull, cool tundra. With scales as bright as hers, she could never be a hunter. She clambered into her nest, spreading her wings out by the small torch. It was all she was allowed to have. She could not complain about the slight warmth and comfort it gave her. Though her muscles ached, she was glad she was able to return so fast. Most of the clan was busy with some task or another. They wouldn’t see her slip in. Their piercing, pale blue eyes always watching… she wasn’t like them. She never was, nor would she ever be. Her golden eyes betrayed her heritage. Lucia whispered to herself, “Its okay to be weak… when nobody’s watching…” [i]Mother… the keeper of the light… I want to be happy with just me. I want to tell the truth, instead of hiding from it. What must I do to prove the mask is worth breaking?[/i] She eyed the fish still in her claws. Hunger and natural aversion fought in her. There were very few plants that grew in this region, even fewer insects she would find appealing. Praying for health, she sunk her fangs into the fish. If she ate it fast enough… it was slightly less disagreeable. [701 words]

[center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=40341617] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/403417/40341617_350.png[/img] [/url] [u]day 6[/u] m a s k[/center] They asked her why she wore the mask. Hatchlings were surprisingly the most bold, often coming right up to her and asking her matter-of-factly. She didn't have much of an answer for them, and usually chose to say nothing at all about it. She would simply turn her head towards them and wait until they either became nervous, or bored, and left. The truth was that she liked the garment. It was comfortable, it matched the color of her hide and it allowed her a greater focus on all the things that usually went unnoticed. She could hear colors, smell sounds, sense emotions. It was impossible to sneak up on her, and it was most unnerving to her clan mates when she would greet them as they walked by behind her. Most interactions with any members of her clan left them unsettled, while she herself would leave enlightened. She could see the energies of the clan, the world around them, flowing back and forth, changing color, speeding up or slowing down. Intense energies moved quickly, urgently, while calm ones were very steady and relaxed. It was these energies that she liked best, they allowed her freedom to ground herself in the moment, to reach out and touch them, feel them intertwining her claws, becoming a palpable, tangible thing that she could feel and read with her hands. She refused to offer her skills as a service to her clan, this wasn't a job that she could turn on and off. It was a way of life. Any who were curious, wanted to better themselves or gain a greater understanding of the universe were welcome to come and sit with her, observing, feeling, learning. She knew they would spend half of their visit staring at her, they usually did. Things that were not understood would frightened people, and they'd be unable to look away as they tried to comprehend. Many were unable to open their minds and let go of the physical world. But as long as they would show respect and curiosity, she allowed them to stay. She knew who would stay and who would go before she would even begin anyways, so there was rarely any conflict. Most days, however, she preferred to keep to herself, feeling, sensing, reaching out to connect to something greater than herself, often allowing herself to find total peace and serenity. Why did she wear the mask? It was part of her, and she couldn't imagine life itself without it. [i](416 words)[/i]

[center][i][u][b][size=7]Mask[/size][/b][/u][/i][/center] [quote name="Author's Notes"] Hey, everyone! Back at it again with another prompt! Congrats to Blightwyrm! 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, as always! This time, the POV will be for one of my favorite OC dragons, who I am still in the process of breeding!~ She has the ability to jump through worlds and dimensions, and she hears Polaris (who was one of her father's students) asking her and her friends to come to Sornieth, but she has to leave a certain someone behind...[/quote] [i]"Children... Sornieth is calling out your name. It needs you to help defend it. We will need all the help we can get in banishing the Shade, the [i]Skrians[/i] from this planet. Come, hurry. We are in dire need of warriors."[/i] Harana placed her sword back in the quarry as the outskirts of the portal began to spin. It was finally time to rejoin the dragons and take flight once more. It would only be for a while, of course, but she would miss staying in the Underworld, even if she did spend part of her time being there. All her friends had already left for Sornieth to assist Polaris, and they urged her to follow suit, to which she agreed. She just had to grab one more thing and then leave for the portals. There, she would finally get to have some fun for once. Learn new things, make new friends, and be at peace with all aspects of her self: feminine, masculine, and everything in between! Dragons, at the very least, unlike a few certain demons, didn't discriminate when it came to those like her, whose gender was outside the binary spectrum. Sometimes she felt like being male, sometimes she felt like being female, sometimes she was in the mood to be both, and sometimes, she didn't have a gender. Not that she minded, because no matter what gender she felt in the mood in to be that day, she still felt like herself. Whether she was Harana or Jericho, or Harley... it just... didn't really matter to her. She already placed the jewelry that Rex gave her on her desk, now empty. He had someone new; he no longer loved her, so there was no reason to keep any of it except for the engagement ring, which she at the very least, kept as a keepsake that she hid in the farthest spot of her closet, so that she wouldn't have to look at it or remember any of the events in their relationship that occurred leading up to now. First, he fell for her. Then he met Octavia, Harana's ex. They hated each other, at first. But then they started to rendezvous behind her back. One thing led to another, and then he dumped Harana for her. But Octavia dumped him not long afterwards. Then, Rex had to be engaged to Harana, by force. He hated it, of course, and he was selfish and negligent. They acted, made quite a show for everyone around them, but behind closed doors, it was constant arguments, slamming doors, and Rex continuously pushing Harana away. Harana did what she could for him. All she wanted was for him to be happy. So when she had the chance, she ended it, encouraged him to improve himself and that there were other fish in the sea. [i]"Surely, he'll be happy now." She thought.[/i] And yet, when she returned and made her comeback, finally took off her mask, and assisted Rex in taking his kingdom back, by the end, it was clear that something changed in him. He wouldn't get defensive or angry like he used to. He didn't mind being hugged, and even made jokes with him while they were fighting back-to-back against his grandfather's minions. At some points, she could have sworn that he was gazing at her just like he used to. But now, Octavia returned to him. They were getting engaged. She had to let him be happy. It was his choice, after all, sad as it was. But she wouldn't let that deter her. She had family and friends to assist on Sornieth. Love was the last thing on her mind right now. Now that she thought about it, why [i]was[/i] she even keeping the ring, anyhow? She didn't know why. She'd have to give it up, eventually. After all, Rex threw his ring into the harbor not long after Octavia broke up with him. Why should she have to keep hers? Harana sighed and shook her head. [i]"Just worry about that later, Harana."[/i] She thought as the portal finally began to spiral and take form into a circle. She held her bag close to her chest. [i]"Alright, this is it! Sornieth, here I -"[/i] "Harana! Harana, wait! Please!" [i]"...Speak of the devil."[/i] She sighed again and turned as Rex ran up to her. He was wearing his groom attire, and he was almost out of breath, as if he had been running for some time. "Rex, your engagement is going to start soon. You have to go." "But what about you? Where are you going?" "To another world, of course. My family needs me on a distant planet. The Skrians are at it again. Well... they're [i]always[/i] at it again, but you understand my point." She turned to the portals. "...I'm sorry, Rex, but I can't stay. Octavia is in your arms now. There's no need for me anymore now that she's with you." "...But she's probably going to run off with [i]him[/i] again." "And you can handle it this time, I'm sure. I know you can. I'm always a dial away if you ever want to talk, you know." She couldn't help but notice the sad look in his eyes. Perhaps it was because he was afraid of being alone, even though he shouldn't be. He was, after all, the prince. Any woman or man in the kingdom would die to be in his arms. "..But you won't be [i]here[/i]." "Rex... are you alright? That tone of yours is making it sound as if me leaving is the end of the world. I'm coming back, you know. I always do." She chuckles, removing her mask to gaze at him with a smile. She reached out and moved his bang away from his face. "I'll be back. Promise. I have to go now. Say hi to Octavia for me! Good luck." Before Rex could say anything else, Harana turned and jumped through the portal. Within the blink of an eye, she was gone. [rule] "Welcome home, Harana." The Mirror greeted Harana with a chuckle. Harana grinned, standing before her friends, family and clanmates gathered around her. "Now that everyone is finally here, on schedule, it is time for the Changing Ceremony! You will all be given the ability to transform into dragons while here on Sornieth, and you can turn back into humans whenever you like! This ability will only work in these dimensions, of course." The large Guardian said heartily, his voice booming throughout the cave. Harana laughed. It felt so nice to be here again. Surrounded by everyone who cared for her. Truly, even though this technically wasn't home, it still felt like home to her. [rule] [i]"...This is...all my fault..."[/i] Rex felt tears running down his cheeks as he clutched the necklace Harana used to wear around her neck, the one he gave her when he declared his love for her. [i]"I... I let my pride get the best of me... if I hadn't let my selfishness get in the way, you would still be here..."[/i] He gritted his teeth angrily, his other hand tightly gripping the sheets where she once slept. [i]"Harana... I was wrong... I... I..."[/i] Images, flashbacks ran through his mind of Harana's laughter, her smile, that feeling he used to have whenever she took his hand. He remembered Jericho's hands, how they felt in his, the songs he used to sing with his guitar while the sun was setting. He missed Harley's smirk, the way they walked, the feeling of their head on his shoulder when they were lying on the couch together, even if he didn't see that part of Harana show up as often as Jeri did. He missed everything. He regretted losing it, and now he would do anything, anything at all to have it back. He closed his eyes. All he saw was hers. Those sweet brown eyes, the ones with beautiful specks of gold, the gorgeous sunset in her eyes whenever the angle was just right... [i]"I never said I loved you. You don't mean anything to me." He once growled at her harshly in the middle of an argument.[/i] "And yet, I was wrong. So wrong. You're everything to me..." He whispered, staring at the ceiling. He couldn't do this. He just couldn't do this. He wiped the tears from his cheeks, and sat up. He knew what he had to do. [i]"...Rhadamanthus."[/i] His bat familiar appeared before him. "Yes, my Prince?" "Do you know where Harana went?" The bat gazed at him, in pity. "...I took note of her papers before she left." "Rhaddy, you're a godsend. Where is she?" "She went to a distant planet, sir. A world filled with dragons, called...'Sornieth'." "Good. Research all you can. I need to know the language, the place, the continent, everything." He gazed at the necklace with a longing look in his eyes. "...And then...maybe then... I can prove my worth." Music Inspo: None today, wrote this very late at night and was very determined to finish it Featured Dragons: Still in the process of rescrying Harana now that Constellation is out (been preoccupied with other things), but she is my favorite OC (hence why her name is my user lol). I guess you could even call her my 'sona, though that technically isn't true, since she's not really much like me, other than the fact that she's a bit stubborn! For those who don't understand, Harana is genderfluid! Her predominant gender is female, but she switches every once in a while when she feels the need to. She more commonly switches to being masculine (Jericho), though every once in a while, she switches to being either bigender or genderless (Harley). She goes by different pronouns depending on her gender. I plan to have a 'marker' apparel for her that indicates her gender, which Harana herself has in the form of a pendant necklace or a bracelet. Rex is Harana's ex-lover, a vampire prince. Selfish, prideful, and a bit egoistic, though as time goes on, he starts to realize that he needs to change, and in doing so, falls back in love with Harana. The truth was, the first time, he didn't actually like Harana, he was only using her. He only saw her as dull, but that was because she was unwilling to show her face to him (she wore a mask around this time, to disguise herself so that no one could see her face - it's kind of a long story, but the TLDR is that if she were to take off her mask, the whole point of her mission would be blown and her home dimension would probably be destroyed). Rex and Harana knew each other as children, but Rex didn't recognize her afterwards until she took her mask off.

I signed up!

[center]Day 6: Mask [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=34112230] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/341123/34112230_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] Azazello was always a loner. He grew up a quiet hatchling and his parents were never sure what to do with him. Azazello didn't really have friends, and he was okay with that. When he was alone in nature, he felt light, free. Observation of the rest of the natural world was a joy he had a hard time describing to people. Solitude didn't mean loneliness. When he left the nest, he traveled around Sornieth to find landscapes of great beauty. His favorite place was a vast meadow where hundreds of butterflies would flock each year. Even though he would sit very still on large boulders in the meadow, he could never gain the butterflies' trust to land on him or get near him. Every time he moved, they would flutter away to his dismay. Unknown to him, some fairies who lived in the meadows watched his attempts to get close to the butterflies and after some scrutiny of his intentions, they felt pity for him and decided to help. The next time Azazello went to the meadow, there was a large butterfly placed on his sitting rock. No, not a butterfly, but a butterfly-shaped mask! He wondered who left it there and whether it was okay to use. After some internal debate, he tried it on. To his surprise, it perfectly formed to his face and almost immediately afterwards, a cluster of butterflies flew towards him, one landing on his nose. Azazello laughed in spite of himself. He felt so fulfilled by the butterflies. They remained near him, lapping up nectar of the nearby flowers. At first after he recovered from this pleasant surprise, Azazello was worried they couldn't leave of their own free will, but luckily, he saw a steady flow of them arriving and departing. When he took off the mask, all the butterflies gradually flew away. He reluctantly placed the mask back on the rock. Suddenly, a few meadow fairies flew before him and they told him it was a gift, for him alone. Azazello had never been happier. P.S. Does this count since you haven't posted the next day yet? I accidentally fell asleep before getting to this last night! Thanks!

[center][img]https://orig00.deviantart.net/8a8e/f/2018/295/c/d/h1_by_cas_a_fras-dcq466z.png[/img] [b]December 7th: Decided[/b][/center] Hey everyone! I enjoyed reading everyone who posted yesterday, unfortunately I didn't have the time to write something myself but that's the way it goes sometimes. Here is today's prompt (a little late because I slept in). Today's Prize: [quote=December 7 - decided]Headshot for 1 Dragon - RidleeKi [item=Rusted Treasure Chest][item=Rusted Treasure Chest][/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 @mukuroikusabas

Day 7: Decided Word Count: 684. Sequel to [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2566260/13]Found[/url] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=19573381] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/195734/19573381_350.png[/img] [/url] "We need to stop for the night" Liharl said. Well, she [i]thought[/i] it was night. You never could tell in the Tangled Wood. "Start looking for a cave or someplace we can rest". Skelly remained silent. If it wasn't for the weight on her back, Liharl might've thought her passenger had fallen off. Normally she would have reached their lair before now, but the nocturne was unused to flying with two passengers, and was extremely worn out. A couple times she'd had to land and travel through the Tangled Wood on foot. Judging by the muddy river she was currently flying over, they were somewhere near the driftwood drag. "Look" she heard Skelly say. The fae pointed to a larger pine tree near the river. The tree's roots formed a makeshift cave. It was too small and close to the river to make for a proper lair, but Liharl was too tired to care. She landed, and Skelly hopped off, still carrying the egg they'd found. The dragons squeezed through the roots, and huddled underneath the ancient tree. "Should we do something with the egg?" Liharl asked. "Keep it warm or something?" The egg kept twitching as the hatchling within moved. "I don't know" Skelly replied, fins twitching in annoyance. "I've never cared for a nest before". "I'll just wrap my wings around it" Liharl decided. "That should keep it warm". The two dragons stopped talking. Skelly curled up like a chimera, and fell asleep instantly. Liharl had less luck. Whenever she was about to sleep, the egg would move and jolt her back into alertness. Was it her imagination, or was the egg moving more frequently? "Go to sleep, little egg" she whispered. "Everything's gonna be fine". As if in response, the egg stopped moving. Just as Liharl was about to nod off, she heard a sharp crack. "Oh no..." Another crack formed in the rocky eggshell. And another. "Skelly!" Liharl shouted. The fae yawned and glared at her. "It's hatching!" The she-dragons panicked. "What should we do?" Liharl fretted. "I've never hatched an egg before!" "I don't know!" Another crack. "Should we help it?" "[i]I don't know![/i]" Skelly wailed in a monotone. After a particularly violent shake, the egg broke apart. A newborn fae was lying on the ground, still sticky with amniotic fluid. Part of the shell was stuck on her head. "Aww, she's so cute!" Liharl cooed. The hatchling turned her head towards the sound, and dragged herself towards the nocturne. "Is she supposed to be that sticky?" Skelly edged away from the newborn. "I think so?" Liharl carefully removed the last piece of eggshell. The hatchling opened her brown earth eyes, and stared at the two dragons. [img]http://flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=131&bodygene=0&breed=1&element=1&eyetype=0&gender=1&tert=28&tertgene=0&winggene=0&wings=164&auth=e1dcf273c2c4af4aee529ae28350bfbfdc6b1c55&dummyext=prev.png[/img] "Now what do we do?" Skelly asked. Liharl started licking the mess off the baby. "What are you [i]doing?![/i]" "I've seen dragons do this with newborns before". "I'm gonna be sick" Skelly moaned. Once the hatchling was cleaned off, she snuggled up close to Liharl. "Aww, she probably thinks I'm her mommy" the green dragon said. Then she frowned. "What are we gonna do with her?" Skelly was quiet for a minute before replying. "We could try to find the survivors of her clan, but we have no idea where they might've went, or if there [i]are[/i] any survivors. We could bring the hatchling back to our clan, and someone who knows more about rearing young could raise her". "Or we could send her to the Shadowbinder" Liharl whispered. The night seemed to get colder. "...we could" Skelly muttered. The two looked at the helpless whelp sleeping against Liharl, and then at each other. There was no need for words. Of course they were keeping the hatchling. "We'll convince the others. Somehow". The three dragons drifted off to sleep. In the morning, they would resume their journey home, and their clanmates would fawn over the baby. They would come to a unanimous decision to raise the little girl as one of their own. When she was older, they would tell Liesette about her origins. But for now, let's let the tired dragons sleep.

[center][i][u][b][size=7]Decided[/size][/b][/u][/i][/center] [quote name="Author's Notes"] Hey, guys! It’s Harana, back at it again with another prompt! No winners have been announced yet, so I’ll edit this post with the winner afterwards! 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, as always! [/quote] "It's almost time for Night of the Nocturne already?! No way!" The baby Coatl stared wide-eyed at the flight newsletter some of the clan members were reading. He was looking over Feyre's shoulder, excited. "Heck yeah it is, bud. You excited? It's the darkest month of the year and the Nocturnes'll come out to play pranks!" Futhark chuckled. "And it'll likely be Pastel's first time celebrating with us as well!" Feyre winked at the Coatl. "But aren't Tenzo, Solar, and Aurelia all Nocturnes?" Pastel asked, confused. "They are, yeah. But these Nocturnes mostly come from the Tangled Wood and are different from those three in terms of personality, at least! They're...a mysterious breed." Feyre grabbed the garlands from the box, handing them to Noelani, her Cloud Chaser. She rose, hanging it on the walls. "I hear some of them drop eggs and that mysterious creatures come to play along with the Nocturnes! Is that true?" Feyre and Futhark looked over to see Luna, a bit tangled in garlands and glitter. Futhark couldn't help but snicker. "Oh, dear... Luna, hold still. I know you're very eager to help, but be careful not to get too dirty." Feyre gently wiped some of the glitter off of the small Ridgeback's face. "It's okay! Us Ridgebacks get dirty from all the time. And besides, Adaryn told me the more glitter, the better!" She replied with a huff. Futhark laughed. "I mean...he's not wrong." Feyre rolled her eyes at the Mirror and unwrapped a garland from Luna's body. "Yeah! Glitter makes you sparkly! I wanna be sparkly, too!" Pastel declared. Feyre sighed. Futhark nudged her. "Come on, Fey. They're kids, let them have their fun!" She stared at Futhark for a long time before sighing again. "Alright, alright, fine. But you two have to promise to help us decorate, AND you have to clean afterwards, alright?" "Yes, mommy!" Luna and Pastel replied without hesitation. The two dragons watched with wide grins as the young hatchlings dove into one of the boxes full of glittering red and green decorations. "...You know, you should consider adopting kids, too, Futhark! Something tells me you'd make a great dad!" Futhark shook his head. "Nah, I couldn't. They're cute, sure, but it's a lot of responsibility to look after one, and I'm too busy. Besides..." He trailed off. His four eyes were gazing distantly at the wall, as if he was in deep thought. Feyre knew that look well. "Something on your mind, Futhark?" The Mirror sighed, sitting against the wall. "...You know how Polaris and Cynosura laid out the goal list for the next year earlier this morning?" "Yeah?" "And that we needed to find a way to fix the debts we owed?" "Mmhm. Yeah." "I've seen how stressed they both are. I...really wanna help them out, Fey. They've already got a lot to deal with." "...But you...don't know how?" Futhark nodded. "...Now that Maelstrom - sis - is gone, we'll need more fighters. You and I are the only ones. But recruiting's gonna cost a lot of money, too. It's gonna take more than just simple desire of defeating the Shade to convince them to join us. I need more fighters with me in the Ruins, and more fighters in the Golem Workshop and the Kelp Beds. Andromeda needs help in the Mire, too. Fighting in the Coli ain't easy alone." "And some Ability stones are hard to come by. Rallies and Eliminates, in particular." "Which is why the clan leaders want to create an Eliminate challenge." "Only when we have enough fighters for the Mire. Andromeda herself needs a Rally for her repertoire." "Then what do I do? I just want to help. I don't wanna sit here and do nothing! We've got gifts to give and debts to repay." Futhark growled in frustration. "Hmm... well, Pastel and a few of the other dragons are making an art shop soon to help the clan's funds. Maybe you could offer your own services to others and see if they'll pay for it." The blue Mirror thought hard. What could he possibly bring to the table? Suddenly, the idea hit him. He perked up immediately. "Found an idea?" Futhark grinned. "I've decided on an idea! I...should probably ask the leaders first, but I have a feeling that this one'll definitely be approved! I gotta go! Thanks for the help! See ya, Fey!" With that, he ran out the door. Feyre turned, smiling to herself. "Hmm... I should probably make a decision as well." She picked up two ribbons from the floor, each covered in glitter. "I wonder...which color would our clan's Secret Santa prefer for their gift ribbon? Red... or green?" Music Inspo for Today: Music Inspo for Today’s Prompt: [url=https://youtu.be/lB8BA1EZeDg]Nocturne - Blanco White[/url] (A fitting theme, will probably listen to this again when writing prompts for NoTN) Featured Dragons: [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=44839187] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/448392/44839187_350.png[/img] [/url] Futhark, my Ruins Wrecker! He's a friendly guy who likes playing with the hatchlings and collecting things!~ He was close with the original Maelstrom, Polaris and Cynosura’s daughter, and sees the leaders as being his parents. They found him abandoned near the Auction House when he was young, and he’s thankful to them for giving him a new life. He's a bit stressed out and could use some help, but luckily, he's got an idea in the works! [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=44423780] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/444238/44423780_350.png[/img] [/url] Feyre! You met her a few prompts ago when she first brought Luna to the clan! Here she's decorating and assisting the clan leaders with sending gifts across the flight and to their clan's Secret Santa, hence the ending! [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=47213469] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/472135/47213469_350.png[/img] [/url] Luna's vaguely mentioned here, since she already got a spotlight in the prompt with Feyre! This is a few weeks later after she was adopted during Rockbreaker's! [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=4045536] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/40456/4045536_350.png[/img] [/url] And this is Pastel, my first ever permababy, kindly gifted to me by two members of my flight Discord! He's such a lovely boy and he has a gift for being artsy!