FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

“_ Nine?!” _

“Drake Asporyx, calm down!” Faistyve said; the dark violet drame looked worried. What really calmed Asporyx down, though, was the unfamiliar laugh of the blue drame making her way over to the stunned, anxious near-black green drake.

“Yes Master, you will get to watch your siren heavy grow gravid with nine eggs you put inside of her~” She purred, quietly, when she was closer. Asp’s anxiety was wiped away in a near instant, though, for some reason. Ren’s rather formal way of speaking mixed with that odd submissiveness jolted through his brain in a weird way. If he hadn’t just had an intense moment with his newfound dramefriend and her friend, he probably would’ve slipped into the same role he’d been in that started this whole incident in earnest. Instead, it just made his attention focus on Ren for a moment. “Are you better, Asporyx?”

“... You took quite a risk, Ren.”

“And I was prepared either way, though Fai might have gotten a bit more than she meant to by her choice to stay. Seems I have learned yet another thing about myself. A dangerous thing at that...” She sighed. “I wonder if this is Enoldria’s influence?”

“Maybe, but I’m sure the pollen effects you drames just as much, it’s just not as... noticeable. Plus, all of this is just as new to you as it is to me. But you’re right, if I still have this particular urge to breed every drame who becomes my friend even after I figure out a counter agent to the pollen’s... mental effects, at least... we might be in trouble.” Asp said with a chuckle, bumping his nose against hers.

“Oh really now? Faistyve, dear, you should tread carefully around Asporyx. Apparently I am not the only one he is planning on putting in this state~” Asp had almost forgotten, with everything going on, that Ren did like to tease him in a different way than Dria. She seemed more about wanting to make his life a bit difficult; Dria was more about getting him to loosen up, he guessed. Fai yelped, her wings flaring.

“Hold on, hold on, I’m fine for now. I can tell you what I meant if you want, but you’re in no danger from me, I promise, Drame Faistyve.” Asp said. The violet drame looked at him warily for a moment before folding her wings.

“Good. I really don’t want to be the odd drame out of my friends if I had to avoid you, Drake Asporyx.” Fai said as she settled. “I understand Dria, but you seem to have charmed both Elrenlani and Kastri, too.” Asp shrugged a bit.

“It’s not like I’m trying to. Granted, I’ve not had much of a chance to get too absorbed in anything yet; we’ll have to see how it goes as things calm down. If they do.” Asp said with a stretch; the day really had gotten to him and it was only mid-afternoon. “So... why were you sticking around?”

“To apologize; I hadn’t meant to get Lytrina involved or to make it sound like I thought you’d done something bad.” She bowed her head a bit while Ren made her way back into the shallows of the lagoon, Asp not too far behind, though he settled on the grassy bank. “... I won’t ask about what you meant, though. I’ll trust it was, at worst, an intrusive thought.”

“If that means what I think it does... yes. Very much so. Been having a lot of those these past few days. It’s starting to take it’s toll more than anything else. At least the physical symptoms can be managed.” Asp hid a yawn behind his wing. “... Maybe, I’m oddly tired.”

“That is not surprising, you only got about half a night’s rest.” Ren said quietly; Asp was beyond being embarrassed when he realized what the implication was. Fai, however, did his blushing for him. “I would have let you sleep if Enoldria was not involved.”

“Nah, I’m glad you woke me. I would’ve felt awful if I hadn’t shown up and made her think the worst.”

“She is, unfortunately, used to the worst. Though, I do not know how she would have reacted given Zecerwryt’s inclination towards drakes and that White-Blue helix’s unknown nature.” Asp nodded; helix dragons were, well, not a shame to their family, but they were only slightly more welcomed by their peers than he was back home.

“Marinolok? He’s... yeah, that would be a tough relationship, I think. At least Asp here spends most of his time on dry land.” Fai said; Asp made a mental note of the name, at least. “He’s much like Asporyx and Zecerwryt in that he has an intense interest in his hobbies, from what I’ve been told. Unfortunately, his hobbies are mostly underwater is my understanding.” Ren looked at Fai and then at Asporyx for a moment before nodding; he wasn’t sure it was entirely about the comparison, either.

“An intense interest in his hobbies, is it?” Ren seemed to be poking fun at Faistyve now; he was glad his seemingly stressed out... friend? He really wasn’t even sure what to consider Ren at this point, but he was just glad she seemed to be back to normal. Or even more relaxed after all that’d happened the past few days. Faistyve, to her credit, just huffed.

“H-hey now! I’ve mostly worked through that...” Faistyve claimed.

“Have you? That would be quite a surprise. Suppressed, maybe. Maybe it really was concern that brought you out here?” Ren teased; it was reassuring to know she was like this with... most everyone. Dria seemed to be an exception. And with another huff and sticking her tongue out at Ren, Faistyve took off. “... Good, now we can properly talk.” Asp blinked.

“You probably just could’ve asked her to leave, you know?”

“But then I would not have been able to tease her. Or to pique your interest in her, would I?” Ren said. “I should not tell you this, given how clever and quick you are to intuit things, but Faistyve is not in a normal position here. I think you are what she needs. Just like you are with Elondria and even myself. With drakes in such short supply, I would rather you get close sooner rather than later.”

“... Okay, I get Dria, but you?”

“I am sure you have figured out, by now, where my interests lie, typically. Or that Enoldria has told you.” Asp only nodded. “That is not to say I dislike drakes, or anyone drake-like, but even before Dilorphus became like he is now, I did not trust trust drakes as a whole. My mother and sisters run our kyndom; my father and brothers, even before the wars, try their best to boost the population. And not for any reason other than their desires.” Ren sighed. “So, a drake who seems skillful, strong, and honorable is a somewhat difficult thing for me to find. While I can not say we are compatible as partners for life as of yet, I do think you are what I need right now.” She said with a shrug. “As I will try to be what you need. Master~”

“... Okay, I can’t tell if that’s you telling me last night wasn’t a one off thing or if you’re just teasing me. And what would you do if Dria showed up right now?”

“... It can be both, can it not? It seems like a good dynamic to me. A Master that takes care of the needs of his siren and vice versa has an odd appeal to me. It, at least, helps with the ability to get to the point in a more elegant way. As opposed to us unable to communicate that particular need.” Ren said; she had a faint blush on her muzzle, though. “As for Enoldria, if we do continue the dynamic, I would expect it to come out sooner or later. And it would be better to get it over with sooner rather than later, I think. Particularly if the solution to the Golden Leaves takes a while.”

“I’ll have to think on it... I’m still trying to figure out how to handle... whatever that brought out in me last night. Feels like there was a sleeping animal inside that just woke up.” Asp dropped his head on the ground; to his surprise, Ren nuzzled against his exposed neck. “So... guess that’s one conversation out of the way?”

“Yes, though more ‘on hold’ than ‘out of the way,’ I think. I do still want your answer.” Ren said.

“Ooh, did I miss something fun?” Dria called from behind Asp, the drake twisting his head to look at the golden drame. “Kastri’s already headed back to the Citadel and I think I should go check on Sryl. Regardless of if he wants me there or not, right now.” Asp nodded; that... seemed right.

“Well, you and Srylumdar are both welcome here anytime. I imagine he and I will will have quite a bit to discuss while you and Asporyx have your fun~” Ren hmmed; Dria just stared at her in surprise.

“Whoa, you seem to be doing a lot better, Ellie! You were really stressing out..."

“Well, the inevitable confrontation with him aside, most of the events that worried me happened and I find I am... satisfied with how they happened.” Dria nodded and nuzzled them both before she took off. “Now, onto other matters. What do we need to get for you to start looking into the pollen problem in earnest?” Ren got up and went over the sleeping area he’d made her before coming back with a writing tablet, surprising him, and some paper.

“Uh, well... I need pollen samples and a way to store them. Probably sealed. And more garden plots and herbs.” He sighed. “Ideally, my own alchemy workshop... notebooks for record-keeping. And a writing tablet or desk... ugh, this is getting expensive. And I don’t know how we’d even test it! Even if Jice were here, the pollen effects Verdants differently. There would be no way test it for the two things we have to counteract.” He sighed.

“Focus on what you can do; I think uncle has asked Zecerwryt to work on some things. And Faistyve might volunteer to help as well.” Ren laid by his head, shifting until she had his head on her forelegs while she wrote on the tablet. Asp was pretty impressed; he usually used his whole limb when he wrote but she managed to pull off small characters with just her wrist movements. “And before you protest about her involvement, due to the risks it would entail, she will probably be even more aware of them and is quite capable. Both to protect herself from you and to protect you from your own urges... at least somewhat. At least until Enoldria or myself are around to help you work them out.” Asp gave a low, frustrated, and tired growl. Partly at how easy he was to read, apparently, but mostly because he really did not like the idea of Ren and Dria having to be around to sate him like he was some rabid beast. Even if he knew Dria would probably be happy to, risks be damned, and Ren seemed to trust him and was willing.

“... Fine.” Asp sighed. “Let’s see... what I can do... I can’t think of much else beyond what I’ve mentioned, really. Beyond any research I can get my claws on about the Golden Leaves and other herbs in general. I don’t really know much about contraceptives and suppressants.” He mumbled, starting to drift off and felt his eyes slipping closed. “Ren... I think I should go take a nap.” He tried to get up but her wing and tail blocked him from even rolling to stand. She continued to write without saying anything, though, seeing a... significant list growing.

“Hmm... research... I wonder if Bertuzza or others can check things out of the library for us.” Ren muttered. “The more we can avoid the Citadel, the better. For a while, at least.” Asp really didn’t hear much else before falling asleep, properly.

===================

Asp woke up, as usual lately, a bit slowly and with his head all foggy. His head wasn’t on Ren’s fores anymore, but that was no surprise. What was more a surprise was that the blue drame had curled up beside him, nestled into him and tucked under his limbs and wings. It was rather comforting, though for some reason it made the spot behind him feel rather lonely. Nearby was his bag, a bowl of Deerflame tea that someone seemed to have steeped, his bracers, and a few scrolls. It was also early morning, judging by the brightening sky. He moved his head a bit and bumped another scroll with his nose, as if planted there specifically to get his attention. He pulled it around a bit and unfurled it carefully, trying not to wake Ren.

“Good Morning, Master,

I have made a plan, though time is somewhat limited.” And as Asp read, it certainly was a plan... with more than a few contingencies for assumptions made in case those assumptions didn’t pan out. It also seemed designed to set them up to keep them away from the Citadel for a little while. And given the timetable she seemed to have given him, he was glad he woke up this early. “... And yes, your siren will water your garden again if you let her sleep. She’s just as tired as you and is now growing nine eggs for you, after all!” Asp looked at the sleeping drame curled up against him and couldn’t help but roll his eyes with a slight grin on his muzzle. He did drink the tea she’d made for him, though he did take note of how strong it was and he made a slight face at the bitterness... he really had to get some other herbs and maybe even some honey, though... that was just one more expenditure.

After he carefully untangled himself from the sleeping drame and nuzzled along her form lightly before he packed the scrolls, which he now knew were essentially shopping lists, and his bracers before he put the bag’s strap over his head. In a fluid motion, he stepped through with a fore to secure it across his chest and then, carefully took flight towards the Citadel; Ren was nice enough to give him a generous hunting window, at least. It gave him time to eat the first proper breakfast, he felt, since he got there, downing a deer and even properly roasting it himself. And then using his decomposing flame on what he didn’t eat: one of his talents as a Specialist being that the decomposing flame worked on non-plant matter, even if it did take more magic. Completely unethical to use as a weapon, but to break what he couldn’t eat down into fertilizer? More than fine, particularly given their were no carrion feeders in the program yet.

Asp arrived at the Citadel on the lab floors just as someone called out. “Where are you, you damn, rune-obsessed drake?” If not for that last part, Asp might’ve just followed Ren’s last contingency plan: to just duck out and head back to the isle. While Ren didn’t seem to have a worry about him losing in a fight against Dilorphus, she still made it clear they should avoid him as much as possible. There was no disguising Ren’s scent that had mixed in with his, after all. But she wanted a plan in place as to how to deal with him after the duel before they even got to that point.

No, the one calling out was Nyferona, Zecerwryt’s Isle Partner. Seemed she’d made the same assumption Ren had: Wryt was somewhere in the labs. That angry tone was one he hadn’t heard before, but it seemed more fitting to the drame than the one he’d heard yesterday. While, normally, he’d be happy to help her look, Ren had been pretty clear on trying to get to Wryt before Nyfe found him. After Nyfe had taken his seed sample back to be analyzed yesterday, it’d done the fairly predictable thing of kick-starting her heat. And given the small window of time he had, he’d rather not have to wait for Nyfe’s need to be sated. Saying a small mental apology to the drame, Asp started searching quickly.

He’d had a stroke of luck; Wryt was in one of the specialty labs near where Asp had landed.

“I told you, Nyferona, that I am unable to keep up with- oh, Asporyx.” Wryt said, looking up from clay circle.

“Yeah, hey... she is kinda looking for you, so not sure I’ve got a whole lot of time.” Just then, even through the insulated walls of the lab, they could both hear a roar of frustration.

“Then we should get going, there’s only so many labs she can check, after all.” Wryt packed up what he was working on into a sizable bag beside him and managing to sling it across his back.

“Get going? I was only here to see-”

“I can guess, but you seem to not be the only beast this pollen has awakened. With my preferences and inexperience, I can’t keep up with her needs. Hence the hiding. I did briefly wonder if your toxin in my system would help, but I also know these projects are important.” Wryt said, all but pushing them out of the lab. “And besides, you are going to the Ring, yes? I need to do the same to test these out. And maybe get some pollen for myself and see if that doesn’t help with my own inability to keep Nyferona’s hormones in check.” Asp got the message, which was punctuated by a louder, closer snarling from the drame in mentioned. Both drakes made a hasty retreat away from the labs.

“I know it’s probably the next place she’d look, but gotta make a stop by the library.”

“I’ll head to the registrar, I’ve got to get a ring pass anyways.” Wryt disappeared over the edge of one of the landing zones; Indigos lived in the mountains and probably had all sorts of flight techniques that attributed to the silent, quick way Wryt just disappeared. Asp went to a different point, though, and took off, swooping in an arc. Nyferona seemed to notice him and launched after him even as he made a turn to go down one level: the third level of the Citadel was, basically, one giant library. Asp had been wanting to check it out, but he really hadn’t had the time; even now he could really only afford the time to talk to the clerk.

“Patrician Asporyx, have you seen Wryt anywhere?” Gone was the ferocious drame that’d been roaring not a couple of minutes earlier. Somehow, the look on her face looked like an incredibly frightening mask, even if she did look... mostly normal. There was a tenseness about her, though...

“Y-yeah, I did. But I really need his help right now, Nyfe. The faster he helps me, the faster it’ll be that he can focus on you.” Even with the distance between them, Asp caught the faint whiff of drame-heat. And he was purposely trying to keep his distance, heading towards the library entrance.

“So do I! One mating was not enough!” She let out a constrained snarl. “Not when I had to do most of the work... though... you could stand in..." She started to purr as he ducked into the library.

“Flattered, really, but then you wouldn’t get the points you need for your hunting ground.” Asp said quickly, grasping at whatever he could. “A-and besides, you know how many eggs Ren is going to have to lay, right?”

“... You know only one of those arguments only helped, right?” Nyfe said, staring at him hungrily. “That second one sounds perfect~ I could wait a few cycles to start that hunting ground properly..." Asp used his tail to bap her nose as she got closer.

“Excuse me you two, there is no mating allowed in the library.” An Orange drame said from behind the library’s central desk. “You should also be quieter.”

“Sorry, ma’am.” Nyfe seemed to come to her senses a bit; Asp guessed it was the authority... he felt that dominant, possessive breeder side of him starting to wake up when he took note of that. He mentally pushed it back down. Asp nodded his apology as well.

“I did actually come with a couple of questions, though... do I or my Isle Partner have to be the one to check out the books for us?” Asp asked her.

“Well... technically, yes, but we can’t exactly stop someone from sharing books or scrolls. Though, we do have cards for points; that’ll allow your supervisor to check them out on your behalf at least. I don’t see why we couldn’t extend that to others, now that I think about it.” The librarian drame said.

“Perfect, I’ll take one of those. And do you have a listing of what books you have available?” With a nod, the drame marked down the purchase of both the card and the library’s catalog: given the weight of the scroll, Asp wasn’t surprised he had to pay something for it. He did take more than a moment to find a book on herbs he was unfamiliar with to check out. After packing away his gains, he made his way out of the library. Somewhat unfortunately, Nyferona followed him, the grey-green drame starting to nip at his tail until he bapped at her nose again.

“S-sorry, I am trying to control myself, promise. I know you don’t want to mate with me.” Nyfe said with a sigh.

“Nyfe, it’s not you. I’ve gone from being a recluse who barely thought about mating to suddenly being surrounded by friendly dragons, and more than a few drames who want me to rut their brains out.” And he was including her and Ren in that in addition to Dria and maybe even Kastri; he’d barely spoken to her before yesterday and he’d already seen her mated and had her muzzle around his cock. “I’ve also got to adjust to the side of me that wants to do just that. Eagerly wants to.” Asp sighed; Nyfe seemed to perk up for a moment before she caught herself. “And deal with the pollen so it’s not muddling up my thoughts. While avoiding a drake who might want to, at the very least, hurt me.”

“As if I’d let him do such a thing, Patrician Asporyx.” He bapped her again.

“My fight, not yours. He wants Ren for himself; these new instincts of mine are telling me, at least for now, that she’s mine.” Asp said. “As weird as that is for me, I’m not about to let Ren go without a fight. One I intend to fight myself... once I have a plan in place for afterwards. Also, I told you to drop the Patrician bit, didn’t I?”

“That will be hard for me. It felt awkward yesterday. Patrician Asp could work, though.” Nyfe said. “You are still the patriarch’s son, after all. I think I am supposed to be your bodyguard, too.”

Asp sighed and relented on that point. “Fine, that works, I guess.” Both of them flew down to the first floor where he found another surprise waiting for him. Sort of; Ren’s plan did mention that this might happen: Faistyve was waiting by the entrance to the bazaar between the two registrar offices. Kastri was with her as well, too; that hadn’t been in Ren’s prediction, but Asp was glad to see the Indigo drame. Even if she was blushing a bit when she noticed he was walking towards them.

“Morning Faistyve, Kastri.” Asp said.

“Morning, Asporyx. Wryt’s already headed out... to the Ring.” Faistyve spoke up; she only added that last part when she saw the daggers Nyfe was staring into her. The green drame nodded once and all but ran out of a landing zone; Asp wasn’t even sure she’d lifted off properly. “Was I not supposed to say?”

“She was probably going to follow me around anyways until we met back up, at the very least. If she didn’t figure it out from what I got by stopping here.” He said. He did duck in and asked about the pass that he’d been told he’d be getting. It was a small, golden shield with an acorn on it that he put in his bag; it was good for him or Ren; their names had been inscribed on the back along with their isle’s designation. He also checked his point balance, which had left him a bit scale-shocked.

“I hope Wryt’s alright..." Kastri seemed worried. “And that Nyfe’s not taking any failed attempts personally.”

“She’s frustrated, for sure, but I think that’s more her heat.” Faistyve said. “She doesn’t seem angry from slight, at least. Maybe a little dejected.”

“I get the feeling that’s her natural state. Maybe with a low opinion of herself or something. I’m heading to a few shops before going out to the Ring; I take you’re here to join me?” He asked Faistyve. He wasn’t going to focus on the point total, no... Or that he just bought an isle expansion. One of Ren’s contingencies that she was very specific about, even if it went against what they’d originally talked about before her season. He fought the urge to buy her an expansion as well; she’d warned against that given the rest he was here to order.

“We both are! I may not be as adept as Wryt, but I do have something that could help!” Kastri said. She had a small bag with her, too. Faistyve didn’t have anything with her, though Asp didn’t expect her to.

“And I do have my empathic magic that can help keep the pollen’s influence at bay... though I can’t stop it from building up in your system, I’m sorry to say. Things might get intense for you, though I don’t plan on dropping the block until we’re back near your isle. I, uh, do need you to bow your head down to me, though.” She said; she was blushing a fair bit; enough for Asp to see the shade of red on her scales. He did as she said, though, and after a moment, felt her forehead against his, and her nose against his as well. He seemed to have recovered at least some of his embarrassment, but suddenly his mind did feel a little... different. Like he could focus more.

“There; I can suppress and monitor your, uh... frustration. Now, where did you need to go?” Asp shook his head, the shock of his points and extravagant spending wearing off with... whatever she did. “And what had you spacing out?”

“Oh, uh, the reward for the Rune Magic thing... that was... substantial. I was worried how I was going to get everything Ren had written out for me, but now... Well, a bright side would be that Nyfe should be able to get her hunting forest up and running quickly. Assuming Wryt got just as much, if not more, than me.” Asp said.

“Just make sure you’re careful, alright? Ren’s smart, but she may not have the best sense of finances.” Faistyve said.

“Yeah, I noticed; she put a budget limit on somethings that seems... insanely high. Though, she does have some sense... even if we’ll have to do some negotiating with Dria, Wryt, and maybe you, Kastri. And I’m not about to let Dria do what Ren’s signed her up for without some form of payment; it’s a lot. Or for mating, either.” He sighed. Ren, and Kastri, looked over his the scroll and then blinked.

“Alchemy table crafting and land-shaping? Y-yeah, gotta agree with you. Dria is strong, but this is almost screaming ‘take advantage of her’.” Faistyve said.

“Yeah, problem is I’m honestly not sure what I could get Dria. Except maybe some good stone for her to craft with.”

“And what’s she want me making? Ooh... eh, book chests and drying racks aren’t bad. Probably wouldn’t even take much depending on how good the wood you’ve got on your isle is.” The indigo drame said.

“Eh, I’m not a fan, it’s all fast grown stuff. But I don’t know how good it is for woodworking; I just know fast grown food and herbs have very little taste. It’s worked for my lumber needs before well enough, but..."

“I can work with it.” Kastri said. “Won’t be high-end, but they’ll work well enough.” Asp nodded; they’d gotten to the stonework store where he ducked in and placed an order for a block of stone to be delivered to the isle; he also made note of the pricier blocks for what he could potentially get Dria. There next stop was Li’red’s store.

“Uses of Skysong?” came the voice Asp had been mostly been trained to respond to.

“A hard to grow antidote and anesthetic; lethal if overdosed. Best prepared by steaming and then chopping the stems and the leaves should be dried and ground into a powder for use to make a salve.” Asp said in response. “Incidentally, as far as I know, it does nothing special when interacting with my toxin.”

“Very good. Now, what brings you here, Asp? And who are these lovely drames?” Li’red asked from behind the counter. Asp nodded to Faistyve and Kastrimri to introduce himself; again he saw his mentor’s appraising look and Asp sighed. “Neither of them are my Isle Partner; she’s a blue, Sir. I’ll bring her by at some point, I promise, though Nyferona has already met her.”

“I don’t care about whatever your dad wants to know, Asp. I want to meet her anyways.” The tiger-shaped Verdant said. “I mean, given some of this place’s goals... and the pollen’s theorized effect on you-”

“Yeah, no longer theory. Proven and measured.” Asp growled. “Part of why I’m here... need your best alchemy set and a medium-sized sample collection chest.” Asp said.

“Already going to try and counteract the effect?”

“Yeah.” Asp sighed; Faistyve lightly bumped against him.

“Hey, cheer up. We’ll figure it out.” She said.

“Before I wind up populating a small village? Or try to hurt someone? Lose my mind?” Asp growled; Kastrimri slid up on his otherside and squeezed him between the two drames. “I still don’t even know where to start, honestly.”

“Sir Li’red, do you have any Dramebane? Or Shiverbolt?” Faistyve asked the Verdant, who had disappeared into a back room. “Dramebane is a contraceptive; Shiverbolt is a heat suppressant, so might as well start with them.” Asp had looked at her curiously.

“Yes. Dried leaves are sold in sachets by the door; Asp’ll want the seeds, too, which are on the wall. Grab Lilyvine and Shaderose, too.” The Verdant returned, entwined vines dragging two large boxes. Asp blinked and then sighed while Kastri went and got what Li’red had mentioned.

“I think the Alchemy Kit’ll need to be delivered. We’re heading out to the Ring right after this. Or at least Faistyve and I are. And Kastri, grab some Arcblossom sachets for your brother.”

“Just call me Fai, Asp.” She said. “I mean, it’s only fair given how close you are to a fair number of my friends at this point.”

“Oh, is Asp doing well?” Li’red asked; the old tiger seemed to sense some info, and before Asp could stop her, Fai told him the barebones in that Asp already had close ties with a number of dragons. Asp braced himself for her to give more detail, but she ended it there. He’d spent too long around both Ren and Dria, it seemed. “That’s good to hear. His parents and my family were worried.” Li’red said with a slight sigh.

“Did I seem that hopeless?” Asp said, he looked at the sample collection box; it was made to fit on his back, strapped on by a leather harness. Asp shrugged his bag off and Fai helped him put it on as Kastri came back, carrying a number of pouches in her muzzle she put on the counter.

“Oh, we didn’t fault you; Ji’cyl told us about a few times you went into the city together.” Li’red said. “It’s a wonder you’re not physically scarred after some of those fights, at least from her stories.”

“Oh, yeah... those guys.” Asp said with a sigh. Fai bumped against him as he pushed himself up; he felt the glass bottles inside the box shift around in their padded slots. “Just some dumb drakes who thought I was a Shade trying spy on the kyndom. A mistake they made more than once.” Fai frowned but nodded. “It probably looked worse than it was, honestly. They never went past scale damage, even if it was deep scale damage.” Scars that effected scale growth had to go deep for it to have any lasting effect.

“You able to pay for all this, Asp?” Li’red asked. “It’s just over 50,000 points.” Asp nodded.

“Oh, I’ll also need a fair amount of rune magic catalyst. To pair with with agate. But that can be delivered as well. As much as I can get for 5,000 points and will be durable when set. Probably at least crystal powder based.” He carefully tested how well he could move with this weight on his back.

“Ah, yeah... should let you know, your alchemy table back home is a bit unique, so be prepared to be specific with instructions for putting what you want together.”

“Oh?” Kastri seemed interested and the Verdant nodded.

“Yeah, Asp would just grow a tree and then cut that down and carve whatever rune formula he needed for a specific task and with plant-based catalyst. His ‘table’ back home was more just a number of tree stumps.”

“Yeah, that is weird..." Kastri hmmed. Asp sighed; he did have to think that through, too.

“Oh yeah, and he had a whole bunch of non-standard features. Like infusing magic into potions and his creations. And using it for hybridization.”

“Wait, that’s not standard?” Asp blinked. Fai and Kastri looked at him somewhat bewildered.

“Not at all! That’s thought to only be a theory!” Fai said.

“We kept it a Kyndom secret, honestly. But given the nature of this project and breaking down Kyndom boundaries, I imagine a lot of those are going to get out. We did patent those rune formulas you came up with to do them, though.” Li’red said. “Now, off you go; I’ve got to arrange the delivery of these things, then.” Asp nodded, walking out of the shop a little stiffly with that added weight on top; the drames followed him out.

“I did wonder what made you learn rune magic, Asp.” Kastri said. “As far as I know, not many greens have looked into it since your breath magic is one of the most convenient ones. So it was to further alchemy?”

“Kinda? It was more to further my combat abilities. Trying to create seeds that were strong and kept that strength with flashgrowing was, and is, still a project of mine.” He sighed. Both drames just looked at him further in surprise, but he just shrugged a bit.

“... Let’s talk about this more some other time; it’s almost time for sparring class and I imagine he’ll be going to that, so we should probably make ourselves scarce.” Fai said; Asp had to agree and the three of them started to make their way back towards the Citadel: the bazaar was a no-fly zone unless you were running deliveries. “And... Kasti, while I know you want to help, are you sure you want to risk such close exposure to the pollen, particularly if Asp here’s too much a talonful for me?” Kasti frowned a bit... looking at Asp before she shook her head. Fai seemed relieved.

“I did want to see how my work might work first hand, but... yeah, that sounds risky. I might just go hang out with Dria and give her a heads up that you’ll be looking for her later. Here.” She used her muzzle to pull out a couple of leather bands before affixing them; Asp had to cross his eyes, but he saw hints of rune magic painted on the leather on both sides as well as some studs in it. Apparently, it sat just around the nostrils and was held in place by straps that sat between his and Fai’s teeth. “Channel your magic into that and it should filter the air a bit and keep you from inhaling too much pollen. I’m still working on better versions, but as far as a prototype goes... this is serviceable!” Asp did as she said, carefully letting out some of his innate magic and directing it to the bracer on his nose. It didn’t seem to take much magic to activate or drain all that much to keep it up, either.

“Definitely not the most comfortable, but every little bit’ll help.” Fai said; their talking was slightly stilted. Asp had to agree, wriggling his nose a bit, but it at least stayed in place.

“And, uh, Asp, don’t think I wouldn’t want you to, uh, have that chance. I just..." Kastri looked worried, but Asp shook his head.

“I get it; I need a break anyways. Honestly, if I do wind up mating with anyone today... I’ll probably just get more frustrated with myself.” Asp growled. “I’ve felt barely in control these past couple of days. Besides, I bet Dria’s looking forward to it more; you two seem really close. Almost mates, even.” Kastri blushed but nodded.

“Ooh, that’ll be interesting... I wonder what an indigo-yellow helix would be able to do?” Fai wondered aloud; Kastri looked ready to hide behind her wings at that. After a quick duck into the registrar’s office to ask a question, namely just what Asp could take from the ring, which didn’t seem to be limited as long as it was a reasonable amount. He did specifically mention felling a whole tree, just to be sure. But after that, he and Fai separated from Kastri, who flew off towards Dria’s isle.

-===================-

Asp and Fai landed on the beach at one of the access points to the ring, showing their passes to the drame on duty. It was assumed that anyone who bothered to buy a badge would be mature enough to handle the increased pollen influence in some way. And anyone found without a pass on the ring would be in a lot of trouble; a drame would likely get kicked out while a drake would have a healthy point reduction. They got the guard to tell them in what direction Wryt had gone and headed that way.

Up close, the Golden Leaves trees were quite remarkable. Their leaves were all shades of yellow and orange, as if they were perpetually in the beginning of the 3rd season. Their bark was a soft brown and seemed smooth. If Asp had to guess, they were some odd hybrid of oak and willow with something else, maybe related to the Oakvine trees they had in the courtyard.

“Asp, you’ll need to tell me if you’re feeling worked up. I mean, I do get a general idea, but you’ll know before I do.” Fai said, walking step in step with him. Though while he had more of a steady, prowling gait, Asp couldn’t help but notice the poise and delicacy with which she walked. And agility; she navigated what roots were in her way without even looking, really. He blinked when he realized what he was observing.

“Y-yeah... I will say I’m apparently already at least easily distracted. I mean, no... what did you call them, intrusive thoughts or fantasies, but I, uh... definitely can’t help but notice you right next to me like this. I’m... not 100% that’s entirely the pollen, though.”

Fai was, admittedly, a lovely drame. She was much closer in size to himself than Ren or Dria were, but where he was bulkier, she was lean and lithe. Her body was covered in scales not far off from a purple thistle while her underscales were a paler version of that. Asp also took note of the fins she had. They weren’t like Ren’s ribbons; these were sharper, shorter, a cross between fins and ridges that ran along the length of her body. Her horns had a slight twist to them at the end, curling inwards at the points. And Asp quite liked the sight of her silvery-blue eyes looking at him as well.

“Yes, well... I’ll try not to distract too much.” She brushed her wing against his. Suddenly, there was a loud snarl, one somewhat familiar to him and he winced.

“Sounds like Nyfe found Wryt.” Asp told Fai, motioning for them to hurry. He didn’t think Nyferona would normally hurt the Indigo male, but he also knew she wasn’t in a normal state. They briskly made their way towards the sound, though the scene they came upon almost made him wish they hadn’t hurried too much.

Nyferona was ontop of Zecerwryt, leaned back on her haunches with her claw on the male’s chest. Asp really didn’t need a closer look to tell she had ridden the Indigo male, and given how hard Wryt and she were panting, she’d not been gentle about it. Her wings were flared out and her tail had Wryt’s trapped in a hold. Her eyes were closed and she had a throaty purr going when they found them, Wryt’s own eyes closed as well. He seemed... mildly pained? Asp wasn’t sure, to be honest. Fai squeaked when she realized what the two of them had interrupted, covering her muzzle with a wing to stifle the sound. “Uh, should we come back or leave them be...?” Fai asked before Wryt’s eyes cracked open.

“I would rather you help get her off of me... she has gotten all she can out of me and I am fairly certain she is not quite satisfied, yet. It seems, at this concentration, the pollen is quite effective at keeping my body interested. We are tied, however...” Wryt managed to say. Asp made a mental note to not lose the muzzle bracer that Kastri had given him, then; he already had that issue at normal concentration.

“Well, at least we might get to see if a drake can come close to matching your own feat this way, Asp. Or if being this close to the trees while in season will effect Nyfe in the same way Ren was.” Fai said with a sigh. Asp’s name seemed to trigger something in Nyfe, though, and she looked towards them. She just whined in surprise, not that she made a move to get off of Wryt.

“P-Patrician Asp!” She covered herself with her wings... which was an odd sight, admittedly. Granted, dragons went without clothing, but mating in public was still considered fairly indecent.

“Given how you saw me yesterday, don’t worry about it, Nyfe.” Asp said with a sigh. “And... sorry to do this to both of you, for different reasons, but can you ease off of him for the moment?” Nyfe looked conflicted, so Asp sighed. “Knight Nyfe, fall-in!” He barked an order he’d heard from the training grounds the few times he’d been in the Kyndom’s Inner Garden. At once, the grey-green drame pulled herself away from her isle partner with a rather loud, wet sound and stood before Asp. She then blinked in confusion.

“Huh?”

“Seems your training’s conditioning can overwrite your need to mate... interesting.” Fai giggled a bit. “Good call, Asp.”

“Just something I noticed earlier. Not sure Wryt could use it though... not without fighting and beating her. I bet it has to be an authority figure, like the library drame from earlier. Or me.”

“Would you two stop talking like I’m sort of test subject?” Nyfe growled in frustration, her eyes already darting back to Wryt and the dark-indigo member that jutted out from the male’s underscales. “I had to track him down after we’ve only mated once since someone triggered my heat.” Nyfe grumbled.

“And that’s why I’m apologizing to Wryt as well; I fully intend to let you get back to it after Wryt shows us what Toriltide had him try and make.” Asp said; Wryt winced but Nyfe looked at Asp almost reverently. “Just... be gentle with him, alright?” Nyfe whined and he shook his head a bit.

“Ugh, well, he only really had me make two things for here, though I see Kastri already got you the prototype of one of them that she was working on. The other was this.” Wryt managed to roll over and limp a little towards a bag, pulling out a clay disc with his muzzle and gave it to Fai. “Channel your magic into it for a bit and it’ll condense the pollen and pull it in towards the center of the disc.” Asp nodded his thanks. “Can you at least give me a heads start? I am a little worried; she has not given either of us a chance to get some water, let alone food.”

“Hey, this is only a verbal thing, it’s not like I’m binding her down or anything.” Asp said; it seemed to register with Nyfe, too, and she finally moved, almost like a hungry predator towards Wryt, though she just rubbed up against him like a cat might. “Nyfe, at least find a pond or river or something so you’ve both got some drinking water nearby. But you’re dismissed.” Nyfe let out an affirmative growl and then started to walk off; she was smart, too: she grabbed Wryt’s bag, so if he wanted his rune magic experiments, he’d have to follow her. “And Wryt, if you can, stop by our isle in a couple of days. I want to ask you to help with making an alchemy table.”

“Kastri and I were gonna ask about coming over tomorrow, actually, so that should work out. Nyferona brought up an interesting idea after you left and we wanted your help with it.” He sighed and went after Nyfe once he realized what the green drame had done and Asp turned to Fai, taking the disk from her. She seemed to understand and they went searching for a clearing to set-up in; she did also seem to be a bit tight focused by the time they’d found one and he set the disc down.

“This isn’t going to take too long, right? I can tell how much I’m suppressing and it’s getting harder to hold it all back.” Fai said. Asp blinked and gave her an appreciative nuzzle. It seemed to break her concentration for a moment and Asp got a rush; a surge that threatened to overwhelm him that manifested as his length exposing itself and quite the vivid image in his mind:

Egg-gravid versions of Ren, Sryl, and Nyfe, as well seed-bloated, exhausted images of Dria, Fai, and Kastri were all watching as Asp claimed the last ‘drame’ in his harem: a hermaphrodite version of Wryt. And all of them wore some sort of collar. Asp’s imagination filled it what it must’ve felt like, every time he seeded each drame and just what it felt like to be plunging into the hermaphrodic Wryt’s slit, even if he really only had Ren as a reference. The fantasy kept going until Asp could almost feel himself hit his release, the fantasized version of himself seeding this last drame before the fantasy abruptly ended. He gasped as his focus came back, panting a little and shiver with the feeling of his excitement drooling out of his length.

“S-sorry, Asp!” Fai sounded really worried, but she also didn’t seem whether she wanted to move closer to him or not.

“It... I was going to say it’s nothing, but no, that was definitely something. Dammit.” He snarled his frustration, claws raking at the ground. “I do not want to be some damn, mindless breeding stud. I don’t. Ugh, I’d ask if you’d take this off my back, but honestly... just get out a few bottles, if you can. I think... 7 should be enough.” He said as he laid down to make it easier to reach.

“...Ye-yeah, that was some image.” Fai muttered softly; it took him a moment to realize what she meant while she worked the box open and got out bottles. “Sorry, this link kinda transmits powerful thoughts. Like that... and how angry you are right now, among other things. What can I do to help? We should get out of here fast.”

“... Can you keep the block up and operate that disc at the same time?” She nodded. “Then get a couple of bottles of pollen. And if you see anything that looks like an acorn, that’s probably this species’ seed. Grab those too.” She looked surprised. “Seeds can have different properties than the rest of the tree when it comes to alchemy, and sometimes plants grow some sort of defense against their own effects. I’d be damned before I’d try cultivating these things as is on my isle, not if my mind’s going there.” And with that, they went to work.

Asp took out his frustration on one of the trees; he searched their clearing for one that seemed like it would be strong, and with a snarling roar and just sheer... brute force of his plant magic, uprooted the tree entirely. He went about with his claws, breaking it down so that he got a whole jar of the roots, branches, and leaves. He also cut a few discs of the tree, surprised to find they hadn’t been flash grown, but they did seem to grow to size quickly: only the outer rings were closer together. Some sort of staged-rapid growing technique, he guessed. He also gathered some of an upright tree’s sap in the last bottle, coaxing it out with his plant magic. By the time he’d finished, Fai had her bottles of golden pollen and what looked to be half a bottle of fluffy, tiny acorns. And she’d been true to her word: while she worked the disc, the block hadn’t gone down. It had grown weaker, though, so his length didn’t disappear from sight anytime soon. Or stop drooling his need onto the ground. Her talons were stained with the pollen, as was the rune-magic disc. She put the bottles and the cut discs into the box on Asp’s back and they quickly flew off towards his isle; they left behind the magic disc. Somewhere among Asp’s raging emotions was an apology to Wryt for the drake needing to make another trip out there.

===================

Asp bypassed the clearing Ren and he had been using as a landing zone, going right to his garden. He almost forgot Fai was with him, at least until they landed and she helped him out of the harness that held the sample case. He put that case in his sleeping hut for now. “You should head out, Fai.” Asp growled grumpily. He felt tight, mentally, like he might snap at any moment.

“... No. Not with you this overwhelmed, biologically or mentally. I can at least keep the worst of it from effecting you while works through your system.” Asp just grunted at that, climbing onto the mossy stone bed he and Dria had made before. She followed him as he curled up and she laid beside him, leaning against him a little. Asp flinched, but this time no vivid fantasy came. “I, uh... didn’t expect your nuzzling back there. And it felt... really nice. Honestly, that uh, thought, saved me from almost doing something myself. Has that been happening often?”

“... Not so vividly, or detailed, or depraved, honestly. I think the most any particular thought had been was two at a time... not nearly every drame I know and Wryt besides.” He grumbled, though he did furrow his brow at that.

“That was an interesting part of that scene..." Fai mentioned with a blush. “I promise I won’t tell anyone, though.”

“... Is that even possible, though? To make a drake into a herm like that?” Asp growled. “I don’t even know why I thought like that.” Fai was... weirdly quiet on that; Asp waited a bit before he turned and met her gaze. She seemed to be studying him.

“...Why do you want to know?”

“Curiosity, mostly... but I did have a thought, briefly. It seemed like a semi-fitting punishment of sorts for that Dilorphus drake. To make him into a herm that might be molested and taken like he had been trying to do. I mean, full on drame would probably be more appropriate, but I know losing a male would be a huge blow. Would have to, somehow, enforce some sort of limit on him for that particular side, still.” Asp admitted; he was surprised when Fai’s critical look softened, the violet drame leaning down and rubbing her nose against his. “You didn’t really think I’d do it to Wryt, did you? I mean, maybe if he asked and really wanted it, but I do think of him as a friend... I think. I’m still trying to figure out just what that word means.”

“Yeah, I was a little concerned you might want to actually try it out after imagining it.” Fai said. “We’ve only really just met and this is the most time I’ve spent with you. But if that was your train of thought... I guess there’s no real harm in saying yes, it is actually possible.” Asp blinked. “What’s more, you’re probably suited to be the one to make it happen; there’s an herb us Violets have that, when mixed in with other ingredients, can temporarily change the gender of a dragon. There are some dragons, after all, who mentally don’t feel comfortable in the body they’re born with. And us Violets are all about the mental wellbeing of dragons. However, the herb is rare, expensive, and hard to grow.”

“... This is one of those Kyndom secrets, isn’t it?” Asp asked; Fai nodded.

“Pretty sure I can trust you with it. I mean, if that was your fantasy, and you’re this distraught over it, I definitely don’t think you’ll do something like force a gender change and then force yourself on someone.”

“Oh gods, no.” Asp made a face. “Wait... what do you mean by that?” Fai blushed and looked away until he nuzzled at her jaw.

“W-well, you certainly seemed to be taking care of every drame there and making sure she was comfortable and well looked after. A-as far as fantasies go, that was really tame compared to some of the others I’ve gotten.” Asp looked at her with a slight frown. “Hey, I don’t want to know what others are thinking! My, uh, circumstances means I’ve got this passive ability of sorts. It’s more empathetic than telepathy, though. Unless it’s a really strong fantasy or thought.” She shudders.

“Oh yeah, Ren mentioned something about you not being normal. Is that what she meant?” Asp tilted his head. “Surprised you’re not a specialist with that kind of ability.” Fai only nodded.

“I should also mention I do have a talent for telepathy. And have relayed some things to both Rin and Dria.” Asp looked wide-eyed at that. “Oh, don’t worry, nothing about your fantasy... though I did mention your ‘punishment’ and Dria seemed to almost fall out of the sky laughing at the idea. She and Sryl are on their way over. I did ask Ren to stay where she is, though... I wasn’t sure how ready you were to come face-to-face with a drame who’s carrying your eggs at the moment.” Fai rested her head on his chest. “Dria’s on her way with food.”

“I really hope that’s all she wants.” Asp sighed. “I mean... uh... that came out wrong.” He grumbled; he did want to see Dria. He just... wasn’t sure if he could handle the golden drame’s usual teasings right now. Talking with Fai seemed to be helping, though: he didn’t feel like he’d break if Dria even mentioned wanting to try something at least. “... I’m really tired of feeling like I have to tread so carefully... I really want to go home.” Even as he said that, he knew he didn’t quite mean it. He had a feeling of responsibility to at least two drames, now. Fai giggled; their link seemed to mean she at least knew he didn’t fully mean what he said. “My, uh... build up is subsiding, right?”

“Yeah, it is. Slowly, but I think by nightfall, I’ll feel a lot better about severing the link. That’s probably an overestimation, but... I’d worry if you were to mate with someone right now, mentally. We really don’t need you scared of yourself or of breeding drames.” Fai purred quietly; it was a soothing, melodic purr and Asp closed his eyes.

“Why, wanting in on it?” He half-joked. “You’ve already got some idea of what I can do after all. And what I’m working with.” He was on full-display; he really wasn’t sure if his shame would ever come back at this point. Asp wasn’t entirely sure he wanted it coming back, or at least as strong as it was.

“Hmm... out of the ones here right now, you are certainly the strongest contender for that particular need. But it’ll be a while before I can do that.” She sighed; Asp blinked his eyes open and lightly poked her nose with a talon. “Other circumstances that I really shouldn’t get into. Besides, I have to admit, I’m far more interested in seeing what you and Ren, and you and Dria, produce!” Fai said with a blush. “That’s far more immediately necessary than worrying about myself. I mean, will they be specialists? And what kind of magic will they have?”

“... Okay, I think I see what Ren was hinting at earlier... bet you’re curious about Wryt and Nyferona’s eggs, too, huh?” Asp chuckled. Fai squeaked and hid behind her wing, which only made his chuckle turn into a full on laugh. She whined and batted at his muzzle with her talon.

“Sheesh, I can’t take my eyes off you for half-a-day before you’re already flirting with another drame, huh? And in our bed, no less! All exposed!” Came Dria’s voice; the golden drame landed by the ‘bed’ before climbing ontop and pulling out some large packages of meat. Her tone was clearly joking, though. She nosed another towards him; only then did he feel his stomach rumble. He tore open the leaf wrapped package and tore into the meat. Seemed to be deer, though with Deerflame and... something else he didn’t know mixed it. Deerflame had a faint, burnt bitter taste to it; whatever this was had a cooling, dry taste to it. He let out a curious rumble. “I stopped by Li’red’s place and got something he thought might take the edge off. Brought those seeds with me too.. I think he called it Restfuldrake?” Asp hadn’t heard of it, but it seemed Fai had.

“Ooh, yeah, I probably should’ve thought of that. It’s a sleep aid, but it can cause a temporary, uh... inability to perform. It wouldn’t help with being all pent-up, but it would at least keep you from walking around for all to see.” She said, pointedly not looking at his length. Dria did seem to look curiously and winced; she seemed to sympathize with hard he was pulsing and the puddle of pre on his underscales.

“Well, here’s hoping. And here’s hoping it doesn’t do something weird with my toxin, too.” He said, scarfing down the food. “How’s Sryl doing?”

“Better, I think. He’s at least coming to terms with all that’s happening. He’s hanging out with Ren at the moment. I think part of him’s still scared of your particular problem.” Dria said. “I’m pretty certain meeting you helped, too. And that you don’t care that he’s a herm or not.”

“I never did understand why that is a problem for some,” Fai said with a sigh; Asp found himself inclined to agree.

“Oh there’s some weird stereotypes out there. Which... well, they’re not wholly untrue. The most common true one is that herms tend to think of themselves as drakes more than drames. So they’d rather be on top.” Dria sighed. “Even with males. Particularly with males, even.”

“Ah, yeah, that’s certainly a clash..." Asp sighed. Dria leaned over and gave him a proper kiss and he kissed her back. He knew he didn’t have to worry about that in particular with Dria.

“Ah, so it’s that ‘challenge to their role’ then.” Fai said with a sigh. “... I guess I can understand the worry, particularly now.” Dria nodded as they broke the kiss.

“Yeah, though, some herms are just as bad as drakes about their attitude. So it’s not like it’s totally unwarranted.” Dria sighed. “The number of times I’ve had to talk a few of the others about just mounting any dragon in sight..." She rolled her eyes. “But, yeah, anyways... how’d gathering go? And what prompted the whole ‘turn Dilorphus into a herm’ idea?” Dria poked at his nose. Asp sighed.

“Gathering went fine, I guess. Or about as well as we could expect.” Asp said.

“I mean, I was, and still am, ready to knock you out if needed, and we didn’t have to do that, so I think that’s a good sign. I am hesitant to let you work on anything without my help, though.” Fai sighed. Asp grumbled at that.

“As for where that idea came from, we did have one scare that resulted in a very, ugh, I don’t want to say disturbing..." Asp sighed.

“I mean, you can show me, right, Fai?” Dria asked; Asp’s eyes went wide and he whined in protest. Dria bumped his nose with hers. “I’m not gonna force it, of course, but I am curious about what my drakefriend’s seemingly dark fantasy was.” Asp blinked at that; Fai just looked at him, waiting for his answer either way.

“A-as long as you don’t tease me about it, today. And keep in mind we had just walked up on Nyfe trying to sate her heat with Wryt.” Asp grumbled. Fai nodded and closed her eyes. Dria did the same, and after a few moments, her wings shot up a little and she let out a low growling moan and shivered.

“... Maybe I shouldn’t have let Kastri go back, damn.” Dria muttered, leaning down and nuzzling against Asp with a reassuring purr; Asp did note she couldn’t keep a hint of lust out of it, either. “And... why did she not have to knock you out after that?” Dria wondered.

“Anger, mostly. I’m getting really sick at being at the mercy of this breeder instinct.” Asp growled. “And maybe a bit of shame. I mean, I get Ren and you already, but everyone else? And Wryt?” Asp grumbled.

“Wryt aside, you do realize that’s entirely possible. Even probable, right, Asp?” Dria said. Fai huffed. “Okay, and Fai. But don’t count her out yet~” Fai huffed again; Asp wasn’t looking at her, so he wouldn’t know if she was blushing or not (she was, particularly given he was on display, still).

“... Yeah, part of me knows that. But I don’t want to be what I was... that mindless, rutting drake who only thought of doing that.” Asp sighed.

“So we’ll just have to keep you from being that.” Dria said; she was being... surprisingly tame today. And he appreciated it. Part of him could just imagine the tease she’d normally give: but what if we want you to be that~?

“Yeah. But at least you know where the idea came from.” Asp said.

“It’s not a bad one, either, if you can pull it off. I mean, it does come at the risk of making him worse in that he might go after herms, too.” Asp nodded in agreement.

“Oh, yeah. Ideally, in my opinion, I’d want to turn him into a herm and limit his... capabilities to sire.” Asp said with a stretch. “Just the limit would just piss him off and make him challenge me again or hurt someone I’m close to. I think both would have enough of an effect that he wouldn’t do that.” Asp rolled onto his belly and stretched a bit. He did blink; it seemed that Restfuldrake Herb was working it’s magic; he felt himself starting to soften. He let out a sigh of relief, relaxing a bit. Fai smiled and nuzzled against him a little in encouragement.

“Yeah, and honestly, the Prismarc council might even encourage this punishment; they’re well aware of the problem he presents, but he’s also, in blunt terms, a valuable stud, so it’s not like modern circumstances means we can afford to lose that aspect of him. Plus, Violets don’t really have data on attempted breedings of a dragon who has had their gender changed like that. Or a herm made that way.” Yep, Fai definitely was like himself and Wryt, just when it came to... bloodlines, he guessed? Or breeding traits? (Author’s note: genetics) He understood that; his interest botany was similar.

“Careful, Fai, your own special brand of genius is showing~” Dria teased. Fai immediately squeaked and blushed; some of her control on the blocking slipped and Asp winced at the sudden urge he had. Which only made Fai blush further, even if the block was under her seemingly iron-clad control a moment later.

“Okay, while that was weirdly sweet, careful with teasing me too, Dria. Just made Asp imagine helping sate my curiosity.” Fai warned the gold; Dria just grinned but seemed to bite back another tease. He nuzzled her in appreciation, which made her purr.

“I mean, that is an interesting topic; that’s my main focus with botany, after all.” Asp admitted. “But... think I should definitely get this pollen problem under control before that. Unless you want to walk around with 9 eggs, Dria?”

“No thank you! I dunno how Ren’s gonna manage! She’ll barely be able to move, at least on land.” Dria said. “She’s already a special petite type of blue... She’s gonna be huge.”

“Wait, she’s not gonna get bigger?” Asp asked.

“She will, of course. But compared to other blues? She’ll be small.” Fai said. Dria nodded. “I do know we will be watching her health closely and as much as we can of her clutch. At least those Violets here for training in that sort of thing.” Asp was appreciative of that; he was worried about that, too, but had been keeping that at bay by it being a ‘not now’ problem.

And on the afternoon went; eventually, Fai seemed to think it was alright for Ren to join them. The blue drame brought Sryl with her, so the ‘bed’ got a little crowded. Asp wound up snuggled with Dria behind him and Fai, at some point, had moved so that her side was against his belly while he lounged on his side. They brought a fish dinner with them, too. By then, Asp had realized that Fai had let the block melt away and it seemed she wasn’t linked to his mind anymore. But he was grateful for her balancing company between Ren and Dria. She was just as much a target of their teasing as he was, it seemed. It wasn’t long before the sleep-aid portion of the Restfuldrake herb made him drift off asleep while listening to everyone talk.