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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[dark_to_dawn]

[The silverscale pushes himself up from the stone once again and steps down onto the shore, small pebbles and sand shifting under his weight. It'd be completely dark soon.]

You're naive.

[Nope. No filter here.]

[didneyworl]

I'm learning! [ Correction. But he lifts his head when Riku steps down, chirping at him as his tail flits from side to side in a short wag. ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[He gives him a slight look at that protest.]

Guess I can't argue that.

[A wry tone as he turns and heads towards the waterfall.]

[didneyworl]

..... [ Senpai nooooo don't go :c or at least, let him follow? He's going to try bounding past the little pool where his fish had been kept, following shortly behind him. ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[Mom -> senpai? Is that a downgrade? Uh-oh. This is not going to be good... He ignores him for now and approaches the side of the falls. With one motion, he thrusts his wing through the spray and water, blocking himself as he walks beneath the stream and revealing a rather spacious cavern behind the falls. "Dragon's den" in all its meaning and glory.]

[didneyworl]

[ He is everything atm, to be honest. And if the way Ven's eyes widen are any indication he obviously hadn't been expecting it to be there. He's fascinated, barking behind Riku as he tries to keep up to some measure. Riku's not massively large compared to him but he's unused to the slippery algae-covered rocks and isn't sure just how close he's allowed to get.

But he sure as heck doesn't want to be left behind :c ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[That covers a lot of ground...

But the second he hears that bark behind him, he knows Ven's there. Water splashes and he vanishes through the waterfall, leaving it an almost solid wall of crashing liquid. Except, a moment later, his head snaps through the falls, and a snarl blazes out towards the gold.

But, it's no longer silver scales, but ebony, as black and reflective as obsidian. Though the silver color bleeds back into his scales the moment his head re-emerges from the cave.]

Don't even think about it.

[Someone went a little too far...]

[didneyworl]

[ --! Ven squawks and falls back over himself, surprised and clearly not expecting the sudden snarl. But...well, guess that's message enough. He'll roll quickly to get his feet back under him and flatten submissively against the ground, whining several times.

Basically begging, really. ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[Half the reason he did it. Ven's not the type (assuming) that'll just go "okay" with a soft "no." He's adorably irritatingly stubborn in that regard.

The silverscale only growls softly at him in emphasis. Even the scramble and roll into the submissive position isn't enough to get access. Sorry, tiny, but this isn't up for debate.]

No. [He makes a motion with his head towards the beach. Be grateful; he's not kicking you out of his territory for the night. The beach is safe enough.]

[didneyworl]

[ He hasn't had to kick his babyish habit yet don't judge him. Begging still worked up until wanderlust pulled him away from his nest, and Ven hasn't learned that it may not work as well here.

So his earstalks droop further and he whines, more pathetically. But not louder or anything, the point isn't to be obnoxious. ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[Way too late for not judging, runt. Begging wasn't getting him anything at the moment, except an icy dragon that's slowly starting to reach the limits of his patience.

The drooping ears and the whines earn a slightly narrowed eye. This had better not be going where he thinks it's going. Because Ven will not like that. Having had his say, Riku vanishes back inside the falls.]

[didneyworl]

[ WHAT YOU MEAN DON'T PINE AWAY INTO THE NIGHT? Making sad pup noises??? ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[Oooooh! That was the game! Really? It's only two seconds of THAT before the water splits like a knife. Claws slam into the goldscale's shoulders and literally take the other drake clean off his feet. Before slamming him onto the shore in one, quick motion.

Riku's eyes narrow down at him and there's a very not so nice growl that bleeds threateningly from his throat. Black teeth bare between quivering silver lips and his mouth his open enough the aqua flesh inside is visible. For all intents and purposes, he looks like he's ready to rip the smaller's throat out.]

Do that again and I'll silence you.

[didneyworl]

[ Oh, well shit. Ven only realizes what's happened until afterwards, and by then he's bleating in terror as he scrambles back from where Riku tossed him. He doesn't need to be told twice--Riku's got plenty of space around his cave now, and Ven's going to be hiding near the treeline with wide eyes. ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[He had originally intended to pin him down, but the impact was enough to do the job. He'd still been below him long enough to be threatened. Silver claws settle on the sand once again as he lifts his head and follows the other drake with his eyes, as if making sure he's got the message. That terrified yowl was clear enough.

He's put up with enough from the goldscale. And he is not going to be patient with someone sitting outside his den all night making whining noises. His space; his rules.

Riku snorts in assurance of Ven's cowing along the treeline.]

Stay around the beach. [And just in case Ven's going to get any brave (scared) ideas of fleeing under dark...] Predators don't come around the lagoon.

[And heads back towards the falls, wings and tail moving in the same serpentine fluidity as his previous dive.]

[didneyworl]

[ Ven whimpers an answer--but not the same begging he'd been doing earlier. This is subdued and wary, apologetic even as he duck his head down further and stay where he is. Not because he refuses to get any closer, but he doesn't want to provoke the taller dragon if he can help it, and staying small seems to be a good way to show his obedience. ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[Luckily, he can tell the difference. As serene as this place can be, there are dangers, both in day and at night. Ven's noises are acknowledging at best and so long as the smaller dragon doesn't wander out of sight of the lagoon, he'll be just fine.

Riku glances over a wing to the area in the treeline once again. One lesson down. So many more to go. The water breeches and he vanishes inside his den once again, silver tail being the last thing to slide through the falling waters.]

[didneyworl]

[ Ven doesn't move for a long time, watching the water cautiously and trying to keep himself to crying unnecessarily. It's his first instinct, mom come help me, but then he remembers that he doesn't have that luxury anymore and he's on his own here. Alone at night, for the first time.

It's not frightening per say, but it is unbearably lonely for a social dragon like himself, and it's a while before he can coax himself back to the shore and curl up next to a rock in a tight, unhappy little ball. ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[Despite the steady roar of the falls blanketing his den, he's able to sleep soundly within it. The echoes kept the outside world out and the water kept his treasures and warmth within. Dark in the den, only permitting what light made it through the falls and managed to rebound off the damp walls. But even through that, he can still hear. And he'd know if something were to happen to a certain someone out there on the shores.

At least true to his word, nothing bothered the smaller dragon on the shore. Everything in the territory that might come close knew what lay behind the waterfall and definitely had no desire to go walking around the shoreline. Heck, Ven was probably considered "insane" for sleeping there if anything had a say about it. But morning comes without issue and the sun rises, causing the lagoon to sparkle from the light filtered through the clouds.

Riku's awake about halfway through sunrise, uncurling from within the shadows of the cavern. His eyes open, gazing out into the glowing circle that is the opening of the den behind the falls. He's got a little bit of tunnel between the falls and his actual resting place; helped keep the moisture down in the cave. Rising to his feet, he takes a brief run and a second later, and ebony torpedo breaks through the falls and vanishes into the lagoon.]

[didneyworl]

[ He's apparently an earlier riser than Ven. Once the goldscale had curled himself up tightly he'd stayed that way for the majority of the night. Thanks to the higher altitude he was used to cooler temperatures, but he's still managed to tuck his wings in around himself tightly and he's practically huddled up next to the rock by the time Riku emerges.

He's also still fast asleep, snuffling softly as he buries his nose deeper into the little wallow of sand he's made for himself. ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[Apparently. Much earlier riser. Then again, he's used to sleeping "under" the sun rather than mountaintop "over" the sun. Probably almost an hour difference at least. But as he emerges from the water, he's pretty quick to located the smaller male. Good. He's on the shore. Better than hiding in the forest all night.

Is he sorry for yesterday? No. Rules happened. Get used to it. But hey, consider yourself lucky, cause he's not bitching at you for being all huddled up around "his" perch. Of course, that's not stopping the silverscale from reclaiming that perch, rather silently for a larger drake, and settling down on it like usual, back legs tucked and forelegs crossed in front of him. Then its the old-fashioned "looking down" at Ven till the other bothered to wake.]

[didneyworl]

[ If there's going to be a source of warmth on that rock Riku had better be prepared for a little bit of a wait! Ven's beyond tuckered out from the day earlier and if there's any measure of added comfort to be found he's going to soak in it, cooing softly in his sleep once Riku's body heat manages to work it's way nearer to him. ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[Hn. Part of him expects this and he takes the time to just study the goldscale beneath him. It'd been a long time since he'd seen another dragon... at least one that wasn't just making a quick flight over his territory. He's got his own history as to why he lives alone out here, but that's a story for some other day. In an odd way, going past the annoyance, it's... nice? having someone else here.

Of course, that 'someone' had to be the most naive, foolish, innocent little hatchling to ever take flight. -_- Just his luck, right?

He'll give him till an hour past sun-clearing-the-horizon before that long silver tail curls down from his perch and nudges Ven on the side.]

[didneyworl]

[ The gesture pulls a soft coo from the mostly-sleeping goldscale, but that's because he's used to tiny nudges and faint bumps from his clutch and from his broodmother when it came time to wake. For the moment it isn't enough to rouse him, but it does have him relaxing into a looser ball than before. ]

[dark_to_dawn]

[... fwing him into the lake, so tempting. Riku snorts silently at the refusal to awaken and he leaves him alone for a moment. Enough to reach his tail into the water, getting the majority of it nice and wet (and a little on the cool side).

Then promptly wraps it around Ven wherever he feels like wrapping it, getting him wet and cold. No more snoozing, m'kay?]