[He winces when Sideswipe is struck. He's obviously made of tougher stuff than JW is, but Ironhide's claws are still really scary. The noodle dragon sends the golden a bleeding look. Please explain so that he isn't eaten!]
[Good for JW, there's one cool head in the room. Ratchet just gently pushes on the bigger old dragon's chest, until Ironhide stubbornly and reluctantly backs off.]
Come on, lie down. Let me check you over while they go feed the guest.
[HINT HINT, SIDESWIPE.]
[He has to blink for a minute, but then he gets it, and huffs his way to the edge of the cave.]
[JW is swift to follow, keeping his snake-like body as close to the cave floor as possible. Once they reach the ledge he drifts back down to the grass like a kite. Where he continues to stay Very Flat.]
[He thinks one of his hearts stopped beating during that HOLY GODS.]
This is not what I thought was going to happen when I climbed out of my lair this morning.
[Meanwhile, the silver jerk scuttles down the side of the wall like a gecko, trotting over the grass with tail and neck held high in... what would probably be indignation if he had anything left to be indignant about.]
Yeah, well that makes two of us.
Just ignore the old geezer. He's crankier than usual these days.
Well...there's a war going on. I would be cranky if I weren't so scared.
[Now that he was no longer on his own turf, a lot of the long dragon's spunk seems to have been sapped. He rocks his head to the side and rubs it against the grass. It's so different from the wiry stuff growing on his cliff.]
Thanks for destroying my home by the way, you overgrown gravy boat.
[It was the shiniest silver thing humanmom had owned.]
[James spits a hiss at him before slinking down to the water's edge, now more interested in the fish he was promised than winning an argument. He could go dig up his gold when the rains passed. If it was still there. If dragons like the ore-eaters were scouting the planes looking for fights, who knows?]
You're still a cabbage.
[He sits and bends up his neck in a tight S formation and he waits for a fish to swim by.]
[There are huge, fat fish lazily swimming around in the lake. Apparently ignoring the fact they're surrounded by huge monsters. There aren't many by the water -- maybe a handful, though the size of the lake is clearly meant for a lot more than the few small ones splashing around chasing each other, or the fewer adults either watching them or doting on each other.]
[Sideswipe just sits primly at the water's edge, scowling in distaste.]
No. I ate a candlestick once when I was a hatchling and nearly died. The an--
[He stops himself. These dragons don't need to know about the large animal vet that came to cut him open. JW distracts himself by plunging his head into the lake like a striking viper and rearing up with a big fish in his jaws. His whole body comes alive as he does something that looks half struggling and half celebratory.]
[As he pokes that tail with a claw for emphasis. He's only saying so because there's no metallic clink like there usually was.]
[He looks... like he's trying to choke down a look of amusement at the sight though. Across the water, the little ones aren't so reserved, and start yelling encouragement.]
[In a sudden, savage display, JW thrashed the fish against a nearby rock until it stopped moving. Then he choked it down like some unholy seabird. He coughed a couple of times before looking toward the shouting.]
[More dragons.]
O-oh...
[Sideswipe and his family were almost too many dragons for him to deal with in one day so in a flash, his head darted back into the water to snatch up a second fish. He couldn't embarrass himself if his mouth was occupied.]
[Once he's killed and eaten the second fish, he dares to steal a peek over at the young dragons across the way. They do look pretty hype. This is new. EVERYTHING IS NEW TODAY.]
[Suddenly, that idea is really appealing to JW. He waves to the young dragons with his tail and plunges his head back into the clear water. It feels good on his scales. Everything about this place feels good. Like finally getting a splinter of bone out from between your teeth that's been there for days.]
[GAZE UPON HIM, YOUNGLINGS, HE IS THE BEST FISHER DRAGON! WATCH HIM HEROICALLY BASH THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF KARP AND EEL]
[And they do. Their eyes are huge, as they watch him go. And then just like that, they're squealing and diving themselves. Snapping at smaller fish and wrestling around in the water.]
[... even Sideswipe half-heartedly splashes one who paddles too close.]
[They're having a ball, clearly. Much to the chagrin of a massive, mottled red and blue and black dragon curled nearby, alongside a pile of animal bones.]
[They just glare. Angry yellow eyes and dour expression.]
[A grin works its way up the sides of JW's long snout when the younger dragons join in. He ferret-hops closer to them and tosses a few smaller fish their way so that they can chase them through the shallows.]
[It's so mind-blowing. Other dragons. And they like him. They're playing with him.]
Watch this!
[JW flaps out across the water, able to glide close to its surface with his mild wind magic. A great, dark shape circles near the middle of the lake. The cliff dragon readies his long neck and in a flash, like an arrow from a bow, he snatches a whopper from the depths. The size of it jerks him out of the air and he puts on a huge show of 'fighting' it for the hatchlings.]
[With his mighty foe defeated, he triumphantly wades back to the shallows, holding it aloft in his jaws. He feels like a GOD.]
[Sideswipe, meanwhile, has imitated a cat yet again, hiking up his feet to hop-walk out of the water until he's barely in up to his ankles. Because ew gross fish. Or something equally juvenile.]
[He does sit and watch, though, tilting his head from side to side. All right. So... he's good with kids. That's interesting. He'd have thought the weird noodle hermit was cranky to everyone he met.]
[... he'd probably have watched for longer if the older dragons didn't start looking between the two of them speculatively. Which cues a lot of upset wing flapping.]
[James parades the fish around for a good few minutes, basking in the appreciative squawks and roars of his ADORING FANS. Finally he crouches to gnaw on it, unable to swallow it whole like his other catches. He gives the smallest dragon who dares to approach him a single rib (to sell when he is dragon famous.) Finally he flops onto his back with a satisfied puff of smoke.]
[Why would ANYONE ever want to leave this place? You could roll in grass and stuff yourself silly and everyone was so nice. Even the big black dragon had been nice enough not to snap his head off.]
Oh. Good. Now they'll never leave you alone. Looks like you have a talent.
[What was that? A genuine compliment?? It was, despite the fact Sideswipe is pretty backhanded about it. He's even padded up out of the water to sit in the sand, with his tail coiled around him in a neat circle.]
[Glancing around at the elder dragons watching them. Almost warily.]
... also go easy on the meat-eating or I'm going to have to answer a lot of stupid questions.
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theattic2015-03-23 02:07 am
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[And he promptly gets cuffed with a heavy claw for his efforts.]
I see. How sad.
Ironhide.
... I mean. Good. Good that you did.
[That would probably have been a ridiculous exchange if Ironhide wasn't looking like he wanted to eat someone, still.]
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Come on, lie down. Let me check you over while they go feed the guest.
[HINT HINT, SIDESWIPE.]
[He has to blink for a minute, but then he gets it, and huffs his way to the edge of the cave.]
Come on then.
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[He thinks one of his hearts stopped beating during that HOLY GODS.]
This is not what I thought was going to happen when I climbed out of my lair this morning.
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Yeah, well that makes two of us.
Just ignore the old geezer. He's crankier than usual these days.
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[Now that he was no longer on his own turf, a lot of the long dragon's spunk seems to have been sapped. He rocks his head to the side and rubs it against the grass. It's so different from the wiry stuff growing on his cliff.]
Thanks for destroying my home by the way, you overgrown gravy boat.
[It was the shiniest silver thing humanmom had owned.]
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[His trotting pauses, when something shiny catches his eye -- turns out to just be a rock, but he bats it around for a few paces anyway.]
That wasn't my fault. You chased me!
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[He finally lifts his head a few feet off the ground so that he can huff a tiny cloud of foul-smelling smoke Sideswipe's way.]
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[Just for that, he baps at the other dragon's nose a few times with a foot. Claws tucked out of harm's way.]
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You're still a cabbage.
[He sits and bends up his neck in a tight S formation and he waits for a fish to swim by.]
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[There are huge, fat fish lazily swimming around in the lake. Apparently ignoring the fact they're surrounded by huge monsters. There aren't many by the water -- maybe a handful, though the size of the lake is clearly meant for a lot more than the few small ones splashing around chasing each other, or the fewer adults either watching them or doting on each other.]
[Sideswipe just sits primly at the water's edge, scowling in distaste.]
You don't eat metal at all?
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[He stops himself. These dragons don't need to know about the large animal vet that came to cut him open. JW distracts himself by plunging his head into the lake like a striking viper and rearing up with a big fish in his jaws. His whole body comes alive as he does something that looks half struggling and half celebratory.]
LOOG AG' ITGGG!!
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[As he pokes that tail with a claw for emphasis. He's only saying so because there's no metallic clink like there usually was.]
[He looks... like he's trying to choke down a look of amusement at the sight though. Across the water, the little ones aren't so reserved, and start yelling encouragement.]
Oh, look. You made friends.
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[More dragons.]
O-oh...
[Sideswipe and his family were almost too many dragons for him to deal with in one day so in a flash, his head darted back into the water to snatch up a second fish. He couldn't embarrass himself if his mouth was occupied.]
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[None of the adults appear to have noticed, but the kids are shouting again. Splashing excitedly. So he pads up a little closer.]
... You do know they're cheering you on, right?
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They don't even know me...
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[SHRUG.]
Their parents might hate you later for it though. When they start copying you.
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[Suddenly, that idea is really appealing to JW. He waves to the young dragons with his tail and plunges his head back into the clear water. It feels good on his scales. Everything about this place feels good. Like finally getting a splinter of bone out from between your teeth that's been there for days.]
[GAZE UPON HIM, YOUNGLINGS, HE IS THE BEST FISHER DRAGON! WATCH HIM HEROICALLY BASH THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF KARP AND EEL]
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[... even Sideswipe half-heartedly splashes one who paddles too close.]
[They're having a ball, clearly. Much to the chagrin of a massive, mottled red and blue and black dragon curled nearby, alongside a pile of animal bones.]
[They just glare. Angry yellow eyes and dour expression.]
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[It's so mind-blowing. Other dragons. And they like him. They're playing with him.]
Watch this!
[JW flaps out across the water, able to glide close to its surface with his mild wind magic. A great, dark shape circles near the middle of the lake. The cliff dragon readies his long neck and in a flash, like an arrow from a bow, he snatches a whopper from the depths. The size of it jerks him out of the air and he puts on a huge show of 'fighting' it for the hatchlings.]
[With his mighty foe defeated, he triumphantly wades back to the shallows, holding it aloft in his jaws. He feels like a GOD.]
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[He does sit and watch, though, tilting his head from side to side. All right. So... he's good with kids. That's interesting. He'd have thought the weird noodle hermit was cranky to everyone he met.]
[... he'd probably have watched for longer if the older dragons didn't start looking between the two of them speculatively. Which cues a lot of upset wing flapping.]
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[Why would ANYONE ever want to leave this place? You could roll in grass and stuff yourself silly and everyone was so nice. Even the big black dragon had been nice enough not to snap his head off.]
Whoof.
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[What was that? A genuine compliment?? It was, despite the fact Sideswipe is pretty backhanded about it. He's even padded up out of the water to sit in the sand, with his tail coiled around him in a neat circle.]
[Glancing around at the elder dragons watching them. Almost warily.]
... also go easy on the meat-eating or I'm going to have to answer a lot of stupid questions.
[GEEZ SIDESWIPE.]
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Poor you.
[He lets out a fishy belch and stretches.]
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[HUFF HUFF.]
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