FSE

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Luke's boots pounded against the cut grass as he ran down the hill from the main house on Teeba's property as fast as he could. Clutched under one arm, he carried his copy of a letter-sized framed photo for Teeba's visiting friends. His fingers gripped the dark wooden edge of the picture frame, hard enough for his knuckles to become white. Despite the rigorous training that he had gone through to become a Marine, they never once trained him for the prospect of comforting the family of a fallen Marine. What made it worse, is that he felt like he should have known the silver dragon, Riimack, more. Or rather, he felt that Reevian would be expecting more information from him than he could provide. Swallowing, he tried to bury the feelings of inadequacy and told himself that the dragoness would likely want to hear any information she could about her brother, even if he had only met the drake briefly. He stumbled in the dark, but quickly righted himself as he raced down towards Teeba's barn and its open door. Outside the main entrance, where the interior light spilled out onto the ground, Luke saw the shadowy silhouettes of two dragons comforting one another, their necks pressed close and one of them pressing its head under the other's chin. One of their bodies seemed to shift before he made out the shape of a large wing lift and wrap around the other shadow.

Slowing to a jog to catch his breath, he finally returned to the barn to see Neebis, Reevian, Teeba, and Reeva all sitting at the table, sitting at each edge of the table, with their heads turned to look at him. Holding the picture up, Luke knew immediately that it was the same picture Reevian had lost when a sharp whimper-like noise escaped her tightly clenched jaws. Shifting one of the large bowls of food to make space, he placed the framed photo down and stepped back as the large teal dragoness lowered her head and extended a trembling paw to hold it. “You can keep it," Luke said, and saw her lip shudder in an attempt to thank him. “I'm catching up with the guys in a couple of days, so I can get another copy from them," he explained, then returned to his seat as the dragons all huddled around the photo.

“Mom, who are they?" Reeva asked as she stepped up onto the table from her father's forearm. The hatchling looked even smaller next to her parents' larger heads, but peered down at the photo just the same.

“That's Luke there, and that… is your uncle Riimack," Reevian explained, her voice trembling as she used a talon to point at a drake standing at the back of the assembly. With scales the color of mercury, the drake stood awkwardly, wearing a vague, unfocused expression beside a collection of other dragons and a squad of humans in the front. Each of the men wore camouflage fatigues with countless pockets, pouches, and straps sewn into their webbing, and each carried a rifle slung across his chest. Held closely under Riimack's large navy blue wing stood a smiling, lithe, white dragoness, her red frill unfurled completely as she looked lovingly toward the large male.

“He was really good," Luke said, picking at his dinner, his appetite fading as he remembered their training exercise. He could still recall the drake's deep, reassuring voice in his earpiece. “During the exercise, he was assigned to provide overwatch and be a link between us and command. He really looked out for us and gave us solid intel as we worked toward the objective," he explained, finding it easier to describe if he kept it objective and buried his emotions. “By the end of it, most of us had been taken out by artillery, and we were down to just him and Taalli. But they managed to assault the last base together and complete our mission. It was just a simulation—chalk rounds and rubber bullets—but it felt pretty real at the time."

“Did you see him out there? I mean, when you were deployed?" Reevian asked, clearly hoping for any new information about her lost brother.

Luke clenched his jaw as he thought about lying to the dragoness. He could reassure her with a story of how he had spent time with the drake, how he had always talked about her and how proud he was of her. It could possibly bring her the closure she so desperately needed, and it would be easier than speaking the truth. Instead, he shook his head. While the truth hurt to talk about, the dragoness deserved to hear the truth and he would hate himself for being dishonest just because it was easier for him. “He was in a separate unit and was probably stationed at another forward base… But our unit was the first to arrive when he was downed," he forced out before loading his fork with food. Focusing on the simple action offered a small amount of relief from the memory of seeing the broken drake's body in a sandy crater. Moving his fork through his meal, he could still remember the gaping wounds, the blood, and the finality of the drake's resting place. Even from the moment they first arrived, they knew there was nothing they could do for the drake except secure the area and prepare his body for extraction.

Finally looking up, Luke could see Reeva looking confused, clearly not understanding the impact of what he was talking about, but her mother hung on every word and looked at him imploringly to continue. “The Marines have people to talk to. They are probably better at this than I am–"

“No, please," Reevian begged, giving him a small nod to continue. “They were useless and couldn't say anything. You were there! Please, tell me what actually happened," she implored, as Luke placed his fork down and took a sip of his warming beer.

Swallowing, he forced himself to go back and recall the events as best he could. “I'm sorry, I really don't know too much. We—I mean, Zulu squad—were manning a roadblock, when we got a call over the radio. They didn't tell us much, just that two Deltas had been shot down and we were to go and help them as best we could. We mounted up and went to the crash sites. We were getting slowed by the terrain, so while we were en route, our captain sent our Delta, Taalli, on ahead to the furthest site. When we got to your brother… I'm sorry, there was nothing we could do," he explained and took another sip of his beer, the fizzy liquid doing little to wash away the horrific image burned into his mind.

Luke jolted when he felt something brush against his back and looked up to see that Teeba had moved back around the table, draping a purple wing around him. The simple gesture helped steady his voice as he continued. “We made sure he was safe until the chopper arrived and brought him back to base. If it helps, the docs said afterward that he would have died on the wing, and likely didn't feel anything from the crash."

A heavy silence hung over the table until, finally, Reevian sniffed and then cleared her throat. “Was… was what he was doing… was it important?" she asked, and when Luke frowned, she elaborated. “The mission he was on, the thing that cost him his life. Was it a success? Was it worth it?"

The question gave Luke pause. Even after all the training he had received, nothing had prepared him for such a binary question. The simple answer was to say that, yes, he died serving his country, but he knew the dragoness had heard that before and wanted to know the truth. “Your brother's role was instrumental for many others to do their jobs. He was the eyes in the sky for so many of us, and without him, many others wouldn't be with their family. Was it worth him dying? I can't answer that, I'm sorry. He seemed like a good drake, and he didn't deserve it."

The teal dragoness nodded and looked down at the photograph. “The other dragon, the other one that got shot down. Was it her?" she asked, pointing towards the white dragoness under Riimack's wing. “Did she live?" she added when Luke nodded.

“She did, but only just. Taalli got to her right before the enemy did and called down hell on them," he said, noticing the dragoness's wings relax slightly. He didn't think Reevian was a vengeful type, but she seemed glad that some retribution was paid for her younger brother's loss. “Taalli did good—she had to call down arty—I mean, artillery—right on top of herself and shielded that 'ness from the explosions," he went on, leaning into Teeba's side for support. “She was a mess afterward. Taalli, I mean. I don't know what happened to that other 'ness, other than she was flown out to Germany for treatment."

“Viina," Reevian said softly, before shivering and shuffling her wings. “Her name was Viina," she clarified, tilting the photo towards Neebis, who was looking down at it intently. “Remember how I asked if you had a sister? That's why."

“She does look like me, doesn't she?" Neebis mused as he comforted his mate with one wing wrapped around her body while he focused intently on the photo. “It's almost uncanny," he added in a whisper.

“I thought you were her," Reevian mused with a hint of a smile. “When you first came to the markets. I still remember it like it was yesterday—I was working on an order and saw you in the corner of my eye, lost and confused," she added, pressing the bridge of her snout under Neebis' jaw. “Riimack brought her to the markets once, and I thought she had come back to talk or something. But then it was you, and well… one thing led to another."

“Which led to Reeva," Neebis chuckled and gave her a playful smirk when she pulled her head away. Extending his neck, his head kept close to hers and the pale drake gave his mate a gentle lick on the cheek before reaffirming his wing around her.

“Thank you, Luke," Reevian said warmly, blinking back tears. “This has been big," she added before taking a deep breath and steadying herself. “It's crazy that you knew Taalli."

“Yeah, small world, huh," Luke admitted and took a sip of his beer, then frowned at Teeba. The dragoness was intently looking at the photo with a focused expression.

“Yeah… small world," mused Teeba, her expression becoming serious. “So she was called Taalli, was she?" she asked, and Luke noticed Reevian stiffen when he nodded. “...Are you sure?"

“What? Yeah?" Luke asked, looking down at the picture as Teeba's eyes scanned the orange-and-black dragoness intently. A long, pregnant pause filled the air while Teeba inspected the photograph before shaking her head.

“She had black paws and wings, right? That isn't camo scale paint or something?" she asked, and Luke nodded. He remembered that the dragoness's cleaning habits had been a point of concern with some squad members—she would often keep her orange scales covered in grime—but he knew her paws and wings were always an inky black. “It's just… she has the same colors as a 'ness I knew, or… used to know... But… nah, it can't be," Teeba added, passing the photo back to Reevian, whose head pulled back in disbelief.

“Was it Leena?" Reevian offered, and Luke became even more confused as Teeba's eyes went wide in recognition. “Holy sh–" Reevian's words cut off as she looked around for her daughter and saw that Reeva had become bored with the conversation and was exploring Teeba's barn. “You knew her? Leena? From the spires?!"

“Yes!!!" Teeba exclaimed, whipping her head back down toward the photo. “Nah– it can't be!"

“Yup," countered Reevian, angling the photo back so Teeba could see more clearly again. “Swear on my wings. How did you know her?"

Luke frowned and tried to piece together how the conversation had so rapidly changed from his fallen squadmate to another dragoness that the pair of them knew. Looking up towards Neebis he met the drake's gaze and could see that the drake was also equally lost.

“She was kind of a family friend. Or rather… my parents worked closely with her parents. They were in construction or something, and my family was in town planning. So Leena and I kinda hung out during dinner parties and galas," Teeba explained, shaking her head as she studied the dragoness in the photo. “She looks so different… so… thick," she added, glancing at Luke and noticing the confusion on his face. “This dragoness, she isn't called Taalli. Her name is Leena."

“No, she was definitely called Taalli," Luke corrected, hesitating as he lifted his beer to take a sip. He had heard of foreign militias offering a new life and new identities to fresh recruits, but hadn't heard it ever being offered when enlisting in the Marines.

“She changed her name to Taalli after she ran away from home," Reevian explained, shrugging when Teeba snapped her head around to look at her. “Something about her father wanting to hurt her or something."

“My parents told me he killed her or something, but the police either couldn't find any evidence or were paid off. They were ugly rich," Teeba explained.

“Ugly rich? You mean filthy rich?" Luke asked, surprised when Teeba scoffed and shook her head.

“Nah, ugly rich. A penthouse isn't enough, so her father built the tallest building in the world and had the top floor as their family home. Proper swank, but he would make a point of telling you how he shafted this or that person to make it his. He had it all: a trophy mate who was an ex-harness model, and he would host dinner parties every other week with hired help, ice sculptures, that sorta thing," Teeba smirked, “Leena's mother would get so mad if she caught Leena trying to eat anything from the dessert tables, so I'd swipe a few extras and sneak them to her…" Her words drifted off as her eyes became unfocused before she shook her head to return to the present.

“So… she did have a family… and her mother was a harness model?" Luke asked, causing Teeba to look at him strangely. “What?"

“Really? That's what you took away from that?" she asked, and raised an eyeridge as she tilted her head to one side. “And I believed you when you said you didn't chase tails—"

“No, I don't!" Luke retorted, and shook his head quickly before picking at his food. “I just… didn't know. She told us she didn't have anyone back home," he added softly, although he couldn't deny that the new knowledge of Taalli filled a small gap in his understanding of her. During their time together, there had been occasions when the orange dragoness carried herself with a certain grace and poise that even he recognised was ill-fitting to her role in the Marines. Once, she had returned from cleaning her scales and strode towards them as if walking a catwalk, much to the squad's amusement. Another time, she had deliberately teased him with an almost sensual display. The memory of the latter killed his forming smile as he remembered how that day had ended, and he quickly looked down at his uneaten meal. Picking up his fork, he stabbed the noodles and began swirling them into a clump. “It's a shame. Taalli was a good Marine. I don't know if I'd be here if it wasn't for her."

“She was a good egg," Reevian said solemnly, looking down at the photograph. “They all were. I wish they were still with us to see what we have done—"

Luke and the others almost jumped out of their skins when a sudden crash rang out from the kitchen. In unison, all three dragons whipped their heads around to see Reeva frozen in shock in the middle of the kitchen. One of the cupboard doors hung ajar and on the ground lay the large box of chocolate chip cookies that Teeba had tried to hide.

“I didn't do it!" Reeva exclaimed as everyone's eyes snapped to her. “I promise! It just fell." She looked at the box of choc chip cookies, her eyes widening in realisation as her small pink tongue swept across her lips. Littering the floor were countless sharp fragments of the smashed bowl, and her eyes darted between them to try and find a safe path towards the sweet reward. However as she lifted a paw to step forward, she thankfully froze mid-step as Neebis rose to his feet.

“Stay still, sweetie! Don't move. It's sharp," the pale drake said as he strode towards her and lowered his head to pick her up with his jaws. For the second time that day, Reeva was lifted unceremoniously by her neck as the drake moved her away from the sharp fragments of the broken bowl.

Without hesitation, Luke stood up from his chair and moved towards the mess. “Oh, it's okay, Luke, I can do it—" Teeba protested, but Luke dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

“It's fine, you stay there," Luke replied. They both knew his more dexterous hands were better at picking up the fragments, and since he was the only one wearing shoes, there was little risk of him hurting himself. “Got a dustpan?"

“Under the sink."

Secretly, Luke was grateful for the simple task of cleaning, as it distracted him from memories of the war. Opening the cupboard door, he retrieved a large dustpan and brush before looking at the handle curiously. Instead of a traditional straight handle to grip, both the brush and the pan had hemispherical lobes to hold onto, which interlocked when stowed. Separating the two parts, he found that placing the hemisphere against his palm and using his fingers to grip it was easiest. He realised it must be designed for paws rather than hands, but he made it work and set about cleaning the kitchen floor while the dragons looked on.

“You said you didn't have any snacks," Reeva said with a pout, curling her neck to face her mother and Teeba with a look of betrayal. “Tortured and starved, why me—"

“Starved?!" Reevian scoffed, nodding towards the table full of food, including the hatchling's bowl, which wasn't empty. “What do you call all this?"

The small hatchling looked away sheepishly as she remained suspended in the air by her father. “That's different," she said, without elaborating further.

“Well, finish your bowl, and maaaybe we can have a cookie each—if Teeba lets you. They are her cookies, after all," Reevian explained, nodding towards the bowls of food. “But I want a spotless bowl from you, little 'ness."

On his hands and knees, Luke moved quickly to sweep the floor and collect all the sharp splinters of porcelain. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Teeba watching him work and flashed her a smile. “It's all good, I've almost got it all," he added, shuffling around the kitchen to retrieve a few more fragments nestled against the toe kick of the cupboards.

Standing up with the box of cookies in one hand and a full dustpan in the other, Luke scanned the floor for anything he might have missed. Satisfied, he set the snacks on the countertop before depositing the remains of the bowl in the trash. “Done... I think," he announced, then washed his hands.

“Thank you, Luke. There's nothing worse than getting a splinter in your paw pad," Teeba said before glancing towards Reevian as she clearly regretted her choice of words. “Sorry, I didn't mean it like—" she added, and Luke was relieved to see that the older dragoness waved a folded wing to dismiss the comment.

“Splinters do hurt," Reevian agreed, turning her head to face Luke. “Thank you, Luke," she added, and he recognised she wasn't just thanking him for cleaning up.

Nodding in understanding, Luke assessed the contents of the open cupboard, adjusted them to make sure nothing else would fall, then closed the door. Returning to his seat, he collected his fork and resumed eating. Even though the meal had cooled, it still tasted delicious, and he smiled as he saw Reeva devouring her meal while glancing towards the box of cookies every so often. “So, what brings you guys out of the city?" Luke asked, looking up at the family of dragons. His change of subject from the war didn't go unnoticed, and Reevian flashed him a small, pained smile of understanding before glancing towards her mate.

“Neebis wanted to try caving, so we have rented a spot, maybe half a day's flight from here," Reevian explained, then gestured with a folded wing towards her daughter, who was eating her meal enthusiastically. “It's good to get her exposed to a world other than just the city."

“Caving? That's like camping, right?" Luke asked, looking towards Neebis as he nodded enthusiastically.

“Like camping, but without tents. We rent a cave and it's an opportunity to live like the dragons of old used to," he said cheerfully, his crimson neck frill perking up as he explained the activity. “This isn't one of those places that let us hunt our food, of course, but there's no electricity, no internet, no screens. Just us, nature, and the great outdoors. Teeba, it's not too late to—"

“Pass," Teeba said flatly, earning her a snort of amusement from Reevian and a look of mock offence from Neebis. “I've got a thing on, otherwise I totes would," she added with a smirk and a shuffle of her wings. “But you have fun, paying money to sleep on a rocky floor, in the cold, without a pillow or internet."

“Oh, it's not that bad!" Neebis retorted, and Luke felt like the drake was asking for support when he looked towards him. “You get it, don't you, Luke?"

Finding himself the centre of attention from all the dragons once more, Luke politely shrugged. “It's probably something good to do at least once, just to make you appreciate a decent bed."

“Well, I appreciate my bed just fine. I've slept on enough lumpy couches to know that my bed is top tier. No need to go all Lord of the Flies and fully primal-like," Teeba remarked, taking a mouthful of her meal.

“Well… there probably isn't much of a chance to go fully primal," Neebis murmured as his eyes flicked from Reeva to his mate, who grinned at his suggestion. Even Luke understood what he was implying and averted his gaze from the pair.

“Maybe next time, we can leave Reeva here with you, Teeba," Reevian said and looked to Teeba, who stiffened. “That would be fun, wouldn't it, Reeva! Spending time with aunty Teeba, playing on her computer with sticky paws. I heard she likes waking up as early as you do!"

The small hatchling had been chasing the last of her noodles around her bowl, but upon hearing her name, she perked her head up, and Luke chuckled as her eyes widened in excitement. With sticky sauce covering the sides of her snout, she looked between her mother and Teeba to see if they were serious, causing the noodle hanging from her maw to swing back and forth, dripping sauce on the table. “Really!? Can I!? Can I stay with you!?"

“Not this time, little squirt," Teeba said warmly while flashing mock daggers at Reevian. “But when you are older, yes, I'm sure you can stay a night or two."

“That would be sooo awesome!" Reeva exclaimed and wiggled from snout to tail. She glanced down at her empty bowl while sitting on the table. Seeing that it was empty, she puffed out her chest proudly and looked toward the box of cookies still on the kitchen counter. “I'm done! Now, snack time!"

Luke chuckled at her positivity and continued to eat as the dragons explained they had to wait until everyone finished, much to Reeva's disappointment. It was challenging, given the portion size, but eventually Luke managed to clear his meal and pushed his empty bowl away in satisfaction. “That was phenomenal," he said and shook his head when Reevian went to scoop more food into his bowl. “Oh no, thank you, but I think I would explode."

“Well, there are plenty of leftovers for you both," Reevian said before nodding towards Teeba. “And she knows all my recipes now, so I don't want to hear anything about her living off junk food and energy drinks—"

“Hey, just because you showed me how to make them doesn't mean I know how to make them as good as you," Teeba retorted with a grin. “I'm gonna need you to make me some of your famous spicy noodles a few more times before I really get the hang of it," she added before dipping her head to take a sip from her cocktail glass. “You know, I wouldn't want to stuff it up."

“Oh, really?" Reevian glared before shaking her head in disbelief and looking down at Luke. “You watch her. She will act like a damsel sometimes, but she isn't helpless."

Luke chuckled as he rose from his seat and began to collect the empty bowls from the dragons.

“Oh, I can do that," Teeba protested as he reached for her bowl, but he shook his head and added hers to the stack. Even though he was also a guest, he felt compelled to help after being served such a delicious meal. Taking the bowls to the sink, he was surprised to find there were no pots or pans that needed washing; instead, a large wok was already hanging on the drying rack. Thankful that the dragonesses had cleaned as they cooked, he began washing the bowls while Teeba collected the half-full platters of food from the table and covered them in clear film for the next day.

“Luke, you are making me look bad," Teeba hissed with a smile once she had put the food away and picked up a kitchen towel to help dry the bowls as he cleaned.

“It's just my way of saying thanks," he replied as he worked the washcloth around another bowl, rinsed it under the tap before passing it to the dragoness.

To his surprise, the dragoness deftly hooked her wing talon under the large, hemispherical bowl's lip and let it dangle while she continued drying the dish he had given her earlier.

“I think it's us who should be thanking you," Teeba said, glancing behind her. Following her gaze, Luke saw Neebis extracting a cookie from the box for Reeva, while Reevian continued to look down at his photograph. “You have done a good thing for her. You really have," she added softly, before finishing the bowl in her forepaws and then taking the one off her wing to dry. “I can't imagine what that must have been like. To lose her little brother."

“Me neither, I wish I could say more, but I really didn't know him very well." Luke said, though he knew he'd helped bring some semblance of closure to Teeba's friend. “It's just crazy that I kinda knew him, and you both knew Taalli—I mean, Leena? I'm not sure what to call her now…" His words drifted off as he turned back to the dishes, his mind wandering to the complexities of his ex squad mate's life and how desperately she must have wanted to get away from her family if she choose to join the Marines of all professions.

Growing up, his father had done his best to teach him that dragons were simply talking beasts, incapable of developing the same love, feelings, and care that humanity offered due to a lack of soul. When he was younger, he had believed them and parroted the words they taught him, even to the point of bullying one of his classmates after learning the teen enjoyed the company of dragons. Thinking back to leaving school and enlisting in the Marines, he couldn't pinpoint a defining moment when he realised the errors in his parents' teaching, but he remembered how surprised he'd been when the dragons treated him fairly and as one of their own. None of them knew or cared what his family had done to their kind, and his beliefs were quickly eroded as they worked together to overcome challenges, regardless of species. When his captain told them that Taalli was to be joining his unit, he found himself surprisingly indifferent to having a delta integrated with them. Any thoughts that dragons were incapable of true love or harbouring real feelings were dismissed when he had seen how Riimack's death had absolutely crushed Taalli. At the time, he hadn't known what to do as the orange dragoness grieved the loss of her friend. He'd tried to be helpful by staying out of the way; opting to perform additional duties for the squad so that others had time to comfort her better than he could. As he finished cleaning the last bowl and rinsing it under the tap, he passed it to Teeba and glanced over his shoulder at Reevian. The dragoness still continued to look at the photo, but he felt as if he had done some good for her and he was grateful that he'd been given a second chance to help a grieving dragon.

“Care for another beer?" Teeba offered, as she finished drying the last bowl and stacked it with the rest. Luke initially hesitated, knowing he still had to unpack his things, but before he could reply, the grey and purple dragoness had opened the fridge and extracted another bottle for him. “I was going to pull out a game to play, to try and lighten the mood. It's meant to be played in teams of two, though. Want to partner up and keep them all together?"

Doing the math in his head, he realised that, without him, the teams would be unbalanced and nodded. “Alright, team Windsoar Farms vs the rest?" he offered, smiling when her eyes lit up. “What's the game?"

“Tailwind! Oh, you will love it!" Teeba exclaimed, passing him his fresh beer. “It's like exploding wyverns, but mixed with charades," she added, and Luke found himself more confused than enlightened. “It's easy, trust me. I haven't lost a game yet."

---

Luke sipped his beer in confusion as Teeba mimed out a scene—or was it a dance? Despite having the rules of the game explained to him multiple times, he was still at a loss regarding its intricacies or strategies. This was much to the frustration of Teeba, whose competitive tendencies and patience were being tested by his incompetence. The grey dragoness trotted on the spot, only pausing to reach for something at her side and pull it close to her chest, all while giving him an expectant look, as if he should know what she meant.

“Dragonball?" he offered and knew he had guessed wrong when Teeba's desperate expression shifted to an exasperated glare and the other dragons snickered in amusement.

“Go for it, Reeva. What is she doing?" Neebis said, and the small hatchling grinned as she sat up on the edge of the inflatable mattress and puffed her chest out proudly.

“Shopping!" the small hatchling exclaimed gleefully, much to her parents' amusement. Upon winning the round, she snatched a cookie out of a box and began breaking it into thirds. After distributing the spoils to her mother and father—albeit giving them the smaller 'thirds'—she began to eat her reward.

“Yes, Reeva! Well done!" Teeba exclaimed and took her place beside Luke. Having lost the round for both of them, Luke watched as team 'Reeva and fam' were allowed to roll a die and then move their piece forward on the board that lay between the two teams. Reeva had self-appointed herself as dice master and rolled the twelve-sided die with glee, announcing the number loudly as it came to a rest.

“Eight!" she squealed cheerfully, bouncing from paw to paw while her father moved their piece—a blue wyvern—across the board until it landed on another activity for them to perform. Looking at the large number of squares between their piece and the other team's, Luke knew the chances of regaining the lead were very slim.

“Really? Dragonball? How did you get that?!" Teeba added as she sat down next to Luke and lifted her cocktail with a forepaw.

“I don't know? You were reaching for things, and I asked if it was a competition, and you said yes," Luke defended himself and chuckled as Teeba's tail flicked dangerously close to him while she lifted her glass higher, pausing only to rock her head from side to side.

“I said it can be… Shopping can be a competition, ever been to a black friday sale?" she said simply and took a sip of her bright green drink. All of them directed their attention to Neebis, who picked out a card from the deck of scenarios and grinned as he read the line of text.

Luke chuckled and took another sip of his beer as Neebis mimed out a scene. Crouching low to the ground, he undulated his body from side to side in a serpentine fashion before lifting his head and opening his mouth incredibly wide, then diving back down to the ground to wiggle again.

“Movie?" Reevian asked with a stifled chuckle at her mate's antics. Nodding enthusiastically, the pale drake bristled with excitement as he repeated the routine for his very confused family, now alternating between holding his wings out and fluttering them as if in flight.

Luke's eyes widened in realization and sat up straighter. With a tap on Teeba's forelegs to get her attention, he gestured for her to lower her head so he could whisper his suggestion in her ear. One rule that he had been able to discern was that whichever team had a member performing the skit was allowed to guess first, and only after they had answered incorrectly were the other team allowed to answer. When Teeba nodded in approval at his suggestion, he smiled and hoped that the other team wouldn't be able to guess the right answer.

“Anaconda?" Reevian offered, and when Neebis shook his head, Luke felt giddy with excitement as it was then their turn to try and guess.

“Dune?" he offered, frowning as the dragon shook his head. He had sworn that the drake was trying to imitate the famous sand worm and perhaps one of their dragonfly-inspired aircraft. Glancing up at Teeba, he saw that she was also confused, and he took some reassurance in knowing she thought his guess was at least reasonable.

“Back to us!" Reeva giggled and looked to her mother for another guess. Even though the game relied on knowledge and pop culture references that Reeva was too young to understand, she seemed to take joy in conducting the game and offering commentary.

Reevian continued to watch Neebis repeat the charade as the drake became more and more animated in his attempts to convey the movie title. “Is there a dragon in it?" she asked and pouted when the drake shook his head. “Well, it mustn't be a good one then… Snakes on a Plane—"

“Yes!!" Neebis exclaimed, his crimson neck frill flicking up in joy as he trotted cheerfully back towards his family to lie down again. “How did you think I was a sand dune?" he asked Luke.

“Oh my god, you uncultured hick!" Teeba exclaimed with a laugh before Luke could offer an explanation. “I'm giving you homework, I just can't even!" she added, shaking her head in disbelief before taking another sip of her drink.

“We won! Dice time!" Reeva squealed and snatched up the die. Shaking it enthusiastically with both forepaws, she cast it across the board. Her eyes tracked the roll, then went wide as it landed on the highest number. “Twelve! We got the tailwind!" she announced, crying out the name of the game while she waited for her parents to move their piece across the board.

Luke watched as the blue wyvern was moved closer and closer toward the final square until it came to land on one he hadn't seen before. “What's the egg snatcher?" he asked, tilting his head to read the small text.

“Well, sounds like you got snatched then," Teeba announced, using a folded wing to give him a playful shove so he would stand up. “It's a bonus round. You get to mime something for them to guess," she explained, and Luke felt his stomach drop.

Despite being on his fifth beer of the night, he still felt far too sober for the silly game, but he reluctantly got to his feet. “Alright, fine, hit me," he said, accepting a card from Neebis. Flipping it over, he read the small text and sighed in defeat. Before he began, he placed the card on the discarded pile and picked up his beer. Finishing it in one deep swig, he moved to the empty area of the floor and began his performance. Cupping one hand to his eye and pretending to crank a handle caused the group to successfully guess it was a movie.

Taking a deep breath to ease his embarrassment, he finally buried his dignity, widened his stance, and tucked his wrists up to his chest while squatting down dramatically. Swaying his hips from side to side, he stepped heavily before tilting his head toward the ceiling and silently imitated a roar, shaking his head slowly from side to side.

“Chicken run!" Reeva chimed in, much to Luke's embarrassment. Shaking his head, Luke saw the look of disappointment on the hatchling's face and knew that, at her age, it was very unlikely she had even seen the movie he was trying to convey.

Turning to Teeba, he hoped she could guess the movie and spare him further embarrassment, but to his dismay, the gray dragoness regarded him with a mischievous grin. In her purple forepaw, she held her cocktail between her digits and curled her neck down to sip it. “I got nothing… do it again," she snickered, unable to compose herself long enough to take a proper drink.

“Really?" Luke groaned and adjusted his pants so he could deepen the squat and pretend to sway a fictitious tail behind him. With his arms folded at the elbows to make them appear shorter, he used his fingers as claws while he began to stalk around the living area. The giggles of joy from Reeva cut through his embarrassment, and he couldn't help but bow his front down as low as he could to pretend to stalk her.

“John Wick," offered Teeba with a snort, clearly throwing away her guess and their attempt at clawing back points.

“John Wick... How did you get that?" Luke asked in confusion, before remembering he wasn't meant to speak. Glancing at Neebis and Reevian, he saw both of them stifling laughs at his performance, but thankfully the teal dragoness put him out of his misery.

“Jurassic Park."

“Thank you!" Luke exclaimed, flashing Teeba a glare. The grey dragoness simply shrugged innocently and took a sip of her drink. Returning to his place beside his friend, he watched as Reeva divided another cookie into four pieces and offered him a chunk. “Well, thank you too," he said as he accepted the piece.

While holding her own chunk of cookie in her mouth, Reeva snatched up the dice and rolled it across the board. Luke wasn't sure exactly whose turn it was supposed to be, but didn't protest when the number on the dice matched the number of squares needed for Reeva's team to win.

“We win!!!" Reeva squealed as Neebis moved their blue wyvern into the centre of the board and cemented their victory.

“Well done!" Luke said, secretly thankful he wouldn't have to embarrass himself further.

“Aww, I was hoping we could get more of Lukeasaurus rex," Neebis said, causing Teeba to snort into her cocktail and start coughing loudly.

Swallowing as best she could before breaking into a hysterical laugh, Teeba's whole body shook, causing her wings to shudder against her sides. Thankfully, she was able to maintain some agency over the paw holding her cocktail glass and was able to place it on the ground before she she spilt any. “Luke—Lukeasaurus rex! Yaaas!" she giggled madly, causing the others to chuckle.

Luke's cheeks burned in embarrassment, and when he picked up his beer, he quickly realised he had already finished his drink. Using his hand to push himself up off the ground, he rose to his feet and shook his head. “Thanks, Neebis. I think I'm gonna be hearing that for a while now."

“Glad to be of service," Neebis grinned, his lips pulling back to reveal his ivory fangs, the crimson frill on his neck folding flat to give him a cheeky expression.

Holding his empty bottle, Luke took the other empty wine glasses from Neebis and Reevian to refill. It was a struggle, but he managed to weave the thick stems between his fingers while balancing his empty bottle in Reeva's cup. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Teeba quickly finishing her drink, hoping to add her glass to his collection. “Oh no, I think you can get your own. John Wick... really?" he asked. He knew she had been intentionally wrong, but still shook his head in exaggerated disbelief.

“Hey, your face didn't look like a raptor. It's all… flat and short," Teeba retorted, holding her now-empty glass out expectantly. “There is a reason why they used dragons to mo-cap the heads. We already have the pretty snoots," she added, tilting her glass from side to side to encourage him to take it. “One more as we watch a movie."

“Movie too!" Reeva grinned, looking to her parents as if asking for permission. When they nodded, the small hatchling gasped before jumping to her feet and practically throwing herself onto the large inflatable mattress to get the best spot to view Teeba's big television. “Can we watch a raptor movie?"

“No scary movies please," Reevian said as she got to her feet. “If Teeba has a fun raptor movie, then yes. Otherwise, Lukeasaurus Rex will have to act it out," she added with a chuckle.

Teeba giggled before sticking her tongue out at him. Luke noticed that her usually pink tongue had a green tint to it, and he wondered just how many drinks the dragoness had had. “Hmm, I'm not sure if I have any fun raptor movies. Luke, care to entertain us?"

Shaking his head, he snatched Teeba's glass from her and, while holding it in his other hand, made his way to the kitchenette. He began pouring new drinks while the dragons all got themselves settled. He overheard Teeba talking about a movie she had in mind and paused, wondering if it was too mature for the hatchling. He realised he wasn't sure how old Reeva was, however the hatchling's parents didn't seem to mind and he trusted their judgement. Thankfully, Teeba had left out all the ingredients for her cocktail, and he began making it as best he could. Stifling a yawn, Luke had to make two trips to carry the drinks and then found himself unsure where to sit.

Reevian, Neebis, and Reeva had settled on the inflatable mattress, and he was surprised it could support their weight. Teeba, however, had taken it upon herself to lie on the couch behind them, her long body, neck, and tail fully stretched out, leaving him little room to sit without being close to her. He considered pulling up a bar stool, but when he passed Teeba her drink, the dragoness seemed to realize her position and lifted her front off the couch. Patting the cushion, she silently invited him to join her, but Luke couldn't help feeling their closeness was a bit inappropriate.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed Neebis had partially turned his head to watch them. With a nod, Luke indicated he would sit at the other end, and he was grateful that Teeba didn't protest.

Rising briefly to her feet on the couch, Teeba scooted to one end and used her mouth to adjust a small pillow on the armrest before curling her long purple tail around herself, making room behind her for Luke. Thankful that the dragoness understood, Luke took his seat behind her as she navigated the menus on the screen before highlighting a title from a popular sci-fi action franchise. One of many in a long series, it featured a mix of human and CGI characters, including a plucky female raptor with a knack for racing starships at breakneck speeds. “Look good?" Teeba asked. Luke glanced at Reeva, whose eyes went wide with wonder at just the thumbnail. “Oh, maybe it's a bit too grown up. What do you guys think?"

“I haven't seen it," Neebis said with a shrug, turning his head to defer judgment to his mate.

Despite the mature rating of the movie, Reevian gave a nod of approval and shuffled herself tighter into her mate's embrace before pulling Reeva close with her forepaws. “If it gets too scary, we will turn it off, okay?" she asked the hatchling, who gave a sharp, definitive nod. “Alright then."

With Teeba lying lengthwise on the couch, Luke sat behind her rump and used another small pillow to make himself comfortable. Given the depth of the couch, he couldn't place his feet on the ground, and as a result, he felt even smaller—almost like a child—sitting with his legs straight out in front of him. Looking forward, a small, warm smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he saw Neebis tighten his wing around his mate and give her an affectionate lick on her snout as the movie began to play. Luke had seen the movie before but quickly realized there was a stark difference in quality between the pirated, compressed version he had seen on the chow hall TV while deployed, and the large, crisp panel in front of him.

He knew the story quite well and found himself smiling at the dynamics between the characters, until he remembered Teeba's words about the raptor's performance being that of a dragon. He had always found the character entertaining, and the interactions with the human had always seemed harmless. However, now that he knew the raptor was played by a dragon, Luke began to wonder if there was a hidden meaning behind their dynamic.

The movie started with a scene of the two main characters repairing their ship, and a scene filled with rotating lights flooding the set with a warm crimson glow. A critical part on the ship had failed, causing multiple other systems to fail and the heroes to become stranded unless they worked together. Strobing red lights flooded their ships interior and spilled out of the television and throughout Teeba's barn as they added drama and tension to the scene. The characters had initially been quite frustrated at one another, the raptor character Lix threatening to nip the human characters fingers if he wasn't able to reconnect a hose somewhere in the bowels of the ship. Luke pushed aside his internal thoughts about the importance of keeping calm in a situation, and watched on as the camera switched to the human character, Jack, who stood with his arm deep inside an access panel. The characters' dialogue was surprisingly provocative for a movie rated so generously PG, but Luke mused that the words being said were indeed harmless and perhaps gave something for the parents to chuckle at.

Despite the hero's efforts, the problem persisted as the reactors on the ship continued to build pressure and cause the entire ship to heat up. The cameras did well to capture the sweat building on Jack's brow as he fumbled with the hose that had come undone, the angle shifting to see his fingertips gently brushing against the loose end in the dark before he retracted his arm and removed his shirt. Suddenly, Luke felt quite uncomfortable watching the movie as the rotating red strobe lights shone across the actor's chiseled abs, each muscle glistening from the sweat that continued to run down the man's chest. The dialogue between the characters came within a hair's breadth of inappropriate, as they expressed how desperately they needed to release the building pressure. The camera flashed towards gauges in the cockpit and, Lix, the raptor tapping at them with her CGI claws before the shot cut back to Jack taking a deep breath and promising to make it all good before pressing his fist through the tangle of wires and hoses inside the access hatch again. The man sank up to his armpit in the cavity and began feeling around for the troublesome hose, the concentration and determination on his face evident as he closed his eyes and trusted his fingers to get the job done.

Tearing his gaze from the television, Luke looked towards Teeba without moving his head. The dragoness was watching the screen intently. The way her gaze seemed fixed on the screen, unblinking and focused made Luke start to feel uncomfortable being so close to her, especially as the camera alternated between shots of the sweaty man with his arm buried in the craft and the panting raptor called Lix giving encouragement from the helm.

He felt his cheeks begin to burn, but thankfully, the trio in front of them was engrossed in the movie, and Teeba seemed not to notice he had been watching her as she lay with her head on the armrest of the couch. Finally, the heroes were able to get the hose in the spaceship reseated back into its position, the raptor exclaimed in a mixture of relief and satisfaction before taking a moment to pant and catch her breath.

With the drama of the scene over, Luke leaned back, and took a sip of his beer. The lights throughout the spaceship returned to their full brightness and Luke experienced the full dynamic range of the television as the bright lights caused him to squint. Thankfully the bright scene didn't last long as the human character returned to the bridge and slumped into the chair beside his raptor co-pilot, both of them panting, but thankfully his shirt was now back on. With flicks of switches and pulls of levers, the ship began to move and as the scene transitioned to an establishing shot of the planet they had been orbiting, the light spilled from the television reflected off of Teeba's scales and caught Luke's attention. With a lingering glance, he was mesmerised by how Teeba's haunch caught the light from the movie. Lacking the muscular shape of the dragons he had known, she looked elegant even when sprawled out. Catching himself staring, he quickly refocused on the movie and took another sip of his beer.

Movement ahead pulled his attention, and he saw the two parents stretch out further as the movie became more plot-heavy. Neebis' frill flattened against his neck as he silently yawned before nestling his head beside Reevian's. The drake's yawn was infectious, and Luke clenched his jaw to stop himself from joining in. Even the usually energetic hatchling looked as if she could fall asleep at any moment, her head drooping lower and lower before jerking back up again as she tried to focus on the screen.

Teeba, however, was far more accepting of sleep and wriggled on the couch, rolling onto her side with both eyes closed. Luke wasn't entirely sure if she was asleep until, moments later, half of her tail slipped off the couch and landed on the floor with a soft thud. The sensation seemed to wake the dragoness briefly, and she pushed herself further into the backrest to make room, curling her tail onto the soft couch again.

Taking a deep swig of his beer, Luke committed to excusing himself once he had finished, so Teeba could stretch out, and began to formulate in his mind an excuse or reason to leave—something about getting his bedding sorted or unpacking his gear for the next day. Minutes passed, and as he went to drink more of his beer, another soft thud came from Teeba's tail as it slipped off the couch and fell to the floor yet again. This time, however, the dragoness seemed to be asleep, and her reaction was almost instinctual as she straightened her tail across the couch and, in turn, Luke. He was stunned as the dragoness's long appendage was suddenly laid across his lap, pinning him with its surprisingly heavy weight. The dragoness let out a contented sound almost like a purr and wriggled happily into the couch once more. Craning his neck to look past her curved hips and down her folded wings, Luke saw a pleased smile on her snout and realised she was most definitely fast asleep.

Stunned, he looked down at the tail and tried to think of what he could do to politely wake her without making a scene. With her tailbase against his groin, the only other parts of her he could reach to touch her were her rump, thighs or hips. All of which felt far too intimate for him to consider touching, and he knew that if he tried to speak to wake her, he would cause Neebis and Reevian to look. He hadn't considered it until now but quickly realized that due to a dragon's wide hips, their tail base was often left unsupported when they slept on the side. Now, however, Teeba seemed comfortable with his legs forming the perfect support pillow for her body and the dragoness stretched out even further until her hind legs sprawled across his knees.

Luke's hand hovered just above her scales as he contemplated waking her before gently resting it on the side of her tail. Looking to his side, he watched to see if she would stir; however, her eyes remained closed and her breathing was slow and steady. Given the large muscles that ran down her tail, he was surprised to find there was a softness in her body and thought that she must be quite relaxed. Slowly and gently, he drummed his fingers against her smooth scales, hoping she would wake quietly, yet the dragoness remained stubbornly asleep. Taking a deep breath, he ceased his attempts and let his hand rest against her as he took another sip of his beer.

Focusing on the movie as best he could, he leaned back into the soft cushions of the couch and stroked his thumb absentmindedly in circles around one of the many scales on her tail. He subconsciously took in how smooth the scale was, and how, in contrast, his own skin felt grippy as he dragged his digit across the polished surface. Looking towards the trio of dragons lying on the inflatable mattress, he smiled as he saw Reeva had tried valiantly to stay awake, but after the long flight, swim, and big meal, the hatchling had slumped asleep alongside her parents' heads.

Finishing the beer, Luke placed the empty bottle on the seat of the couch and carefully balanced it against the backrest, before nestling himself further into the plush cushions. With Teeba's warm tail draped over his lap and her large hind leg pressing against his knees, he tried to imagine he was sitting under a heavy blanket and closed his eyes. The movie continued to play in the background, but his mind began to drift off until he finally fell into a deep sleep.

---

“How did you do it?"

“Do what?"

“Bring them together?" Riimack asked, shuffling his deep blue wings against his ghostly silver body. Tearing his gaze away from his sister, he turned to address the orange dragoness who stood beside the couch Luke and Teeba shared.

The dragoness gave him a puzzled look before lowering her head to inspect the sleeping Marine. “This wasn't me," she replied, her nostrils twitching as she tried to take in the man's scent. “Before this week, I hadn't seen him since he left the Corps. I just guessed he didn't need me," she added softly. “And Teeba? I haven't seen her in years."

Riimack looked back down at the three sleeping dragons, his heart warming as he noticed Reeva had managed to sneak an extra cookie out from the box and had fallen asleep with it hidden under her wing. Without anyone to teach them the rules of their existence, they were still both very ignorant as to why they were bound to watch on as spectral shadows of their former selves. Yet, they had both learned that they seemed to find themselves inexplicably drawn to one another when they needed help, just as they were drawn to their loved ones when they needed guidance. “Well, I'm glad they met," Riimack said softly while lowering his head down to get a better look at his niece.

A heavy silence filled the air, and when he looked across the room towards Taalli, Riimack caught the look of concern in her amber eyes. “You don't think so?"

Taalli's ghostly tail swept around her legs as she sat down on her haunches, her large wings tucking closer against her sides as she focused on Teeba and Luke. “Raider meeting Reevian, yes. She needed to hear what happened... But..." her words drifted off before she held his gaze and tightened her jaw.

“But?" Riimack asked, sitting down himself and curling his neck into a tight S shape in confusion. “But what?"

“I'm not sure about these two," Taalli said, and with the briefest twitch of her wing, indicated Luke and Teeba.

“What? Surely you aren't against a 'ness and a man getting together." Riimack retorted and smiled as the orange and black dragoness glared at him. “What's the issue then?"

“THIS 'ness and THIS man," Taalli said, gesturing with her snout to each one as if to emphasize her point. Riimack remained deeply confused and tilted his head for her to elaborate. “She is falling for him, hard... and I'm afraid," she added as she adjusted her wings and pursed her lips. “I'm afraid he will hurt her."

“I don't think Luke is that kinda dude—"

“I don't mean physically, Riimack," Taalli clarified before rising to her feet. “I mean emotionally." She added and turned her head to look around the barn. Riimack watched as her eyes scanned the room with a troubled expression. “This place… this isn't Teeba, this isn't what I would have expected from the Teeba I used to know. She loved the city, couldn't wait to hit the clubs, and hated the outdoors. I used to be so jealous of the amount of friends she had and the stories she would tell me if they all hung out."

“Maybe she had a falling out with them?" Riimack offered, but even as he said the words, he found them hollow.

“She's hiding, Riimack, don't you see?" Taalli asked before looking down at the man and dragoness on the couch. “She may not be trying to get away from her parents like I was, but trust me, I know what she is going through."

“Maybe Luke can help her."

Taalli's eyes narrowed at the suggestion and she paused before tucking her wings closer against her sides. “Maybe."

“If she has always had friends, being alone out here…" Riimack's words drifted off as he knew he had made his point..

“But what if she wants more than a friend? I'm not sure Luke can be that for her. Raider isn't Mike, he isn't wired like that and… I just don't want to see her get heartbroken." She stepped between the inflatable mattress and the couch to get a better angle to watch Teeba as she slept. “Teeba was always a good egg, and she doesn't deserve to be hurt."

“No one does, Taalli," Riimack mused, stepping around the sleeping dragons on the mattress to stand beside his friend. Unfurling a large blue wing, he draped it around the orange dragoness and pulled her against his side. “I'm sure it'll be fine. Luke seems like a gentleman. If she isn't for him, he will let her down easily."

“He'd better," Riimack heard her whisper under her breath before she leaned further into him.

“How do you know she is into him?" Riimack asked and looked down at her when he felt her pull away.

“Riimack, please? You can see how she looks at him," Taalli said before shaking his head when he continued to look puzzled. “She is smitten with him, but if he is ever going to come around, he is going to need some time… And Teeba was never known for her patience," she added.

“They will be fine," Riimack said warmly, “You'll see."

“Do you think they know?" Taalli asked softly, her voice only just audible over the muffled sound of the television credits. “Do you think they will ever know? That we are watching them?"

“Reevian talks to me," he revealed before shaking his head. “When she is alone, when she is struggling, she talks as if I'm there and… well… I like to talk back, even if I know she can't hear me." He used his folded wing to rub his cheek. “But no. I don't think they ever would. You've tried it, haven't you? Tried to do something that made them see us?"

Taalli nodded solemnly, and Riimack knew the feeling. On the rare occasions he had been able to interact with the real world, it had either gone completely unnoticed or been dismissed as irrelevant by his sister. As painful as it was to watch her ignore him, he still felt grateful for the chance to watch her grow, even after his death.

“Nice work, by the way… on the snacks," Taalli mused, causing him to turn his head and look down at her. “Making the cookies jump out of the cupboard like that. It was sweet of you."

Riimack chuckled softly and turned his attention to his sister and her family. “She needed something nice… they all did."

Taalli wrapped a forepaw around his front leg, her presence reassuring him, and together they sat in silence, watching over their friends and family like the guardians they were.