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!]

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[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. ]

[showmeanguish]

[alfjlkj yes, many many reasons.

But in response, Vanitas eyes him a moment longer before he nods.]

And when you're old enough to survive on your own, I'm kicking you out.

[FAMOUS LAST WORDS.]

[didneyworl]

[ HAHAHA YUP....YUP.

But wow his little dragon day was just made if the expression on his face is anything to go by; he looks thrilled. ]

Okay! I won't be a bother at all, promise! [ Probably. Maybe. JUST PUT UP WITH HIM FOR A LITTLE LONGER VANITAS it'll be so worth it. ]

let me know if this timeskip's okay o7

[showmeanguish]

[IT HAD BETTER. Because hunting for two is a lot of work, especially as they both continue to grow. In another couple years, the rest of Vanitas' adult scales come in, and his hide goes from a duller black to a shiny, iridescent obsidian.

The two horns that curve away from the back of his skull lengthen, too, curling upwards until they resemble an antelope's. His muscles too become more pronounced as he goes from a relatively slender frame to something more robust and powerful.

And their shared den grows a bit, too. Vanitas allows the smaller dragon to build his own nest inside, in an adjacent limb of the natural cavern. In colder seasons though, it becomes routine to wake up with the goldscale half-curled against his side with his head resting against his back. At first it's annoying, but as it goes on Vanitas just accepts that the shared warmth isn't that bad on his end, either.]

rude hdu decide how much cuddling ven gives grumpybutt!!

[didneyworl]

[ Ven's good at worming his way into tiny heart-niches like that. Even outright rejection from Vanitas doesn't necessarily deter him for long; the harshest scolds and snarls only have him in retreat for a couple hours at most before the goldscale's back. But as he grows the number of times he manages to inadvertently get on the blackscale's nerves decreases.

He gets better at reading the other's moods and being less of a bother in general. He's still terribly energetic and a bundle of energy on the calmest of days, but he minds how much he pesters the older dragon with it and learns quickly to give the other space when he needs it. Adapting to fit Vanitas' moods and routine are probably where he tries to make the biggest improvements.

Because he isn't doing nearly as much as Vanitas is size-wise. He's still the runt of his clutch regardless of age, and while he he puts on some healthy weight and gains a bit of muscle it's abundantly clear he just isn't going to be a large hulking specimen. If anything he grows length-wise, gaining a bit of a sleeker form in place of his whelpish, rounded butter-ball self.

But he does get claws, not long but tough and sharp. He manages to go through several boulders every couple of years with them. Teeth too, once his adolescent ones start to come in. He's sure he chewed through practically ever log he could find when those came in. It was awful.

Having his big-boy scales come in is almost as bad because while they don't ache, they're itchy and Ven's had about enough of it. The process has only just started that season but he's already miserable, rubbing and brushing up against anything he can find to rid himself of the pup-scales so that his new ones can grow in. And those ones? Are definitely not the faded tin colour he'd been born with.

They're a bright, dazzling gold when the sun catches them right.

AND THE SUCK SO MUCH WHY IS IT SO ITCHY??? Ven practically whines (the sound more of a beastly bellow by this point) as he pushes his muzzle into the dirt and pushes it forward, dragging his face, neck, and shoulder across the ground in an attempt to alleviate some of the itch. ]