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Kasumi Roseglimmer Captain
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 Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 4:29 am
"In person. Okay" Larissa said nervously, though she tried to sound confident. She looked slightly concerned and curious when Garnet mentioned her mother blowing up the computer. "All right then. I think I vaguely recall you mentioning that before" she said, trying to think back to what Garnet had told her of her family so far.
Larissa gathered Poff into her arms and followed Garnet out the kitchen door. She gaped at the mansion sitting wreathed in deep snow. "Wow!". She watched Garnet walk through the snow without a care, and stayed quiet about her house slippers and socks getting wet and cold and chilling her feet. Larissa waited while Garnet talked to a brick in the wall. She stared at Garnet when her voice changed. It was so weird to hear that masculine tone coming out of the lady's mouth. She shook her head and silently giggled a bit at that.
The crystal witch followed her fiancee into the mansion, looking around with awe. Her house slippers tapped softly on the hard marble, leaving scatters of melting snow. The black and white decor seemed both imposing and impressive, with a certain style to it. No hint of pink in sight. Her eyes shifted towards the flicker of movement and sound and she saw the woman stepping towards them. She wondered who she was but she began to get a clue when the woman addressed Garnet and looked her up and down, and spoke to her on so familiar terms. Then Garnet introduced her. She was still clutching Poff to her soft chest. She still coloured up nicely at being called her girlfriend in front of a family member. "Uh, this is Snow Poff, my familiar-" she said, and that was all because they were interrupted by a loud explosion.
She blinked "How do you blow up chocolate?" she mumbled a rhetorical question to the air, incredulous. Her attention snapped back to the woman as she held out a hand and spoke. Larissa swiftly but gently placed Poff on her shoulder and reached out to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you. Um, I'm in love with your daughter" she blurted out, then felt embarrassed. What made her just blurt that out? Poff snickered to herself, hiding her amused laughter by hiding her face in Larissa's side pony. "Sorry, I mean, my name is Larissa Wingates!" she squeaked with a bright red face. "I'm a crystal witch from the academy!"
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Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2018 6:04 am
 Perla smiled at Larissa as the man blurted out a couple things that she may have been intending. She was curious as to why the young woman decided she was going to introduce her familiar first, though my mother didn't seem to think abut that too hard.
"Well, it's nice to meet you Larissa and Snow Poff." She said with a smile. "And what's not to love about my Little Leo? She can be a little prickly but she's always been a real sweetheart." Perla reached over and pulled me to her, planting a kiss on my forehead.
I just grinned, and hugged her in return. After a moment I stepped back and she let go.
"Crystal Witch, hmm?" Pearla said, before gesturing for us to follow her. "Crystals are always so fascinating. I have a bit of an affinity for the earth as well." She waved her hand, and there was a glow before a crystal formed above her hand; it looked to be a.... well, I'm not sure what it was, but it looked like a large Imperial Topaz ring, large enough to be a bangle-- and it was red on one end and a deep gold on the other. She smiled at the crystal, shimmering in her hand. "Though I myself have a deep interest in mechanics."
"My mother deigned and patented the convyer systems that Amerazing Chocolates use to help produce their chocolates." I said as I followed along. I knew the way but Larissa didn't; we were likely making our way to the chocolate labs.
"I had to!" She said enthusiastically. "Those old things were so out of date!"
There was a pale gold streak that shot past us in a blur. Well, okay I'm exaggerating; that was Hazel, my mother's familiar-- an Egyptian Mau who likes to run.
"Hazel? Hazel dear, what are you doing? We have guests, dear." Perla called, and the cat stopped right infront of her-- before starting to purr and rubbing between her legs. Hazel was larger then a typical cat, almost coming up to Perla's kneed, and his bronze colored coat was interspersed with smooth, round dark colored crystals where spots would normally be. Let's just say times hadn't always been so smooth for Mother and her familiar.
She crouched down to scratch behind his head, before he came over to me and started rubbing against my legs.
"You have Familiars of your own, Leo." Hazel said.
I smiled, as Sapphire chittered and Gossamer kawwed. "We were wondering how long it would take for someone to notice." Sapphire said. Both she and Gossamer alit from my earrings and grew back to full size, before starting to circle around my head.
Perla looked on, clapping her hands over her mouth. "Oh! What lovely familiars you have Leo!" She said.
"I'm Sapphire." Sapphire said. "And I am Gossamer." Gossamer said.
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Kasumi Roseglimmer Captain
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 2:48 am
Larissa was introducing Poff first because Poff was right there, in her arms, and somehow having a cat in your arms seemed to direct most people's attention to the animal and not the person. If they were cat lovers, that is. Plus, Larissa was a cat lover and Poff was like her baby...even though she'd stopped pampering her so much.
She relaxed a little at Pearla's smile and was grateful she didn't say anything to make her embarrassing slip of the tongue, worse. She dipped her head in acknowledgement of Pearla's words, then bit her lip to try unsuccessfully hiding a smile when Pearla commented on Leo as she watched Pearla hug and kiss her before letting go. Larissa knew all too well what a sweetheart Garnet was, to people she liked and trusted anyway.
Larissa began to follow Pearla and Leo...Garnet, along the corridor. "Yes. That's right. Crystal witches aren't really common that I know of, although many witches like crystals and use them in their craft. I decided to specify in that one area because I always loved crystals and the stories that come with them. Plus, they're pretty and sparkly" Both things which she liked. She watched Pearla wave her hand and saw the glow as a crystal formed above her hand. She looked at it curiously, wondering what it was and what it could do. "Mechanics. Hm, I've always thought of that as more of a boys' area of expertise" she said, not impolitely. 'Is that sort of like an interest in Steampunk and clockwork?' she asked herself silently. 'Or is that cars and factories? Or is it all of them? I don't know anything about mechanics'
She looked at Garnet when she spoke again. "Oh, wow. That's pretty neat. Are they like, magical conveyors? Sorry, I don't know much about that sort of thing" she said, wondering how the chocolates were made. She looked around as they walked, wondering where they were going. Then a pale gold streak went past. Larissa watched as Pearla talked to them. She saw it was a cat and her expression turned admiring and adoring "Aww, how pretty. I love cats, and cat familiars" she smiled. "I like the name Hazel" she stroked Poff as they both watched Hazel interact with mother and daughter.
Garnet's familiars made their appearance and greetings, flying around while Pearla got a look at them. Poff's tail switched about in interest as she watched the two flying familiars circle around, her cat instincts telling her to chase, pounce, hunt. She didn't act on them of course. But she felt what it was like to be feline. She was still very young for a familiar so her lack of total control over her instincts could be forgiven. Larissa smiled. "Yeah, Garnet's one of the people with two familiars. Most people just have one. But some people have more. I tend to spoil my baby - I mean, Poff" she chuckled, a little sheepishly. "Sapphire and Gossamer have been helping us both learn how to fight and act tough though".
"I want to pounce on you two right now, it's very tempting" Poff teased the two, knowing that they would know she's only teasing. Even if she half meant it.
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 3:18 am
"They are beautiful, aren't they?" She said, glancing back to the ring in her hand. It glimmered. "The way the light bounces through them makes them glow, shimmer and shine like solid light. Sadly I don't have my daughters and my father's talent with light, though I make up for that with my talent with the stones of earth." Perla said, as we continued walking.
At the mention of mechanics being a boy's thing, she stiffened. "Oh heavens no! I couldn't trust just anyone with the inner workings of my factory. And my personal mechanic that works on the all of Amera's cars is a lady. The application of torq and pressure to make something turn is simply fascinating, no matter your gender." She said sweetly. "Imagine a tiny gemstone machine! Oh, the pieces would have to be perfect..." She trailed off, getting the idea of some mechanization made of gemstone in her head. I knew that look on her face well.
"Don't watches have gemstones in them?" I asked. "A sliver of... quartz, I think?"
"Indeed they do!" My mother snapped back to the present. "They use it to control the rate at which analogue clocks tick time."
Larissa was quick to coo over Hazel, who looked up at her and Poff from where he stood-- entwined about my legs. He didn't say much, instead more interested in my own familiars.
Though... then Larissa called me Garnet. This made both Hazel and Perla look at me-- almost as if in sync. If I had to hazard a guess, she didn't think that was a nickname.
"Garnet?" Perla asked. "Leo Ameras, is there something wrong with the name I gave you?"
"No mother." I said, meeting her gaze. "Garnet is just a nickname."
"Doesn't sound like one." Perla said. She looked a little put out.
"Well, one of my friends thought it wasn't appropriate for me to have a male name while I'm..." I gestured down to myself.
"And does that matter?" Perla asked. She raised an eyebrow. "To you?"
I thought about that. "Not really? I like the name Leo."
"Then dear... don't let others pressure you into using any gender name if you like the one you have." Perla said with an affectionate smile, before reaching forward to gently ruffle my hair.
Sapphire and Gossamer, meanwhile, eyed Poff before flying up higher towards the ceiling. They knew she was likely joking but they weren't feeling very chatty.
"Crows and bats are very social creatures." Hazel piped up, ignoring the comment about Poff wanting to pounce on Sapphire and Gossamer. "Having one or the other would lead to a terribly lonely familiar, even with the human mage bond." He went back to Perla and started winding about her legs instead. "Did you know that a bat or a crow has gone hungry their fellows will share food with them?"
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Kasumi Roseglimmer Captain
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 3:47 am
She nodded at Pearla's question about the crystals. And she wondered whether she should also study light magic. It was a nice kind of magic wasn't it? But then she remembered that magic was like a tool in anyone's hands and people could use it for nefarious purposes, just as someone with darkness magic could use it for good things. But still, light was pretty. Maybe Garnet could teach her in the future.
"Oh, okay. I dunno, to me it still seems like it's a more male oriented interest. Or maybe it's more socially acceptable for men to be into mechanics. It's not really my cup of tea. Although I'm not saying women can't do it too. I personally just wouldn't want to" she said. "I'm sure it is fascinating for some people, if you're into that. It's okay to have different interests though".
She looked at Pearla as she talked about a tiny gemstone machine. Larissa frowned slightly. It didn't seem that interesting to her. Summoning them with magic or going shopping for them, or even finding them as treasure, all sounded like more fun ways to obtain crystals. She guessed there was already a machine to make tiny gemstones since tiny gemstones already existed in the world. Like the small diamonds on the trench coat Garnet made for her! She smiled warmly at the thought, the image of it swimming to the surface of her mind.
Garnet got Pearla's attention again. Larissa listened to them talk about how quartz was used in watches. She didn't understand how that worked and thought she would Google it later. Hazel got the crystal witch's attention then. And then people were surprised when Larissa called Garnet by her name.
She frowned slightly. Garnet said it was just a nickname, which for some reason, bothered her. She'd grown really attached to it. "Well I like the name Garnet, it matches her hair. And it's pretty" she said softly. She turned to look at her fiancee.
"It suits your current body better than your other name" she said to Leo, Garnet. "You don't look like a Leo any more. You changed, in more ways than one. If I turned into a man, I wouldn't still want to be called Larissa" she scrunched her nose up in mild distaste.
Larissa and Poff both looked towards Hazel. Poff's ears flickered gently. "I'm not actually going to pounce either of them. I was only joking. Sometimes my cat instincts are very strong, and I just have the urge to naturally pounce things that move like, well, like prey moves" she said. "But having the thoughts and acting on the thoughts are two diffurr-ent things. I haven't tried to really pounce on them since I was a kitten"
Larissa made a small pleasant hum of amusement "You and your cat puns, baby. You're such a funny girl" she cooed, scritching Poff's chin. "And that's nice about crows and bats sharing food. I guess they look after each other. I think cats share food. Maybe. Lions do".
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 4:21 am
"It is a valid interest of anyone who wants to pursue it, dear." Perla said. "If we all stuck to what was rigid and socially acceptable, we one would be where we are today." She frowned at Larissa. "Like magic... calling oneself a witch? That could be considered socially unacceptable, and the term witch often has terribly negative connotations depending on who you speak too." Perla continued.
I stood there awkwardly, and my mother seemed to be ready to have an argument with my girlfriend. "Or do you not recall that Witch once upon a time meant a woman who sold her soul to a demon or devil for power? ... Hardly ladylike."
"Ahem... ladies..." I said, but that was around the time Larissa decided that Garnet was more appropriate.
Perla glanced at Larissa when the woman addressed me, and then glanced at me.
I sighed. "Look... Leo is a man's name. But my mother has her reasons for calling me that." I said. "And if you become masculine, then whatever name you pick then-- go ahead, that's fine. I'd respect that decision." I continued. "But I like Leo, and I have liked Leo. How would you feel if someone called you Robert despite your wishes? That's disrespectful to you, is it not? Calling me by a name I did not choose is just as disrespectful." I then shook my head and sighed. "I'm come to answer to either name, honestly. Leo, Garnet, they both work in my head. I'm not a woman after all, I'm both male and female, and I find myself lacking care on what side I fall on, nowadays." I crossed my arms.
Hazel had sat down between Perla's legs, squeezing her eyes. "I am aware of the instincts that cats have, Poff." Said the Egyptian Mau. "They never really go away. One must simply get used to them."
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Kasumi Roseglimmer Captain
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 4:47 am
"Is that like boys wearing dresses and girls being in the army?" Larissa asked. "I kind of get what you mean, I think. I just don't think mechanics would ever suit me. Or maybe it's just that I don't feel passionate about it. I find it boring, actually" she conceded, being honest. "And I don't like the idea of getting dirty and greasy" she added, with another nose wrinkle.
"Yes, in some societies, not doing what is socially acceptable ends badly for people, that's true. Or maybe in lots of societies. I guess it depends where you come from. In some parts of the world witches and witchdoctors are revered and given a high position of authority, so I suppose it all just boils down to how a group of people...views different things" she said. "I'm glad that witches aren't persecuted here, and that magic is so widely accepted and taught in this country" She frowned at Pearla's question. "Well, maybe for some people it meant that, but it's never meant that for me. I wonder why they thought it was from the devil? There are so many gods, goddess and deities both good, evil, and in grey areas between. How do they pin it on just one of them? That's confusing" So, she was arguing, but she was calm, and her temper wasn't flaring up.
It would probably be triggered eventually if Pearla really wanted to argue with her though. And likely result in her emotional meltdown. Which wouldn't be good right before the wedding, before she's even met the other parent yet. Not being liked by your in-laws was a common thing though, and maybe that was going to be how things turned out.
Larissa was surprised to hear Garnet sigh like that. She hadn't realised that being called Garnet bothered her. "But I thought you chose the name, Garnet after transforming?! If you didn't want me to call you Garnet then you should have said so right from the start. I would have called you something else" she said, folding her arms. She was starting to get upset. "Garnet at least suits your female form. And it's a really nice name, and I associate it with someone I love. I'm really attached to that name!" she protested. She paused and looked confused over Leo's statement about not caring where they fell on the gender scale. "Well that's just - confusing! I don't know if you're my future husband or future wife? What even am I supposed to call you?" she asked, pouting. She liked Garnet way more than Leo. And finding out that Leo didn't share that liking with her made her feel kind of betrayed. Like Pearla and Leo were both not taking her side, and that felt bad, sort of like the rug had been pulled out from under her feet suddenly.
Poff perched on Larissa's shoulder, entertained by the conversations flying around but also wary of Larissa's fraying emotions. She looked at Hazel "I'm used to them, but I'm not used to always reigning them in. I think it just annoys Sapphire and Gossamer that I have these feelings and urges. Or maybe it's because I'm saying them out loud. But it's just so ...tempting!" she said, and giggled a bit. "Their movements when they are flying around like that. It just makes me want to - to pounce and bite and and - that sort of thing!" she said. "Teasing and joking about them helps me resist the urges. I'm a familiar but I was raised like a pet".
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2018 3:12 pm
"No one said you have to like mechanics." Perla said with a frown. "Though, you seem like the person to never give it a fair chance because it's too 'masculine' for you." She said with a scoff. "A typical girl who uses her gender as an excuse to keep from doing an honest day's work." It may seem hypocritical of her, in this lavish mansion surrounded by wealth; but under that fine silk robe she was wearing, I knew Perla was thin and wiry, and her hands were calloused from working with machine parts. My mother was feminine, but she was still strong.
I tried not to bite my tongue as my mother continued. "So you act like you know of other cultures. Those usually broaden the mind some; yet you still seemed so narrow in scope. Did you know there are cultures where woman go to war and men stay home to raise the children? So why do you care of being socially acceptable? Normal is subjective."
"Mother." I said sternly.
She turned to me; those sapphire blue eyes of hers watching me. "Are you going to tell me that if something happens to Aria, and your home can't fix the problem herself... or a your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere on a road trip... that you would let your significant other just sit back and do nothing simply because she doesn't like to get 'dirty and greasy'?" She asked me.
I couldn't help gently chewing the inside of my cheek uncomfortably. She had me there.
"Are you going to just let her twiddle her thumbs because the things that need to be done are what society conceives as masculine in nature? Are you going to let her take advantage of you like that?" My mother asked again. "Even now! She is trying to force a gender role on you, my dear Leo. If a label must be applied, you already know what you are, yes?"
"Genderfluid." I said slowly. "Neither male or female, able to shift at a moment's notice." I said. "I find I care less about silly gender notions and have bigger things to worry about then if someone calls me a he or a she."
"Indeed, my dear." Perla said, giving an annoyed glance at Larissa, before looking back to me. "Husband? Wife? What is wrong with Significant Other?"
I couldn't help but nod. Mother was terrifyingly logical when it came right down to it. Then again, numerous companies did nothing but offend and hurt when they tried to stick to old fashioned gender role stereotypes. To come out on top, Amarazing had to keep up with the times-- accepting any and all tho came to work with them rather then force heteronormal views on their workers. Mother had to deal with this before, and I knew it irritated her to have to discuss this again.
The Egyptian Mau did not look amused at Poff's joking. "So you find the concept of attacking, harming, and toying with other familiars amusing." Said Hazel. "For doing nothing more then taking advantage of their natural form of locomotion?" Asked the Mau. "It is not like the bat and the crow have a choice in how they move..." And then the Mau just looked offended at the notion of a familiar being raised as a pet. He arched his back and swished his tail back and forth in an irritated manner. "No respect."
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Kasumi Roseglimmer Captain
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 9:53 pm
She listened to Pearla and nodded. "Of course. That's right. I don't have to like them" she agreed affably. She frowned at the next part "Well...yes. That sounds like me. That's just how I feel" she admitted. She looked a bit uncomfortable when she accused her of trying to avoid an honest day's work. "No! That's not the reason why. It just....it doesn't suit me and I don't like it. If I had to do it for a living, I'd be miserable. That's why I'm happy that I can do magic and crystals for a living. It's my dream job".
She looked at Pearla as they kept walking, continuing their conversation. "Well...I do know something about other cultures. I've learned from TV and internet, and books. I'm really interested in some of the other cultures in this world" she said, taking steadying breaths. She was trying to keep her feelings under control. They were beginning to build up in her chest and grow hot and tight. "I-I'm not narrow in scope!" she protested. "No, I didn't know that. But, who cares about that? I am the way I am, because that's the way I like to be. If I was raised in a different culture, maybe I'd be different, but I'm not!"
Garnet/Leo chose then to speak up sternly and Larissa shot them a grateful glance, feeling like they were supporting her and maybe protecting them from their mother's judgements. She watched Pearla turn to Leo and speak her mind. "I...I would try to help if something went wrong at Aria. And I don't know how to repair cars. But we can just call roadside assist from the car insurance company. It's not a problem". She pouted "I'm not taking advantage of Leo...Garnet...I'm so confused right now" she started to tear up. "I'm...I didn't mean to force anything!" She wanted Leo to speak up, to defend her views, to comfort her. To say everything was all right and that he loves her just as she is.
They kept talking and Larissa snapped at the question about what's wrong with significant other. She stopped walking and started yelling, her face turning red. "You know what's wrong with me? That Garnet...Leo...whoever they are, didn't tell me that they don't accept me for who I am, and that I have to change to suit them, to make them happy! Apparently you both look down on me and everything I am. Well, maybe I made a mistake. Maybe I shouldn't have come here! This was a stupid idea! I regret ever coming here!" she stomped her foot. Her eyes filled with tears. "I hate both of you!" It was a childish thing to shout out and she didn't really mean it. She just hated...this. The way everything was suddenly a disaster and how it was all wrong, and how she felt like Leo had kept things from her instead of discussing them with her, only to bring them out in front of his/her/their mother.
Poff shook her head at Hazel's questions. "No. Just...sort of. No and yes! It's complicated. If they were a dog familiar or a horse or something, I wouldn't feel like pouncing on them, but since they're a bat and a bird, they set off my wild cat instincts and I just have to try and deal with those urges. And yes, it amuses me because cats enjoy playing like that. It's just in our nature. I've never really hurt Sapphire or Gossamer, even if I have pounced at them sometimes. But I've hunted mice and small birds and that's when I let my instincts take over and I just enjoy it. It's fun for me" she said.
"I'm still a very young familiar, and it's hard to suppress those instincts, I'm sure it will get easier with time and practice" she added. Poff hissed at Hazel "Shut up! You don't know everything! Larissa respects me and loves me and I do to her! You don't even know how we work together, or how far we've come, or how hard I worked to be friends with Sapphire and Gossamer!"
The cat's emotions flared up too. She was partly reacting to Larissa's emotions, that she could feel. And partly just being upset.
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 10:38 pm
I stayed quiet... probably longer then I intended too. But what do I say to this woman? She knows me so well, and is poking and prodding at both of us. While I was used to her prods, Larissa wasn't and quite quickly started yelling.
"Stop, both of you!" I interjected. I stepped between Perla and Larissa, before turning to hug my fiancee, who's eyes were full of tears. I shot a dagger glare at Perla.
"Really, Leo. I expected someone a little... more... then this for you to choose to spend your life with." Perla said.
I sighed. "The thing is... she'll be spending her life with me, not my life with her." ********. I didn't want to reveal this now, but my Mom has a knack for cutting right to the heart of things.
This made my mother raise her eyebrow as she stared at me.
"I didn't want to reveal this now... but." I said, my voice voice turning deeper and half into a growl. I let go of Larissa, my figure growing and changing. In an instant I was my stellar dragon self, before leaning forward and landing on all fours.
I turned my gaze to Perla, my wings suspended protectively over Larissa's head.
"Tell me mother... what do my scales imply?" I asked her.
Perla was staring at me. Her eyes held recognition as to what I was; though the stars and nebulae showing them in my scales confused her.
"LEO AMERAS." She shrieked at me. "EXPLAIN WHAT IS GOING ON THIS INSTANT!!!"
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Kasumi Roseglimmer Captain
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 11:04 pm
The orange haired witch mistakenly took Leo's silence for agreement with Pearla. Not to mention, being verbally poked and prodded wasn't comfortable for any of them.
Larissa had gone quiet after saying she hated them. She was sobbing but she stopped and her eyes widened as she got a fright from Leo's words. She watched Leo step between both of them, still crying. Pearla's words made her sad and disappointed. She was angry with herself for snapping and yelling. But sad that she messed up so badly with Pearla at the same time. It just felt like everything she said and did was disagreeable to the woman in some way. And she'd just proved her dislike for Larissa with those words. It felt like she failed this really important test. Does this mean they won't be able to get married? The thought made her cry harder.
She looked confused at Leo's words. "Wh-what do you mean?" she mumbled, voice strained with upset emotions; fear and worry crept in. She felt Garnet/Leo let go of her. She hadn't really noticed that he had been holding her. Her lettuce green eyes watched Leo turn into their beautiful and impressive dragon form. Larissa wondered what Leo was trying to say. Why was he showing his...their, mother this form now? She flinched at Pearla's screeching and shrank back a bit, under Leo's wing. "Leo, I'm sorry. I don't hate...I didn't mean...." she wiped at her eyes and kept crying. "I'm sorry. I messed up. What do you mean; my life with you? Is there something you need to tell me?"
Poff remained hunched down on Larissa's shoulder, curled into herself and quiet. She was annoyed and upset as well and she was growling unhappily to herself.
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 11:45 pm
Larissa shrank behind me, mumbling confused apologies about her words. The two had clashed so hard that an awkward silence was left behind, as my mother stared and Larissa cried. I let out a heavy sigh.
"I have figured out one thing, my dear." I looked to Larissa, under my wing; my emerald gaze gentle as I looked on at her. "I am cosmic, and I am a dragon. I am likely immortal beyond compare. Worlds will rise and fall, and I will continue on."
"Hey! What's going on?" Another voice interjected in. I turned my gaze to see my father there, his face streaked with chocolate. His hair was an intense orange, peppered also with silver, and he was somewhat muscular; he had a rugged charm to him. I remember girls telling me how handsome my father was when I was in high school.
He glanced from me, the starry dragon, to Mother and then to Larissa who I was still sheltering protectively with my wing.
"Honey." Perla said. "Leo's turned into a dragon!" She said, gesturing to me. She seemed rather alarmed.
He glanced to me, blinking. "Wait, what? First you turn into a woman and now this?"
"It's a long story--"
"I want to know every detail." Perla said.
"Yes, please, Leo." Father said.
I sighed. Larissa's parents are not all that familiar with how magic works, but my parents weren't so easy to fool or dissuade.
I sat back on my haunches and nuzzled Larrisa, before lifting my head and wrapping my wing gently around her and pulling her close.
"It started on the first say of collage." I said. "We were given an assignment to summon and study a creature with a scroll that the teacher handed out. Larissa here, was my partner in the project. Our scroll was that we were going to summon an angel of our own choosing, depending on the design of the ward." I shook my head with a sigh. "The ward needed a special type of ink, and needed to have someone in the ward to greet the angel. Larissa volunteered, but on her way to the center got spooked by a boom of thunder and she accidentally dragged me into the ward too."
I lifted a claw and looked at it, studying what was my hand once. "There was celestial fire around us, and for a moment all I could see was the glory of space. Then, we were back at the ward, it's magic spent. Larissa seemed the same, but I had turned into a woman..." I trailed off, thinking. "That was what tipped me off, at least. I was allowed to study myself in a mirror, and I saw the tiny wings that are now the large ones on my back. Upon inspection, I realized that the scroll was not the traditional summoning ward." There was another awkward pause. How am I going to say this?
"Turns out it... summoned something, anyway. My inherent draconic heritige clashed with the magic of the spell, not only turning me into a dragon but... well... I'm carrying hatchlings. Larissa... we think she has some type of angel, truer to what the ward was intended for. The ink called for a little bit of blood, so we're carrying eachother's children." I flicked my tail back and forth.
"W... Why would the teacher give you a scroll like this?" My father asked. Mother just had her hands over her mouth.
"It wasn't one of the teacher's scrolls." I said, my tail swishing over the marble floor. "It was foul play; the scroll itself had traces of demonic magic on it. We were put into Defense against Demonics from then on so we can defend ourselves against demonic entities and demonic magic users." I gave a heavy sigh and slid down to lay on the floor, still half curled around Larissa. "If I had only voiced my suspicions about the scroll sooner this whole mess could have been avoided. But still.... I have grown fond of Larissa."
"And you think you're going to live forever?" Perla asked.
I made a sorrowful face. "I should have realized it when I saw the wings and tail.... dragons have incredibly long lifespans for all but the smallest of species. But the scales were red then, like garnets. If I wanted to keep my human state I would have had to have aborted the hatchlings and stalled out the transformation. But I... allowed it to continue."
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Kasumi Roseglimmer Captain
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 12:14 am
She sniffed and wiped at her tears, slowly calming down. She looked surprised when Leo spoke to her, though she was relieved by their gentle gaze. She honestly didn't expect that. She thought Leo would be mad or annoyed at her, maybe frustrated. But they seemed okay.
She stayed still under Leo's wing, scared to move, not sure what to do. She listened to the words they spoke. "Immortal. N-no way! Are you sure? That's...that's...I don't know. Is that good or bad?" she frowned, looking troubled and confused. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" she eventually asked, stroking Poff. The cat slowly stopped growling and calmed down as well.
Leo didn't get to reply. Their father appeared at that moment, interrupting the discussion. Larissa and Poff's eyes were drawn to him and she found herself distantly amused at the chocolate smears on his face. His hair was a fiery orange, brighter than her own soft sherbet orange. He was attractive. She watched him look at all of them, and stayed still under Leo's wing, frozen in place.
Pearla was the first to speak up, stating the blatantly obvious. It was almost funny. Leo's parents began to question them and Larissa stayed silent as well as her familiar. She didn't want to get in the way of this. She was pleasantly startled by Leo's nuzzle, and it made her smile, and the weight on her chest and conscience lightened up. Leo didn't hate her. They weren't mad. Everything wasn't over. She wrapped her arms around Leo as they pulled her close, and hugged them tightly. Poff started to purr softly and rubbed her cheek on Leo's scales. They remained silent while Leo recanted everything to their parents.
Larissa was chewing her lip by the end of Leo's explanation. "I think you chose wisely" she said softly. "But I'm scared for you as well. Forever is a long time to exist in one world. I don't know if immortality is the best thing for you. It's a double edged sword"
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 12:30 am
LEt's just say, I don't think my parents knew what to say. The silence was paltable, leaving me to hear Larissa's quiet words next to me.
I glanced to her, having heard her question but not being able to answer. "I only realized recently. And how am I supposed to mention something like that? Over pancakes 'Larissa love I'm going to live forever.'" I shook my head. "It's going to be a long, lonely existence. Unless... I don't know... I get myself killed or something. But I don't know if even that is possible, and I'd rather not try if that's the case. I'll have my kids, I guess?"
The two of them were speaking quietly to themselves as well. I could hear what they were saying, but I cared not to listen.
Finally, when they were ready to speak...
"Leo." My mother said. "You have any idea who planted the scroll?"
I shook my head. "Nope." I still suspected Seth, but Larissa still steadfastly believed that he was friendly. "Nothing concrete, anyway."
"Nothing has happened since then?" Father asked.
"Larissa and Poff were attacked by a Hellhound, and I was attacked by a Valrock on the same day." I said. "There were a group of imps a couple weeks before, but those could have been a fluke."
".... How are the pregnancies coming?" Perla asked.
"I've had the urge to Nest, Larissa has morning sickness on a regular basis. We've used a stasis spell to keep them on pause, for now." I answered, truthfully. "We planned on lifting it during our honeymoon."
"That explains why you're getting married so fast..." Perla trailed off.
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Kasumi Roseglimmer Captain
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 12:52 am
She thought about Leo's words. "Well...if that's how it has to come out, then over pancakes is fine. Better than saying nothing! It's something that would be a heavy burden for anyone to consider, and you kept it to yourself" she frowned.
"I don't know how I could help. There's probably nothing I can do. But at least you wouldn't have to struggle with that knowledge alone. Either way, the truth is out now" she stroked Leo's scales, "Maybe I could...find a way to live longer. So then you don't have to be alone" she suggested.
A quote from school days floated into her mind " "Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; rather, it can only be transformed from one form to another" Garnet, I-I mean Leo...that means all of us never truly die. We just go on living in different forms, in different places. In a way, everyone is immortal" she said. "Yes, you will have the hatchlings. Maybe they'll be immortal too and you would have your own clan of Sonicwing dragons. And if not, our children may have descendants. You would be like a god or an elder to them, watching over and helping all the generations".
She stopped speaking softly and looked at Pearla as the woman said something to Leo. Pearla and Leo's father had also been talking in hushed tones. Poff's cat ears heard everything but it was two different conversations at once, so she only got fragmented bits of each discussion in her memory.
Larissa nodded at Garnet...Leo's! words. "A vrock. That ugly bird thing" she shuddered, whispering to herself. She felt safe now, hugged under Leo's wing but the image of the vrock still made her shiver in fear and revulsion. Her focus snapped back to reality and she felt heat singe her cheeks when Pearla asked about their pregnancies.
"W-we hoped um...to keep it a secret. So the media leaves Gar...Leo alone". she said. "No one else really knows except our Defense Against Demonics teacher, Lilian Abando, and her familiar, Brutus. We would appreciate it if you keep it a secret as well, until we make the official announcement on honeymoon".
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