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Killer Queens [Cinnabar]

Started by Cheesigator, February 07, 2017, 08:47:30 PM

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Cheesigator

Stepping outside of her rather large home on the outskirts of Ketra, the early morning breeze felt absolutely wonderful, and she had a feeling today was going to be another interesting day.

Just the other day she had returned home from another run of mining and gem-hunting, with quite the catch that she was rather eager to set up in her shop before everyone started coming out to do their daily shopping rounds.

With a bag full of her goods, she left her estate and headed into the city, unlocking her storefront and stepping inside, smiling to see everything was just as she left it. Remi was a good shopgirl, she always did a great job taking care of everything while Ain was gone.

She busied herself with setting up, rearranging the various gems and jewelry she had for sale on the shelves, giving the shop a nice new update of all the new goods she'd found in her month away from home. Remi came in not too long after, and got to work in the back on a set of jewelry she'd been toiling away on for a noblewoman in Serendipity. Ain was proud of how far the human witch had come along in her work, after apprenticing under Ain for... Five years now? She'd lost count.

Just as the air outside finally started to warm up Ain opened the doors to her shop, seeing people already in the streets poking around as stores got ready for the day; she saw one of her friends who owned a bakery across the way and she beamed, heading away from her store for a brief moment to say hello, which inevitably turned into a slightly longer chat about how her trip had been and how business was in Ketra and how the woman's family was doing and all that fun sort of thing.

Bunbun

Alright, alright. Just keep your cool, act natural... and for gods' sakes, don't do anything stupid.

Those were the thoughts that ran through Axia's mind as she wandered though the streets of Ketra, glancing around anxiously at the people dotted about the city. It had been a little while since she'd first learned how to take on a humanoid form, and by now she was able to use it rather effectively, but this was the first time she'd used it in public. At first, she'd been absolutely thrilled to explore a human city, but as the day went on it was becoming painfully obvious that she stuck out like a sore thumb.

Despite her best efforts to remain inconspicuous, she still received plenty of odd looks from the surrounding people. Some of them looked awestruck, others confused... heck, a few of them even seemed a little scared. Of course, she couldn't blame people for stopping to stare at someone with draconic features like hers, but that didn't make getting so much attention any less unnerving. It made her feel like she'd painted a target on her back, and while realistically she had little reason to be afraid- hunting dragons was a particularly grievous offence in Adela- she couldn't shake the feeling that there had to be at least a few people who were willing to take advantage of a dragon in a more vulnerable form.

Eventually, though, Axia came across something that lifted her spirits quite a bit. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the twinkling of... a gem? No, wait. On further inspection, she realized that it wasn't just a gem, but rather a whole store full of gems. She desperately wanted to go inside and take a look around, but also recognized that doing so was a really bad idea. It would just make her want to buy something, and while she did have some money with her, it was best saved in case of an emergency. Sparkly things would have to wait until she had something that at least resembled a job.

...

BUT THEY WERE SO SHINY THOUGH.

Seconds later, Axia found herself wandering about the shop, her eyes glimmering with a sparkle that rivalled those of the gems placed along the shelves. She was like a kid in a candy store, constantly looking around at all the wonderful things surrounding her. It was almost as if she'd entered some sort of trance, her mind blocking out everything that wasn't shiny. Gods, she wanted them. She wanted them all.

Slowly, one of her hands subconsciously began to reach out towards a particularly well-crafted piece. She wasn't entirely aware of what she was doing in that moment, but to be honest, she couldn't really care less right now. This place was amazing, and she would've been more than happy to sit there all day admiring all the gems.

Cheesigator

In the middle of their delightful conversation of catching-up, a rather bright flash of something caught Ain's eye. Ain was a dragon, through and through, and she knew the flash of a crystal when she saw one; except when she threw a glance over her shoulder, she found it was no ordinary thing that had caught her attention.

A rather interesting young woman was poking her way through the crowds, getting occasional looks from passerby for very obvious reasons. There was a moment of hesitation where she saw Ain's storefront, and then went inside.

"Sorry Gerdie but it looks like I have a customer; I'd love to chat more with you around lunch, though." She said, turning to the human with a warm smile.

"Of course dear! Have a good day."


Ain wove her way through the crowds, golden eyes fixated on the door in case the girl made any hasty departures, and relaxed only slightly as she stepped in through the doorway to find the stranger still inside looking around, absolutely entranced. She smiled as she caught the scent; a dragon. Well, a young one for sure, if the look of whimsy and wonder on her face was any indication.

She said nothing at first, watching as the young one reached out, captivated, for a particularly beautiful piece of work. It was then that Ain silently stepped forward, reaching forward and plucking the necklace from its little wooden stand, holding it up so it caught the sunlight shining in through the windows, a rainbow of colors reflected on the floor and walls from the gem set in its center.

"Ah, a pretty thing, hm?" She cooed, her voice rich and mesmerizing, as she slid her gaze from the item in her hands to the young girl standing in front of her.

"I spent quite a bit working on this one, but I have a feeling it might cost a pretty penny more than what you have. Were you looking for anything in particular?" She asked with a warm smile as she set it back down, taking a quick moment to re-arrange it neatly before she fully turned to the dragoness, resting her hands on her hips.

Bunbun

As the necklace was lifted from her reach, Axia sorta flinched and froze in place, her eyes following the masterfully crafted piece as it moved through the air and into a beam of sunlight. They lit up again as the gem in the centre put on its brilliant display, and for the briefest of moments the scales running along her arms seemed to put on a miniature light show of their own. It was a strange phenomenon, considering the fact that they weren't being exposed to direct sunlight. In any case, it came to an abrupt halt as Axia came to the realization that she was being spoken to, and snapped out of her trancelike state.

"...O-oh! Um..."

All of a sudden, the self-conscious thoughts she'd been having just minutes earlier started to resurface. Was she really so captivated by all the gems that gone completely unaware of another person entering the shop, so devoid of self-restraint that she couldn't avoid doing something she knew was a bad idea, so incredibly abnormal that she couldn't go five seconds without catching someone's attention?

Her mouth curled into a frown as she silently berated herself for getting into this situation. Subconsciously, Axia made herself a bit smaller; she folded her wings in more, and held her arms closer to her chest. Although the necklace was back in its proper place, her eyes continued to gaze longingly at it. But no, of course she couldn't afford it. She probably couldn't afford anything in this shop, at least not without leaving herself broke. This was such a terrible idea.

"Uh, I don't think so. I was just looking around... but I probably shouldn't be."

She looked pretty down on herself, but started to relax as the shopkeeper spoke some more- her voice felt soothing, for whatever reason. Her eyes finally broke away from the necklace in order to make eye contact, widening slightly as their owner came to a realization: she was talking to another dragon. She'd recognize that scent anywhere, which in turn meant that her own identity had been compromised... not that it was that well hidden in the first place. Well, there was little point in trying to conceal her identity now.

"...How on earth did you get all this, though? There's just... there's just so much..."

As she spoke, her fingers slid idly over her scales, coming dangerously close to cutting herself a couple times.

Cheesigator

Ain couldn't help but chuckle softly at the girl's response; her wonder and fixation with everything in her establishment made the concept of 'child in a sweets shop' pale in comparison. This girl was rather cute; and Ain had to say, she found the scales adorning her frame to be quite intriguing, though she said nothing of it, and made sure not to stare, because that would be rude.

She turned away, talking to the girl over her shoulder as she moved behind the counter to check over things and take a look at some letters Remi had left for her while she'd been gone.

"Well, for starters I'm not nearly as young as I look, unfortunately." She smiled, glancing up at the young dragoness over her papers. "Takes a lot of time and hard work."

She paused a moment, shrugging as she set the papers down and crossed her arms, leaning on them on the counter.

"I mined most of them myself, went exploring, stole them from other dragons. I even helped a kingdom once and they paid me for it. Things like that. I don't suggest starting a hoard until you've found a place to settle in though, they're a pain in the ass to move."

She was speaking from experience on that one; her own personal hoard was in a massive basement she kept locked away underneath her mansion, and considering all the protective enchantments and wards she had on the place, nobody would be getting in to steal from it any time soon.

She tilted her head, nodding at the girl.

"Mind if I ask your name? Just out of curiosity, I won't give it to the guards or anything. I'm Ain; it's not very often I ever get other dragons in here." For obvious reasons.

Bunbun

Axia held the other dragon's gaze until she turned and walked over to the counter, which she was silently thankful for. She couldn't quite put her finger on why, but staring into those eyes actually made her a little uncomfortable... yet she had a hard time bringing herself to look away from them. It was a strange feeling, one that she couldn't say she was familiar with.

As Ain explained how she'd mined a good amount of the gems herself, Axia gave a momentary glance at the other dragon's body, making note of some of the finer details. Sure enough, it seemed pretty well toned; she probably did much of the mining in human form, and from the looks of it, she'd been doing so for quite a while.

"Hmm... sounds like fun. Must be pretty exciting, being able to explore and find gems for a living."

The part about starting a hoard was a little hard for Axia to swallow; she wanted to do it as soon as possible. But, of course, she couldn't exactly try to start building one if she had nowhere to keep it. Although the young dragoness was decently sure she hadn't actually said she was currently without a permanent home, Ain would be correct in assuming this was indeed the case. Noticeably disturbed by this, Axia placed 'being easy to read' among her ever-growing mental list of self-assessed personal issues. Siiiiiigh.

"Ain, huh? That's a pretty name. Mine is... Axia. I'm, uh, not from around here."

She seemed hesitant to give her name after the mention of 'guards', but it didn't take long for her to cave. It seemed appropriate to extend some sort of gesture as she introduced herself- that's what humans did, wasn't it?- but she ultimately decided against it, being woefully unfamiliar with such greetings. Instead, she began to stare down at her scales, subtly checking the window every now and then to see if there was anyone there.

"Is there a problem with people knowing I'm a dragon, though? I mean, I don't want to drag you into anything if I end up getting into trouble."

Cheesigator

Ain smiled at the young dragoness, Axia, her name was, and listened carefully while she spoke, eventually dropping her gaze back to the papers she had on the counter before her, finding a quill and some ink as she began marking some off and signing her name on others.

"Axia is quite an interesting name as well." She said, with a mild eyebrow raise and the slightest of smirks. She liked it, it was unique and had character.

She could tell the other girl was a little awkward, not used to societal norms yet, which only further solidified her guess that she was relatively new in the world of humans and had yet to settle down or do much of anything at all, really. So young. Ain couldn't even begin to remember what she'd occupied her time with when she was this dragon's age, gods was it really so long ago?

"Hm, in here probably not, but I would advise staying as far away from Connlaoth as you possibly can. I've heard rumors of the mordecai up there capturing a dragon and forcing her to join their ranks, which isn't exactly an ideal scenario."

She put her quill back into its holder on her counter, stacking the papers neatly and setting them to the side to be properly folded and sealed later tonight to be mailed tomorrow morning. She laced her fingers together and rested her chin on the backs of her hands, looking up at the girl. A ray of sunlight filtered in through the window at just the right angle to illuminate her gold eyes and make them shine like precious coin.

"You shouldn't have any trouble in most places as long as you don't go walking around looking like you're new to these parts. If you stick out like a sore thumb, looking around with eyes wide and full of wonder then of course you're going to get dragged into some kind of trouble--regardless of what species you are. Most here will leave you alone though, especially if you drop my name, which you can if you like."

She'd been established in Ketra long enough that most of the regular folk knew her by name, and they also tended to know that she wasn't human, though the dragon rumor flitted around often. She tried not to make it a habit of changing forms in towns or cities, mostly for the courtesy of the other folks around rather than to save them from any real threat. Regardless, she was known enough that people generally were smart not to mess with her or anyone who knew her personally.

Bunbun

Axia gave off a sort of confused look when Ain complimented her name- it wasn't very often that she received compliments. Humans usually just kinda stood there looking like they'd seen a ghost, and other dragons tended to treat her like she was still a hatchling. It was incredibly frustrating, and it also meant that she had no idea to react when she did receive one. So, instead of replying with 'thanks' or something of that nature, she simply gave the older dragoness a small nod.

When the subject of Mordecai came up, Axia's expression darkened slightly. She'd heard several rumours about them before- specifically about certain experiments that were carried out on captured mages- but as a general rule, she tried to give people the benefit of the doubt whenever she could. Capturing a dragon, though? She certainly hadn't heard that one before, and to be quite honest, it really pissed her off. Her hands began to curl into fists, and she looked about ready to deck someone across the face.

"That's terrible. Nobody should be forced to work for someone else, especially when that work involves fighting for something you don't believe in. I just... I just wish there was something I could do to help."

And she meant it- she'd be more than happy to personally pay a visit to the Mordecai stronghold and give them a piece of her mind, but that would almost certainly result in her getting captured, too. After all, if one dragon couldn't fight them off, then how could she possibly think that she could?

It wasn't like she could take a more stealthy approach, either. She didn't blend in at all, so they'd be able to see her coming from a mile away. Sheesh. As much as she couldn't imagine herself without her wings or scales, they really were a pain in the ass sometimes. She just wished there was some way to make them disappear, at least temporarily. As of now, though, there was little she could do.

Axia listened to the rest of Ain's advice, but she wasn't quite sure how to apply it. Sure, she might look like she didn't really know what she was doing, but that was because she didn't know what she was doing. She wasn't a fantastic actress, either, so she was probably going to end up looking out of place whether she liked it or not. Then there was the part about bringing up Ain's name, but she didn't really want to do that either. It wasn't like she could always rely on someone else to-

Oh no. Not this again.

Her train of thought suddenly crashed and burned as she caught a glimpse of Ain's glittering eyes. It was just like what had happened with the necklace, except this time it was with a person. Dammit, why the hell did everything in this shop have to be so shiny?! Ugh, maybe she needed to get out of this place- preferably before she attempted to take someone's eyes from their sockets. EYES DO NOT EQUAL TREASURE.

"U-um. I could get out of here. Y'know. If you want. I wouldn't want to scare off any customers... and you, uh, look a little busy."

She nodded towards the stack of paper that had been put aside by Ain, before intently staring down at the floor. Her fingers fidgeted nervously with each other, and her face began to redden.

Cheesigator

Ain had only shrugged at Axia's response regarding the supposed dragon caught by the Mordecai. Either way it was just what she'd heard, a rumor. It was entirely possible there wasn't a shred of truth to it, that it was just a clever ploy by the mordecai or their supporters to make people more afraid of them. She wasn't really sure she believed it herself, after all she'd lived a long enough life to hear some pretty crazy things in her day.

She'd noticed however, as she'd been looking right at the girl when it happened, that moment when Axia seemed to become entranced by something, staring back into Ain's eyes like she was hopelessly lost. Ain really couldn't help her response, her smirk growing and twisting with something a little bit more predatory as she recognized what the younger dragon might be dealing with.

Simply precious, really. Young ones were so unpredictable.

"There's no need for you to feel rushed here. Really now, what kind of businesswoman would I be if I chased you out of my store? I will happily take coin from any kind of patron.~" She half joked, her honesty charming her words as she watched the young dragon a moment longer before turning her gaze back to her paperwork.

"Like I said, it's not often I get to run into such unfamiliar dragons here. How long have you been here in Ketra?"

But it went unsaid that if Axia was truly that uncomfortable, then Ain wouldn't stop her of course. She did enjoy the company though, even if it would only last for a little bit.

Bunbun

Whether or not Ain had intended to do so, her words and ever-present smirk only served to make Axia increasingly more flustered. She felt butterflies in her stomach, her face went more red by the second, and even her damn scales seemed to shimmer with nervous energy. It was almost as if she was getting sick, but it was different in a way that she didn't have the slightest hope of explaining.

Gods, she hated this. She hated it because she didn't understand what the hell was happening to her own body, yet Ain seemed to know what was going on to a certain degree. It wasn't unusual for her to be oblivious to societal norms and the like, but to be unable to understand herself? That was frustrating to no end. It felt like she was going to shatter into a million pieces, and she just wanted to get out of there as soon as human(ish)ly possible.

Despite all that, though, it wasn't like she could just up and leave in the middle of a conversation without at least trying to bring it to a natural conclusion. That would have been incredibly rude- even Axia knew that, with her limited knowledge of human etiquette. Besides, she couldn't really bring herself to do that to Ain; despite how strange the older dragon could make her feel, she seemed genuinely pleased to be having a conversation with another of her kind.

Deciding to stay put for now, Axia took some deep breaths and waited for a few seconds to regain her composure. Luckily, it seemed like some of Ain's attention had been diverted towards her paperwork, which took some of the pressure off- and it meant that she didn't have to look into those eyes again. Those entrancing, shining, brilliant eyes.

...What on earth was wrong with her?

"Ah, well, y'see... this is actually my first time visiting a human town. I've been here for less than a day, so... not very long at all, I guess."

She paused for a moment, briefly looking around at the various displays.

"Now that I think about it, this is the first time I've been in a shop, too. To be honest, I wasn't really planning on coming in, but then I saw the gems, and one thing led to another, and... well, here I am."

Cheesigator

She had glanced up briefly when a flash of something caught her attention, only to see that it was those glittering scales Axia seemed to be covered with catching the light. Her pupils had shrunk just a bit as her gaze flickered to the younger dragon's face before she forced herself to look back down at the counter, smiling to herself.

She was a cute one, Ain had to admit. Real cute.

Axia took a moment to respond, and Ain didn't rush or push her as she dipped a quill in a pot of ink, signing off on some more papers and cross-referencing some of the checkbooks from the past month.

She raised her golden eyebrows, pausing when the other dragoness admitted this was her first town and shop and all. Ain gave her a wicked grin, before licking her lips and shrugging a little.

"Well, I feel honored to be your first, darling. But if this is your first time in town, then I suppose you have nowhere to stay the night--would I be correct in that assumption?" She gave her signature to another piece of paper before she crossed her arms underneath her chest, resting the upper half of her body on the counter, golden blonde ringlets and curls falling forward to frame her face.

"You make me worry--a pretty thing like you is definitely going to catch a lot of attention." She tilted her head a little, deciding it might be fun to toy with this girl a little more. "If you'd like you could come home with me tonight, I'm sure you'll be exhausted after a long day of sightseeing. City guards might not take too kindly to you sleeping in the streets, and a dragon like you shouldn't have to to begin with."

Perhaps she was being kind or perhaps she had other motives in mind but either way she definitely wouldn't mind it if she could get the pretty little thing to stick around for a little bit longer. She was just so interesting and it'd been so long since she talked with another dragon like this.

Bunbun

A pretty thing like you is definitely going to catch a lot of attention.

Axia seemed to recoil slightly at those words. For a brief moment she'd stopped worrying about what all the other people outside thought of her, but now she was starting to get all self-conscious again. She knew that the moment she stepped back outside, it was just going to be back to people staring at her all the time. Whether or not that was any better than making a fool of herself in front of Ain, she had no idea.

Being called "pretty" didn't help much, either. She didn't think of herself as being particularly good-looking- people stared at her because she looked strange, right?- but at the same time, it still felt like a genuine compliment. Those weren't something she received too often, and as strange as it made her feel, she actually... kinda liked it.

She didn't get it. At first she'd felt like she was going to die of embarrassment, like she wanted to rewind time and never step foot inside of the store, but the more time she spent talking to Ain, the more she realized that she didn't want the feelings to go away. They gave her a sort of buzz, one that she wouldn't mind getting a little more of. And, well, if spending time with Ain was a way to do that, then maybe sticking around wasn't such a bad idea.

Right now, though, there was a question that needed to be answered. It was a rather strange one; from what she knew, people didn't usually invite complete strangers to stay the night. On the other hand, though, she really didn't have a place to stay. That wasn't to say she was going to sleep on the streets, but admittedly, sleeping out in the wilderness wasn't much better. It would be nice to not have to stay out in the cold, even if it was just for once.

The fact that staying the night at the home of someone she'd just met might have other connotations didn't even cross her mind. It was one of those things about human culture that she had yet to grasp.

"...uh, well, you shouldn't worry about me... but yeah, I'd be glad to take you up on that offer, if you're really sure about it. You shouldn't go out of your way for my sake, though."

She gave a faint smile and a nod before abruptly staring down at her fingers, which had taken to drumming nervously against the countertop.

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