Some kind of dragon au

[occulthymns]

[Before you lies a picturesque kingdom of forests and fields and farmlands. Mountains rise up in the distance, and set at the edge of a massive lake is an elegant castle with tall spires. It looks out over the land - forests surrounding the lake, a small but pleasant medieval town pushed up against the castle walls, farmer's fields further out.

The land itself is fertile and full of wild game, unsual plants, and natural wonders like crystalline caverns and waterfalls. Rivers of all sizes wind their way down from the mountains, which alternate between covered in fir trees and bare, jagged rock with mazes of caves hidden within.

Dragon AU go!]

Comments

[didneyworl]

...Those look gross. Are you sure they'll work? [ He doesn't even want to try sniffing them. They're too wriggly and yuck. Ven moves backward to give the other room. ]

[showmeanguish]

More than sure.

[Once he has a few of them, he holds them between his digits and shuffles back to the river. Standing in the shallows, he he extends his arm and lets the worms languish in the current, waiting for the first fish that come up to investigate.

It takes a good ten or fifteen minutes, but soon enough he has a couple trout nipping at his digits. He lets them get comfortable, holding the worms firmly enough that they go from mere nips and bites to actual attempts at swallowing them...

Before his neck winds back, and his head snaps forward, snatching a larger one from the river between his jaws with one smooth movement.]

[didneyworl]

Whoa...!

[ Colour goldie impressed. That was actually pretty darn cool, and Ven can't help the way he wiggles in excitement. ] That was amazing...!

[showmeanguish]

[He bites the fish hard to incapacitate it, before he turns his head and spits it towards the shore. To him, it's hardly a mouthfull... though he's sure that Ven will probably make a meal out of it.]

See?

[didneyworl]

[ Oh wow--that's for him? You're really never getting rid of him Vanitas holy moley. Ven's hurrying over to where it's been tossed to pounce on it with both front paws, quick to tug it in close and huddle over it possessively.

He totally killed this himself ]

Can I have it?? [ ...Which has asks after all of that, of course. ]

[showmeanguish]

[Glancing back, he snorts slightly at the childishness of it, and shrugs his wings.]

Knock yourself out.

[Turning back to the river, he wades further in and focuses on catching larger prey--like a salmon or something more substantial.]

[didneyworl]

[ Hey man, simple pleasures. Ven's more than happy to dig into his fish and gnaw off several mouthfuls as he watches Vanitas at work. It's going to get gobbled up pretty fast because he hasn't eaten since before running into Vanitas initially, and once it's gone he's back on the edge of the water, eyes keen for anything else that might wind up getting tossed his way. ]

[showmeanguish]

[Five minutes later, Vanitas manages to catch another trout, which he goes ahead and eats himself. The salmon might not be in the area now, but there's still enough to go around.

And his next catch proves to be just as good. A monster bass comes to investigate the remaining worms, and as soon as it's attempting to pick them off, Vanitas strikes again.

The fish is an easy twenty pounds, and with it firmly clasped in his jaws, he turns and moves back to shore to enjoy it.]

[didneyworl]

... [ Wow that looks way better than the one small fish he had. Feel like sharing that monster?? Please? Ven's already licking his maw and whining because he's a grown-up dragon like that. ]

[showmeanguish]

[The larger dragon settles on the shore, holding the fish between his front paws as he digs in. His eyes pin to the younger dragon, showing him his teeth with a warning growl if he gets too close.

He gets his fill first because he's the leader here. 8| But after he's eaten the tastiest parts, he'll throw the rest of the tail and collar over to the gold.]

[didneyworl]

[ HE'S HAPPY WITH THE SCRAPS BECAUSE HE'S A MAN. And just just because he's hungry and happy to have something else to eat. The fact that Vanitas is sharing with him at all is a big thing from what he can understand, so he actually waits patiently (albeit restlessly) until the leftovers are tossed his way and he can dig into them.

Which is good because he probably couldn't have eaten much more, given his size and everything. Ven'll wind up licking his maw happily and fussing over his paws. ]

You're really great at hunting!

[showmeanguish]

[Vanitas takes a few moments afterward to groom himself as well, thoroughly licking his paws clean before he stands and stretches.]

Well I am still here, aren't I?

[didneyworl]

How long have you lived here??

[showmeanguish]

Around twenty years. Give or take a few.

[didneyworl]

Wow...that's a long time! [ Comparatively. It's about a third of the time he's been alive so it seems like a lot to him. ]

[showmeanguish]

Is it?

[Which yup, tells him just exactly how young Ven is. Not that he's that much older, since he left his nest (or more accurately he and his siblings were abandoned) just after their fiftieth year.]

It hasn't felt that long.

[didneyworl]

Well I think it's a long time. I haven't been alone that long. [ Obviously, considering how young he is. But that's not the point he's trying to make as he stretches his limbs out in front of him until they slide out from under him and he winds up comfortably sprawled on his belly. ]

Does it get lonely?

[showmeanguish]

[Vanitas watches him, snorting softly at his careless pose. It's odd to him how quickly the gold fell into a familiar and unguarded air with him--he didn't think he'd been that welcoming.

Though he had given him food, and let him sleep in his den. Hnn.]

It's challenging. But I don't mind being alone--less competition.

[didneyworl]

[ And you played with him, don't forget that C8

Ven's hind quarters wiggle as his tail darts from side to side. ]

If I don't compete, can I stay??

[showmeanguish]

[What is all that wiggling even. Why do you have so much energy?

But that question prompts a short, growling little laugh from him.] And freeload instead?

[didneyworl]

[ Because he is tiny and energy-efficient okay, STREAMLINED FOR BUSY BUSY. He's also young and just GO GO GOES...until he tires himself out. ]

I'll catch stuff too! And I won't wander off or anything.

[showmeanguish]

Or get mixed up with humans again?

[didneyworl]

[ Of course he brings that up, wheeze. Ven drops his chin to the ground and squeaks, unhappy. ]

No more humans again--ever.

[showmeanguish]

Good, because next time I'm not bailing you out.

[And he means it... sort of. He probably wouldn't just let the other get killed if he could help it. But only if there was a good reason for saving him.]

[didneyworl]

[ Hey man, one ten-year timeskip and you will have plenty of reasons to keep him around alright. ]

I'll be good... [ Mostly. Probably. At the very least he's not interested in getting any nearer to them than he is now, and that'll hold for a while. He can still see the remnants of his scratches to the other's forearms and it makes him deflate a little. ]