Secret Ingredient
Salt… sugar…
You stare down at the stout glass shakers.
Sugar was more granulated, right? Or was that salt?
You bounce the shaker in your left palm. Hundreds of white particles cascade around the receptacle in response. You bring the adjacent shaker up to your gaze, searching within the confines for information.
Of course!
…no, they still look the same to you.
"I think you should use the spicy one!"
A wispy cowl pops up from below, cresting atop the counter's surface.
"No no, down. Down..." You drop the shaker, gently placing your hand on the boy's head.
"But that's how we make Lesser Dad's cakes. He loves them! He even puts them in a big ol' silver bucket for later!" Lancer attempts to turn his head upwards as you recoil, hand narrowly avoiding the tongue hanging from his mouth.
You shake your head, "But…I don't want it to be spicy." Your eyes squint down at the bobbing Darkner at your side, "Wait, no, neither of these would be spicy anyway. Lancer, what…no. Just no."
You sigh. Maybe you could just taste them? You flip the shaker downwards into your free palm, each particle of the snowy white substance bouncing across your hand. You place the receptacle back down atop the counter, throwing your hand's contents straight into your mouth.
…
SALT!
Your entire body tenses as you sputter and cough.
"Wow! That was an awful idea! Cool!" The spherical boy at your side gently pats your elbow, the sensation barely registering in your fit.
You continue to grimace, your tongue sticking dryly to the roof of your mouth. Okay, found the salt. So that means the other shaker is sugar!
…right? The Darkner prince wouldn't keep two containers of salt in the kitchen, would he?
You grumble quietly, stepping away from the counter top, "Hey, Lancer? You know where Ralsei keeps the bowls?"
"For mixing or stirring?" The smaller Darkner tilts his head to the side, staring back from under his hood.
"…both?" Your gaze begins to drift, the connections within your mind failing.
"Oh! In the cabinet over there!" Lancer points behind you, "Right next to the incinerator!"
"Oven."
"Yes." The boy nods confidently.
You breathe deeply, spurring yourself to action. You would need one or two bowls for all the ingredients. One for the cake mix itself, then another for the strawberries. You quickly open the dark grey cabinet above you, grabbing a precariously stacked set of bowls from the upper shelf. But then what about the whipped cream? Your fingers graze the side of each bowl, silently counting each until you separate out three of the containers.
"Can I help?" Your eyes dart below, finding the young Darkner close by.
"Well…" You pause, "I-I mean, sure! Actually, here," You gently place the bowls atop the speckled countertop, swiftly snatching a thin card from your pocket, "You can tell me all the ingredients I need and how to make everything."
You hand Lancer the recipe card, his eyes dancing over the colorful culinary depictions upon the surface, "Wow! Salisbury steak!"
"Uh…" You reach out, flipping the card in the Darkner's hand.
"Wow! Strawberry shortcake!" The smaller boy's face lights up, "But whose birthday is it?"
You turn back to the silver bowls, separating each one and placing them across the counter, "It's not a birthday cake really. Ralsei just seemed tired lately. He's been making all those new rooms for the Darkners we recruited and using up so much magic." A gentle pout sinks into your features, "I just think he could use something nice. And he's always the one making food when we come here, just seems unfair."
"But doesn't he like making stuff?" Lancer's mitts clamber on the counter's surface as he pulls himself upwards, bouncing lightly as he sits atop the speckled marble's edge.
"Well, yeah. But I owe him for..." The words catch in your throat, "A-Anyway, I just think he deserves a cake every now and then, right?"
Lancer's legs dangle over the countertop's edge as he nods enthusiastically.
Your eyes fall back across the densely packed kitchen, searching for the next step in your culinary efforts. The space was much smaller than you had expected, buried deep within the halls of the prince's castle. You knew most of his cooking was done through the gargantuan cauldron at the entrance, but you still expected a sprawling kitchen with an overflowing pantry befitting the keep. To your surprise, the scullery was well hidden, a small nook located off the far end of the castle's halls. The space itself was difficult to walk through with a massive marble countertop serving as an all-encompassing centerpiece. The dark grey cabinets hung above, pots and pans hooked neatly underneath, dangling inches away from the counters below. Despite much of the castle feeling spacious and cold, the deep navy blue walls seemed to close in upon this room. You feel a smile pull at your lips. You didn't mind a small kitchen. It worked at home, so it would work here.
"Flour!"
"Huh?" You blink.
"Flour?" Lancer turns the card in his hands.
"R-Right!" You shake from your stupor, searching each cabinet for the required ingredients.
Ralsei would like strawberry shortcake, right? He seemed like that kind of person. You quickly shut the cabinet in front of you, another set of neatly folded doilies making you roll your eyes. You wanted to do something for the prince. He would never say it, but you knew how stressed he was with all of the new recruits. Building new rooms, approving housing extensions, telling Tasque Manager she could not, in fact, whip the dungeon's residents.
You throw open another set of cabinets, snatching a simple paper bag of flour and smaller box of baking powder. You heave the two dusty ingredients onto the counter, soon moving towards the towering icebox at your side.
Ralsei deserved a cake every once in a while, too. Not just when you and Susie visited, or when you were caught in a maelstrom of emotions. You sigh, pulling open the fridge's heavy metal door. You owed him. If he didn't push you to go to the dance, to talk to Susie, to actually say anything at all…
You grab a single stick of butter atop the neatly organized shelf, the waxy wrapper feeling cold in your hand.
"Alright, got butter, flour, baking powder, salt…probably sugar. What else?" You gently toss the stick into one of the nearby bowls, a soft clang ringing out.
"Uh…vanilla. Extract. How do you extract a vanilla?" The rotund Darkner turns his head to the side, staring holes into the recipe card.
You open your mouth, pausing on your words, "I…don't know. I think they soak the vanilla, or something." You scratch the back of your head, eyes darting across the kitchen, "Where would Ralsei even keep vanilla extract anyway?"
"Here, you can have mine." You glance back at Lancer, his hand now balancing a deep brown vial of liquid.
"W-What? Why do you…?" You stammer.
The boy shrugs gently, the bronze liquid swirling inside the tube.
"Just…put it over there?" You gesture to the side as the Darkner gently deposits the glass bottle among the other ingredients. "Okay, think that's it then. Just need to get this done before…hey, Lancer?"
The former princeling bounces from side to side, his gaze obscured under his hood.
"How did you even get Ralsei out of the castle anyway?" You cross your arms.
"Oh! I told Girl Dad that he was very busy and shouldn't be bothered today!" Lancer excitedly chatters on.
"…and?"
"So she went to bother him." The Darkner's tongue lolls out sloppily.
You shake your head. Cake first, rescue mission later. You lazily glance over the collected ingredients. Your mom always started with the dry ingredients when you watched her dance through the kitchen. You carefully grab the dense bag of flour, your fingers sinking into the sides. You would have plenty of time to actually make the whipped cream, chop the strawberries up, and-
"WHO'S READY TO BURN SOME CRAP?!"
A loud crack echoes into the kitchen, the doorway at your side smashing into the wall.
"GAH!" You yelp, hands fumbling around the paper bag as puffs of white dust are thrown into the air.
"Susie!" The rotund princeling bounces down from the countertop, soon hopping over to the dragoness' side.
"Sup." Susie's voice rumbles from the entryway.
You gently place the bag of flour back alongside the other ingredients, sniffling in an effort to clear powder from your nose.
"You nerds already start without me?" You hear the dragoness stomp into the kitchen proper.
You sigh, your heart continuing to scream in your chest, "No, we just-" You cough, sending another bit of flour from your sinuses, "Ugh…we we're just getting everything out."
"And snorting most of it, huh?" You hear a snicker at your side.
You grumble softly, "At least I don't run around with chalk dust all over my-"
Your words freeze upon your tongue. Your eyes sweep across the dragoness' form, heartbeat ringing in your own ears.
"…what?" Susie limply drops a container of strawberries atop the counter, her hands retreating back to her sides.
"U-Uh…" You continue staring at the scaled girl.
Gone was Susie's brutish jacket and spiked bangles, now replaced by a clean white apron, a single purple heart adorning the front. Peeking out from the sides was her violet tee, a thin string wrapping around the girl's hips tightly. Her scales shone brilliantly against the white material, muscles flaring underneath the thin apron. You swallow sharply. The apron formed very…tightly.
She tilts her head to the side, a single amber eye boring into you from below her mane. You force down the smile breaking out on your face in an effort to keep some semblance of cool. You feel your cheeks begin to flush, wishing you had previously turned the oven on for a possible excuse.
"W-Well I, um…c-cool apron." You stammer, eyes cast to the side.
The mauve dragoness shrugs, her eyes squinting down at you, "Thanks?" Susie scratches the back of her neck, "Found them hung up by the entrance. Not gonna get a bunch of junk all over my jacket." The scaled girl snorts sharply, "Don't know why the Ralsei even has them, just waves his fingers and bam! Cake."
Lancer bobs in your periphery, waving a mitt up towards the bemused dragoness, "Toothpaste boy is smart! Magic gets everywhere…"
"What? Thought it was all just, like, light? Or fire." Susie places a single clawed finger upon the boy's head, the Darkner beginning to spin like a record in place.
"Fire also gets everywhere! And hurts everywhere!" Lancer continues to gently spin, rotating across the kitchen once freed from Susie's hold.
Your eyes follow the slowly twirling boy, soon shaking away from the sight, "A-Anyway. We just started; you haven't missed anything." You glance over at the lightly crumpled plastic container close by, "Thanks for grabbing strawberries."
Susie rolls her eyes, breathing out an exasperated sigh, "Would've been back sooner if the stupid store owner just told me where they were." The purple girl pinches the bridge of her maw, "Kept bringing me to an aisle with watermelons and bendy straws. Like, an entire section just for that." She shakes her head, "Not even the right fruit."
"…aren't watermelons technically berries?" You poke your tongue to the side of your mouth.
"I was technically about to punch the stupid skeleton too." The dragoness grumbles loudly.
You snicker, "Well, thanks for getting them. And…" You pause, calming the tightness in your chest, "You look nice."
The dragoness' eyes dart to yours, going wide before gazing back down at the floor. Your breath hitches for a moment as you watch the mauve girl deepen into a rosy hue.
"Sh-Shut-up…" Susie shakes her head, hiding further underneath her mane, "…thanks."
You feel your chest tighten. You knew you were playing with fire, but watching as the dragoness' scales flared at your words, how a single fang always emerged when she attempted to hide a smile…
"What's happening?" The spherical Darkner nearby ceases to spin, balancing himself on one leg.
"N-Nothing!" Susie turns to you, eyes pleading, "Right Kris?!"
You fail to hide the mischievous grin breaking through, "Well, I mean, I was just saying how I thought Susie looked really cu-"
A heavy shadow falls over you as the dragoness dashes to your side, throwing you into a tight, and silent, embrace. Scales press against the side of your face as you're buried in the girl's arms.
Susie whispers close to your ear, her breath warming your face, "You're gonna regret that."
You feel the air recede from your lungs, your eyes blinking away dazzling black dots as the dragoness releases her grip ever so slightly. You turn your gaze up to her maw, features continuing to bloom into a deeper royal purple. A sheepish grin pulls at the sides of her mouth, each pointed fang glinting in the dull light.
"S-Sorry. Didn't mean to squeeze that hard…ugh. Always forget how wimpy you are." Susie stammers.
You cough, lungs swelling with oxygen once more, "…worse ways to go."
The dragoness quickly unties herself from you, turning and bumping her shoulder against your own. You stumble as you catch your breath, flashing an indignant glare back at the girl. You turn away quickly, hoping to obscure your own increasingly inflamed face.
"Come on already, let's make this stupid thing before Ralsei gets back." Susie's toothy grin shines back as you bring yourself back to reality.
You nod, blowing a strand of hair from your face. Your mind soon returns to the bowl ahead of you, flour having been haphazardly strewn across the inside. You grab the loose paper bag, quickly dumping the contents out, waving a hand in front of you as powder clouds your vision. Blowing away a bit of the dusty ingredient, your eyes drift back over to the dragoness. You watch as the taller girl effortlessly scoops up Lancer, both of her hands supporting the smaller Darkner as she plops him onto the marble countertop. A wry look paints Susie's features as she sticks her tongue out at the younger princeling. Lancer immediately responds in kind, tongue playfully lolling out as the two monsters soon cackle to themselves. You carefully observe the duo's antics, taking care not to stare long enough for the dragoness to catch your gaze.
Lancer could be…a lot. The young Darkner was a close friend at this point, though you found yourself struggling to keep up with his seemingly boundless energy and absurd behaviors. As much as you enjoyed his constant enthusiasm, finding him hiding in your pocket during visits and suggestions of setting your greaves aflame, for added speed, were a bit much. You peer downwards to your chest, brushing away a dusting of flour from the scarf hanging loosely across your thin black undershirt. You steal a glance back up at the monsters, the two of them appearing to trade their most intimidating looks, Susie's fangs bared while Lancer's cheeks puff up with air. You stifle a chuckle. Lancer could be a handful, but watching the dragoness match his energy and penchant for property destruction, how she seemed to laugh and smile without a thought of those around her…
You duck your head, allowing your hair to hopefully hide much of your smile. It was nice to see. The happiness drains from your face as you note a thin white powder coating much of your chest. You grumble. Maybe you should have kept your breastplate on after all.
"Alright, what're we doing first?" Susie's rumbling laughter dies down.
Lancer casually pulls the recipe card out from the dark corners of his hood, "We need…flour! Oh, and other stuff too. All the dry stuff goes into a bowl, except for butter. The butter should be soft, not dry."
The Darkner confidently smiles back as you barely register Susie shuffling close to your side. She glances down at you, a warm grin goofily plastered across her face. You freeze for a moment, forcing yourself to blink away. Cake, ingredients, baking. Right.
"You already put the flour in? Measured it?" Susie leans over you, peering down into the bowl as her mane drifts over your view of the kitchen.
"Uh…I definitely poured it into the bowl." You softly bite the side of your cheek.
"…right. Well, here." The dragoness scoops up one of the glass shakers, "Put a bunch of sugar in, I'll go grab the butter, see if fluffball has any whipped cream or something in the fridge."
Susie lightly grips your shoulder, bracing herself as she squeezes past you towards the refrigerator. You stare down at the glass shaker, your gaze burning into its surface. How did she know it was sugar? Did she taste it behind your back? Did it look different?
You grumble, haphazardly scooping up the various containers and dumping the contents into the bowl. Salt, presumably sugar, a bit of baking soda, all of the ingredients soon form a mountain of white dust at the bottom. Glancing down, you dig your fingers under the countertop, opening a drawer containing a neatly organized collection of utensils. Having selected a sizable spoon, silver filigree woven into the handle's surface, you lazily mix the powder throughout the bowl. You once again stare down at the mountain of dusty ingredients, silently cursing your lack of attentiveness to your mother's baking habits.
Mixing everything together helped to…activate it? The baking soda? Yeast? Did you need to put yeast in? Maybe you should look for yeast.
"Oh, I can do that too! I've been practicing!"
Your gaze trails back upwards to a particularly sour looking Lancer, the visible parts of the Darkner's face wrinkling, his mouth forming into a tight frown.
You stare back at the princeling, "Uh…"
"Told ya." The dragoness places a heavy glass pitcher to your side, a dull clatter echoing across the kitchen, "You look like you sucked on a lemon when you're thinking."
You roll your eyes, groaning, "I'm glad everyone's paying such close attention."
You feel Susie's elbow gently jab into your side, "Aw c'mon, we all got our thing. Ralsei plays with his scarf when he's embarrassed, Noelle chews on her pencil when she's bored…"
"You snort whenever you're happy." You sniff sharply, accentuating the words.
"Exactly, I mean-" You watch as Susie's wild grin drains away, her amber eyes drilling into you.
You casually resume sifting through the powdery ingredients, dragging the spoon along the bottom of the bowl, "Kinda messes with my hair when you're resting on top of me, but it's nice." You gently place the utensil atop the counter, flashing a carefully devised smile back at the near crimson dragoness, "Like you said, everyone's got their thing."
"Can I stop practicing now? My head feels funny." Lancer's voice rings out, shaking you away from the scaled girl's searing gaze. You frantically nod at the Darkner, his features sagging once more.
"Uh…" Your gaze locks onto the bowl before you, unsure as to risk making eye contact with the dragoness at your side, her presence growing closer by the second, "L-Let's just get back to the cake, alright?" You swallow sharply, "Lancer, what's next?"
The rotund Darkner clears his throat as he once more scans across the recipe card, "Okey-dokey! It says…mix all of the ingredients with butter and heavy cream, then beat it. But don't overwork the dough, take breaks! Make it think it's safe, then attack!"
"…right." You carefully cast your gaze to the side, relief washing over as you spot the dragoness having retreated underneath her mane, "Uh…is that heavy cream?" You point towards the translucent pitcher.
"Huh?" Susie's maw emerges from her veil, hints of warmth continuing to cascade across her scales, "Y-Yeah." The taller girl clears her throat loudly, "The royal nerd has everything labeled in there." The flushed girl nods to the refrigerator close by, "He really needs a hobby or something."
"Well," You reach over, hefting the pitcher over the bowl, "He's got plenty keeping him busy now." You gently tip the jug to the side, dumping a quarter of the contents into the silver bowl. You squint down at the concoction, white powder floating up to the surface in clumps.
That would be enough, right? You could add another cup or two if need be. Or a few eggs. Eggs made things fluffy after all. You begin mixing the watery dough, the flour clumping further and further as you stir. You continue digging your spoon into the mix, soon struggling to scrape the dense mass out from the bottom.
"Think it's good. Want me to pound it?" You feel Susie lean into you, her breathes warming the side of your face.
Your breath catches in your throat, "S-Sure, go for it. I think we just need to take it out and throw some more flour on it. Just kinda spread everything out so that-"
Claws sink into your arms as you're lifted off the ground, feet dangling inches from the kitchen floor. Before you can protest, you feel yourself being gently dropped back down to the side, Susie now standing predatorily over the bowl of pale dough.
"Yeah yeah, you work on the whipped cream and strawberries or something. I'll handle this..." The dragoness squeezes one fist into the other, several popping sounds unpleasantly echoing out.
You rub the side of your arm, muttering under your breath, "Hey there Kris, can you scooch over to the side for a bit. Oh hey, thanks, appreciate it…"
The brutish dragon swiftly grasps the sides of the bowl, flipping the silver container up and over, the dough limply dropping in a splat across the counter. Susie flips her mane off to the side, glancing back at you, "Stop whining. Never had a problem when I grabbed you up before." A cruel smirk flourishes on the girl's face, "Now stop drooling and get to work. Unless you're just gonna stare?"
You freeze for a moment, frantically locking your eyes onto the container of strawberries in front of you. Scrambling to find a distraction from the thoughts raging in your mind, you turn back to the cabinets, unhooking a cutting board dangling from above. You sigh, forcing your gaze to the task at hand. Just focus on the strawberries, get them cut up and ready for when the cake is done. Definitely don't focus on the muscular girl pounding dough into oblivion at your side.
Definitely not that.
"Hey, so," The dragoness' voice pierces your thoughts as you choke on a stifled breath, "Why strawberry shortcake? I kinda expected…I don't know, like, chocolate?"
You clear your throat, fetching a sharpened knife from the drawer in front of you. Dark wood handle, decent weight, properly sharpened. You stare down at the glinting blade, a knot building in your stomach. A moment passes, longer, until you shake away from the image. Blinking back to reality, you open the container of strawberries, dumping the contents out onto the cutting board.
"Kris?" The dragoness bumps into you, her apron's dense material brushing against your arm.
"Huh? Oh, well, that was the only recipe card I could really find." You grab up one of the berries, sweeping the blade's edge over the leafy top, cleanly dragging the knife down and through the middle.
"Seriously? Your mom has everything memorized?" The dragoness continues to pound another fist into the dough, dull thuds ringing in your ears.
"No, she's got hundreds of them. She just…" You bite the bottom of your lip, "She hides the ones with chocolate in them."
The scaled girl snickers quietly at your side, "What, she think you'll eat 'em?"
You grumble, dicing another set of berries, "No, she just doesn't want me trying to make any."
Another blow slams into the countertop, the vibration sending a strawberry flying off the board, "That's kinda messed up. Thought she'd want you to be good at baking. Or not trash at least." Susie clicks her tongue.
"She does! She just…got tired of the smoke alarm going off." You sigh deeply, "…at 3 AM."
A guttural roar of laughter bursts forth at your side as you focus all efforts onto the task at hand. Your face begins to burn as you continue to sweep through each strawberry, taking special pleasure in their destruction.
"It's cool," Your eyes widen as you feel the dragoness rest the side of her head on your shoulder, her scales bristling against you, "You ever make some burnt piece of garbage; I'll eat it."
A strained smile graces your lips as you sink into the feeling, "I…uh, thanks?" You chuckle softly, allowing your eyes to drift away from the cutting board, "I guess, maybe I could try baking a few things then? I-I mean, if you'd be willing to try-"
A sudden, sharp crack sends your heart into your throat.
"There! Should be beaten enough now." Susie stands back to full height, brushing her hands together as powder falls from her palms. A satisfied grunt escapes her lips as she turns back to face you, "Strawberries done?"
"U-Uh…" You glance back down to the wooden board, noting most of the berries having been decimated in your mindless efforts, "I…yeah, actually."
"Sweet. Hey, Lancer?" Susie cocks her head to the side as you follow her gaze, "Huh."
Looking off to the far end of the countertop, you find the quietly resting form of the spherical Darkner, his chest rising and falling with gentle breaths. The boy's hood hung downwards, a single strand of drool dribbling off the side of his mouth. You squint at the princeling. It was almost adorable if you forgot the he could summon dozens of pointed spades like his father.
A hiccup-like snore escapes the boy's lips.
Alright, still kind of cute.
"Guess he fell asleep?" The mauve dragoness scratches the back of her head.
You shrug, "Too much responsibility; gets to people." You quietly place the knife off to the side of the cutting board, "Weird how he can sleep through all the noise though. And how he's asleep sitting up like that…"
"Psh, you're just bad at sleeping." The scaled girl lifts her arms into the air, stretching with a dull groan. Your eyes follow along her form, tracing across each scale bending and curling in her movements. You glance away before further heat rises to your face.
"Alright, let's get this thing in the oven." You watch as Susie flings open a cabinet at her feet, crashing through a number of pots and pans in her frenzied hunt. She eventually emerges with a circular cake pan, one last cacophony of metal slamming together as the dragoness forces the cabinet closed. With a satisfied grunt, she scoops up the thoroughly pulverized mound of dough and plops the mass into the pan. The girl turns back to the oven behind her, staring down at the surprisingly modern device, quickly gripping the handle and tossing the gleaming metal container inside. The dragoness continues to stare down at the sleek black knobs and shining steel surface, a skeptical look creasing the scales on her face.
You lean against the counter, casting your gaze towards her own, "It's an oven. We typically use it for baking and cooking different-"
An annoyed growl rumbles forth, "Just trying to figure out what to set it to, freak."
You limply shrug, "Maybe put it to broil? We do wanna try and get it done before Ralsei gets back after all."
The dragoness groans, "Ugh, where's the…" Susie turns back around toward the countertop, eyes searching across the marbled surface. Pausing only for a moment, you watch as she reaches out towards the sleeping Darkner, pinching a recipe card between two claws out from underneath the princeling's leg.
"Alright," A huff escapes her lips, "Says…four-hundred, for twenty minutes." The mauve dragoness carefully pokes arrows upon the oven's front panel, the temperature soon matching the recipe's instructions, "There. See? Glad you invited me, huh?" Susie proudly stands before you, fists firmly placed at her sides, the stance of a heroine.
You snicker, "Right, I'm so glad you could come and save me from-"
You pause, staring back at the scaled monster. You breathe deeply, taking comfort in the moment.
"I…thanks for coming Susie. Thanks for the help, I mean it."
Susie's fists loosen from her sides, her statuesque form dropping into a bashful look, "Uh…yeah. I mean, of course! You'd be hopeless without me!" The dragoness' mane falls across her face, a single amber eye peeking out, "…'course I'd come."
A gentle smile rests on your face, a chuckle building in your chest. You beam up at the dragoness, a bemused look curling her lips.
"So…uh," Susie scratches the side of her arm, purple scales bristling under her claws, "You're feeling…ya know? After the other night, I-I mean, just, didn't know if-"
You slowly close the distance, wrapping your arms around the dragoness, the rough-hewn cloth of her apron and scales brushing across your form.
"I'm okay." You allow a sigh to escape your lips, Susie's own arms falling around you.
"…okay." You feel her embrace tighten, maw lowering into the crook of your neck.
She feels…safe. A stifled chuckle bursts forth as you try to shake away from the thought. The claws, the scales, even the deep rumble vibrating through her chest, your own close enough to feel her heartbeat. All intimidating to those around her, often times even wielded as a means of protecting herself and others. You breathe deeply, an earthy scent once more invading your senses. But it all meant the world to you. She made you feel okay. That you were just here, that there wasn't anything else that would make you not okay. You close your eyes, drifting. Just for a moment. Just a little while.
The dragoness' breath tickles your face, gusts of warm air creasing through your hair and across your cheek. The rising laughter breaks forth as the reverie is broken. You squeeze her tight, hesitant to see the moment end.
"I do mean it though. Thanks for coming." You turn your eyes back towards the mauve girl's, "I know baking probably wasn't what you wanted to do after school."
"Eh, was gonna hunt you down after class anyway." A snort flutters through your hair, "Just saves me the trouble." The dragoness' claws gently sink into your back, "Next time we go with my plan though. Gotta keep training; not gonna have you faint on me the next time some Darkner looks at you funny."
You swallow sharply.
The scaled girl cocks her head to the side, mauve scales brushing past your neck once more, "But seriously, why are we doing all this baking crap? Ralsei makes enough cake and…okay, I mean, he could definitely make more. The cheapskate."
You roll your eyes, hands gently drifting away from the girl's sides, "I don't know. Thought it would be nice to make him a cake for once."
You feel the dragoness' grip loosen, the warmth of her embrace already missed, "I guess. You weirdos are too nice though. Normal people just say thanks, they don't open up a freakin' bakery."
You shrug limply, returning to the lightly dusted countertop's side, "Well, it's not just that, it's…" You hesitate, instead focusing your attention on hopping atop the thankfully flour-less edge of the counter, "He helped me a while back with…stuff. We talked for a long time and I just never really got to thank him properly."
The mauve dragoness leans into the marble's edge, your eye level matching for once, "Wonder what that's like, seeing two giant nerds talking by themselves. You two just figure out the best hugging techniques? Who can braid each other's hair to look cuter?"
You glare at the scaled girl, "Uh huh. Fall asleep in class again and I'll give you pigtails."
The dragoness' eyes snap to you, a look of genuine panic flashing across her features.
You clear your throat, "No, he just helped me when I was figuring out everything. Just uh…what to say." You take a deep breath, "He was the one who convinced me to go to the dance."
Anxiety flows out of the mauve drake, a ponderous expression now sinking in, "Oh. OH!" Her eyes jolt back to you once more, "Wait! Does that mean Ralsei-" The words fall from the girl's maw as panic returns in full, "Like, does he know?! Wait, shit, so he convinced you to…that little creep!"
Tightness builds in your chest as you begin wringing your hands, taking small comfort in the distraction. You watch as Susie drags her palms across her face, eyes shifting rapidly across the room.
"I-I mean, I'm glad you came to the dance! If you didn't then-" The dragoness begins to stammer, "But, like, so, he knows. Like, knows knows?!"
A tortured grin creases your lips, "…he's known. For a while." You sigh softly, "I haven't said anything since then, but he knew I liked you and pushed me to actually say something."
Susie's gaze drifts off blankly, a scoff escaping her lips, "That twerp." The dragoness begins to shake her head, mane bouncing from side to side, "Don't know if I should make him another cake or shove one in his face for butting in."
You bring yourself closer to the scaled girl, scootching near her towering figure. Now just barely a head above the dragoness, you feel her instinctively lean into you. Susie's mane flows over your lap as she continues to shake her head in disbelief.
"Sorry, I didn't mean…"
"I know." You instinctively tend to the dragoness' hair, curling threads of the mane around your fingers.
"Y-Yeah. Damn it, I like you Kris, you know that, right?!" The mauve girl continues to struggle for each word.
You push down the tightening in your chest, "I know."
"Ugh, I'm trash at this." You hear Susie sigh deeply, your fingers beginning to remember the days of tying intricate knots into your brother's hair, "I just didn't think Ralsei knew." Another groan resonates from the girl, "Of course he knew. He always knows. Damn…know-it-all."
You begin weaving threads of hair across each other, bringing one side into loops while allowing the other side to flow free. Without thinking, you hold the braid fast, bringing the loose mane over and looping the collection of hair around. Fingers dance over the wild mass of hair, soon forming into a woven ponytail, the back fading and curling underneath. The once crazed pile now sits cleanly down the dragoness' back, the folded ponytail uncovering the deeper hues warming Susie's cheeks.
"Angel, if he knows, who else does? Was I that obvious? …AGH!" A guttural roar echoes out from the girl, "Okay, okay, it's fine. Who cares? Who cares if he knows, or everyone knows. I'm happy, so screw it! It doesn't matter if-" Susie lifts her head, a moment's escape from the thoughts raging inside, "Uh…did you braid my hair?"
"…yes?" Your hands freeze, midway through implementing another loop at the mane's end.
Susie reaches back, hand scrambling over the carefully constructed ties throughout. The room remains silent, a dull grunt bringing an end to the anxiety in your chest, "S'aight. Little tight, not bad though."
You quietly exhale after unconsciously holding a breath in, "…used to tie my brother's hair when he went through a whole phase. Tried stuff with mine but I got kinda lazy with it." You tilt your head to the side, eyes meeting hers, "You look good with your hair up. I can always tie it if you want."
Susie's mouth hangs open, cheeks flaring into a deeper crimson, "I-I uh, t-thanks. Wait, no! Ralsei!" The dragoness shakes her head viciously, "Ugh…guess we would've had to tell him eventually anyway. Jeez, I can already see that stupid look he gets on his face…"
"You mean a smile?"
"Yeah, that. Hate it." Susie grumbles loudly.
A piercing beep rings out into the kitchen as your eyes dart to the oven nearby. Wafting scents of sugary dough float in the air, reminding you of your long-forgotten task.
"Crap, I'll get it." The dragoness pulls away, the ties in her hair proving steadfast as she dashes towards the oven.
You grip the edges of the countertop, swiftly hopping down from the stony surface, your greaves clattering against the kitchen's floor. You immediately begin brushing your armor and undershirt off, paranoid of white dust further coating your outerwear. You sigh, finding your hands soon covered in thick powder, cursing your choice of seating. Even if it meant you were almost eye level with Susie for once.
"Hey, you still gotta do the whipped cream, right?" You peer over at Susie, now hunched over as she sifts through rags and additional backup sets of doilies. Having found her quarry, the dragoness drags a pair of dense green oven mitts from the drawer, donning them with little care of claws tearing into the sides.
"Yeah, I'll just…" You stare off to the side, "I'll just whip it up real quick."
Susie pauses, turning back slowly with a disgusted grimace, "…make the damn whipped cream already."
You nod vigorously, turning your attention back to the multitude of ingredients and kitchenware scattered about. If there was anything you could feel confident in making, it was whipped cream. You grab up the translucent pitcher once more, pouring out a substantial amount of heavy cream into a spare bowl. Scooping up the supposed sugar shaker alongside the vial of vanilla extract, you dump a healthy amount in with the foaming liquid. You let out a huff, satisfied with the concoction before you. Your mom may have kept you on a tight leash in the kitchen, especially after the time you burned homemade ice cream, but whipped cream was your job. You knew the process and ingredients well…all three of them.
You search once more through the kitchenette's drawers, latching onto a surprisingly hefty whisk. Barely registering the oven opening and closing, a clatter of a pan being placed onto the marble counter, you begin frantically swirling the whisk through the bowl's contents. You watch as the vanilla extract vanishes from sight, the bronze color barely darkening the vibrant white mixture. Continuing with increased fervor, you begin to feel a subtle resistance, noting peaks forming atop each pillowy wisp of cream.
"So do I just put the strawberries on now or what?" The dragoness mumbles off to your side, carefully pulling the oven mitts from her claws.
"No, you basically have it as a topping, so just leave-"
You turn back towards Susie, whisk still in hand, the metal implement bending and snapping back against the bowl's edge. Suddenly, you hear a splat, a sharp cold slamming into the side of your cheek.
"Agh…!"
"What?" Susie pivots back to you, her lips soon creasing into barely hidden glee at your expense.
You delicately drop the whisk back into the bowl, bringing a hand up to the side of your face. You recoil. finding a dollop of whipped cream upon its return. You groan.
"Come on…" You flick away the sugary concoction from your fingertips, "Where's a rag or something…hey, where'd you find the oven mitts? Were there any ra-"
You freeze, gaze locked to the floor as a cloud of heat wafts against your face. You open your mouth to speak, only for the words to die in your throat as you feel a slick, but rough, warmth slide against the side of your cheek. You disconnect for a moment, thoughts and mind faltering.
You breathe. Inhale, exhale. That was working. That's all that's working.
Susie clicks her tongue, a soft grumble echoing from her maw, "Eh, probably could use more sugar. Guess we put a lot in the cake though. Should be fine."
You feel your eye twitch. That…that's probably not good. Eyes aren't supposed to do that. You gasp, a cough escaping your lips in a struggled breath. Lungs probably weren't supposed to lock up for that long, at least for humans.
Your girlfriend wasn't typically supposed to lick the side of your face either.
"So, we got cake, whipped cream, and strawberries. Think we're pretty good! Just have to go find wherever the fuzzball is. Or not. Could just eat it ourselves." Susie's voice echoes in the distance, seemingly miles away from the reality you currently existed in.
The cool air caressed the side of your cheek, chilling the still damp surface of your face. She just did that. She licked your face. With her tongue. Heat cascades across your features, your senses slowly, and painfully, returning in full. Her tongue was…rough? But also soft? Your head begins to spin. Do dragon monsters just do that? Does that mean anything? Is that what it would be like to…
The pressure in your chest burns, a coughing fit erupting from your throat as you struggle to breath.
"…you good? Come on, I'll get Lancer and we can got hunt Ralsei down."
"Y-YEAH! I-I mean, yes! O-Okay, cool! Yep!" You continue staring into the distance.
"…'kay." The dragoness huffs loudly, stomping over to the countertop's edge, "Come on dude, nap time's over."
You vaguely register a short chirp-like sound as the smaller Darkner stretches, "Pleh." Lancer wobbles in your periphery, plopping down off from the counter's surface, "'S'all done? Did cake happen?"
A guttural chuckle escapes the dragoness' maw, "Yup. All done. You did awesome man."
"Cool! I've never baked a cake while sleeping before!" The princeling pauses, placing a finger to his lips, "Well, I mixed a cake in bed one time. But it didn't cook. It just stayed there, under the mattress…"
You inhale sharply, taking in as much air as your lungs will allow. You focus, breaking yourself away from the stupor. Everything is okay. Susie just…licked you. That's it. Don't think about it. Just don't think about it.
…
Oh angel you're thinking about it.
"Wow! You're really good at making your face all scrunchy! I have to keep practicing; I just fall down when I do it too long." The Darkner bounces past you, playfully wrinkling his features once more.
"My face doesn't…never mind." You sigh, body going rigid once more as you feel the dragoness' hand on your back.
"Come on ya wrinkly weirdos. We got a cake to shove in someone's face!"
Cake probably shouldn't be salty. At least, not this salty. Maybe a little salt, just to help the baking process. But…
You languidly poke your plate, bits of chewy biscuit-like pastry crumbling under your fork.
Cake probably shouldn't taste like the ocean. Or any body of water for that matter.
You audibly groan, leaning back in the plush lavender chair. You plop your saucer down onto a nearby table, a steaming cup of tea sitting close by. You peer into the swirling liquid, a wispy foam forming atop. Much more enticing than the salt lick you were so thoroughly enjoying.
"Kris?"
A reassuring tone breaks you from your thoughts as you lift your head, Ralsei's soft gaze fixed on you.
"This was lovely of you two, thank you so much!" The robed prince clears his throat, eyes squinting almost imperceptibly, "The cake was…" He pauses, "I-I very much enjoyed the, um…toppings! It is such a treat to have homemade whipped cream and fresh berries. Magical ingredients often differ little from their organic counterparts, but there is something to be said for the real thing."
You sigh, making a small popping sound with your lips. Only Ralsei could spin this in a positive light. You stare back at the enshrouded green mage. The prince catches your gaze, a bright smile reflected back. You stop your eyes from rolling as a pained chuckle erupts from your throat. He really was too nice sometimes.
An incoherent grumble resonates off to your side, words trapped under a quickly vanishing mass of dough, "Mmrmph!"
You raise an eyebrow, squinting back at the struggling dragoness, a sharp gulp ringing out.
"Eugh…" Susie flips the bottom of her apron up, manipulating the once pristine cloth as a makeshift napkin, "Right?! I thought it'd be a disaster. Guess I'm just too good at all this baking crap." The dragoness throws the plate back towards her maw, crumbs floating down into the bottomless abyss. With a single, satisfied grunt, the scaled girl drops the plate upon a delicately stacked pile of books, nearly toppling the entire collection, "Just wish we made more…"
You sink further into the armchair's embrace, hoping the fuzzy material would swallow you up.
"Y-Yes, thank you Susie! That was very kind of you to make all of…this." Wisps of white fur crease along the prince's mouth, "But I suppose I'm just thrilled you both came by today. I've barely had a moment to sit down with all of the castle's renovations." Ralsei chuckles lightly, "Though I am finding joy in decorating each of the rooms to the resident's taste. There's a certain challenge to it all!" The prince hesitates, eyes narrowing, "Especially when some continue to request that the outer gardens be transitioned into pits of searing battery acid…"
You swallow sharply. You'd need to remember to thank Lancer for warding his mother off for the time being.
…
Mother? Girl Dad? Computer program?
"But I want to hear about you two! How has everything been in your world?" Ralsei gently swirls his tea, holding the thin spoon off to the side as he takes a sip from the steaming liquid.
"Eh, boring." Susie grumbles, leaning forward, "Just more homework. Apparently writing a freakin' book for one project isn't enough." The dragoness' eyes drift over to you, "And now I got someone breathing down my neck to actually do all of it."
You click your tongue, "Can't go into the Dark World if you get kicked out of school."
"I could break in." Susie chirps.
You roll your eyes, "You'd go to jail."
"I could break out."
You shake your head, a snicker bringing your gaze back to the prince.
"Well, I am glad you're staying busy. Education is important for the future." Ralsei's smile softens, a ponderous look painting his features, "Perhaps that knowledge will be helpful if more fountains were to open too. We have no way of knowing what worlds may appear and what challenges we may face after all."
It was Susie's turn to sink into her chair, the seat creaking loudly, "I guess."
The mage gently nods, heat from his tea fogging the edges of his glasses as he takes another sip.
You allow your eyes to drift over the room's seemingly endless shelves and books, the study surrounded by what seemed to be an entire library condensed into one room. Despite the few reading chairs brought in for comfort, little space existed where there wasn't at least a half dozen tomes precariously stacked atop each other. Your eyes trace along the mahogany shelves, literature displayed in arcane script and words far beyond your own vernacular. You attempt to parse a number of titles, your head spinning in the attempt. Opening one of the many tomes may not curse you, but you still feel confident they would send your mind reeling.
"So…" Ralsei's voice brings you back to reality, "Did anything else happen since we last saw each other?"
You freeze.
"Huh? I dunno. HyperDeathGod 2 is coming out soon. Probably go see that in the theater downtown." Susie shrugs, her maw resting against her fist.
You feel a knot in your stomach. He isn't going to…?
"That sounds…very intense." A weak smile graces the prince's lips before he shakes his head, "Well, I was just wondering if anything happened recently. It sounded as if there was going to be quite the get-together coming up…" Ralsei's smile brightens further, his eyes glancing over to you.
Oh angel, he was going for your throat.
"W-What? Uh, well, yeah. The dance happened. Yeah. I uh, went…we went. I-I mean, both of us went. We we're both…there." Susie stutters.
"How wonderful!" Ralsei gently places his teacup off to the side, "I'm happy you two had the opportunity to go! Especially you, Kris. I was worried you wouldn't take the opportunity for such an experience."
You feel yourself draining away to nothing.
"It can certainly be daunting to take that leap and be with others in such a way." The prince laces his hands together, calmly resting them in his lap, "Though you never know what connections you can make!"
You feel the dragoness' gaze burning into you, her amber eyes panicked, searching for your response.
"But I'm glad you two are striving to make those moments count. Memories like that mean the world and will-"
"We're dating." Your throat tightens.
Silence hangs in the room, your heartbeat ringing in your ears. The castle was surprisingly quiet, all things considered. You always expected castle walls and towering ramparts to creak more. Like a house settling in the evening, but on a much grander scale. If you closed your eyes, maybe you could even hear the gentle breeze outside instead of the screaming in your mind.
…
Nope, just screaming.
A positively ear-shattering squeal breaks the silence as your gaze snaps back to Ralsei.
"FINALLY OH MY GOSH YES YOU TWO I CAN'T BELIEVE IT HAPPENED BUT I CAN BELIEVE IT HAPPENED AND I'M SOHAPPYANDIWISHYOUTHEBESTAND-"
You recoil, the prince having lost himself in a maddened ramble of words, rapidly descending into incoherence. He's gone. The poor goat has finally broken. You were surprised it took this long really. You cock your head to the side, watching as Ralsei begins to literally bounce in his seat, soon breaking free and hopping up from the chair.
"Sorry! Sorry sorry sorry, but…ah!" Another delicate squeal escapes the prince's lips.
"Tch, would ya chill out already."
Your eyes break away from the excitable caprine, now finding joy in the multitude of colors Susie's scales were turning. A sigh escapes your lips as the knot from your stomach quickly disappears. She wasn't mad. She was…smiling? Her woven ponytail hung loosely across her face, but you could still spot a single glinting fang, and hear the telltale sound of soft snorting.
You feel your own lips being pulled into a goofy grin.
"Okay, I…okay," Ralsei breathes deeply, "I'm…" Another deep breath as the prince shakes a beaming smile from his face, "I'm just happy to hear everything worked out."
The dragoness groans loudly, "Whatever. You knew before anyway."
"Y-Yes, but," Ralsei's noble demeanor returns as the prince loops his hands behind his back, "I wasn't sure if anything would come of it. I didn't want to push either of you but…" The young mage sighs, "I'm sorry. I know it was not my place to intrude."
"Ugh…" Susie rises from her chair in a huff, "Well ya did. You nosy creep."
The dragoness rolls her eyes, plodding over to the robed prince. Susie's face was slowly returning to the mauve colors you remember as she brushes her mane to the side, scratching the back of her neck. In one swift motion, the dragoness throws a jab towards the prince's shoulder, gently setting the goat off balance.
"…'preciate it." Susie mumbles under her breath.
A laugh bubbles up from your throat, one that is immediately stifled upon meeting the dragoness' withering gaze.
"Thanks for convincing this freak to actually say something."
You sigh. There's the karma you were expecting.
Ralsei giggles to himself, "Happy to be of service." The robed prince beams at you, "Now, you must tell me what happened! Was there a slow dance? Will you two be holding hands? Oh! I could create matching scarves for you! Or…well, Susie, you don't wear a scarf, do you? Perhaps matching bangles that-"
A droning creak interrupts the thought, the grand wooden door of the study being pushed open by stubby arms.
"Toothpaste boy!"
You breathe off to the side, thankful of the derailment.
"Y-Yes? Lancer? What is it?" Ralsei attempts to refocus, struggling to bring his attention to the smaller Darkner entering the conversation.
"Girl Dad told me to come find you." Lancer stands at attention, arms locked to his sides.
"…may I ask why?" The caprine mage tilts his head off to the side.
"She said you would ask why!" The rotund princeling nods his head confidently, "She also said, 'Installation Of Acid Pits At 40%/It's Pretty Dope/You Should See It'."
A whimper escapes Ralsei's lips as he begins to half-sprint, half-trip over to the study's exit, back down into the castle proper. Turning only for a moment, the mage calls out, "W-We'll catch up later! I still wish to hear about everything! Just, uh, another time! Sorry!"
You mindlessly gaze down the hallway, barely registering the spherical Darkner waddling close behind. You let out a deep breath, a whistling sound emanating from your lips.
That…could have gone worse.
You sink back into your chair, eyes drifting closed.
Ralsei knows. Well, knows more. He's the first to know. A ghost of a smile graces your lips. It felt good. Like a weight vanished in that short moment. He was a friend, maybe your best friend at this point. Keeping a secret like that from him just…wasn't right. He cared about both of you and wanted the best.
If he made you matching bracelets though, you would hide in his cauldron again. No mercy.
"Kris…"
Your eyes shoot open.
"U-Uh…hi?" You stutter, staring up at the towering dragoness.
Susie tilts her head to the side, arms crossed over the purple heart adorning her apron. You study her face carefully. You had a fifty-fifty chance you figure. Either she wants to bite your face off, or she wants to bite your face off affectionately.
"S-Sorry! I mean, he already kinda knew? And…I wanted to tell him." A pained smile paints your features, "I don't really want to hide that we're…together. Just don't want to hide that I lo-," You cough, clearing your throat, "Like you." A stuttering sigh breaks from your lips, "It's hard enough acting like friends in school. Don't really want to do it in the Dark World too." You mumble quietly, "Sorry, I should've asked you before-"
Sharp claws circle around your wrist, Susie's grip pulling you from your chair and onto your feet. Your mind spins as you're pulled further along, out past the study's entrance and into the castle's halls.
"W-Wait, I-"
The words catch in your throat as you're dragged down the azure halls and off to the side of Ralsei's burbling cauldron. You swallow harshly, looking down at the dragoness' claws, scales upon her palm burying much of your hand from sight. You forcefully push down a silent chuckle. You were being dragged to your doom and you really just didn't mind. Susie was holding your hand. You shake your head, realizing how much of a disaster you had become when the dragoness was present.
With barely an effort, Susie flings open the castle's arched doors, continuing to force you down the main thoroughfare. Glimmering lights from shops and business cascade over the two of you, the dragoness' stony face shimmering from each shining scale. You stumble, catching yourself long enough to keep pace, the scaled girl continuing to guide you to the once desolate training room. Thrumming music tints the air as you gaze out upon the seemingly unpopulated space. Save for the newly established record store, life seemed to stop this far out of town. Perfect, at least no one will witness your embarrassing death.
The endless march finally comes to a close, Susie's claws unfurling from your wrist. You rub the reddened spots forming from her grip, looking up to find the dragoness untying her apron and tossing it to the side. In one last huff, the scaled girl stretches, her sleeveless violet tee allowing for much more freedom of movement.
"Alright. So," The dragoness' stretching colors her voice, a gravelly tone permeating her words, "I don't want to hide either. Hell, I was gonna tell Ralsei."
You blink.
"But then you opened your big mouth and blabbed, so screw it I guess." Susie grips her arm, rolling her shoulder, "I just…shit, look." The girl breathes deeply, "When we're at school, I just…" She pauses, dragging her palms across her face, "Half the time I just want to grab you, go to that storage closet or whatever, and just…h-hold you? I-I don't know!" The dragoness mumbles quietly, "…just don't wanna let go."
Every word seems to wither on your tongue as you struggle for coherent thought.
"I'm cool with Ralsei knowing. But I don't want everyone in our business. Don't need every idiot at school judging or just making shit weird. I just don't want to screw anything up, okay?" Susie's eyes drift to the floor.
You squeeze your wrist tightly, grounding yourself. You breathe, allowing your eyes to flutter closed for a moment, then back to the moment. Just enough to bring yourself back to what matters.
"Cool."
"…cool?" The dragoness' amber eyes snap back to yours, "The hell you mean 'cool'?"
"I mean, if you ever want to hold me in a dark closet for hours, that's cool."
Life drains from the girl's scales, soon replaced by a burning royal purple swarming over her features, "S-Shut-up! You know that's not what I…damn it!"
You struggle to hold back laughter, watching as the dragoness' own eyes light up with barely hidden joy.
"Goddamn you're such a creep…" Susie runs her claws through her mane, hand freezing close to her braid.
"I know." A warm smile graces your lips, "Sorry." You clear your throat, "I'm cool with just Ralsei knowing, or just close friends, or whatever. I guess that doesn't really matter. As long as…" You pause, "As long as you know I'm not trying to hide you. Or what I feel."
The dragoness' chuckles, "Not like you can hide shit anyway. You suck at lying."
You bite the bottom of your lip.
"But…thanks." The mauve drake sighs, "God, Ralsei's gonna be pestering us for weeks until he gets a whole play-by-play."
You let out a tortured laugh. Ralsei wouldn't ask for every detail, right? He would let it go after a few days…or weeks.
"It was…nice though." You stare back up at the dragoness, her hands twisting around each other for comfort, "H-Hearing you say that? Felt good."
You let out a shuddering breath. You did say you were dating. That actually came out of your mouth. Heat swells in your face, a half-smile buried underneath the torrent of emotions on your face. Your mind continues to swirl, barely noticing Susie's approach, a scaled maw gently resting atop your head. Your heart swells, the girl unconsciously nuzzling into you.
"I-I…" The words seem to drift away.
The dragoness' shadow recedes, the weight lifted from the top of your head. You feel a tightness in your chest, weakly sighing. Never long enough. Probably never would be.
A simple snort brings you back from your thoughts as you spot Susie roll her neck from side to side, "Anyway, now that all the stupid baking stuff is done…" Susie cracks her knuckles, "Can actually focus on what's important!"
A wickedness in the dragoness' tone shakes you to your core as you note her slowly walking away, off to the other side of the room.
"…what're you doing?" You mutter.
"What? Told you we should do this again."
A shimmer of magic swells in the room, arcane energy weaving into a cruel form.
"Not going easy on you this time though. Gotta get you to build up muscle somehow!"
Your eyes bulge as motes of light coalesce into a single edge, the dragoness' axe radiating in the dim light.
"W-Wait, no, look, I probably need to start heading back anyway before-" You stammer weakly.
"Aw come on, just a few rounds. I promise, it'll be quick." Susie's eyes glow against the axe's magic, a fiery gaze peering back across.
You swallow a lump in your throat, bracing yourself.
You really hated training.
[Author's Note]
Yo.
So, I realized I can put whatever I want down here, so now I'm going to abuse that power because…I dunno, seems fun. First off, thank you so much to deadmannewil for helping edit a bunch of this chapter, giving me their thoughts/ideas for interactions, and just generally being a lovely person to talk to. They've been an inspiration before I even started all this and they've proven to just be a genuinely kind and welcoming person in this community. Thanks bud, glad you're around. Also, go check out some actually good stories out there!
deadmannewil put out an absolutely adorable AU fic inspired by a recent bit of art, the title being, "Mom! I can't help but love Kris!" A goofy title that works perfectly with the story of two dumb nerds being dumb and cute.
Patchwork Crow is, of course, blowing my vocab out of the water daily and just casually dropped "OverShadowed". It's absolutely some of their best work yet and depicts a genuinely brilliant level of awareness into how the characters may deal with pretty internalized/existential concepts. Also, they're just a fantastic person, so go poke around their stories, do it.
Also, I'm super late to the party, but look into Blick_Winkel. Been poking through their Omori fic and the recently updated Krusie stuff and it's just fantastic. Their fic "Arright, Loser! Happy Birthday!" is just the cute nonsense I adore in this community.
…
Still here? Well, thank you to everyone who reads this stuff. I told myself months back if I were to start this, I would get to ten chapters. Doesn't matter how long, doesn't matter if it's any good, I wanted to meet that goal. And bam, ten chapters. So, thank you. For reading all this, commenting, just being amazing to an amateur writer new to this community. All of you have been incredibly welcoming and truly wonderful to someone that…struggles with a sense of what they can put together. I'll be continuing this, maybe writing some other things too. Different games, maybe even something original? Who knows? But everyone here makes that a fun thought, so thank you all for being here.
Stay safe out there, and take care of yourself the best you can.