uisgeannan | Some kind of dragon au

[Yes, good, make yourself prettier 8>

Vanitas takes his time in following, letting the slight wind ruffle his wings as he stretches. It's a nice day out--the chilled morning dew already burning off in the warmer sun. Big puffy clouds dot the sky, slowly making their way east in the higher air currents.

And when he finally catches up with the smaller dragon, he takes a moment to sharpen his claws on another tree, and using it at the same time to mark his territory.]

Better?

[ He's working on it!! The sooner his pup-scales are gone, the better. Ven's practically bent in half to rub up against the tree as he is, chirring and grunting happily as it rakes more of the old scale off and alleviates some of the impossible itch. ]

Uh-huh! Way better... [ A wheeze of relief, and he slides his back up against it until he can roll fully onto his side and lie down for a moment, tail thumping lightly against the ground. ] How long does this take??

About a week or two.

[Sorry goldie. Ven might remember when Vanitas' were coming in, and how irritable and unpleasant to be around he was. He's glad it's over for him at least.]

The itching gets better after the fourth day, though.

[ Yeah, he remembers. It was the surliest week and a bit of Vanitas' life. You'd think Ven had gone and mucked with humans again, the way he reacted to most things. Luckily for both of them Ven hasn't quite hit "irritable" yet, just huffing noisily and thumping his tail a few more times. ]

It's only been two days... [ GRUMBLE....which really sounds more like a whine than anything else, and like a brat Ven rolls belly-up and grinds the top of his head into the dirt. ]

[And provides him a good view of the other's belly, and the patches of bright scale tips beginning to emerge from his hide. Vanitas stares, mesmerized for several seconds as the light catches them, before he shakes his head and himself out of his distraction.]

You're halfway through it.

It feels like it's taking forever... I hate it. [ Ven remains blissfully unaware of the other's staring as he wiggles a bit more, but eventually he has to stop and just chuff. His life is hard and no one understands ): ] Doesn't anything besides scratching help??

Bathing in the river. But it only lasts a few minutes.

[The water soothed the itching for a while, until it would inevitably come back with a vengeance.] They'll keep itching until they've all broken through your hide.

[ Whiiiiiiiiiine and there he goes, rubbing his head into the dirt again until he sees fit to roll over into the tree and get a little...stuck. But some squirming and kicking, and he's back on all fours with an unhappy ruffle of his wings.

Just so he can flop his chin (and the rest of him) down on the ground with the saddest expression ever at the other's feet. ]

I'm done. [ No more moulting, please. ]

[in response, Vanitas cranes his neck down at him and makes a rumble close to a laugh.] Already? I don't think you get to choose.

[But, he has mercy on him. Or rather, he's unable to stop himself from reaching out to touch those gold scales. His claws catch lightly at the patches of duller scales, scratching carefully to help him rid of a few more.]

Yes I do. [ Which he says very matter-of-factly right before a happy little chirped rumble starts off deep in his chest and both the membrane covering and his eyelid close and Ventus relaxes into the ground. Much better than desperately rubbing himself on everything in sight. ]

...Thanks. [ He purrs it out happily as the tip of his tail taps left and right, wings lifting and manoeuvring out of the other's way to give him room. He doesn't usually get special treatment like this--so he's going to soak it up like a sponge. ]

[When the other relaxes, Vanitas shuffles a bit closer and continues to run his claws lightly over the other's skin. More scales flake away, scattering onto the ground and revealing the beginnings of those much more intensely metalic ones.

Turning his paw forward, he rubs along the golden tips, pricking the softer skin along them as he rumbles in approval.]

Uh-huh.

[ It's also almost leathery to the touch, smooth and sleek under the other's claws. It won't turn into a rough coat like Vanitas' but it'll tough up some. Right now it's just raw...but an instant relief the moment his old scales are gone.

Ven rumbles again when the other's claws prick the fresh scales, flexing the muscles underneath with a small snort. You be nice to those mister >: ]

[He's being careful, don't worry. He knows the skin is sensitive and fresh, and strokes along it with the back side of his claws in the direction the other's scales run, smoothing over it and watching the sunlight catch.

Then, he moves to the other side of the other's body, scratching at another patch of skin with light plucks that free another dozen or so scales.]

[ Vanitas will be rewarded with another happy croon when he switches places, even more so when Ven feels those old scales flake away. Now if only that was the case all over the rest of him.

He'll manage to hold still for the first half hour or so of this at least. After that he's going to wind up not-so-subtly trying to suggest where Vanitas should pluck at next. Because they iiiiiitch :c ]

[Vanitas goes with the subtle shifts, scratching at each patch to loosen up the other's scales and help him shed them. At this rate it may not even take the other days for him to be free from them--they might all fall out by the next morning.

But with the shedding of his adolescent scales, it's like something is triggered in the bigger dragon and he starts to feel more playful. His scratching is joined by soft shorting, in which his head dips down and nudges at the other's side and wings, nostrils flaring a bit as he chuffs and fusses over his scales. His own, long tail starts to thump back and forth as he works on efficiently ridding him of the itching things.]

...?? [ At first Ven doesn't really get it. Vanitas never solicits play, it's always him who darts around and tries to cajole the other into darting around and wrestling for a round or two. Usually they're short-lived because Vanitas can't be bothered to entertain him for extended periods of time.

But enough of those bumps and chuffs around his sides and Ven's head will rise off the ground with his earstalks lifted and pupils round. It takes a few thumps before Ven's haunches start wiggling his weight around and his claws to press and furrow into the ground, but once he gets it Ven turns his head quickly left and right, snuffling and barking until he rolls onto his side suddenly and bats at the other. ]

[Which is a very submissive gesture, to be honest. But Vanitas doesn't seem to mind, and just lashes his tail back and forth in response, front limbs bending as he lowers his head further towards the ground and gives a chuff back.

Then he darts forward, nipping at the other's exposed belly carefully so his teeth don't actually penetrate, just slightly scrape against his hide.]

[ Of course he barks and squawks at the blackscale for it, but the noises are playful and at worst, over-the-top exaggerations fuelled by his own excitement at play. The first few nips have him flailing and wriggling all over the ground until he rolls all the way over back onto his feet.

He'll rise up on them so that he stands almost entirely on his hinder legs and brings his paws up over his head in a silly waddle-pounce, coming down to the other as close as he dares with this "counter" ]

[Vanitas backs out of it, but delays so that Ven just misses him by a few inches. Then, he raises up and pushes the other dragon back with one paw, shoving him again without too much force behind it.

The gold was still half his size, after all, and he was aware of his own strength. At worst it'd just send him tumbling again, before he could right himself.]

[ At worst, and naturally Ven bleats with delight as he stumbles back a few steps and crouches, tail swishing quickly behind him until he does a little wiggle and gives hop, pounce, flap and he flares his wings out in a single pump he he can try for a better little tackle.

"Tackle." Because it's still juvenile in nature and he's more interested in rolling around in the dirt and faux-kicking his legs at the other anytime he can get them grappling and wrestling. ]

[And for once, Vanitas actually indulges him. Most of his attacks land, but the larger dragon isn't bothered by them. In fact, he just bats back at him and rolls the smaller gold a few times, pinning him with a paw before he'll nip and retreat, letting him back up.]

[ They're really, actually playing. Proper play, with pup-like fighting and batting and everything. Ven can't believe it. But he's sure as heck going to milk it for all it's worth, allowing the pins when they happen but being quick to return to his excited badgering. Pawings at, false nips, and tiny feet-pushes, you name it; anytime he's not being rolled over he's going for those, even bumping into Vanitas with his tail and hind quarters in a whelpish hip-check once or twice as he gets turned around in excitement.

This is like dragon christmas C8 ]

[Wow, what a cute. Those hip-checks are returned a moment later, before Vanitas decides to really show his strength. It may not be exactly fair, but more importantly he feels the sudden need to just get close to the wiggly little thing when the sunlight glimmers off his new scales.

So he actually pounces, paws grabbing for the other around his sides before he rolls them both.]

[ Van practically chirrs in excited shock and delight the moment he's grabbed and they go rolling because he's been waiting for this and the rolling around on the ground, grappling and paws and harmlessly gnawing is his favourite part. When he was a whelp his broodmother used to roll him around carefully with one large paw.

Vanitas is obviously a little rougher but it serves to break off more of his older scales, wriggling and chuffing and curling his tail around whatever part of Vanitas he can get to try and gain leverage. Not to 'win' or anything, but just to hold on longer. ]

[It only lasts a few moments before Vanitas rolls to a stop, breathing slightly harder than normal through his nostrils. He comes to a rest on his side, but doesn't let go of the other dragon just yet. Instead, he actually curls his tail around the other's and nips him again in an almost affectionate display.

Then, he lets go, and rolls back to all fours, shaking himself off from the grass and dirt clinging to his own scales.]

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always the creepiest icon possible wow

of course |3

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PUT THAT ICON AWAY YOU'RE A BAD PARENT

HE'S NOT YOUR PARENT HE'S YOUR SENPAI

...wow holy cow the cutest senpai ever 9u9

shhh shhhhhh

never shushes 9u9

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