Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2017 12:25 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

Aqua was cautious of thae cage. She knew not to go into an aria with less than 2 ways out. Instead of going to the food she circled the cage a few times before sitting at the door and looking at cymbal. She titled her head before looking back at the cage and at the food. She eventually climed in and started eating. 

She did not spook at the mist because she was use to the cave being full of smoke from fire. 

Befor she knew what was happening the world seamed to spin and ahe tryed to get out of the cage but walked into a wall before sitting and falling onto her side. The would blurred than went dark as she fell asleep.

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2017 11:44 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

Taking the map, he nodded. "Alright then. I'll do my best to make it there within three days' time. If you meet her before then, please tell her that I'm on my way." When the meeting was over, he returned home once his shift was over. Before closing up shop he asked his employer if he could be given a few days of vacation time early. To explain, he said he needed to return a missing item to someone and wanted to ensure it reached its intended recipient safely. Also he would make up whatever work hours he missed, even if it meant working overtime. He was granted permission, and brought a wicker cage with him. Doing his best to line it with comfortable cloth and cushioning, he tried to coax the whelp inside.

"Here, a little something for you." Placing some fresh fruit and a meat bun inside, he waited for the dragon youngling to go in. "I'll be taking you to your owner soon, so please don't worry. I'm sorry I couldn't have them come to take you themselves, but I believe they will be better equipped to care for you where they are." Should it enter the padded carrying basket, he would gently breathe out a puff of misty vapor towards it. Once breathed in, it would cause whoever was exposed to it to become drowsy and fall into a deep sleep.

Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2017 6:55 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

He grabbed a napkin before drawing up a map of vilpamolan docks on it as well some streets and buildings. He circled one and slid the map over. He than explained that it was easy to find the pears and all that. Than almost laughed at the question.

"You got it wrong she would come without doubt. I just don't wanna be the one to say. Hay i may have found your pet but i left it. The person that has it will only give it up if you meet them."

He shook his head. He was giving of the wrong impression. 

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 1:05 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

"Moonlight Bar, Vilpamolan… Could you draw up a map for the general area around it? I'd rather not make a wrong turn in a place like that." Three days was a very narrow time frame. Could he make it in time? Perhaps if he found someone willing to open a portal for him, but even airships took at least two days' when moving with all engines roaring. And he didn't have that kind of money to make such a request. He had no idea who this 'Silvertail' was, but it probably could be a lycan or something non-human by deduction. "It might seem a foolish question, but why not have her come here to pick up her pet? Any particular reason why?" If someone was desperate enough they would run to the ends of the earth to bring back something precious to them. This person didn't seem too concerned otherwise. But that was just conjecture. His bigger concern was keeping the whelp from getting sidetracked and handing it off safely to its owner. Hopefully it would trust him enough to be willing.

Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2017 10:49 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

"The next time she will be seen is in a week in pirate haven just before sundown. I can relay the message but um… well yeah see she will not be happy to know that I found the hatchling and did not get it." He went silent half wishing that the water was a very strong drink. "Think you can come and deliver her your self if ya do not trust me. or at least let me see the hatchling," He said. he was good at hiding his fear but he knew the anger the woman had and had seen ships destroyed just cause of simple things.

"Silvertail will not be happy but a bit relieved. Just Bring the child to moonlight bar in pirate haven by sundown in 3 days," he said deciding it best not to try and talk to silvertail knowing that she would flip at that thought. 

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2017 8:50 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

"So that's its name then… Finding the other will be very challenging, I imagine." Knowing it responded to a whistle was incredibly vague information, but he could try to see which one of the two he had found. Apparently the owner was a sorcerer of some sort, and one who was a bit of a vigilante against injustice. Sadly this would be no help in determining what he wished to know. "Would you mind perhaps relaying a message for me to her about this? I'd like her to come and retrieve her pet herself. It would make me feel more at ease seeing her take it than to hope and pray it arrives safely. Sometimes…things don't always happen as planned, so I'd like to reduce as much possibility of the unexpected if I can."

Yes, he knew he was being stubborn and possibly making this inconvenient, but he had to be sure. The little whelp was innocent and young. It would easily trust anyone who showed it kindness, which was dangerous. He wasn't sending it into the hands of someone who wanted the latest fad in pets, only to discard it when it went out of style. He had seen enough strays on the streets for that.

Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2017 1:29 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

"Aye, fair anouph questions. The owner goes by the name Silvertail. She comes to vaphavin once a moon cycle. In that time she is known to cause havic on slave owners and traders. She is a human that uses fire and electricity to her advantage. Last mouth she showed up with a hatching and asked if anyone had sean a similar one." He said. 

"Her pet responds to Aqua but the one thst was stolen was an egg at the time but should respond to a whistle she does." He took a swallow of the water. 

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Fri Sep 8, 2017 9:58 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

Cymbel wasn't entirely sure that this man had honest intentions. Dragon whelps were a rarity, and a lot of people wouldn't mind getting their hands on one as a novelty pet. Also there was the matter of his…credibility, for a lack of a better term. He had arranged the meeting to be in a public place so he could test if whoever replied really was the owner or not. "Oh, I'm sorry–I thought that you were the owner. I was hoping I'd meet the person whom it belonged to in person. …I'm sure you understand. I just want to make sure I hand it off to the right person." Cymbel tried to act with more confidence. He had to if wanted to see if this man was telling the truth or not. "So this friend of yours, what are they like? What did they say in describing their pet?" He was a bit worried as the man already seemed to know the whelp's gender, but didn't let it show on his face.

Stalling wasn't a tactic he liked to use, but if this man was patient enough to pass through the questions he was either very cunning or truly had good intentions. For now, he would begin drawing as much information as he could out of him. It was for the whelp's sake, he told himself. He didn't want the creature to be sent to someone who would abuse it.

Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Thu Sep 7, 2017 9:32 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

"Aye, that be right. Take it that ye be the one that posted it?" he stated that then drank the water. "I came looking for a friend's stolen pet that should look a lot like ya described. I just hope it be ok or this trip be for not." The man stated. "Where is she?" he asked.  

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Wed Sep 6, 2017 11:26 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

The next morning he went to check the notice he had posted and found someone had replied. This was wonderful news! Cymbel had been wondering how effective putting up a written bulletin would be, but this was a welcome surprise. Rushing to his workplace, his thoughts were all over the place. He wondered who the whelp's owner was, and what kind of person they were. What should he say when he would meet them at the aforementioned location? Time flew by as his shift passed, and when it was time for the meeting he ducked out of sight before casting his glamour spell. He had taken the precaution of using a pseudonym in his written notice, and changed his features and attire to match an average citizen of Ataiyo. Sporting short black hair with dark eyes and an ordinary kimono, he went on his way.

Arriving at the location, he looked around at the people present. There wasn't anything particularly out of the ordinary, and most of the patrons were locals. Then he saw him–a man with one arm and peg leg. How could he have missed him? By his attire it was clear he wasn't from here, and he stuck out from the crowd like a sore thumb. Cymbel was rather shocked. He was…not what he had expected for a dragon whelp owner. Cymbel had been expecting someone with more pomp based on the circumstances, but he should know better than to judge a book by a cover. After all, he was the one who wasn't showing his true face.

Approaching the man, he bowed politely. He then spoke up, asking. "Excuse me sir, but you wouldn't happen to be here due to a notice posted recently? Perhaps one regarding something missing or lost?" If he was talking to the wrong person, at least he could hide his embarrassment with his glamour spell. And no one would ever know, thanks to that. Taking a seat across from the man, he fiddled with his fingers under the table where no one could see. Hopefully he had been right, and had found the whelp's owner.

Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Tue Sep 5, 2017 9:16 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

Aqua slept most the day. The humidity making her more tired. hearing Cymbel open the doors she got up ad stretched before laying back down thinking it was not worth the energy of gliding down to the floor. but the smell of food swayed her to do so. she walked to Cymbel and fallowed him until food was given. The hatcling slept well that night and woke up early. this time she decided to fallow the man if and when he left.

The flyers got the attention of a one armed man with a peg leg. He decided to go to the place listed o the flyer and arrived early. He was once a lave that was freed by Vinsue and hoped to get her black hatchling back to her. Though it was not the one he was looking for it did remind him of the one that sat on her shoulder. Corse he only knew her as silvertail but he did know her. He ordered a water and waited for the man and the hatchling.

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Tue Sep 5, 2017 11:08 AM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

After a very difficult evening, he was dead tired when dawn broke. Much to his dismay, when he set out to leave for work he found the usual path he took was flooded. Following several detours, he managed to arrive at the capital and apologized to his employer for being tardy. Thankfully the rains had meant business was slower than usual, so he wasn't reprimanded. While he was tending the shop, he was thinking of placing some flyers around to see if anyone had lost a young drake. He couldn't keep an eye on it while he was away, and didn't have the funds to take care of it so it would be best if he returned it to its parent or owner. 

When lunch hour came, he checked if it was raining and when it was dry he went out to post a few notices where bulletins were hung. They all asked for anyone missing a small drake of Aqua's description to reply and meet him at a well-known cafe in the city at a certain time and date. It was a shot into the darkness, but hopefully it would find the intended recipient. Back at his house, there was occasional drizzling outside. Not enough that there were leaks, but the air was clammy and humid. In the forest certain places that were lower had puddles of water forming or even little creeks. The sky was grey and the time passed until it was time for him to come home. The peach seed that was planted was growing into a fine tree, and its boughs were shading part of the house's outer walls now. Not only did it offset the rise in temperature, but it kept some water away from the roof as well. Now he could purchase some things instead of spending hours foraging, Cymbel had more time to rest.

With his parasol open, he made the roundabout way back to the house and struggled with the door hinges again–as he did every day. And once again, he was victorious entering with something new bundled under his arm. A few steamed buns with meat and cabbage, a rare treat now that he had a source of income. There were two, one for him and one for the whelp. The smell wasn't dampened by the rain, and she would be able to smell it in no time. Washing up, he set the food down and went to check if the house was flooded or not. A brisk walk about the rooms gave the satisfactory showing of relatively dry floors, and he returned to the kitchen to prepare the evening meal. As he washed the rice he wondered how soon he would get a reply from the notices he posted. He still had no idea how the dragon youngling had managed to come here all by itself, and it wasn't as if he could ask it.

Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Mon Sep 4, 2017 8:11 AM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

Seeing that she only had herself to play with she went outside and chaced a squirrel for a wile. Once she got over not catching the creature she went to the tree she planted. Seeing it had grown to the size if one 10 years of healthy growth, she desided to climb it and see what she could. 

At the sound of rain she quickly ran into the house not wanting to get wet. Inside she was quick to notice the man running about with defrent things. She qas getting cold and did not like that the mans shelter was failing at the one thing they were good at and that was keeping water out. 

Aqua climbed to her sleeping place and curled up into a ball severing. As the Fay may have a hard time wondering witch was worce aqua was sure that it was the cold and wet. 

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Sun Sep 3, 2017 11:07 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

The heat was making it hard for him to think. The little dragon poked him and wanted him to play with her. Unfortunately for her, he was not in the best shape to be moving. Struggling, he took a ladle of water and poured it over his head. Feeling warm and stuffy was awful, but for the time being the water helped cool him off briefly. He missed places that were always cool, like Jasumin Lake. The water was always a nice temperature and the winds weren't hot or frigid. He wanted a drink of water badly, but he wasn't desperate enough to do so just yet. Just few more hours, then he could live again. Time passed as he drifted in and out of consciousness in a hazy stupor. When night fell, a few hours after sunset he awoke groggy and parched. The water he had poured on himself had evaporated, and the wood floors were still warm.

How long had he been out? Getting up, the first thing he did was get a drink of water. The cool water was like a breath of fresh air, and he felt revitalized. Seeing it was dark, he went to light a lantern to brighten the room up. He had missed making the evening meal, but with the heat making him feel lethargic he was fine with cool water and some washed greens that could be eaten raw as a salad. "I should have brought back more of those orange fruits…maybe there will still be some left on the trees tomorrow." The loquats were delicious, tender like an apricot with the juiciness of plums. He wasn't sure if there were more wild-growing fruit in season, so he might as well take advantage of it while he could. No longer tired, he stayed up for a few hours with the lantern beside him. Tomorrow he'd have to rise early to arrive at his new workplace, so that afternoon nap had shifted his sleep schedule. Outside, the damp smell of water and the sound of a pitter-patter announced a shower of rain. He didn't think much until he heard the dripping, then that was when the panic came. 

The roof! It was still in disrepair, and that meant he had to keep the place from flooding and the floors from rotting. The next minutes he spent running through the rooms with whatever containers he could find, placing them beneath the leaks and hoping they wouldn't overflow. Finally the rain stopped, and the humidity rose. The damp, clammy feeling made him feel uncomfortable in a new way and he wasn't sure which he disliked more–dry heat or humid coolness.

Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Sun Sep 3, 2017 8:04 AM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

At The time the whelp awoke the hot temperatures seemed to have little to no effect on her. She went to look for Cymbel. Once she found him on the floor she was confused at why he was just laying on the floor. Was he dead? she thought but realised that he blinked so he was not dead. Perhaps he was tired. She walked over and tapped his arm before quickly backing up and lowered her head as she spread her wings like a dog wanting to play. She repeated a couple times untell movement was obvious. then he ran off, stopped in the doorway and then waited. ready to run off.

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 3:40 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

By late afternoon Cymbel was lying on the floor, with a bucket of clean water nearby. The temperature had spiked compared to earlier that week, and he was suffering. The house still had a lot of holes, so the heat seeped in like water through a leak. The floor was much cooler than anywhere else, but even though it was stuffy inside he knew it was only worse outdoors. He'd have to plant some trees around the immediate area soon, so in a decade or so it wouldn't be so hot. But right now he couldn't think about that–he had to keep himself from being steamed alive. Scooping some cool water with a bamboo ladle, he poured it over himself before lying back down on the floor. He felt awful. He was never good with temperatures higher than the cool early morning, as Feeorin was always shady. His hair was lying sprawled out on the floor in damp clumps, and he was face down.

This was the worst time of the day. He couldn't do anything lest he overheat, and had to stay still until dusk. Wasn't Venti supposed to be around the corner? Why was the heat picking up now? He was groggily drifting in and out of a feverish sleep, waking periodically when his body temperature was too high. Time always seemed to crawl when he wanted it to fly, and fly when he needed it to slow down. Groaning, he rolled to the side.  

Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 3:41 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

She did not stay on the towel long after he went in the kitchen. She jumped down and went to the kitchen. she climbed to the place she slept that morning and watched as food was fixed. Once her plate was placed she jumped and glided to the table and started eating. she loved the food. Afterwards, she went to a window and laid down. she let her wings spread so she could digest her food. 

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 11:39 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

Rubbing his eyes, the tiredness was creeping back in from waking so early. His circadian rhythms were off balance, as he found it difficult to get good quality sleep these past months. Soon the heat would subside as Ignius turned to Venti. At least he hoped so. As the little drake climbed into his lap, he laid on his back on the wood floor. Today he felt especially tired somehow. 

It probably couldn't understand him, but he decided to speak to it anyway. "It's only halfway through morning, yet I still feel so weary. Today will be a long day, I can tell." Gently petting the whelp, he added. "Good news, I've finally found work. It's not much, but if all goes well I should be able to worry a bit less about expenses for the time being. It's a bit too early to celebrate yet however, as there's still much work to be done. The house is in dire need of repairs, and I can't do them myself. But at least we can eat three meals a day without a problem." Putting his arms behind his head, he looked up at the ceiling. Whenever he felt like this, he would wish he could simply close his eyes and sleep for a while. 

The shrill whistle of the boiling pot reminded Cymbel that there was still work to be done, so he took the towel and set it on a cushion, then carefully picked up the dragon whelp and rested it on top. "We haven't had breakfast yet. Let's see how far along it is." The smell of steamed rice began to waft from the pot, and he was setting the fish to soak. This time instead of two salted fish he took out three, and each was as big as a small mackerel. The extra vegetables he harvested the day before were put to use as they were cooked with the fish with a little oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. The aroma of stir-fried food brightened up the kitchen in a way that boiling could not, and the scent alone was enough to get one's appetite going. Twenty minutes later, he set the table. Scooping a little rice with fish and vegetables into what he designated as his guest bowl, he set the cooled yet warm contents for the little dragon. His portion was still steaming, as he didn't want her to burn her mouth when she ate. He had learned the hard way that she was still essentially a child of five, and needed to be looked after.

Finally, he had his first meal of the day. The warm rice and cooked vegetables warmed him from the inside out. The fish was much better when stir-fried, and the cooking oil would help reduce the time he spent waiting for his meals to cook. When he was finished with his food, he began to clear the table preparing to wash the dishes. He only had two sets of lacquer ware and some cutlery, but it was best to not let chores pile up. He already couldn't wait for nightfall to come. He'd welcome the rest.

Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 7:20 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

She was glad to fill the stings pain going away. she stayed there untell the towel was laid near her. she got up and laid on it as she pulled it around her. "mom" she repeated. she was not good at speaking yet but she did know some words that her mom taught her. She was getting good at copying words thanks to mom taking her to town around random people. 

After the towel lost its warmth, Aqua got up and went to the next warmest place. She climbed into Cymbels lap. 

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 1:01 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

He wasn't sure how the whelp had gotten itself so injured, but he knew what he had to do. Taking a staff hidden away out of sight as to avoid potential theft whilst he was not in the house, he channeled power into it. A soothing energy began to envelop the little drake, and its welts from the stings began to heal. He didn't have any fire magic to warm it up, but he took a towel and placed it on the still-warm covered pot of boiling water and let it heat up. Five minutes later the took it off and placed it nearby the dragonling. It would be better for it to go towards it itself, lest he risk being bitten. Cymbel sighed, as he surveyed the damage. If possible he should quickly find a way to keep it contained when he wasn't close by. There was also the issue of allowing it to grow habituated to the place, as time passed he wouldn't be able to support feeding a growing animal.

"I should've known better than to leave you by yourself…Normally I'd ask if your mother taught you anything, but it appears you've not been with her for a long time. What am I to do with you?" He asked, sitting down a little ways from the recuperating whelp.

Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 9:41 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

Aqua tried to stand but fell. she coughed as she again attempted to stand but gave up at after the pain filled her limbs. Red bumps were forming on her back and face as her scales had not developed enough to protect her. Her fur was soaked and she was shaking. She did not have the strength to call for mom.  

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 11:43 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

It was the early hours of daylight as he approached his house again. His parasol was open and had shielded him from the rays on the way back. Cymbel noticed the dragonling wasn't outside where he had last saw it. It likely wandered off to somewhere else. Opening the door and creaking the old hinges, he was able to get it closed and locked it. Entering the kitchen he put the salt, oil and fish into the pantry when he heard a splashing sound. That was strange…where was it coming from? He followed the noise until he found the source–a bucket of water he had left out for cleaning the floors. There was water around the base and something was inside.

When he saw what was in the bucket, he quickly grabbed the handle and poured the water out. Unsure of what to do, he started to panic. How long had it been in there? If he had stayed a little longer in the city, it likely would have drowned before he would have found out. The dragon whelp was still a wild animal all things considered, so he was hesitant to try to check if it was alright. Scared animals would bite, and he wasn't sure if it had venom. Cleaning up the water he paced back and forth, worried. He had to find its owner or parent before something worse happened.

Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 10:27 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

She did not understand most of what Cymbel had said but she squawked at it then returned to doing what she had begun. She looked at the cut plants each seeming sad. She had tilted her head and started to examine it when a bug appeared. She decided to follow it and perhaps catch it.  The bug ended up landing on the peach tree where she cult and ate it. She quickly left the tree not wanting to b attacked by birds again.

She stopped as she seen the former leaves which caught her attention.  She knew it was her plant but how it got out of the house and into the ground she could only guess. She laid down thinking about how nice it would be to lay in a tree that was not going to get her attacked. she jumped and hid after the plant grew to a foot high. she then moved to where she plucked a plant earlier and wondered if it would ever bloom again. it was much slower to grow but it had a bud on it when a bug again got her attention. This one flew off into a nest high off the ground. she had followed it to the wall and climbed before she stuck her face into the hole. 

She immediately jumped from her perch and ran as fast as she could as bees coated her face and chased her. she screamed at the pain of the stings as she ran and sometimes bucking and scraping them off her face. she climbed into a bucket to hide but she had no clue it was half full of water. The good news was that the bees would not attack in water the bad news being that she was not aquatic and water cooled her down too much. She also had no way of getting out. She scratched as she tried to escape.

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 9:30 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

He had several bundles sorted by flower type lying together, and it was then he caught the glint of something glowing. "Oh it's you. Did you sleep well? It's good to see you out and about again." Stopping to rest he watched as the little dragon whelp went over with a flower in its mouth and placed it near the flowers he had just cut. Soon he was finished and daybreak was approaching. Scooping the bundles up he went to lock the door to his home, then opened his parasol. Turning to the whelp he said: "I'll be heading out to the city. I should be back once the sky is bright, so take care of yourself and stay safe." 

He began to walk the path to Nisshoki, a light breeze blowing the fragrance of fresh flowers behind him. At the city, he walked through the markets until he found a local florist shop. He remembered passing by here when he first arrived in the kingdom, having only looked in from the outside. Opening the door he entered, hoping he wasn't intruding. "Hello! Welcome to the Amakusa Flower Shop! Oh that's quite the bundle you have there!" The woman in a pink kimono rushed over to help Cymbel carry the overloaded basket. "Thank you. I don't mean to be a bother, but would it be alright to sell these to you? I'm not sure of what shops typically sell, aside from floral arrangements." With the basket's contents unloaded, the woman looked at the blooms he had brought. "These are quite beautiful! Ah and they're fresh too. These daffodils and irises have a wonderful intensity of color. Did you grow these yourself?" Cymbel nodded, taking out the last flowers from the basket. "Yes, I also harvested them this morning. The stems aren't too short to use, are they?"

The woman shook her head, clearly delighted by what he had brought. "No no, they're perfect! You said you wished to sell them, correct? Hm…how about a silver for the daffodils, hydrangeas, violets, and irises. I'll take the rest for five coppers a bundle." He looked back at her in surprise. "I-I…yes, that would be fine." On his way out the woman thanked him, and he gave a polite bow in response. He had managed to earn six silver coins and thirty coppers in a single trip. This was incredible! He could finally buy eggs again! He cried tears of joy behind the sleeve of his kimono, and dabbed his eyes on it. What should he purchase? He had enough rice for a month, but maybe he could get some salt and oil for cooking. Pepper and other spices were too expensive for now. Passing by the farmers' market stalls he resisted the urge to purchase scallions and garlic. Just the basics for now, nothing more.

He returned home happier than the songbirds singing in spring. The spoils from his trip had been some sea salt, dried fish, and a bottle of cooking oil, with three silvers and fifteen coppers left over. 

Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 7:08 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

Aqua woke up in the middle of the night. Her scales glowing a bluish color. Hopping down to a lower place she was quick to notice the food set out for her and eat. Once the food was gone she started looking for her seed. It took her a while to check the house and start looking out side. Even then she could not find it. But instead found the twolegged gathering flowers. 

She had not watched long before coming to a flower and attempted to pull it up. She had a good grip with her teeth and pulled. It only managed to shake the flower. She readjusted and again pulled this time using her wings to help.

After plucking the plant she carried it to the pile but did not put it on the pile but close than looked up at cymbal as she sat down.

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 11:10 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

He watched as the little whelp ate and went to rest atop one of the shelves. He marveled at it and shook his head in disbelief. It seemed that amazing things were happening all around him, so it appeared. Cymbel nearly missed the seed, almost stepping on it. Gingerly picking it up, he looked back at the now sleeping dragon whelp in surprise. From what he could infer, this particular one had the powers of growth and earth. He carefully took the little peach seedling outside in his hands. "There you are little one, I'm afraid there's not much room for you to grow in here. I'll take you where you can spread your leaves and grow tall and strong."

Walking far from the house he came to a small clearing where he made a hole and planted it. Covering it up leaving the stem and leaves exposed, he retrieved some water and dripped around the mound of soil, allowing it to soak in. Returning home he worked at a breakneck speed to catch up on time lost to the prior diversions. When the day was over he was exhausted, and the evening meal was a welcome respite from his daily chores. He left a dish out for his little scaled guest near where it lay, and prepared soaking the salt-preserved fish for tomorrow morning. Leaving the kitchen he went to lie down and sleep.

Morning came sooner than he had thought, and groggily pulled himself off the floor. Setting the rice to cook, he sleepily went to harvest the flowers he had grown using his enchanted boots the day before to bring them to the market. It was still dark, but his good eyesight and years of living in the dusky twilight of Feeorin made it seem like early in the day. He began tying them in bundles to carry them more easily. Hopefully he'd make it to the city in time before the wholesale purchasers were gone.

Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 8:52 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

The young hatchling put her seed down and smelled her food. She did not know what it was but she knew it was not meat. She took a bite than backed up as she chewed the new food. She liked the strange taste and then started eating more of it. Soon it was empty and she was full. 

She picked up the seed and glided off the table and to the floor. she then climbed to a higher shelf and curled into a ball. one wing was laying over the side open as she dropped the seed and focused on it until sleep set in. the seed sprouted and grew up untell it had two small leaves. She changed positions twice. in the end, her head rested over her leg in the derection away from the wall.

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Tue Aug 8, 2017 10:46 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

He froze when he saw a reptilian creature in the room. He was afraid to breathe or even move. Somehow it looked familiar… Wasn't that the one he had seen earlier today by the road? A closer look proved that it indeed was. And now that he saw it more clearly, it was clear that it wasn't the average monitor lizard. To his dismay it was quite possibly a young dragon. It wanted the food. 

His heart was in pain, first because its cries were pitiful and he knew it was lost and hungry. Second, because he himself had to eat too. Covering his face with his hands he tried not to look at it. "Ohhh…why? Why did it have to turn out like this? I can't, I shouldn't but–" Cymbel didn't finish that sentence and shook his head. "Alright, alright. I'll let you have some…This is all I have for now though." He uncovered the food and used one of the overturned lids as a makeshift dish. Scooping some rice and boiled vegetables into it, the rest he kept for himself. There was cooked tender bamboo shoots along with the garlic buds. Taking out the remaining loquats left in his basket, he gave the fruit to the dragon whelp as well. It was still a wild animal…even if it was desperate enough to search for food inside a house. His next worry would be what to do if the mother was searching for it. 

Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Tue Aug 8, 2017 9:28 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

The young Aqua stopped crying at the site of the two legged that managed to drive off the horrid birds. She picked the seed back up, then she was quick to run into the house once she had a chance. it was a little dusty but at least the birds were gone. She stood on her back legs and sniffed the air. Food, she thought as her mouth watered. She got back on all four legs and started to walk deeper into the house. 

She slowly walked towards the table once she saw the man was inside the room. She climbed the table and sat down. She looked at the man than at the food and back a few times before sending a set of ecos with her eyes wide and ears down. She stopped and looked at the man before repeating and wrapping her tail around her legs and letting her wings drupe. 

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Mon Aug 7, 2017 10:41 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

Already partway into his meal, the sound of birds squawking and making a fuss got his attention. He was hesitant to leave, as he had just sat down. Taking another mouthful of rice, he covered him food with the lids of pots and went outside to see what was the matter. Taking a broom for protection, he crept outside. Maybe a small animal had managed to sneak in through the damaged portions of the building. Or worse, there was an intruder. Hiding behind the posts and corners of walls, he peered out to see if anyone was around. The sounds of agitated birds was growing louder, which made him worry. Following the noise he entered the central garden where he saw a flock of sparrows and blackbirds swarming like locusts on a hot day. What in the name of the stars had caused them to go into a frenzy like this?

"Shoo! Shoo! Away with you!" He shouted, swinging his broom to chase the birds off. He was not aware of the little dragonling that was hiding in the low-lying shrubbery, and soon the birds were gone. Peace and quiet resumed, while he stood with the broom's handle in hand and shading his eyes with the other, watching the birds rise high into the sky. "What's gotten into them? Normally they're rather peaceful. Was it some kind of territory spat or something? There aren't any nests in the tree last time I checked." Sighing, he began walking back into the house. He still had to finish his lunch before he was off schedule. The floors still needed cleaning, and the outer areas needed sweeping. Once the place was fixed it'd be much easier, he told himself. If he put it off it'd just take longer. Cymbel's act of driving off the birds gave the whelp a small window of opportunity to escape her cover. As the man was not aware of her presence inside the estate, it wouldn't be difficult to sneak past him. Returning to the table, he resumed his meal. 

Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Mon Aug 7, 2017 9:58 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

she actually liked the unripe fruit as she ignored the animals and noise and ate until the bigger bird decided to pick the fruit out of her hand. in annoyance she flipped onto her feet and pounced landing on the bird and taking a bite before falling off. she landed on the ground and took the seed of the fruit in her jaws as she again scaled the tree and cleared it of the annoying things before again laying down and sucked on the seed. The seed started to grow but she did not notice or know she had sped its growth she only wanted to get all the juice off it that she could. way too soon did the birds return with its buddies pecking at Aqua. 

The young dragon sprinted down the tree as fast as she could and then into the bushes to get rid of the horrible creatures. they scratched and tried to get her for a few minutes before leaving. the smell of cooked food called at her to leave the bush and go inside the building to eat but every time she tried to leave the birds would return.The Each time it seemed they would stay longer and get louder before giving up. she eventually sat there cowering and calling for help in short high pitched scratches. 

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Sun Aug 6, 2017 3:53 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

The peach wasn't fully ripe yet, as the flesh was still crisp and lacked sweetness. The outer fuzz on the skin was also thicker than usual, making it a good thirst quencher but not much of a filling snack. In the higher branches of the tree, sparrows chirped at her and the blackbirds cawed in annoyance. Eventually the smaller birds flew off, but there was one blackbird who wasn't too pleased with the little dragon. Outside the heat was starting to pick up as the temperature rose. Hurrying back under the protection of his parasol, Cymbel returned with several more handfuls of edibles. The sound of the outer door creaking loudly announced his arrival as did the groan of the hinges as the door was shut. He was thankful it didn't get stuck, otherwise he'd be in a difficult situation. 

Putting the soaked rice to boil, he began washing and drying the vegetables he had gathered. This time he had brought in a better batch–wild onions and garlic sprouts with a bamboo shoot. The onions and garlic were a real treat as they added flavor to the food. Another welcome find were small oblong orange-colored fleshy fruits he found growing in clusters from a tree–known as loquats. They were sweet and juicy, perfect for making into jams or jellies. The tree he had picked them from was heavily laden with bunches of them, and the local fauna were eating their fill as well. He had eaten some on the way back but a few remained in his basket. It was about an hour until the midday meal was done and it was time to eat. Lifting the lid off the rice pot, he backed off as steam filled the air. Carefully scooping a mound of white, freshly steamed rice into a lacquer ware bowl, he laid the cooked bamboo and vegetables in another dish beside it. The little table he had in the room outside of the kitchen served as his dining table for now. Finally, it was time to eat.

The smell of cooked food wafted out to the central garden where the peach tree stood. It would appear Aqua was lucky; this house was inhabited. That meant a better chance of finding food and a permanent place to take shelter.

Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Sat Aug 5, 2017 9:54 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

Once the hatchling finally awoke with some strength she noticed that the food was gone. She smelled the earth untell she found the smell and followed. Soon after she lost the smell. Giving up she climbed a tree and looked around to see where she was. She did not recognize anything in the area but she saw a house of sorts and curiosity set in.  She had only seen similar-ish homes in the towns her mom had taken her. She spread her wings and jumped into a glide towards the house.

Landing she folded her wings and ran a full speed untell she met a wall and climbed, at the top she again jumped and glided to the tree. she climbed to a split plucked a fruit from the branch than laid comfily on her back as she started to eat the strange fruit.

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Thu Aug 3, 2017 11:16 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

Ah, so it was alive. Seeing it eat the food he had left for it gave him a sense of relief. He still wasn't willing to risk bringing it back home, so he let it be for now. Opening his parasol as the rays of the morning sun grew stronger, he decided to come back and check on it later. The half hour's walk had him back inside in time to see how his rice had cooked this time. Today's attempt was off the mark, as it was more of a soggy porridge than single streamed grains. Mixing the rest of his salted fish with it he stirred with a spoon. Some water he had boiled in a kettle was then poured out where he blanched the wild greens he had gathered. It wasn't much, but it would do. After breakfast was finished he cleaned up the kitchen and prepared to clean the floors. It was easier to get more work done the earlier it was in the day.

Bringing in water from the well outside, he began the arduous process of cleaning the wooden floors of the entire estate. This took at least three hours and he was left sore all over his upper body. Noon had yet to arrive, so he rested for while. Soon it was time to prepare the midday meal, and the rice was washed then left to soak. While waiting, he took out his pair of enchanted boots and went outside. Putting them on, he paced around the entire perimeter of the building, watching as flowers pushed their way up out of the rich earth. When he had come full circle, he removed the boots and inspected the results. Most of what had sprouted were common flowers like daisies and chrysanthemums. Every now and then an iris, carnation, daffodil, or a cluster of violets would appear in the mix. Not allowing himself to be discouraged so easily, he retraced his steps all the way around and discovered some hydrangeas and morning glories in the shadier parts of the area. This was wonderful news! Though he doubted anyone would want morning glories, hydrangeas were a more special bloom used in floral arrangement. Irises also had more presence, and the simpler flowers could be sold for less. 

With his experiment a success, Cymbel planned to pay the city markets a visit bright and early before daybreak the next day. The days were getting longer and the temperatures made it difficult for him to leave the house unless it were early morning or late evening. He would need to gather more wild vegetables later this afternoon to compensate for his change of plans. Back in the road where the dragon whelp laid, the forest came alive as morning advanced. The twittering and singing of song birds combined with the raucous din of insects filled the air. The inhabitants of the forest were coming out to graze, and some of them were looking for an easy meal. A weasel stealthily came out from the forest underbrush by the path and began approaching carefully towards the dragonling. It came closer, and closer–just until it was by the piece of fish left partially eaten. In a flash, it snagged the bit of meat and dashed away leaving naught a trace once it was out of sight.  

Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Thu Aug 3, 2017 10:43 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

Aqua aura awoke to the smell of fish and slowly crawled to it and ate slowly not really caring where it came from or thinking to check to see if t was drugged or poisoned. She was just glad to have it and glad to not feel funny after she ate it. She managed to eat half before again falling asleep. 

Though the meat was quite salty she enjoyed what was given to her. She was still dehydrated and her slow movements made it clear she was not doing well. Her fur was mated and her feet and stomach had a mud baked on it.  As she slept her strength slowly would return but for now, she was still too weak to do much more than sleep. 

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Wed Aug 2, 2017 10:18 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

"Dandelions, purslane, mugwort, and chrysanthemums. No sign of wild onion sprouts yet. Some garlic buds or spinach would be nice as well…" He sighed heavily, kneeling before gingerly picking the leaves off the plants he had mentioned. Not enough for a single meal, but perhaps he would find more on the other side closer to the deeper woods. He was grateful to be able to find what he could every day, but a bit more variety to his diet would be a welcome change. At the moment he had nothing to barter with or trade for other foodstuffs, but maybe the farmers and the elderly ladies who came to harvest bamboo shoots might be willing to teach him a thing or two. One thing he missed was the savory texture of meat and mushrooms, but he'd rather go hungry than die from poisoning. Thus he held back whenever he passed fallen logs laden with fungus caps. He still had to buy fish for today's meals, and the most he could get were the salted and preserved kind. Their flavor wasn't bad, but they were only palatable after several hours of soaking in tubs of fresh water. It was difficult whenever he went into town for work. The smell of food cooked with oil and the simplest of spices were leaps and bounds above what he had, thus he resorted to eating alone to keep himself from feeling worse.

Just a little while longer, and then he could finally have more freedom with his budget. Once the house was fully restored, he could focus on making it more comfortable. While he walked he thought of ways he could earn additional income. He couldn't make much of a living by labor alone–not with his stamina. And unfortunately it wasn't as if people were interested in hiring personal tutors at the moment. All he had were the few worldly possessions to his name. Like his weapons, his harp, his clothes… His clothes. That train of thought gave him an idea. There was that pair of boots he had bought in Horae. He had been thinking of pawning them off for a while now, as its enchantment wasn't anything special. The fact it came from such a unique location would make it more valuable. After all what good is a pair of boots that only causes flowers to sprout wherever you go? …Wait a minute!

It took a few minutes for that to sink in. The flowers! Why didn't he think of it sooner? He could simply pace about the house, and then a flower garden would appear. Even if the plants that sprung up weren't necessarily edible, he could just pick them and sell them in the city. If selling them by himself wasn't effective, then why not sell his stock to a local florist? Here he had a never-ending supply of the freshest flowers at his disposal. His heart was much lighter now as a glimmer of hope to his financial situation had appeared. The world felt brighter and less grey with that little spot of happiness. The rest of the morning went by much more quickly after his spirits were lifted. So far he had a few handfuls of wild greens for this morning's meal. Hopefully the rice he had set to cook would be less watery today, and with the salted fish it would be complete. Walking back home, he smiled to himself as he was thinking of how to test out his new idea when he nearly tripped over a dip in the road. That near-miss made him notice some kind of strange lizard in the center of the path. It was lying there curled up. Immediately Cymbel became wary. What was that creature? And more importantly, was it dangerous?

Quietly he moved over towards a cluster of tree trunks and peered out from behind them. It seemed to be alive, but it was either asleep or resting. Why would it come out in the middle of the road? It didn't seem logical for an animal to place itself out in the open where it could be easily seen by predators. Should he or shouldn't he approach it? It had white and black scales, and was faintly glowing. Perhaps it was some wealthy man or woman's pet, and had run off. Pitying it, he slipped away back to his home. It was a hard decision, but he took out some of the salted fish he had been soaking hours ahead. It was now mildly seasoned, but still held enough aroma and flavor of its original state. A while later he returned, and approached the lizard carefully. Placing the piece of fish down on a washed mulberry leaf, he set it on the ground and went to hide behind some shrubbery out of sight.

Author: Vinsue2, Posted: Wed Aug 2, 2017 9:33 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

Aqua was a very curious creature and everyone but her seemed to know that curiosity was a very dangerous thing. It was night as her mom slept that she had stayed up playing when she was supposed to be sound asleep. It was then that a wisp had appeared. Aqua wanted to catch the glowing spirit and set chase to it not paying attention to where it was taking her. The crafty spirit had stopped and hovered over a portal that was well hidden, Aqua snuck up to it like a cat than pounced. as her claws touched the wisp it disappeared. Aqua readied for a landing but instead of something said it was like landing on water. The surface rippled as she fell through and then dropped to the ground in a different area. A place of bamboo and mist. 

That had been how she had gotten there a few nights ago but now she was hungry, thirsty, and hopelessly lost. Her skin barely glowed as she was losing strength. Soon she had collapsed in the middle of a path. She raped her tail around her as she began to drift off.  

Author: Cymbel, Posted: Tue Aug 1, 2017 10:49 PM, Post Subject: To Make a House a Home [P]

In a dilapidated estate on the outskirts of Nisshoki, a man clad in a dark blue kimono was slowly walking across the boards of the wooden floor of a house. He was listening carefully for any creaking or weakness in the wood, and writing down any repairs that still needed fixing. He had purchased the land and property for a low price, just barely being able to afford it with the money he had at the time. Although some could argue he could have simply waited until a better offer turned up, he believed this investment would be more cost-effective in the long run. Not having to pay for room and board in the city had freed up a great portion of his expenses. Though it was just a roof over his head at the moment, Cymbel was confident that with a bit of care and maintenance it would be as good as new. What he didn't expect was just how much would be required, as nature had reclaimed most of the surrounding land in the past years.

Every day since then had been a repeating pattern of weeding, foraging, cleaning, and gathering. It was hard work since he had no one else to help. All of his life he had been attended by servants, so this was his first taste of real labor. The central garden would be left largely untouched aside from the weeds, and would become a vegetable garden in the near future. The large peach tree in the center of the estate served as a place to rest and a source of food later in the year. But he couldn't make the repairs to the structure by himself. He had to find a carpenter or builder to ensure it was properly fixed. Soon he would have to return to the city to find work again. The past nights had been cooler, and he slept more soundly. Maybe it was because he was worn out after toiling away, but he was feeling less exhausted come morning. Bright and early, he left his house to gather wild greens before the sun was too hot. He brought along his parasol just in case to avoid potential heat stroke.