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Post by GX1997 on Sept 6, 2015 13:03:25 GMT -6
Elia looked deeply into Vincent's eyes as they danced, and she watched as they seemed to speak by themselves of how happy he was, in a beautiful yet wordless language. "I really haven't thought about it very much. I would like for us to think about it together, and choose something we like that carries some significance for both of us."
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Post by Neo on Sept 18, 2015 15:23:49 GMT -6
Vincent nodded and tightened his arms around her. As they danced, he leaned down to rest his cheek on the top of her head, and held her close. He watched the flickering light of the fire spark and dance into the clear, starry night sky. The angelic, gentle voice of his daughter suddenly filled the air, as Silver began to sing softly in Shiryuan. He closed his eyes and savored the moment, a moment he never wanted to end. And when he opened his eyes, the world seemed to come alive. Orange and green lights suddenly covered the great Yggdrasil. The lights twitched and flickered, and Vincent smiled as he realized what they were.
"Look, Elia."
He pointed to the tree, as a hundred Glow Moths burst from the bark where they had slept, camouflaged, and a sea of living color erupted around them. The floating lights hovered around them for a single magical minute, before streaming off into the sky like a beautiful ribbon, twisting and flickering, and then finally, disappearing. Vincent smiled at the look of wonder and joy on his young wife's face, and it invoked something inside him, something he had never really known before her.
"Don't ever lose that look," he breathed, and kissed her.
After a wonderful eternity, their first dance finally came to an end and the mood of the ceremony shifted. It became a celebration. It was a night he would never forget, for as long as he lived, even if he outlived the stars themselves. After the celebration, he and Elia bid everyone goodnight. Raizel and his wife returned to their own home, and the night fell silent. But it was a warm, comfortable, loving silence. It was the kind of silence that heralded peace, that said all was right with the world.
Afterwards, they returned to Gorgath. Vincent temporarily left his wife in his bedroom and carried his sleeping daughter up to her room. She had fallen asleep early in the celebration, and he hadn't the heart to wake her. He tucked his little dragon in and wished her goodnight, then returned to the angel waiting for him, and spent the rest of the night with her. It was the perfect end to the perfect night.
The next morning, he woke early, while Elia was still asleep. He carefully removed the golden chain from their shoulders, so as not to wake her, and slipped the rings off, placing them quietly on the night table beside the bed. He quickly dressed in a simple black shirt and pants, then padded out into the kitchen in his bare feet to make breakfast. Once that was done, he set the table and stored Silver's portion in the chiller- knowing she likely wouldn't wake up until noon- and returned to his wife.
She stirred as he pulled her back into his arms.
"Elia, my dear, would you like breakfast?" He asked softly, gently running a hand through her hair, as her eyes fluttered open.
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Post by Neo on Sept 30, 2015 21:34:56 GMT -6
Note: This mailbag is dedicated to Osranger, the originator of the term "Dragon Cat". May he find happiness on whatever planet he is on.
"You want me to wear WHAT?!" Silver squeaked in outrage, as she cowered behind a plush purple curtain in a backstage dressing room, the curtain being the only barrier between that evil woman and Silver's currently not-so-dressed body.
Anna giggled, and grinned wildly. "Oh come on! Think of the ratings! The viewers will love it! C'mon girl, there's no reason to be shy! You're beautiful! Gorgeous! Own it! Flaunt it!"
Silver blushed, and looked down at her feet, wringing her hands nervously. "Y-You really think so...?"
"I know so!" The conniving Redhead replied, her grin widening ever so slightly.
Silver hesitated. "I-I'm flattered, but... I don't know... I'm not... I've never worn anything like that before..."
Anna's eyes sparkled evilly. "Well, if you'd like, you can always wear the chain outfit I showed you before..."
Silver's eyes widened. "No! I-I mean, alright... I'll wear it."
Anna clapped her hands enthusiastically. "Great! I'll just wait out here while you change. Let me know if you need any help. Oh, and here. Drink this. It will help calm your nerves."
Right... Like that would happen. Silver bit her lip and nodded, and pulled back the curtain just enough to take the outfit and glass of water out of Anna's hands.
---------
A few minutes later, she stood just behind the center stage curtain, blushing, waiting for her cue.
"Sorry for the wait!" Came Anna's booming voice, amplified by some sort of device apparently called a 'Microphone'. "Ladies, gents, monkeys, and others, it's finally time for the Realm of Austur's fourth Mailbag! Please welcome everyone's favorite dragon girl, the adorable, the sexy, the beautiful, the one, the only... SILVER!!!"
Silver took a deep breath for courage and pulled the curtains aside. She strode onto the stage like she owned it, her hips bouncing and sashaying, her new tail swishing. Silence fell over the stunned audience, at least until Silver winked.
"Meow," Silver said.
"Let's have a round of applause for the Mailbag's first ever Dragon Cat!!!" Anna boomed.
The audience erupted into cheers and applause. The entirety of Row D swooned and passed out one by one in a very comical fashion, falling over sideways like dominos. Bunch of perverts, she thought to herself.
Anna raised her hand and motioned for silence, then turned to Silver. "So, Dragon Cat, this is how this will work: I'm going to ask you a series of questions from your fans, and for each question, you're going to choose a member of the audience, and act out a brief scene with them of what that question means to you. So here's to hoping no one asked you anything too personal!"
Anna winked and giggled, while Silver's eyes widened as she caught Anna's meaning. She... She wouldn't dare! Like hell I'm going to act those kinds of scenes out!
Still grinning like some crazy madwoman, Anna picked up a white card from the stack of cards in front of her. "Drum role please!!!"
Two golden monkeys promptly began to beat each other on the rear with large wooden sticks, while Silver watched in a cross between disgust and morbid amusement. It did the trick at least.
"Aaaaaaaaand the first question is...!"
The feed abruptly cut out.
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Post by GX1997 on Oct 9, 2015 16:45:32 GMT -6
"Good morning," Elia said after she opened her eyes, and finding herself in Vincent's arms, refused to move even slightly, choosing instead to savor the moment. "I would, though I would like to eat in this room today instead of in the main hall. That way we can have a little more time alone."
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Post by Neo on Oct 9, 2015 19:09:47 GMT -6
Vincent smiled widely and tightened his arms around her. "That sounds wonderful," he whispers, and kisses her. "Knowing Silver, she won't be waking up anytime soon. So we'll have the morning all to ourselves. I'll be right back, my love."
He reluctantly leaves his wife's embrace, and quickly retrieves their plates from the main hall. He then neatly stacks their food on a single, larger platter and returns to the bedroom. He places the platter on the night table by the bed and dims the lights a bit, then climbs back into bed and scoots behind her, pulling his wife back into his arms, her back against his front. He tenderly kisses the top of her head.
"Your final lessons begin tonight," he says suddenly, smiling, his breath tickling her hair. "After this, I will have taught you all I can. But you... You've taught me so much more than I could ever teach you. For that, and for what you have given me... I could never fully express my gratitude. But I promise that I will do my best to make you happy, every day, for as long as we live. I love you, Elia."
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Post by GX1997 on Oct 14, 2015 20:26:17 GMT -6
"And I love you as well, Vincent. I don't know if I could ever possibly be any happier than I am at this moment," Elia said quitely, closing her eyes to simply absorb the moment with her other senses.
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Post by Neo on Oct 15, 2015 6:51:04 GMT -6
Vincent smiled and tenderly kissed the top of her head, then reached over to grab their wedding rings off the night table. He slipped Elia's ring onto her finger and then gave his ring to her so she could slip it onto his finger. "Challenge accepted," he says, grinning, as he gently turns her in his arms so they were face to face. "I'm going to make you even happier than you were aware you could be."
He leaned closer to kiss her on the lips, and then pressed his forehead against hers. They stayed like that in silence for several wonderful moments before Vincent spoke again. "You saved me Elia," he whispered suddenly to her, in almost a reverent tone. "I don't know how you did it, but you did. Last night... The nightmares, the visions... They were all gone, replaced by a perfectly normal dream that I don't even remember. For the first time in so long, with you in my arms, I slept peacefully. So now... You have nothing to worry about anymore. You will never lose me, and we will never be apart. I will devote my life to making sure each day we spend together is happier than the last. And you will never want for anything, my Elia... My wife. I promise you that."
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Post by SwordMasterEX on Nov 2, 2015 4:06:29 GMT -6
"Who's stopping you silly? The door has been open this whole time!" Shinedown shouted with joy.
"He wants to be there for the worst part, ugh." An exasperated groan escaped from Rhea as she waited by the door.
"You're just saying that cause your baby had a huge wingspan." Wha-Wha interjected.
"And a long tail. I know scales aren't suppose to be slimy, but no one has ever said that afTER HAVING SOME SLITHER OUT FROM INSIDE THEM! And she wouldn't stop moving her wings on the way. Damn, that was brutal." Wha-Wha suddenly burst out laughing as Rhea finishes letting off steam "What's so funny?"
"Ahahahahahah, no it's, hahahaha, It's not your ***** getting torn up that's funny. I just remembered you stabbed Tafl so many f****** times while she was coming out, pfft hahahahahahaha!" Tafl glared at her for a second before Rhea started laughing too.
"H-hey I still have a scar from that!" He lifts his shirt up angrily only finding his most recent battle scar from being pierced through the chest by Alucard. "W-well maybe not, but it still hurt like hell!"
"Aw, don't be so sore about it Taffy. It's not like you died." Rhea tried comforting him while rubbing his back. He let out a hefty sigh.
"You know, sometimes I wish I had normal taste in women."
"Now you know how I felt whilst giving birth." Wha-Wha was quick to strike at the opportunity.
"That you wish you could taste a woman? I'm avalible~ - ow!" Rhea knocked on both Taffy and Wha-Wha's heads before pushing them through the door.
"I love you idiots." She then turns to everyone else in the waiting room. "We'll don't just stand there. Everyone inside." After making sure they all passed the door, she went back in herself.
Warning:childbirth
Inside The Delivery Room
Jam laid bare on an angled bed with a soft tub in front of it as her reproductive organ continued to expand as it had been for the past while. Unlike human birthing, there would be no crowning or multiple pushes or umbilical cords to cut. In a Water Nymph birthing, which is in of itself different from a Water Nymph birth, the Nymph's uterus, that up until this point has been preventing her from using her water form and is only accessible in her water form, swells up to its maximum circumference. The great expansion forces the Nymph back into her water form. Her body in order to relive the tremendous pressure becomes a centrifuge pushing the heavy water into her uterus and releasing it from her expanded reproductive organ in a torrent. This fluid would constitute the "after birth" (Note: relatively safe to drink, but eww). The hybrid baby (as no male water nymphs exist) is flushed out with the after birth and shifts from its mom's natural state (water form) to its dad's (human in this case). After this happens for Jam, she is covered in a blanket by her sister Jet and Little Nivian is scooped out of the soft tub and dried and wrapped in her own blanket by her auntie Rainbow.
Rainbow hands Little Nivian to her mother and Jam holds her baby close. "My Precious bundle of joy." she tells her new born. Many D'awwws echo in the room for the baby.
Location: The Lavender Lounge
"I believe that's my job Samuel." Rose the Bartender says slightly annoyed at the cat. The only man at the bar slams his drink down. He grumbles something that sounds like a cross between Common Alibian and gibberish. He speaks to the group without facing them, "A cat, A half-blood, A wolf girl and a meal. What's your names and what's your business? Name's Isabell by the way."
Meanwhile on a stage to the right of the bar and to the left of another door that's right to the bar, A blind woman was talking with a water nymph holding a saxophone while a deaf man sitting at a piano studied music sheets.
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Post by Golurkcanfly on Nov 2, 2015 6:20:39 GMT -6
"Pearl, may I hold her?" Arcturus kneeled down next to his wife and looked at little Nivian.
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Post by SummerCrow on Nov 2, 2015 8:52:22 GMT -6
Talia weaves through the others and approaches the bar. "Talia," she says as she slides into the seat to Isabell's left. "And I am here for a drink." She slides a few gold pieces across the counter towards the bartender. "Whatever he is having."
While she speaks, the door to the Lavender Lounge slides shut. Shalla and Serlen, hesitating before coming in, are left back in the cave. Talia whirls around at the sound, realizing she's been cut off from her employer. There aren't any obvious ways to open the door from this side. "Well. ****," she thinks to herself. "Hope this isn't going to cost me the contract. Though I guess we never really sealed it in the first place." With no way to get to her charge, Talia decides to do the next best thing and watch over the rest of her group.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2015 10:14:03 GMT -6
"Sorry Rose when its been over 150 years, you kinda of forget some things," Sam said kind of sheepishly. "Anyways I finally, completed the request from Lord Helel and I come to deliver my report," Sam said to Isabel. "Oh I almost forgot to mention something but I will let Baron explain," Sam said.
"Hey Baron why would they serve poisioned meals here?" Catie asked while Baron shrugged his shoulders. "Hey Rose is that Vampire thing that like poision in there meals?" Catie asked. While waiting for a response Catie wandered over to the guy on the piano. "Hello sir what's your name?" Catie asked but got no response. "Oh okay Mr ......., nice to meet you my name is Catie, so how long have you played the piano?" Catie asked but still no response. "Why wouldn't you talk to me?" Catie whimpered still no response. "Fine then jerk be like that," Catie said stomping off towards the bar.
Baron was unsure on what to do or say at this point. Baron knew he was here to see his dad but only Sam, Catie, Talia, Serlen, and Shalla knew that. As Isabella said to everyone else he's just some half breed with his fiancé and friends. Yet, Baron knew that if he was going to ever get the answers as he was looking for now would be the time.
"My name is Baron, I am here because my mom Mary and a letter from a vampire named Helel said I could find the answers I was looking for," Baron said as he nervously stepped towards the bar. "I found this letter at my house addressed to my mom Mary that was delivered by Sam about 150 years ago," Baron said as he took a seat next to Catie. Baron then took out the letter to show both Rose and Isabell. "If you know anything about this letter then that would be greatly appreciated, if you don't know anything we will leave you guys alone and leave never to return," Baron said in much nervous anticipation.
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Post by SwordMasterEX on Nov 5, 2015 19:40:14 GMT -6
"Arcturus?" Jam turns to see her husband. After such a long separation, all she wants to do is give him a big hug and pull him down into bed, but she doesn't want to stop holding her baby. So she leans into his shoulder and holds Little Nivian close enough for him to pick her up. "Mmm, it is my Arc of love." she declares joyfully. "Now that you're back, there's a lot of responsibilities I'm gonna hold you to."
The baby starts cooing when Shinedown decides to peer down at her. "Aww, she's triggering my rage at incoherent speech and love of cute things at the same time!"
Rose pushes the gold pieces back to Talia and gently smiles while shaking her head. "This is a courtesy bar for our traveling brothers and sisters. No payment required." Glancing at the bar she picks out a bottle of finely aged, top quality brandy in a master works glass container. She pours a double shot, neat into a glass cup and hands it to Talia. "Aside from that tidbit, this is also worth a small fortune to humans. I doubt that would cover it." Oh my, it seems I tried to read a type-4's mind. Guess she knows now.
Isabell laughs at Talia's response, "I like this woman. She's got a big pair to seek a drink here." He said in Alibian. He then turns to Catie who was bothering Yasir. "He didn't hear a word you said. Ears stopped working after he was trapped in an Iron Maiden."
Rose is seemingly snapped out of her thoughts when Baron mentions No.12. "Well I don't know of this letter specifically, but around that time you mentioned, Helel did have a mental breakdown and asked a favor of the proctor. Perhaps you'd have more luck with him. But the name Mary, I thought Constantine's mother was named Helen." Rose tries to peer into Baron's mind while talking but finds only a headache. Drat. This one has holy protection. That would kill an ordinary vampire
"She was." Amatere the blind singer speaks up. "I knew them both when he was still human, but that villainous monstrosity goes by Alucard nowadays."
"Well he goes by Ally too, I suppose." Bebop added. "If you're familiar with him."
"So MidKnight had another kid." Isabell returns the letter he took from Baron while he was listening to the barkeep's response. "It'd be hard to deny this proof of claim. You can go on ahead with Samuel."
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Post by Golurkcanfly on Nov 5, 2015 20:51:53 GMT -6
"Of course." Arcturus smiled as he began to cradle Nivian in his arms. "I've never held a newborn before."
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Post by SummerCrow on Nov 6, 2015 22:28:00 GMT -6
"It's not very nice to mess around in people's minds without their permission," Talia thinks to Rosa as she takes the glass. "My, my, this looks excellent," she says. "Are you looking for anything in particular? Or just poking around?" she thinks as she takes a sip. "Oh, this brandy is excellent," she says. "Another glass or two of this, and who knows what I may do... collapse into a stupor, most likely," she thinks as she takes a long drink. "I am merely a bodyguard," Talia says to no one in particular. "I've nothing particularly interesting to you, but feel free to look through the last few weeks of memories. The young ladies, however, are under my protection, so please don't do anything untoward. I wouldn't recommend reading their minds, regardless," she thinks.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2015 9:01:26 GMT -6
Baron takes the letter from Isabel and thanks him for letting him through. "Before I meet Helel is there anything I should know about him," Baron asked. "Like how to address him, any ticks or quirks, what to say or what not to say?" Baron said kinda of nervously.
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Post by Neo on Nov 19, 2015 23:20:34 GMT -6
Vincent spent the rest of the morning with his Elia, and those were the happiest hours of his life. Silver finally woke a few minutes after noon, just as he had predicted, and for the first time in his long life, Vincent truly knew what it was like to have a family. After lunch, Vincent and Elia walked down to the village, while Silver went to stretch her wings. The entire village came out to congratulate them both, so much so that he briefly worried it would be overwhelming for Elia, but she seemed fine. More than that, she seemed... Happy.
The Mayor invited them both to dinner that night, to which Vincent gladly accepted. Then he handed Vincent a letter.
"Came for you by courier the other day," the Mayor said. "From a fellow named Irving. Courier asked specifically for 'the lord of the mountain', so I reckon you must know him."
Vincent nods. "I do. He's a friend. Thank you, Mayor."
Once he and Elia were alone, and on the way back to Gorgath, he opened the envelope and quickly read through its contents. The handwriting was a bit crude, but it was still legible. Vincent suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, and his face darkened.
Rosetta/Vincent
Just so you know, some guy was looking for someone named Elia. Pale, brown hair. Looked like the painting of some emperer or something I've seen in Cleatia. Pain in the ass to talk to.
I'm just warning you. Keep your head down.
-Irving
Also, don't trust other mercs beleiving certen rumors. Most of them will kill thier moms for enough coin.
For a brief moment, Vincent thought about hiding it from Elia. She deserved to be happy, especially today. But she would know he was hiding something anyway, and he couldn't bring himself to lie to her.
Vincent turned to his wife and handed her the letter. There was no question who the person Irving encountered was, and they both knew it. There was no need to speak his name.
"Do you want me to intervene?" He asked.
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Post by GX1997 on Nov 21, 2015 18:42:43 GMT -6
"I'm not worried about him, Vincent. Not only am I stronger now than I was the last time I had to deal with him, I have people who just want to make sure I'm safe now, like you and Silver. Whether I have to rely on my own ability or yours, Silver's, or your other family members', I know I'll be safe. And more importantly, I believe that the next time he and I are face to face, if that ever happens at all, it will be my terms. I do appreciate your concern, but I refuse to let this news get in the way of our happiness."
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Post by Neo on Nov 23, 2015 14:54:51 GMT -6
Vincent nodded, his expression softening into a look of pride and adoration. "If that's your decision, my Elia, then we'll speak no more of it."
He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss, then guided her back to Gorgath, where they spent the rest of the afternoon together. Later that night, after dinner at the mayor's house, Vincent lead Elia up the mountain path to the World Tree sapling, for her final lesson as his student.
He sat down with his back against the tree and gently pulled his wife down into his lap, then draped a blanket over them both, and smiled.
"How much do you know about astronomy, Elia?"
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Post by GX1997 on Nov 29, 2015 20:34:53 GMT -6
"I know the names of most of the stars in this region," she said, but then she smiled craftily and blushed. "But I might be in need of someone to refresh my memory by pointing them out and reminding me of the stories associated with them."
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Post by Neo on Dec 25, 2015 23:01:48 GMT -6
"I will not!"
"You will!"
"I will not!"
"You will!"
"I will NOT!!!"
"... Do I need to call the Monkeys?"
"... Why are you so evil?"
Before the lovable, glorious redhead could respond, her Manager leaned over the seat and whispered something into her ear. Anna's eyes widened with a joy and glee that was only mildly terrifying, and she rocketed to her feet like she had springs in her boots. Which... wouldn't be all that surprising, really. She turns on her microphone and slaps it a few times for good measure, then turns to address the cameras, which Silver realized with horror were already rolling.
"La-a-a-a-aaaaaadies and Gentlefolk, others, monkeys, and not-so-gentle folk, welcome back to the Realm of Austur's fifth Mailbag!!! I know it's been a long time, but finally, the wait is over!!! Drum role, please! Aaaaaaaand.... Spotlight!!!"
The stage lighting suddenly dims, then a bright beam bursts to life, focusing only on poor Silver, who promptly cringed. "Let's have a round of applause for our very special guest, the one, the only, the radiant, the incredibly sexy dragon everyone loves, SILVER!!!"
Silver cringes slightly again as the crowd erupts into deafening applause. Was it just her, or did there seem to be even more people here than last time? Anna cleared her throat- loudly- and the applause died down. She then walked up on stage, right up to Silver, who instinctively backed away. Anna merely grinned and leaned in to whisper conspiratorially into Silver's ear.
"'Evil' is such a crude term, my dear. Don't worry, you'll have fun, I promise."
The red-haired witch then sauntered back over to her throne in front of the stage and plopped down into it, grinning like... Well, like a madwoman. Which she was. "As I'm sure some of you remember, this mailbag has a special... twist to it. Originally, I was going to have our favorite dragon act out every question posed to her. A little dab of improv and a little dash of pantomime. But I've had a change of heart. It just wouldn't be right to put the poor girl through that, without so much as a choice now would it? So, for each question, I'm going to flip a coin. Heads, we get ourselves a fun show. Tails, she gets a breather. Aren't I just the most benevolent host ever?"
A roar of cheering answered her. Meanwhile, Silver wanted to make Anna's fiery red hair actually fiery. Calm down, Sil... You got this. Just a few stupid questions, and you can go home...
She took a deep breath. "Alright, I'm ready."
Anna giggled with delight. Evil witch. "You heard her, folks! Let's... get... STAAAAAAARTED!!!!"
A myriad of colorful lights burst over the room, spiraling around the ceiling and walls, and equally colorful confetti rained down from the ceiling. Tiny, miniature fireworks exploded in the room, just above the audience's heads, which made everyone gasp and applaud. Everyone except Silver that is, who was pretty sure that was some sort of fire hazard or workplace violation or something. Anna takes out the first few cards from a plastic bag marked "MAIL" in all caps.
GxMechaBunny asks...
"Do you like gold and other shiny things?"
Silver rolled her eyes. "Of course. All dragons do. Though, sapphires are my favorite. They're really pretty. I, um... I actually have a drawer full of sapphire jewelry, because whenever my dad would take me into town with him, we would always pass by the local Jeweler and he always had such pretty jewelry in stock and dad could never say no... N-never mind! Next question."
Anna flipped her coin. It landed on tails. "Aww, too bad."
"Whose cooking do you prefer, your father's cooking or Elia's?"
"Hmm... I'd have to say my father's, just because I've had it a lot more. Though Elia is a very good cook."
Flip. Tails again. Anna sighed and changed the card.
"How well do you and Elia get along?"
"I'd like to think we get along really well. Elia is... Special. She's a wonderful person, she's so kind and gentle, despite how much she's suffered. She has this light that she just seems to emanate, I can't explain it. But she loves my father dearly, and he loves her, and for that alone, I would do anything for her. A-anyway, next."
Anna stares at her coin intently before flipping it, almost like she was trying to will it to land on heads. It didn't.
"What is your favorite meal?"
"Fish," Silver answered immediately. "Specifically, fresh mountain salmon. If I could, that's all I would eat for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, dragons eat a lot and live for a very long time, so if I did that, there wouldn't be much salmon left... But I also like most meats. I am a carnivore, after all."
"And yet you maintain such a perfect figure," Anna said. "How do you do it?"
"That's a secret," Silver replied, winking.
Anna mumbled something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like "darn stubborn dragons", then flipped her coin. It denied her her fun yet again.
"What do you think of your birth parents?"
"They're... Eccentric, to say the least. But I really like them. I wouldn't say I love them just yet, but... I do care. My biological father, Tafl, is even more stubborn than I, and my mother can be a little... terrifying at times. She definitely does the whole 'dragon dominator' thing well."
An evil, mischievous glint suddenly entered Anna's eye, and for some reason, Silver found herself praying the coin landed on tails. Fortunately, it did. Anna cursed her rotten luck, then moved on to the next question.
"Is Silver the name you were given at birth?"
"No. It's what my adoptive father, Vincent, named me when he found me, due to my silver scales in dragon form and my silver hair in human form. I only recently learned what my birth name is, though I will still always be Silver, and I will always prefer to be called Silver. Next."
Anna thought for a moment before flipping the coin then, realizing there wasn't really anything Silver could do to act out that question, she set the coin back down and moved on.
"How would you feel about having siblings? Would you rather have a brother or a sister? Any thoughts on a name?"
"I would love to have siblings. I've always wanted to be a big sister, though I don't really have a preference. I would love a younger brother or a little sister. As for a name... I'm not sure. Though, I have a feeling it will be something related to the constellations... Next question please."
Anna flipped the coin again. And again, it landed on tails. Anna very calmly threw the coin across the room and asked her manager to fetch her another one. He did. The corners of Silver's mouth twitched slightly, forming a small, subtle grin, but she quickly hid it by pretending to cough.
"What is living in the palace of Gorgath like?"
"It's really magical, like a fairytale. But before Elia arrived, it was also very lonely. The palace is so huge... And my father rarely smiled in those days. Yet another reason I'm eternally grateful to Elia."
"Speaking of Gorgath, what is it like in the city? Does it feel anything like living above ground?"
Silver seems to ponder that for a moment. "Hmm... I wouldn't really know. I mean... I've never really lived anywhere besides Gorgath. Until recently, I only left home to get supplies, or stretch my wings, or hunt. Things like that. I've never even seen another city before, at least not up close. I know I may sound really sheltered, but I actually know a lot about the world. While I can't compare it to the outside world, I can tell you this: Gorgath isn't just a city. It's alive. Living there is like living in between time, caught between the past, present, and future. It's a place of magic, and power, and memories, and the weight of those memories is tangible. I don't really know how else to explain it, so... Next question."
Anna seems so intrigued by that explanation she almost forgets to flip her coin. Almost. Unfortunately for her, it again lands on tails. After taking her annoyance out on her poor manager, leaving a permanent coin shaped indent in his forehead, Anna moves on to the next set of cards.
empireofimpatience asks...
"Who's yo daddeh?! Your biological one, I mean."
"Tafl. He's a very powerful gold dragon- and if you make a joke about silver and gold, I will eat you. Without barbecue sauce."
Anna's eyes bulged slightly. She slowly moved the coin away from her. "Let's... not have you act that one out. Moving on."
"What's your real name?"
"Rhiannon. Though my parents- biological parents- usually just call me Rhia or Sil. Next."
"What do you do outside Gorgath? Besides skinny dipping in lakes?"
Silver blushed furiously. "W-wait, what? H-How did you know about that?! I'm not answering! And if you try to make me act out skinny dipping, I'll make sure this is the last show you ever do!"
The crowd- or at least the males in the crowd-cheered gleefully at the idea of her doing just that, but fortunately for them, Anna was a bit smarter than that. She decided not to pull the dragon's tail.
"Has your dragon form ever gotten you into trouble with the locals? Irrationally scared passerby hiring dragon hunters, for example?"
She was silent for a few minutes. When she finally did speak, her voice was quiet and solemn. "... Yeah, once, when I was just a youngling. A group of Mercenaries were hired by a wealthy merchant, who happened to spot me while I was flying too low. My father warned me never to fly low, and that was the first and only time I've ever disobeyed him in anything. They captured me and were in the middle of taking me to Alibab, to sell me to the merchant as a slave, when my father just... descended. I had never seen him so angry, so enraged, nor have I since. He was like an angel of retribution, a weapon of destruction. He left no survivors, not the mercenaries, not the merchant. I was... terrified at first. But then he opened the back door of the caravan, and light streamed in, and there were tears cascading down his face... I will never forget that sight, for as long as I live. He was so gentle, so kind as he freed me, he handled me like he was terrified of breaking me, like I was something unspeakably precious... For the next month, he didn't let me out of his sight."
She rubbed her eyes, which were beginning to tear up, suddenly frustrated with herself. "W-Why am I telling you this anyway? Next question."
Anna had to wait until the audience had calmed down, since there was at least a dozen people sobbing their eyeballs out. Once again, she didn't even reach for the coin.
"Rate Catie out of 10 on the super best friends scale."
"Umm... 10, I guess? She's a bit odd, but believe it or not, she's the first real friend I've ever made... well, myself. And until I met my biological father, Catie was the only other Shapeshifter I had ever seen. I kinda miss her."
"How much do you know about Vincent's past?"
"If you're asking me if I know who he used to be, then yes, I do. I know a lot, but not everything. He hasn't told anyone about what happened to him in his childhood and early years, as far as I know. Not even Elia."
Anna set the last card aside, and picked up the third- and hopefully final- set of cards.
SwordMasterSMEX asks...
"Now that you found out your grandmother's actually your aunt, is she any less of a hag?"
"No. She's still an evil old hag and I hope my mother decides to reclaim her god powers and kick her ass. Next."
"Is it even possible for you to have kids?"
"I... I'm not sure. I haven't exactly tried to find out. Partially because I haven't reached my first mating cycle yet, and partially because I haven't met any other nice, handsome dragons. Also because I have TWO all-powerful overprotective dads, and I'm a little worried what they would do if I brought a boyfriend home."
"Are you uncomfortable with how open some of your family members are about their sex life?"
"... A little. There were more than a few moments during my last stay at Lake Nivian that were a little traumatizing. Suffice to say that I'm very glad Elia and my father are more considerate, and at least wait until I'm asleep. So umm... yeah. Next."
"If the host was wearing the same outfit as you, would you still be cuter?"
"Of course."
Silver suddenly grinned evilly and turned to look at Anna. "How about you flip that coin now? I would so love to act out this question."
Anna hesitated, but only for a moment. Then she grinned too. "Anything for ratings, right?"
She flipped the coin, and Silver's eyes flashed with a strange light, which went completely undetected due to the stage lighting and swirly disco lights. The coin landed on its side and spun for a few, very long seconds. Everyone in the audience held their breath. Then the coin landed on heads, and the crowd exploded with excitement. Anna gave an overly dramatic sigh, then rose to her feet and walked onto the stage.
"Be right back, folks! I have to go get changed."
The crowd thundered their approval, while Silver secretly felt very pleased with herself. A few minutes later, Anna re-entered the stage, wearing the same outfit Silver was; a two-piece cat costume that left very little to the imagination. Anna gave a seductive wink and pawed at her drooling audience.
"Me-oooow."
Silver counted at least six loser guys fainting immediately. And when standing side by side, Silver realized she really didn't... measure up. Suddenly self conscious, she blushed and looked down at her feet, wringing her hands in front of her, only for an obnoxiously loud "Daaaaaaaaaaawwwwwww" to ripple through the audience. She looked up, surprised, as another ten loser guys fainted. Another stood up and professed his undying love, and asked her to marry him. Another volunteered to help her test if she could have kids, and a third asked her when her mating cycle was. She was torn between utter embarrassment and anger. Anna, meanwhile, recognized defeat. She giggled.
"Touché, touché. You win this time, O adorable dragon kitten."
Still in her new costume, Anna strode back over to her throne and plopped back into it. However, it didn't look like audience was going to settle down anytime soon.
"Looks like we're going to have to make a cut here, folks! Tune in tomorrow for the third and final part of the Realm of Austur's mailbag, episode 5! Thank you all for watching, and happy holidays!"
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