Creative Corner

[center][font=Georgia][color=104984][b][size=5]Day 81[/size][/b][/color][/font] [font=Georgia][size=4][b]139[/b] Breeding/New Hatchling/Other[/size][/font] Going with lore. [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img][/center] Four eggs. Four new possible connections, directly related to her. Aster wasn't sure what it was she felt when she thought about the little lives taking root in her parents' new nest, but it was hard to shake off the feeling that she and Cedar were being replaced. She kept this to herself and didn't comment about the nest even once, fulfilling her duties as usual, until the day Delphine disappeared. At first everyone tried to stay open-minded, but when she wasn't back the next day, Aster had a feeling The Search would begin all over again. The Search, to find the missing one, just as they had searched for Selena those few weeks ago, and Iris before her, and Rin before that. Only one of those had a good outcome in the end. But that would have to come later, because right now Aster was about to meet her newly hatched siblings. They had come bursting out of their shells last night, and this morning Aster along with Iris would be the first to meet them. Minle should've come along too, but the Mirror murmured something about being busy and slid away. Aster made a note to keep an eye on him, too. In the nest, two hatchlings were cozying up together next to Harper. Aster's heart hiccupped when she spotted the small Mirror boy. [center][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=56226300] [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=137&bodygene=21&breed=3&element=9&eyetype=1&gender=0&tert=65&tertgene=24&winggene=22&wings=82&auth=45299bf895bc3b77d31e114b2a24c96d87105f84&dummyext=prev.png[/img] [/url][/center] He didn't really look like Cedar. The markings were there, but his colours were off, his eyes all too dark, and the way he kicked up some fluff with his paw was unlike Cedar most of all. And yet, something in Aster stirred at the sight of him. Longing and regret and a vague, unwilling affection. "This is Rowan," Spindle introduced from her spot by the side of the nest. She had a soft smile on as she looked at Rowan, softer than Aster had ever seen on her mother's face. "And this is Viola." [center][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=56226301] [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=13&bodygene=21&breed=11&element=9&eyetype=0&gender=1&tert=57&tertgene=24&winggene=22&wings=16&auth=7114ff1552daf7eb1aaa1031c69c67224bc097c5&dummyext=prev.png[/img] [/url][/center] Aster's eyes strayed over to the next hatchling. She was a sizeable Nocturne, all pinks and purples of varying hues. It was hard to tell whether she was smiling as she looked up at Aster, or if that was just the natural curve of her maw. "Hi!" Iris called out in excitement, which had to soon be dampened by a small coughing fit. Seconds later she recovered however, smile back in place. "I'm Iris!" The hatchlings didn't react much beyond glancing curiously at the new sound of Iris' raspy voice. Aster didn't bother, but she turned a stern gaze to her mother. "And the others?" Spindle shook her head. "Gone." "You need them buried?" "It's alright. I already took care of it." Aster nodded, and an awkward silence befell them. Her and Spindle, at least - the hatchlings were chirping away and Iris happily joined them while Harper watched over them with an occasional giggle. After a few moments, Aster couldn't take it any more and turned away. "I'll... I'm going for a hunt." "Alright." She left the cave, gratefully inhaling the crisp and cool outside air. Then she made her way down the hill and headed out. She'd said she'd go hunting, though not for what - in fact, she intended to hunt down some dragons. Delphine and Minle were up to something, and Aster didn't care which one of them she'd find first, so long as she got some answers. It was better than thinking about her new siblings, at least. [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img] [size=2]@Rebbawskaced @Drachenschwinge @SpiceCookie @catmeow1 @Everburn @windhound @Tirtouga678 @PaintedThree @Orodruin @xIridium @Tiffkaboo @Kestrad Fun fact: All the hatchlings survived their coin flip, and then half got immediately taken out by the death streak TvT The ones who didn't make it: [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=56226302]Willow[/url], which is a real bummer because she had Wasp! And little [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=56226303]Heather[/url] :( [/center]

[center][font=Georgia][color=104984][b][size=5]Day 82[/size][/b][/color][/font] [font=Georgia][size=4][b]26[/b] Coliseum[/size][/font] Spindle, Harper and Mara battled, venturing to the Sandswept Delta for the first time, at long last! Mara is level 9, and the other two are 8. No notable drops. Today's lore is set a few days before the disappearance of Delphi, and the hatching of the nest. [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img][/center] [center][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=51955958] [img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/572825591825301530/639479979834474546/dragon.png[/img] [/url][/center] Minle was hardly the patient type, but he knew he had to wait at least a while after the mess with Rin, or he wouldn't have any luck getting what he wanted. The others needed time to heal emotionally, even if the Mirror himself had closed off his heart long ago and didn't think much about what had happened. Or, to be more accurate, he thought about it all the time, but not in the way the others did. His mind whirred as he thought of the rabid dragon - he didn't get to see it himself, but considering the aftermath, it had to have been pretty bad. Was that truly just the result of living in the Underice for too long? Is that what everlasting isolation did to the weak-willed? Or was there another answer to the dragon's insanity? Selena's mate was a curious possibility, too. Neither her nor Spindle would say much about Morgen, but Minle could tell there was something brewing under the surface just by the looks on their faces when they came back from having met with him. With everything under wraps and no way of reaching it, Minle bid his time with his little side project he'd taken up recently. He hadn't mentioned this to anyone, but one day he ventured back into the place where his adoptive brother had met his end, and upon some investigation and a lot of digging, he actually managed to find a corpse. Not his brother's, that is, but the corpse of a gigantic machine, the likes of which he imagined must have been the cause of everything that happened those months ago. The thing was split in half, its legs scattered deep in the snow nearby. Springs and bits of sharp metal stuck out from its belly, and its tool-like arm had been bent out of shape and rendered useless. The whole thing was covered in layers of ice, and it took Minle days to scrape it all off and get a proper look at the machine. Even dented and mangled as it was, it was still massive and the glint of its metallic armour had a threatening aura to it that gave even Minle the shivers. It was sad that this must have been the last thing Cedar ever got to see before he died, but Minle didn't dwell on that much. He'd visit the corpse as often as he could, opening up parts that he could, prying off others that had frozen into place. He searched through its insides, trying to learn as much about its structure as possible, but he was slowly coming to a frustrating conclusion: although built by metal, there was no wiring or electricity of any sort in this thing. Veritas had been right - they must operate on magic. There's no other option. [i]Damn it[/i], Minle thought as he grit his teeth. [i]Magic... Is the Underice playing a joke on me?[/i] Despite so many hours of practise as a hatchling, he could still do hardly more than produce a little bit of light energy out of his paws. If only he could do more... It was infuriating. He was so close! [i]No. Calm down. Let's rationalise this.[/i] Who's the dragon to go to if the question is about magic? Perhaps he could try Veritas again, but that Imperial didn't like giving away answers easily. Bronte would've been a good option once, because she wouldn't tell anyone he'd asked her, but he had a feeling she was going to be a lot more cautious after what she'd witnessed. There was one more option. It was risky. This one he could calculate the possible results of least of all. But it was all he had left, and he wasn't about to call it quits after coming so far. With this on his mind, Minle decided it was time to corner a certain Skydancer, and he skid off to do just that, kicking up a dust of snow to settle on the dead machine as he ran. [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img] [size=2]@Rebbawskaced @Drachenschwinge @SpiceCookie @catmeow1 @Everburn @windhound @Tirtouga678 @PaintedThree @Orodruin @xIridium @Tiffkaboo @Kestrad [/center]

@demitri

Still not caught up, but OH MY GOODNESS, those hatchlings are adorable! Especially that Nocturne!

@Tiffkaboo THANK YOU! i love them so much too! here's hoping they survive a while ;v;

[center][font=Georgia][color=104984][b][size=5]Day 83[/size][/b][/color][/font] [font=Georgia][size=4][b]95[/b] Art[/size][/font] A quick headshot of Asher, because he's one of the oldest dragons without any art yet! Well, not any more! [center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/572825591825301530/638301124528439297/asher.png[/img][/center] This is not 100% accurate, because as described many times before, his skin is made of bits of crystals. Unfortunately however, I lack the artistic talent required to show that properly. I'm not good at drawings things like rocks, crystals and other background-ish type of stuff... Sorry Asher! Maybe I can commission something more appropriate for you next time... [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img] [size=2]@Rebbawskaced @Drachenschwinge @SpiceCookie @catmeow1 @Everburn @windhound @Tirtouga678 @PaintedThree @Orodruin @xIridium @Tiffkaboo @Kestrad [/center]

@demitri

May I be on the ping list? Im starting to like this. It's quite interesting, and I'm LOVING the art!
Please and thanks! :3

@TCJayFeather thank you so much, i'm really glad you're enjoying the story and the art!! :D adding you right away!

[center][font=Georgia][color=104984][b][size=5]Day 84[/size][/b][/color][/font] [font=Georgia][size=4][b]88[/b] Art[/size][/font] Happy Halloween! I don't have a moment to sit down and draw right now, so throw that into art catchup count number one! I'll try to get it out by the end of the week in a later post! And now, for a pretty big update! I've known this was coming for months, so I'm excited it's finally happening. Let's go! [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img][/center] "...Magic?" Tracking Moroz hadn't been easy, but Minle was nothing if not persistent when he wanted something badly enough. After about two hours of searching, he finally found her by the west lake, staring into the surface of the water with an unreadable expression. [center][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=50830543] [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=50830543&skin=0&apparel=26541,26542,26543,26546,26547,29067&xt=dressing.png[/img] [/url][/center] Or maybe Minle just didn't pay much attention to what expression she was wearing. He just came up to her and asked her his question without any preamble, and now she was blinking slowly, as if processing his words wasn't coming easy to her. [center][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=51955958] [img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/572825591825301530/639479979834474546/dragon.png[/img] [/url][/center] "Yes," he finally replied when she said no more. "It's your speciality, isn't it? You must know the reason for why I can't do it." She was silent for a while. Minle started thinking she might not respond, but finally Moroz eased herself out of whatever stupor she had been in, her gaze lighting up with that clarity she normally radiated. "Certain dragons aren't as compatible with magic as others," she explained. "It seems to come down to biology. Some breeds of dragons are naturally attuned to magic, and others not so. A Mirror such as yourself would be the latter." Minle was frowning. "So it's impossible for me?" "It's not impossible," Moroz told him. "There have been spellcasters of all kinds of breeds. Beryl, you might recall, was a Mirror just like you, but his magic skills were incredible." Minle nodded, well aware of her story. "Nevertheless, it's true that you have more obstacles to overcome than a Skydancer like me, for example." That was a kind way of putting it, Minle supposed. He'd been practising since before he could even speak - if all it came down to was hard work, he would've already overcome any biological obstacles, surely. "Is there nothing I can do?" he asked, frustrated. "A special training regime? A dietary change? I'll do anything." Moroz looked at him carefully, seeming to analyse his desperation. She said nothing of it nor did she ask his reasons, but Minle felt nothing went past the Skydancer. "There is one way to enable you to channel magic better," she said slowly, carefully. "But it is a rather committed change." Minle shook his head. "What is it? I'll do it, so just tell me." "If what you wish is to become a spellcaster, the most certain method would be to change yourself. To change your breed, so you are no longer a Mirror." All of Minle's four eyes widened. "You can do that?!" "It's not something you can do yourself," she clarified. "However, there are certain magical objects out there that can cause such a change." Minle frowned again. Where was he supposed to get such an item from?! He was about to ask as much, but Moroz went on. "It... is also possible to do this through a spell." They looked at each other for a long moment. Minle was normally collected, but he felt his pulse pounding in his ears. "You can do it?" he asked quietly. "Yes. The Icewarden's blessing still sleeps somewhere within me, and it gives me abilities more powerful than most." Moroz was speaking in that slow, calculated manner, as if she was telling him to consider this well before deciding. "I cannot cause an immediate change the way an enchanted item might, but I believe I can... encourage it. It will take some time for you to alter completely." That sounded crazy. All of that sounded just crazy. Minle paused, asking himself if he was ready for this, but the answer came to him as soon as he remembered about the machines, and all the other doors that would open to him if he could only do this one thing. [i]Magic[/i]. "Let's do it," he told her, trying to play down how truly excited he was about all this. Moroz narrowed her eyes, not unkindly. "Are you certain about this?" "Yes," Minle said, and the conviction in his voice must have persuaded her, for she simply gave a nod. "Very well... Then who shall you become?" Minle opened his mouth to reply, then stopped. He realised he didn't know what dragon types were better at magic than others. He'd simply never considered that possibility. "As you may remember, Cresh was a Pearlcatcher," Moroz said gently. "They are fantastic spellcasters, aptly attuned to the ways of magic. However, if you'd rather consider other options..." Minle hadn't thought about Cresh in... In a long time. They told him of her when he was a hatchling, and he remembered about her sometimes, that faceless figure in his mind that cared for him so much before he'd even crawled into existence. He wondered about what it would be like to meet her, sometimes. For the first time in weeks, the Mirror felt a small stir in his heart. He nodded, keeping his voice as neutral as always. "Pearlcatcher, then." Moroz nodded, and before she even did anything, Minle felt a change in the air, the rise of pressure and energy as tiny flakes of snow lifted into the air from the ground. "Very well," Moroz said. "Then steel yourself, and let us begin." The process lasted minutes, but to Minle it felt like hours. Surrounded by her icy blue magic, his body felt hot all over, the skin under his scales crawling and shifting as his body was altered. It was a sensation impossible to describe, the structure of his skeleton forming painlessly into brand new shapes. When it was done, Minle realised his heart was still thundering in his chest just as before, but everything else felt different. He could feel... hairs, tickling his neck and face and weighing down the tip of his tail. A strange protrusion in the middle of his forehead changed the way he looked at the world, casting a small shadow down his nose and over his eyes - his four eyes, that is. [center][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=51955958] [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=51955958&skin=0&apparel=369,17919,6022,20603&xt=dressing.png[/img] [/url][/center] Just as Moroz had said, the change wasn't fully complete. His horn was small, his wings still Mirror-like, his height unchanged and his eyes all present, though switching to his heat vision left him with nothing but blurs of colours and a headache. "How do you feel?" Minle realised he'd been spacing out for who knows how long, adjusting to his partly changed form. He focused his eyes on Moroz as if seeing her for the first time. Willing his heart to calm, he gave a rather nervous nod. "I'm fine. Yes, I'm alright." She seemed unsurprised at his state. "It will take time. Both inside and out." Minle nodded, turning to rather clumsily walk away. He was almost ten feet away from Moroz before something clicked in his mind, and he looked over his shoulder. "Uh, thank you." The Skydancer nodded, her eyes boring into him as he walked away again, this time a little more sure in his footing. [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2ef31cd285982310ff93e3d1f5c0ec9/tumblr_inline_o23j4ayWtt1r3lvtf_500.png[/img] [size=2]@Rebbawskaced @Drachenschwinge @SpiceCookie @catmeow1 @Everburn @windhound @Tirtouga678 @PaintedThree @Orodruin @xIridium @Tiffkaboo @Kestrad @TCJayFeather All my food supplies are at 0 and my treasure count is at 3k, but hey! The things you do for storytelling, eh! [s]And then a death streak comes and makes all of this useless by tomorrow skjdfk[/s] [/center]

Uuuh, he finally got a gene :D
And please don't jinx it...