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SCARS AND SCALES Chapter 3

“BEEP BEEP BEEP!”

Marc slapped the beeping alarm and sat up in his bed stretching out. He had set the alarm early. The sun had just risen to peek through the window. He looked around feeling a little surprised, not seeing sheets thrown around. Not covered in a cold sweat. It was odd not having awoken screaming and heart pounding from a PTSD induced night terror.

“huh… I could get used to this.” He said to himself and rolled out of bed, grabbing his phone which vibrated in his hand as he picked it up. Signaling he had a message that had yet to be opened.

He pressed his thumb on the screen to open his phone, only to a text message from Kori to pop. “Heeey! hope you slept well! Wing Ball is at 11!”

He felt his heartbeat quicken and his chest flutter a little as he read the message. It had been followed by a GPS pin drop, to a park and Rec-area on the dragon side of town. He checked his clock and saw that he had 3 hours before he needed to be there.

He swapped into what passed as casual wear for him, an old tan military issue t-shirt, and some cargo shorts. Which did little to dampen the military vibe he gave off. He looked in the mirror and made sure he had gotten all the grease off of his face the night before. While he looked over his face he ran his hand over the coarse stubble on his face, and contemplated a shave since he was starting to sport a six a clock shadow. But he decided against it since he wasn't forced to uphold any military regs anymore. No Drill Sergeants in basic to yell at him anymore, or any senior NCOs to dog him out about minor issues.

He did a sniff test before adding some cologne to freshen up his clothes and Make sure he didn't give a bad first impression. Which also struck him a little odd, he looked into the mirror as he thought to himself. When the last time he cared what someone thought about him, let alone a dragon. Though in an odd way he was excited to meet up with Kori again, a small little bond was starting to form there and he didn't know what to think about it.

It had been a while since he really went out with friends, let alone cared what a group or individual thought about him. Or how he was perceived by the general population outside of his friends which had really only consisted of his boss. But now seemed to slowly be growing, weather that was good or bad he didn't know yet.

He packed a few bottles of water in his pack before throwing it on. He wasn't going to be able to run to the park today, it was way too far for that. Plus a run that distance in the city during the day would be too frustrating. Assholes running traffic lights, and having to keep one eye to the sky when he jogged through areas for take off and landing of dragons.

He instead called an Uber to come pick him up, which gave him some waiting time outside the apartment for 15 or so minutes. with his back to a stone wall watching the world go by. Humans and Dragons going about their weekend activities, some on their way to work. Others were just on their way to do something with someone.

A black Mercedes Benz rolled up and the front passenger window rolled down, a man with a thick Nigerian accent spoke up. “Are you, Mr. Marcus?”

Marc nodded his head, pushing off the wall and walked over to the nice car. “Yes sir, that's me.”

“come come” The man spoke as he motioned for Marcus to get in the private cab, and Marcus nodded his head, he opened the back door and climbed in.

“Alright Mr. Marcus, to Dragon Park we go huh? Well sit back and relax, we will be there in no time” the man said and took off merging with the city traffic. Leaving Marc gripping the seat as they sped through the city.

It was a short, and hairy ride, with Marcus sitting in the back as the driver skated the line between efficient timeliness and competitive racer. Marcus swore a few times he thought he saw the traction control light flashing on the dash, as the man cycled through the manual gears, smiling with his eyes as he watched Marcus in the rear view mirror.

The car ride ended up having more in common with a low altitude helo insert, like he was being jostled around with his squadmates as the helo rolled left and right following canyons or dunes. Momentum tugging the occupaties around, and acceleration forced Marcus into the cool leather seats. Internal fans housed in the chairs keep even the seats cool.

The car came to a stop alongside one of the many park entrances, Marcus braced himself against the back of the front seat as the man decelerated expertly into a parallel parking spot. “Have a good day Mr. Marcus.” The man said as the car stopped, Marcus climbed out of the car and slung his pack back over his shoulders.

“Thank you sir!” Marc had said while giving the man a polite wave. The driver nodded and waved in return. then the Benz zoomed off after Marcus had drawn a few feet away, ready to ferry another poor soul on a rollercoaster ride of a taxi drive.

Marcus tightened his backpack straps to get the bag to hug tight to his body as he started his jog into the park. Keeping it from jostling uncomfortably on his back as ran down a path deeper Into the park. There weren't too many humans on this side of town, so he did get a few stares as he ran. Semi lost, he was early anyways by a decent bit, and was just looking for where the recreational part of the park was.

He was also taking in grandeur of the park, its size, large paths that enabled a large drake to walk almost three abreast. But it still held human seating areas, and shaded places for dragons to lie under trees.

Normally a human park has a few sports related things like a tennis and basketball courts. Parks near areas with more dragons in it were usually the same but with larger sports areas. Like a Wing Ball field Included. Which could just be a field free of trees that met the size requirement and had goals on either end and boundary markers.

He had made his way along a winding path. to the center of the park and was looking around while drinking from a bottle of water. He was excited in a way to be some place new. Normally he felt apprehension and doubt. But something just seemed to put him at ease, he was peaceful.

The first indication that a shadow fell over him was when the sun seemed to vanish on a mostly cloudless day. The shadow fell over him, large and imposing, generating an instinctive fear inside the man. Not the type of shadow typical of a cloud passing overhead, instead it was the type a bird of prey would cast in a nature documentary. Just before the mouse trapped under it tries to flee for its life.

Marcus acted on instinct, he hunched and turned to try and duck into the direction of the oncoming dragon, but he barely kept a yelp of surprise from escaping his lips. As a pair of blue scaled fore paws wrapped around his sides and hoisted him up into the air, and his legs dangled helpessly.

“Marcus!!” A familiar female voice called out happily. Her sweet voice filled the air as he dangled on her grasp while she held him up. The fear quickly subsided, and he breathed out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Marcus squirmed in Korinthias’ paws,“Gah!... are you trying to scare me to death now!?!” He spoke, letting out a cough due to almost inhaling the water into his lungs that he had been drinking. The ness set him back down slowly with a sweet chuckle.

“dawww did I scare the big marine?” she said in a teasing tone, which only made the human squint his eyes at her, Marcus a little annoyed at her teasing. Though those eyes were full of mischievous Intentions intent too. His hand came up, and he poked out one finger then booped her on the nose. A happy smile spreading across his face he said “Boop!”.

Marcus chuckled when the dragoness’ eyes crossed to look at the offending finger poking her nose. It gave her such a cute goofy look, her blue face scaled snuched up in a smile of her own. what he didn't notice were the two paws coming up on either side of him again. He was too busy looking at the pretty ness’ face, admiring her entirely blue face, and then where the blue ended just behind her jaws. Transitioning to black, while her paws looked like she was wearing blue socks up to her knees. Like the black feet on a fox almost. The rest of her torso and tail was black save for her wing joints and fingers being blue. And large spaced blue stripes ran up and down her body.

Marc let out a very undignified squeak, wholly unbecoming of a battle hardened warrior of the United States Marines. Which made his cheeks glow with embarrassment. Kori's lips curled into a grin that showed off the tips of her canines. The two paws wrapped around him, under his arms. He started to say “Nononono!!!” when his voice turned to a very unmarine-like yell a few octaves higher than he intended, not that he would ever admit to such rumors. Those rumors were scandalous at best and spread by a blue faced dragoness who couldn't be trusted.

Fear climbed up into his chest as the world fell away below him when Kori drove them into the sky with a powerful leap. Her wings cupping the air in massive powerful wing beats. Her paws remained tight around his torso just under his arms. But despite the firm grip she had on him, his hands held fast around her forepaw's wrists. Clinging to her like his life depended on It, and that if he released his grip he'd fall. Though in the back of his mind he knew he was safe, but at that moment all his brain could think of was falling.

“oh god… this is high… very high… humans don't fly…” Marc rambled as he looked down past his dangling feet as the park passed below. His heart was pounding in his ears as he experienced the entirely reasonable evolutionary fear of falling. Because he was not born with wings, and therefore if a human was this high up the brain assumed they were probably dying in mere seconds.

So of course he slammed his eyes shut, like any reasonable human would, but when the splat never came. He slowly peaked an eye open, and then the next. Koris' wings flapped once in graceful arcs as they glided along on thermals, Marcus dangled from her paws like a doll in a girls grasp.

He grew quiet and his heart beat slowed some as he watched the world pass below, the fear of the situation had started to subside. His heartbeat started to slow down and he wasn't struggling anymore. The terrifying feeling he had felt was replaced by the awe of the experience. He was flying in the sky, not via a plane or helicopter.

He saw some other dragons flying nearby too and another pairing tossed a ball between each other in flight. It looked like a father and son playing, the large drake giving short gentle throws as the two flew in a gentle circle.

Another group of younger dragons were playing with kites, when Marcus’ eyes followed the strings down to where they reached the ground. He found them being held by human kids.

Kori's voice called in a happy yell above the wind, “down we go!”

Then almost in the span of a second, gravity inverted and the world began to spin. He heard a happy laugh from above him as Kori brought them into a plummeting spiral, one wing slightly extended more than the other as she dove toward the earth.

“Fuuuuck!!!” was all Marc could say as they plummeted head first, his body driven up against the dragoness’ armored chest.

“Wwwwweeeeeeeee!” Kori trilled happily as they fell. To Marcus the earth, that beautiful Terra firma was coming up way too fast. Marcus' brain kindly reminded him that the ground was coming at a rate that would kill him, and flooded his body with adrenaline. For whatever good that would do him.

“K-Kori!!” he shouted the dragoness’ name desperately, and closed his eyes seconds before the anticipated impact. The snap of wings flaring open to full extension at the last second. He grunted as he felt the deceleration and opened his eyes as he was placed on the ground, the man panting as adrenaline faded. The dragoness puffed her chest and spread her wings wide as she settled on all fours. “Thank you for flying Air Kori!” She announced with a big smile, her blue eyes filled with joy, and her fangs fully exposed in a broad smile knowing she had won the 'get back at the booper’ game.

Marc walked away from her on shaky legs, dropping his backpack and turned before he fell on his back, landing on the short well tended grass in the shade of a nearby oak.

“I want my money back” he groaned, which earned a chuckling laugh from the female dragon. Who poked her tongue out playfully at him, her electric blue eyes twinkled. They were the same blue that one might see in a picture of an untinted welding arc. The feline-like eyes watching him as he lay on his back watching her back while his adrenaline slowly ebbed away. The tingle in his extremities slowly fading and breathing calmed as he watched her.

Marcus realized with internal horror he had been staring at the ness for longer then he intended to, she was beautiful. Beauty that tugged at the man's heart. But she was also a dragon, and he was a man. He was taught such things were wrong, the angry grating voice of his step dad warning him of devils with wings in the back of his mind spoke up before being suppressed by the mental image of Helena smiling.

There was the whooshing sound of wings beating the air that pulled Marcus from his thoughts. Then a thump of paws hitting the ground as another ness landed beside Kori. Marcus sat up, and crossed his legs in front of him. The dragoness looked familiar, but he frowned as the new ness lightly shoved Kori while glaring at her. “What are you doing to the poor guy now? Is this how you say sorry for being such a rude nosey Ness?” the red dragoness said, and he saw Kori roll her eyes and shove the new Ness back. Then it clicked, the red and bronze colored Ness was working in the kitchen that day he was there, so it meant the two knew each other. So he closed his mouth to keep him from saying something stupid, no need to rise and defend his friends honor like some knight.

“Oh! I'm the nosey one? Miss nosey the crimson scales!” Kori growled and pounced at the crimson Ness, swatting at the larger female's side with a paw.

“Ladies! ladies! You're both beautiful” came a human voice from behind Marcus, and soon another dragon spiraled down. Marc turned to see an oriental girl standing behind him, her arms crossed with a smile on her face. The crimson ness grinned at the girl. “But I'm the most beautiful one right?” The crimson female spread her wings out, striking a pose like a harness model. showing off her body, and the three bronze stripes that ran lengthwise down her sides. The crimson ness was slightly bigger than Kori, only a head taller.

This prompted a snort from the girl, and she said, “Whatever makes you sleep at night”.

The red and bronze dragoness smiled, and tilted her head to look at Marcus, and licked her lips slowly like a cat eyeing a bird. Her emerald green eyes fixed on him as she looked Marcus over. The man was practically sweating, as he had the impression she looked at him like a piece of meat or prey. “Hmmmm I bet he'd help me sleep at night.”

The red dragoness spoke in a low sultry voice, the crimson dragoness’ words drew an exasperated sigh from the female human “Eilidh!” she yelled in exasperation. While the male drake who had landed chuckled as he walked up beside the Asian girl and sat on his haunches next to her. The male laughed loudly in a deep baritone voice when Kori back winged Elidah and said “Down girl”.

Luckily everyone was distracted by the female pair’s antics which gave Marcus's cheeks enough time to lose their embarrassed glow. Though he thought he might have seen Korinthia’s eyes flick toward him, and a faint smile tug at her lips.

“Kaneru, don't you judge you have Kiyomi.” Eilidh said as she shifted out of wing reach of Korinthia, and shaking her head from the firm smack she had gotten.

The bronze dragon puffed out his chest with pride his red eyes twinkling. “Indeed, Ki Ki enjoys the protection of a mighty bronze dragon”

The two nesses looked at each other and smiled. “Riiiight ‘protection’” they both spoke in sync, holding their paws up and making a gesture like a human did when they made the quotation marks motion.

The human girl, who was apparently named Kiyomi, looked at Marcus. “So what's your name?” she seemed to just ignore the dragon antics though he could see the hint of red on her cheeks. That betrayed the possibility of a blush or just anger and frustration. Both seemed to be equally acceptable reactions to the dragons’ teasing.

“my name is Marcus, but you can just call me Marc.” he said as he got up, and took an offered hand and gave it a respectful shake. The large bronze drake watched him with a ruby eye, as he kept his argument up with the two females. Poor guy didn't know he couldn't win against two women, and Marc felt bad for the drake.

“Alright Marc, my name Kiyomi as you might have noticed, that big brute is Kaneru. He's my business partner, and a best friend.” she said with a smile, and the drakes turned to regard the two humans with a smile as she called him her best friend.

“I just keep the money in order, it's what we ‘greedy’ dragons do best” he said with a big grin using a human stereotype for dragons. The grin had the side effect of showing of white, sharp fangs. That maybe in a past part of his life would have been terrifying to see.

“Alright where's Leith at?” Kori asked, looking around, the other two dragons simply shrugged. Kiyomi unslung a bag with a Wingball in it. A ball that was like a soccer ball in some ways, with checker patterning on it, but much larger. Kori lifted it up in a paw, tossing it up and catching it again. “poor, poor, Kanero…. Your best bud left you?” the black and blue ness teased him mercilessly. Her fangs showed in a toothy grin as she bounced the ball between paws while she sat on her haunches. Her eyes smiling in competitive glee at an easy game.

Kanero snorted at Koris’ teasing, “please I could take you both in a game.” The male said as he gave a predatory grin, at the idea of the challenge. Shaking out his wings and showing his larger size compared too the two nesses. The two females elbowed each other with forelegs, a ‘get a load of this guy’ look on their faces. Kiyomi laughed loudly in a soft musical voice as the large drake tried to puff himself up.

Then there was a sudden blur of different shades of blue and white. Accompanied by a loud happy screech that pierced the air, followed by the clack of scale on scale impact as the blur slammed into Kaneru and unbalanced the large drake before the ball of blue and white scales and wings flopped onto the ground laughing.

The laughter soon spread to the rest of the group which included even Marcus. The blue blur was a smaller male drake, with a lean aquatic look about him. Who was currently laying on his back sprawled out chuckling at the disgruntled look of his large bronze friend. Then very quickly Marcus found himself the center of the blue drake's attention.

The male flipped onto his feet quickly, and trotted up to the human. Sniffing at him, before he circled the human man. The blue dragon was 5 feet at the shoulder and a smidge pass 6 feet at the head. Unlike all the other dragons he had no horns, the drake had roundish spined frills just behind his jaws. along with a crest on the top Of his head both laid flat, and a tail suited swimming with fins on it all of which screamed aquatic nature.

“Annnnnnnddd whhhhooo Might you be?” The dragon asked in a long drawn out bubbly voice as he inched closer, invading the man's personal space. Light blue almost white cat-like eyes staring into Marcus’ green round human eyes. The dragon sniffed at Marcus as the human tilted back on his heels. The act meant to give just a hair more personal space from the bubbly little drake.

“umm…. a friend… of uhhh Korinthia’s” he said and looked at Kori for help, the black and blue ness was giggling at Marcus's new predicament.

The blue drakes crest lifted up and his spined ruff erected halfway, then smiling as he looked at Kori with a sort of knowing smile. “mhmmm…. Friends?” he said as a question and accusation.

“Leith!” Kori growled, and glared at Leith, the blue drake yelped and hid behind Marcus. Poking his forked tongue out at the girl and singing back. “Kori likes human boys, Kori likes human boys!” He sang from around Marcus's side as the female stalked in close like a predator about to attack. She was in a low crouch like a stalking cat, her piercing blue eyes staring into Marc's.

“Marcus likes nesses!” The blue dragon sang happily to the new human in a taunting song-like voice.

Marcus saw a grin spread across Korinthia’s snout and he swallowed as her whole body lowered, legs bunching up. The toned muscles across her forelegs and hinds bunching and becoming pronounced under her scales. Millions of years of suppressed human evolution told him to leap to the side, and driven by instinct he moved quickly.

Marcus dove to the right as Kori's forepaws left the grass, and her hind legs launched her forward. The smaller drake let out a high pitched yelp and took flight, his human shield gone. He just barely escaped the out stretch paws of the black and blue ness. Marcus got back to his feet brushing grass from his shirt, as Kori was smiling up at the small drake as the blue male landed well out of her pounce range.

Eilidh padded up and cleared her throat, “Alright you too save it for the match.” She said as she tossed the wing ball at Leith who opened a wing and cupped it to catch the ball, and then grabbed it with a fore paw when it rolled toward his torso along the wing membranes.

“Standard rules, and no low blows, don't be rotten eggs. As per last match Leith and Kaneru start with the ball in the first round. Kiyomi will sound a whistle, the best score in 30 minutes wins.” the red ness laid out the rules looking between the assembled dragons. All of which nodded their heads in agreement before taking wing to their respective sides of the field.

The Wingball court was oval in shape, with a goal at either end while thin flexible plastic rods, coated in bright red rubber lined the outside of the field. Jutting 15 feet up to act as boundary lines. They were flimsy enough to not hurt a dragon, but also flexible enough to not break easily. Normally each team had a goalie but since this was a 2 on 2 run neither side wanted to sacrifice offensive strength to have a dedicated defensive player like a standard 17 drake team would.

After a minute or two kiyomi came to stand next to Marc, the two of them were standing in the shade of a tree at about parallel to mid field. She blew on a whistle and the two teams surged forward.

“Annnd there they go!” she said with a smile as the dragons took off in a flurry of wing beats, she sat down in the shade. After a moment Marcus followed suit, he had never seen wingball played besides short bits on the TV.

Leith held the ball tightly in his forpaws as the big bronze drake tried to run interference for him. The two males looked like they were just gonna use brute force to win. Marcus almost thought it was about to work, until both nesses started flying in a scissoring pattern. Forcing Kaneru to choose only one to block, his choice was Kori, and Eilidh shot past the distracted Kaneru and plowed into Leith. Her red frame bowling the blue male through the air knocking the ball from his grasp. She caught it between her fore paws and took off in the opposite direction Leith had been heading.

Even Marcus could see the power she was putting into her wing beats as she powered away from the two males. Kori tried to keep the males distracted as she hounded them and swiped at them with sheathed paws. 30 feet from the goal Eilidh made a throw and the ball sailed through the ring shaped goal 40 feet off the ground.

“3 points for the girls!” Kiyomi shouted, before looking over at Marcus, who seemed a bit lost. He looked impressed, but also lost at why it was 3 points. He didn't even have basic knowledge of the game which made him a little embarrassed.

“I take it you haven't really paid attention to dragon sports?” she asked seeing he looked a little lost. Marcus shook his head sheepishily.

“Oh that's fine, so thrown balls are three points and balls slammed through the hole or dunked are only one.” she explained and Marcus nodded as he listened and took in the information. The game wasn't new or anything, he had just ignored it. His step dad was always going on about how dragon sports were for dragons and not humans.

Elidah had recovered the ball and tossed it to Leith and both teams returned to their sides of the field. “You see normally the teams are bigger and you have dedicated goalie dragons to protect against throws. Basically sky soccer.”

Marcus nodded his head as he watched the two teams race toward each other again. The two males successfully slipped past the two girls and scored their first goal. Leith tossed the ball to Kori this time, and the girls made the starting play.

The game went on for another 20 minutes or so as a tie. Before one of the girls managed to get the jump on the Leith again and tackle him out of the air. Eilidh scooped up the ball and shot a goal right at the 29 minute mark. She was prancing around the goal with her wings extended. “oh yea, who's the dragoness!?! I am!!” she said as she slapped paws with Kori.

The two males grumbling about random things as they approached the humans. The Japanese girl smiled at Kaneru, “poor big drake get stomped by cute nesses?” She teased him, getting a chuckle from Marcus which only turned to a laugh when Kori and Eilidh came over too and he held up a fist for Kori and she bumped it. Poking out her tongue happily, though panting from the heavy work out. “Looked like a good game”

The ness nodded her head as she caught her breath, “I take it… you've never seen Wing ball?”

Marcus shook his head, “Oh no hahaha, I grew up in the country and my step dad was never a fan of dragon sports” he said with a nervious chuckle. “plus out in the sandbox there wasn't a lot of TV.”

The ness nodded her head, and sucked in a few more breaths, as her breathing finally started to calm down. Kaneru had flopped on his side next to Kiyomi who had sat on her knees and was petting the male's head.

“Jeez you guys gonna be okay, you all look like you're all gonna keel over” Marc said with a smile, and sat down when Kori flopped onto her side with a huff.

“we'll be good in another 15 minutes or so” she huffed out and stretched her lean body, the dragoness shifting so her head was resting on the ground near him. The black and blue scaled ness was looking up at him with her light blue eyes. Marcus looked back at Kaneru who was rumbling happily at having his head petted. Marcus swallowed and tentatively, raised a hand, and gently rested it on her snout. Then slowly started stroking it down to her nose then repeated the motion. Marcus's cheeks burned a little as he petted the female's snout, a little nervous shyness fluttered around in his chest.

Soon the deep rumbling purr of a dragon vibrated out next to him, the sound like stones rolling in an old oak barrel came to mind. Though hers wasn't nearly as deep and gravelly as Kaneru. Kori’s was more like a gentler, softer deepness in comparison.

Korinthia shifted closer and nosed her head further under his hand so he was rubbing between her horns. He gave the horns a few rubs too, which didn't really elicit a response, so he assumed they didn't really have a lot of feeling in them. So he went back to gently petting the top of her head, and looking out over the wing ball field as a larger group of younger dragons took wing with their own ball. The larger groups formed into formations and such, and he heard a soft happy laugh from the ness next to him with her head now pressed against the side of his thigh and hip. “it's more of a young dragons sport”

He lifted his hand up and found flecks of blue on his fingers, and rubbed them together. It took him a minute to realize it was paint flakes as they disintegrated into fine powder between his fingers. He looked down at the female dragon inquisitively now. Her facial scales were blue, and so were her horns so he didn't know where the paint had come from specifically.

She tilted her head to look at him with one of those light electric blue eyes of hers. They were a shade or two lighter than the deeper blue of her face scales. They seemed to look into his soul, but he could also tell they were looking at him in curiosity as to why he had stopped. So with a nervous shrug he said "sorry just had a few flecks of blue paint on my fingers”

he brushed the blue flecks away on his shorts. She hummed for a minute and then let out an “Oh!”

“Hehe it came from horns, I paint them to match my face scales. Keep them all nice and uniform and something more exciting than just Ivory white.” She explained tilting Her head to playfully nudge him with the two horns that sloped out from the back of her head.

He chuckled and rubbed her head with both hands, smiling happily. “Well that's different, I never realized you guys essentially used makeup.”

The dragoness grinned at him, “oh? You just thought we were always naturally so beautiful?” She teased him and the man shook his head with a deeper blush on his cheeks, feeling a little goofy that he hadn't noticed it ever.

“I can promise you I never wondered about the complexity of dragoness cosmetics when I was young or when I was in the military.” He said with a smile aa he gently scratched along her jawline and then heard a chuckle from nearby as Eilidh watched Him. Her green eyes twinkled, and he was sure she had been watching him and Kori for a few minutes now. Which made his cheeks positively glow red, he could feel the warmth rushing to them.

“Well a dragoness has to look her best to attract a big… handsome… drake. Or a human boy” she said tilting her head to the side, giving him the side eye and a toothy grin. Which only served to make Marcus squirm under Eilidh’s sharp green gaze.

“somehow…. I don't think she's trying to catch human eyes…” he said looking down at the ness next to him, his voice trailing away in thought. Which got a snort from the black and blue ness, and a chuckle from the other ness.

“Oh sweet innocent Marcus, thinking so rigid and traditional these days. You never know what the lady wants. Well…. That is until you ask her of course” Eilidh said with a broad grin showing off all her razor sharp teeth, and Marcus swallowed nervously. But he didn't know what he was nervous about… well he did… What if Kori was trying to be well… more than a friend? The thought made his chest flutter but also made him nervous, it wasn't frowned upon heavily by society anymore… but his family… they would disown him just even the thought of it. But with both the females watching now he squirmed and just said the easiest cop out he could muster.

“Well that would be a bit personal…. Don'tcha you think? We are friends… but… that might be a bit much you know to be so forward” his words trailed off as fidgeted nervously. Though he was surprised when Kori stood up with an annoyed snort and he pulled his hand away from her head. The ness shaking the grass from her scales, and turning her head to look at the others

“I say we go get some food” she said loud enough for everyone to hear, and started walking away towards one of the exits to the park. Leaving Marcus sitting for a second, trying to realize what he had said to upset his new friend.

Getting to his feet, Marc saw Leith bound past him. The little guy full of energy again poking his tongue out at Marcus like a hatchling. Making the man shake his head and chuckle. Before jogging to catch up to Korinthia, her taller frame gave her a naturally longer stride. He hadn't noticed it last night because she had matched her pace to his, but him trying to match pace with her was just an awkward semi jog. The ness was walking with purpose, and had a slight frown on her face.

“Hey, Slow down a sec, Where are we going?” Marcus asked as he held pace next to her, and the ness tilted her head to regard him. She didn't say anything for a moment but relaxed her stride after a minute to let Marcus walk normally and keep pace.

She returned her gaze forward, and said “to a steak place, we normally go there to eat after a game or just for fun. They server the best ribs”

The dragoness seemed to lighten up as she talked about food, and she almost drooled at the thought of the ribs. Which earned a chuckle from the human as he saw her far away happy look.

Marcus was laughing because he saw the way she licked her lips after drawing out the word ribs. “I'm more of a steak guy myself, ribs for me are all bones," he said.

There was a clack of jaws behind him near his head, and Marcus jumped, earning a round of chuckles from all the others. He tried to swat the offending snout, which belonged to Leith who hopped to the side expertly avoiding the human.

“Oh but the bones are the best, all crunchy and tasty!” The small drake said happily and wiggled his body with barely contained joy.

Marcus chuckled at the smaller drake, and shot back. “So you like long and hard things in your maw?” Which got a round of laughs from everyone. The small drake showing off his fangs in a broad grin.

“Oh wouldn't you like to know” Leith said with a chuckle, poking his tongue out while trotting close to Marcus and flaring a wing out to smack the man's side slightly. Which forced Marc to stumble against the larger dragoness he was walking beside. Her wing partially caught him to keep him from falling over. He heard Kori's musical laugh as she looked at him with a happy smile and that twinkle in her eye had returned his miss step forgotten for now.

Marcus was smacked with realization at how pretty Kori looked when she was happy. The musical sound of her laugh, and a small little voice in his head said fuck em’. Sure people would judge him, but at the end of the day he didn't care. He wanted something more than to be depressed, haunted, and alone. What he saw in those blue eyes staring at him solved that last bit pretty well, or would at least work towards it. He really didn't have a lot to lose, nothing at all really.

“You okay? Marcus?” Koris voice snapped him back to reality from his thoughts, and he gave a highly intelligent response.

“what? Oh yea sorry I was lost in thought.”

The dragoness rolled her eyes with a smile. “I was going to ask you if you minded if we ordered bone in ribs when we get there.”

“uhh…. Sure, why would I care?” he said, and there was a smack as Kiyomi face palmed.

Which in 20 minutes he found out why, sitting at a long table with Kori next to him, Kiyomi and Kaneru across from him and Leith on the other side of him across from Eilidh. He came to the realization when a few cows worth of ribs were put on the table, and then the meager steak with vegetables he had ordered.

Kiyomi had a disappointed look on her face as she looked over the table, and went to eat her grilled salmon. She looked at Kaneru with more disappointment than anyone else. “Debu!” she said to the large bronze drake, who in return poked his tongue out at her with a happy smile.

The blue drake next to Marcus wasted no time in digging in, his lithe lanky frame wiggling side to side as he cut a rib free with a claw and popped it into his maw. Then crunched down on the bone, a crunching sound which made even Marcus whence.

“Chikushô!” Kiyomi snarled and poked an accusing fork at Marcus who smiled sheepishly.

“This is your fault gaijin” she growled with frustration, evidently more sensitive to the sound than him.

Kaneru grinned and winked at Marcus before he Looked down at Kiyomi and said “Busu”

The word drew a gasp from the Japanese girl and she said “Kutabare” in response and elbowed his side.

Marcus looked over to see Kori grinning as she was nice enough to pick the bone clean instead of crunching it between her jaws. Then giving him a side eye she popped the bone into her and bit down on it making another ear splitting crack of crushed bone. A cheeky grin on her face and a twinkle in her eye.

“not you too…” he groaned.

It was forty minutes… forty whole minutes of bone crunching and popping. Before the dragons had consumed four cows worth of ribs. Leith groaned next to him, and slumped onto the cushion he was sitting on. “I got booooone gut”

After a few minutes the others said their goodbyes and paid for their tabs, until it was just Marcus and Korinthia. The dragoness leaned down to nudge him before speaking.

“Sooo what are you doing the rest of the day?” She asked, while blue eyes looked into his, with what Marcus thought might have been hopefulness. Marcus pulled out a few bills from his wallet as he thought, and put enough money down to pay both their tabs and leave a handsome tip.

The human hummed to himself like he was deep in thought, though he knew the answer without needing to speak. “nothing really”

She gave Marcus the side eye as he paid for her meal and smiled “what a gentle drake, well since you're not busy, care for a walk in the park?”

Marcus blushed at her comment and rubbed the back of his head nervously. “Well you know, I was raised with manners and such. But a walk in the park sounds nice.”

Marcus slipped out of the seating area with the dragoness in tow. Once outside he let her lead the way back, staying close to her side as she led the way. Kori didn't mind it, she shrank the distance between them more on her own, until he was resting a hand on her shoulder as they walked back to the park.

The two enjoyed each other's company, walking through the park until Kori brought them under the shade of a tree and sat down. Marcus smiled and followed suit sitting next to her, being so bold as to lean against her foreleg.

“Did you have fun so far?” she asked and Marcus nodded with a smile.

“yea it was pretty cool to watch wing ball for the first time even if it was a mini game. Plus the park is really nice, like triple a human sized one.” He said as he looked over the field they sat next too, a few hatchlings running around chasing each other. While couples lounged in the shade, all snuggled up with each other. Then his cheeks started to burn as he released just what image the two of them might be showing. A human guy and dragoness sitting together under a tree, he shook his head clear of the thought. He didn't even think she liked him like that, he was pretty sure he was just a friend, a really good friend at that. But he wasn't able to continue his Internal line of thought as Kori's voice brought him back to reality.

“You know, you never did ask me.” She said, and he swallowed looking over at her. But she wasn't staring at him, she was looking out over the field watching a cute couple kissing. Which only served to bring heat to Marcus’ cheeks. Marcus was by no means a bad looking guy, he just also had struck out 3 or 4 times with women since he got home. 3 for him waking up in a night terror, the 4th saw him take his shirt off, screamed, and left. So for Marcus seeing those two lovers was almost painful in a way, He wanted what they had. But that didn't mean he wanted it with anyone, he was a picky guy too at times.

“I just figured Eilidh was stoking some drama or something, So I just didn't ask. It was too personal…” he said looking back to Kori to find her staring at him intently as he spoke. He swallowed and fidgeted, as a spike of nervousness welled up inside him. A part of his mind not wanting to ride an emotional rollercoaster today.

“well… she's not around now. So are you gonna ask?” her question made his mouth go dry, suddenly he wished he could be back in a humvee. Where all he had to worry about were RPGs, IEDs, and some random guys who wanted to kill him. He gave a nervous laugh as his mind raced, and his heart beat in his ears. He didn't know what he wanted her to say, it wasn't anything he could understand. He was a human, she was a dragoness, in his mind he was stepping up the the batting plate. About to get served a curveball sandwich of rejection, from a girl he just met. That he also came to a swift and sudden realization that he liked.

But his rebellious heart wanted to know the answer and so it opened his stupid mouth. And said words that could not be taken back, or acted like they had never been said.

“Well who are you looking to impress, with blue talons and perfectly painted horns?” he almost bit his tongue as he tried to stop himself mid sentence. Internally he was screaming ‘no, you were better off not knowing. You're a dumb human, with emotional issues, your head is all fucked. Why on God's green earth would she ever like your broken ass. JUST SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH and be friends.’

“a cute human guy”

His mouth was halfway open and his brain's internal rant came to a halt like an old record needle skipping off vinyl. He blinked his green eyes slowly once then twice before his cheeks burned as she smiled at him. He could only assume he had the dumbest look of bafflement on his face. But also a little voice in his head said, ‘she didn't say you, dumbass, just a guy’.

“well he's a lucky guy you know, he truly is” Marcus said trying to play it cool, and regain his mental footing. Prepare himself for that emotional slap down that the pessimist side of him was saying was coming. That part of him was quietly reminding himself that he had a nice bottle of scotch stashed under his bed. A nice single malt 12 year he could crawl into this afternoon and shut the door and drowned his crippling-.

“oh yea this guy…. I think his name is Marcus, has pretty green eyes. A sweet soft side when he opens up, but is still a big strong marine on the outside.” she said

Which immediately the happy side of his brain took over the internal future planning from drowning his depression in distilled grain, to toasting his good fortune. Sure it wasn't some human girl professing her love to him and was instead a scaled, and still beautiful dragoness. His cheeks and ears started burning hotly as he also realized that this whole thing had essentially been a first date. He just hadn't realized, and he smiled nervously.

“Well, umm… ahh… I'm sorry I didn't put as much effort into my appearance.” he said looking down at his more shabby clothes. OD green T-shirt and tan cargo shorts. Both with a few wrinkles here and there showing they didn't really get folded neatly all that often or even had a regular meeting with his clothes iron.

His admission got a snort of laughter from the dragoness and her paw came up to tug him in against her chest. “you look fine Marc”

He stiffened as he was pulled in against her smooth scales and simply rested his hand on the paw that was curled across his chest, while the other lay across his lap. “You look handsome even when you got grease all over your face and in your hair, like last night.”

She leaned her head in and gently flicked her tongue up his cheek, which only caused his cheeks to burn again. He was still at the ‘wow this is real’ stage of processing things.

“You know I didn't realize this was a first date, but umm…. How about tomorrow I take you out to dinner, maybe a movie? Make it more of a real first date.” he asked, his heart rose a little as he saw the happy smile and twinkle in her blue eyes.

“I'd truly love that.” she said and gave him a little squeeze, and he smiled at her affections. Normally he would have been the one squeezing the cute girl in his arms. But with Kori she had just seized him at first opportunity she had gotten. Which he found he didn't mind, he was confident he could show his own affection in some manner.

Then the small voice in the back of his head that represented the I'm gonna piss on your parade part of himself. Gently reminded him that he was in fact going to need to go shopping today now. So he could get a halfway presentable clothing option, and maybe some flowers.

“I can pick you up at your place in the afternoon….?” he asked, and korinthia’s head dipped in a nod, and then he gave a little internal cheer.

The two sat together for about an hour, Marcus was tucked in against her chest. With a strong foreleg wrapped around his waist, keeping him securely close while Kori's head was laid across his knees, his hand gently stroking between her horn.

He realized that it was starting to get later in the afternoon, the other couples he could see starting to leave and they gathered up hatchlings. Before they would take wing, he found himself watching the groups of dragons departing in the late Afternoon light.

He looked down to see that Kori was half asleep, eyes partially closed and steady breathing coming from her. He gently poked her cheek once, then twice, then a third time. “Hehe, I think you'll have to release the marine you've captured, I have a few things I need to do before it gets too late.”

Kori lifted her head up, letting out a big yawn. Which from the side gave Marcus a view of rows of razor sharp teeth some longer than his index finger. The dragoness rolled her right foreleg over so he could see the large Samsung phone there, she poked her nose at it since her other paw was still tightly around Marcus not releasing him yet.

“oh shit! I do too, umm this was really nice Marcus. I'll see you tomorrow!” she said hurriedly as she licked up the whole side of his face catching some of his short hair. Causing it to stick up on that side, her body slipped from around him as she trotted out into the field. Spreading her wings, and crouching on her hind legs, giving Marcus a perfect view of her body as it compacted down, bunching like one muscle. Then releasing as she sprung into the sky with a mighty flap of her wings and shove of hind legs.

Marcus watched her form receding into the distance before quickly using Uber to get a cab for the clothes store on the way back to his apartment. He jogged to the pickup location outside the park only to see a familiar Benz flying up and coming to halt that just barely chirped the tires. The window rolled down, and the familiar thick Nigerian accent rolled out.

“ahh Mr. Marcus, going clothes shopping now?” the man said as Marcus hopped into the back.

“yes sir, um Mr….?” he trailed off trying to find the name on the app.

“Just call me Eze, Mr Marcus.” The man said with a smile in his eyes as he turned around and offered a hand. Which Marcus shook firmly.

“Well you guessed right Mr Eze.” Marcus said as he strapped in the driver already starting to bend traffic rules as he sped away.

“Now Mr Marcus, may I suggest a color option that matches her scales?”

—

Marcus was lucky to have Eze for a repeat ride for that day, he had no Idea how that worked out. But he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Marcus ended up with a new pair of nice semi casual dark blue jeans and a flannel shirt with a black and blue coloration. Along with a new black flat cap since he wanted a hat other then a baseball Cap to wear. Eze was also nice enough to stop By a flower shop and Marcus picked out a lovely small bouquet of midnight roses, black flowers with blue tinged edges that matched Korinthias scale coloration perfectly.

Meanwhile on the other side of town Kori was booking a last minute scale shining and horn and claw panting. She was lucky the ness who owned it was a close friend, and as soon as she entered the pure White ness with fiery ember like eyes was all over her. The eager female shut off the welcome sign so no customers would enter, the ivory female was a little larger than half Kori's size. But the happy little ness was herding her over to a station.

“Tell me everything! Is he handsome, is he a big drake or a small drake? Black or red? Or some exotic type?” She Bombarded Korinthia with questions as the black and blue ness was guided to stand on a metal platform that had various seats around it at different heights that the white ness named Silva could sit on.

“Oh well he's a little different then your typical drake, you know not all boisterous and proud. He's a soft guy with a hard exterior, and has some sexy scars too.” Kori tried to give Silva enough information to sate her curiosity without telling too much. She didn't know how her friend would react, it wasn't too far out there, mixed couples were a thing, and not wildly uncommon these days.

Silva smiled and made a swooning motion and giggled cutely. “ohhh! he sounds so perfect! Goosh I wish I could find a mate like that!”

Kori blushed at the mention of the word mate, and her own chest fluttered. Marcus was a sweet man, and she could see under that harsh exterior was a sweet loving person. While she was daydreaming a bit, or at this point late afternoon dreaming she though with amusement. Silva passed in front of her, reaching a paw up for Kori to lay her head on a pillow, the white dragoness had a mouth full of small brushes and was about to start touching up Korinthia’s horns when she noticed a strange scent. She sniffed the air and then nosed right between those ivory horns painted blue, and she gasped in shock, paint brushes clattering to the floor forgotten for a moment by the ivory ness.

“I smell a Human!!!” Silva said, her voice a high pitched squeal of excitement, the girl practically jumping up and down with barely held energy. “OH… MY.. GOD… is he cute!?! by you know human standards? Oh! oh! oh!what about the hands?” she asked as he gathered up the brushes and placed them in a holder.

“You know some of the other females say their Mmmffffff…. magical in the nest..” The smaller ness’ eyes fluttered at the thought and Kori gasped and hissed at her, while a blush flushed all over her cheeks.

“Silva!!! It's only the first date!!!” she hissed out blushing and the white dragoness grinned and gave kori that “mhmmmm…. Sure, he was already petting all over your head. I think this is like a second date?”

Kori rolled her eyes huffed at her best friend “oh hush, I don't even know if we'll get that far. I have terrible luck picking drakes.” she grumbled and Silva chuckled at her friend. “oh my dear… he's not drake… he's a man”

Korinthia sat her head back on the pillow as Silva started on her touch up, and hummed in thought. Maybe Silva was right, maybe she had better taste in men than drake's.