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

[dark_to_dawn]

[Well, he's trying; that counts for something. Riku's eyes narrow beneath the water and watches the gold go from head under to paddling back to shore and then another try.

Currents shift as he pushes himself out of the cove, slamming jaws shut and capturing two fish from a school that swam too close in an effort to escape the splashing above.

The next time Ven breaks the surface, water bulges for a moment and then the silver's horns and head appears halfway cross the lagoon, only letting the tips of his nostrils and his eyes peer above the surface. Watching him.]

[didneyworl]

[ Which of course Ven misses because he's trying to dive again and failing to get very far at all considering how clumsy he is in the water--goldscales aren't made for aquatic living--and every time he comes up, head craned back to stay above water as he stretches to the tips of his paws trying to grope for the soft lake bed below.

If nothing else it probably looks amusing. ]

sorry for the wait ;c;

[dark_to_dawn]

[Apparently not... Sure, amusing, in an almost painful way. He'll never get far at this rate. The silver drake's annoyed sigh is clear through his eyes and he lifts his head from the water completely, wings and legs moving to keep himself afloat unconsciously.]

Stop floundering. And go back to the shallows.

it's okay<33

[didneyworl]

[ He's a little bit of a failure :c but with practice he'll probably improve to some degree. Today is just not that day though, and he whines piteously as he shuffles quickly back to shore and gets his feet under him again, relieved to be back on land as he shakes his coat out. ]

;_; ~<3

[dark_to_dawn]

[Got that right, over-eager. The whine merely bounces off his hide and Riku slides forward through the water, head lowering as he moves to the shallows. Does this mean he's going to have to feed you? Ugh, better not...]

You won't be getting anything like that.

[didneyworl]

[ he can forage! And catch small game |D but probably muck up a lot of space doing so. ]

Swimming is hard! I don't like not being able to touch the bottom.

[dark_to_dawn]

[Where? Did someone forget he's not "home" at the moment?]

You always get everything fed straight to your gullet?

[aka: still breast-feeding?]

[didneyworl]

[ Riku!!!! ]

Wh...no! [ He balks and then bristles appropriately, wings flapping at the air in a flustered gesture. ] We ate goat!

[dark_to_dawn]

[8D!]

Bet you couldn't chase them down at first could you?

[The bristling incites something and the silverscale lifts himself from the shadows, water pouring off wings and scales as he tilts his body and seats himself on his haunches, the action rising him to a much more vertically-inclined position. Someone's in for a lesson...]

[didneyworl]

We chased them when they were in the den... [ He flaps again, indignant as he dares, but aside from a squeaked little bark that's about as ferocious as he gets, yup. ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[Tsk, don't scare the water bugs, fierce one... The flapping of wings earns Riku's larger span to spread slightly, just a reminder of what and who he might think about mouthing off to.]

You've never hunted before either?

[Because running around in the end after the parents chased prey inside was not hunting.]

[didneyworl]

[ It is totally hunting okay ): And he may shrink a little when that flared reminder comes his way, wings tucking in quickly to his sides. ]

I did too! Sort of...

[dark_to_dawn]

[Uh... no it's not. -_- Riku lowers his own wings when the reminder's taken and he settles back in the water.]

Chasing your mother's herded prey isn't truly hunting. It's play. [But at least that lets him know he's not dealing with a completely hopeless case.]

[didneyworl]

I can hunt on my own too...

[dark_to_dawn]

[Right.]

Prove it. [He points at the ground with his paw.] Bring something back here in twenty minutes. Or you can find another's territory to have dinner in.

[didneyworl]

--You're gonna let me hunt here??

[dark_to_dawn]

[Ven. Please. The innocence?]

Once. Time's counting down.

[And just a reminder, the things in his territory are used to him hunting them. So, you got your work cut out for you, ferocious thing.]

[didneyworl]

[ HE WILL DO IT OKAY. I mean it's not like he probably scared off most of the game he could have hunted while he was crashing around earlier and all that 6u9 but he's going to bark at Riku again before turning tail and quickly bounding for the forest to sniff the air. ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[Yes, there was that to think of too. But he said "anything" so at least that wasn't picky. Though, he's hoping the aspect of "meat" made it into Ven's mind. He'll be a little put out of there's a hunk of fungus waiting for him.

While the other's out, he'll do his own hunting. Which involves getting into position on the beach and waiting for fish to come around. Till they're swimming within the cove of his wings. Then it's a shove forward, another wave, and four fish flopping on the beach. Definitely not the quickest way for a main dinner, but whatever works.

If he's that hungry, he'll go take a plunge in the lagoon again or do his own hunting.]

[didneyworl]

[ Hey. Some fungi are totally edible alright?? Riku should be proud if Ven comes back with mushrooms or something.

...Not that he will, since the sort he's used to eating grows much, much higher than the altitude of Riku's territory. There aren't any mountain goats either which is troublesome, but there's plenty of small game in the form of birds and squirrels. It's just actually sneaking up on them which is hard. For him. He's still clumsy and over-eager; traits which weren't a huge detriment before, because goldscales were suited best for climbing, perching, and short bursts of aerial speed and a fumble here or there didn't mean no goat. It just mean grab mountain and go go go.

Underbrush isn't as forgiving. ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[Ugh. No. Prepare to have a wry expression at that one. Pulling fungi off a tree is not hunting either.

What's a little sad is if he sit still enough and waits, he can ultimately hear him, rambling around in the underbrush. Silence--Ven's trying to sneak on something. Crash, rush, snap--Ven's tripping through the underbrush and the birds are flying away.

The silverscale walks from the water, giving himself only a slight shake to clear water from his scales. And then it's back on the obsidian boulder again, tucking his back legs under him and his front legs crossed on the black stone.]

[didneyworl]

[ Yes. It's pitiful and it's probably some of the worst forest-based hunting ever, but Ven is trying and as often as he comes up with absolutely nothing he also winds up having a bit of fun, chasing rabbits down their holes or squirrels into trees.

probably the only thing that doesn't bolt away from him is a bear, but a few grumpy chuffs from that and Ven's deciding he probably doesn't need to chance it or anything. He gives it space and the bear gives him space.

But that still means he's going to come back empty-handed with his pride more than a little wounded, half an hour later. Well outside his time-limit. ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[The worst. He's already gathered just what kind of wreck his territory is going to be in after Ven gets through with it. (Okay, so he wasn't that bad.) Still, by the time the other returns, Riku is settling on the stone once again, wings moving to cover his sides.

Because there's something he knows that Ven doesn't. And that's upon twenty minutes passing and still no show, he'd given the goldscale five more minutes before taking flight. Mostly to see what sort of trouble was keeping him. Scouring through the skies until he locates him. Then merely checks on him every few minutes. High enough the whelp wouldn't notice. Couldn't have him thinking he cared or something.

Only when Ven turned back towards the lagoon had he departed and returned to the clearing ahead of him. Which brought them to now. Aqua eyes locked onto the goldscale.]

And?

[didneyworl]

[ Ven practically flops onto his belly in a slump, chin sliding across the ground with a depressed little croon of defeat. That should be plenty answer enough, really. HE'S DISAPPOINTED IN EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW. ]

I didn't get anything.

[dark_to_dawn]

[Why are you flumping down on the beach like it's your home? The familial action earns probably one of the most irritable eyerolls ever seen on a dragon (which is a good thing that Ven's not looking at him for the moment).

Yes, it's answer enough and he knew already you didn't get anything, whelp. Great. Now it's almost sunset and he knows Ven'll never get out of his territory by nightfall. Especially hungry.]

You're such a whelp. There's food to your left. [Five good-sized fish lay submerged in a small "tidal pool" on the shore. This doesn't mean anything, whelp.]