((I wanted to use him in another rp I was doing, but I don't know how we'd fit him into this one. We can do something with her dad at any point I'm not rushing to use my non-idea lol))
(Oh, perhaps he's related to Tome somehow? Malia's son? I don't know, he's maybe a troublemaker or something like that because he's covered in scratches, I don't know Oh, ok... Well then how about he skip to the Joachim learning to fly and then when they decide to go to town we do her father thingy?)
((Okay, that's cool. We don't have to wiggle him in, it was just a thought. If we need a character later maybe we can use him lol Did you want me to do the skip? On the other hand, i just realized we've totally forgotten about Matthis xD ))
(Please, that'd be helpful c: Oh crud! You're right! Er... Should we have him more involved and use the Mia's dad plot thing later? What do you say? :>)
((Dunno. . . He could be involved, but now that Tome and Mia are okay and said I love you and all that his character's not entirely necessary. We could just keep him on the side in case we need him?))
Joachim grew quite rapidly, over the next month or so. By the time that month was up, he was the size of a very large dog, his back reaching about Tome's waist height when he stood on all fours, and well over his head when the dragon stood on his back legs. He was fond of that, being taller than Tome, and sometimes did it just to try and 'hug' him, wrapping his big front legs around the half breed. Tome tolerated it so that he could teach Joachim how much pressure he could exert on a normal person, and how much on Tome himself. He received a few scratches and more than a few bruises in the process, but only endured. Joachim needed to be educated, after all, and Tome wasn't going to let Mia get hurt doing it. His body was stronger and more resilient than hers.
At this size, though, though he was still very much a child, it was time for Joachim to start learning to fly. Tome and Mia usually sat nearby with the other 'grown up' babies they'd watched, some bigger and some smaller, as each took their turn with their very large dragon instructor. It was fun, watching them learn, and Tome wanted to be near in case Joachim fell somehow and hurt himself. Tome and Mia had tried not to let Joachim get so attached, but it was really a hopeless effort. Neither of them could resist the poor dragon when he was sad.
(Well you've got a point there. Let's do that then, perhaps we'd do so later to help in a story arc or something)
The next month went by so quickly, Mia couldn't believe it was almost over. In the blink of an eye, Joachim had stopped being the little one she used to sleep with at night sometimes to be bigger than her in so many ways. He was still her little Joachim, but there were some things she sadly wasn't allowed to do anymore because of his height and weight. Even more, Tome didn't allow for him to try and hug her, perhaps afraid of the fact that he might hurt her, thanks God it seemed he didn't know that one time he did tried and threw her to the ground.
Things between her and Tome seemed to be going just right, no rushing at all, they were not that kind of mushy couple, perhaps because none of the two would know how to be that way. At least, she didn't have to hide her feelings anymore and could have some sense of security at the fact that her feelings turned out to be mutual.
Now, watching Joachim learning to fly, she couldn't help it but get that 'They grow up so fast' nostalgic feeling. "Strange, I got this letter from someone in town, told me it was from someone I knew" One day, after taking her weekly stroll around the market and visiting Mathis in the process, Mia commented as she returned to the dragonry and went to where Joachim and Tome were.
((Okay. Always good to have a backup character to use ))
Tome glanced over when Mia came back, a hand running over the 'runt of the litter's' head. She was fuzzy, for a dragon, and probably wouldn't get too big, so when they were in a group she tended to stick next to the dragons that were her best friends or the workers at the dragonry that she also had taken a liking to. She was generally calm when being pet, and he had nothing else to do while standing there, so he'd taken to just stroking her head as she leaned against him.
"A letter?" He asked, a little confused and a little surprised. "Did you look at it yet?" He wondered who knew her that knew where they were, or would want to send her a letter. He couldn't quite think of anyone. Neither of them really had very many ties outside of this place.
"No... Not yet, it's just that... It's strange" Mia stated with a sigh as she left some of the new things she had brought aside. Taking a seat by him, she moved the letter from one hand to the other "Perhaps I was mistook for someone" Though she had been called by her name, but still... it didn't give her a good feeling, not at all. "How is Joachim doing by the way?" She finally asked him as she took her stare off the letter and looked up at him.
Tome didn't like that some unknown person was writing to her, but thought it could wait until she wanted to look at it. "He's gotten off the ground, a couple times." He said, watching where Joachim and another young dragon were practicing flapping their wings as hard as they could, standing on platforms tall enough to let their wings sweep all the way down. "But not very far. I think he's having fun." He was one of the more eager of the group.
"I can see that" Mia commented with a smile as she watched the not-so-little-dragon in the distance "Anyway, I'm going to drop this things on the room and then come back or else I'll lose them" And with that being said, she scrambled to her feet and picked up her stuff, shoving the letter into the basket in the process.
Tome nodded a little, glancing at her. "Want any help?" He asked, though he knew she probably wouldn't take him up on it. "I'll look at the letter with you, if you want." He might have been personifying a bit, but he thought maybe Mia might be as worried about it coming from someone who supposedly knew her as well.
"No, it's fine, I'll simply drop the basket there and come back" Mia didn't particularly need any help and therefore there was no need for him to go with her. Then he mentioned the letter and though she felt as if she actually didn't want to read it any time soon, it was ridiculous, she'd have to do so eventually "I'd… like that, yeah. When I'm back" With that being said, she excused herself to walk to the room.
Tome nodded, giving her a small but hopefully reassuring smile. "Okay. I'll be here." That was a given, really. Even with Joachim so big he had to sleep in the barn-like building with the other adolescent dragons, he was rarely ever seperated from Tome or Mia. When Mia was gone, Tome walked over to praise Joachim a bit, since the young dragon's turn was over. Joachim pushed his head happily into Tome's stomach, glad for the praise, and went to sit with him and push playfully at his friends. When Mia came back, they could go somewhere just the three of the and sit a while to investigate the letter.
(Sorry for delay, Nala. I don’t know exactly what happened to the house but I was out of Internet all this time :/ )
Mia returned the smile with a small and warm of her own before going away. She did not distract herself with anything and walked straight back to the room, leaving the basket on top of her bed and taking out the letter after doing so. For a moment, a brief one, she stared the letter with an uneasy look on her face, nibbling on her bottom lip softly. The way she had received it had been indeed rather unusual.
Also, he had called out for her, Mia he had said and she could’ve sworn he knew her, he really knew who she was. But what was with that anyway? Giving her that piece of paper and telling her it was from someone she knew. “Strange” She repeated once again and with that being said she finally walked out of the room and made her way back to where Tome and Joachim were, not without taking some of the fruit she had just bought back with her.
She easily distinguished Joachim and Tome as she walked over to them and with a bright smile, sat down by them as she held the two apricots out “I brought these for us, people on the market told me these are really good” She declared as she handed him one. Gosh she liked fruit, and finally she could get it easily.
((Oo, that sucks I totally understand, though. I've been busy anyway So much work Ick. All my free days are spent hanging out with friends lol I have one friend who, if you pick any movie at random, probably hasn't seen it, so I've been educating her :3))
Joachim looked up and pushed at his friends only a couple more times before hurrying over to greet Mia, wrapping loosely around her and rubbing his head against her hip with a happy rumble. Tome smiled slightly at him and then returned his attention to Mia, taking the fruit gratefully. "Thank you." He said, not quite fast enough for it to seem like it happened automatically, but readily enough. He was still getting used to accepting - well, anything, from anyone.
"They seem ripe." He said, giving the fruit a gentle squeeze and then held it up out of Joachim's immediate reach when the dragon made a swipe for it. "Hey hey hey!" Tome pushed his head away, trying not to laugh. "You get your own food later - I'll let you have the pit when I've gotten to it." The dragon wouldn't eat the thing, of course, but liked to bat it around a little because it was small and a challenge to find. Then they could let him plant it when he was done, to see if it would grow at all. Tome had come to find out that Joachim rather liked 'helping' like that.
(Oh, that's good! Have you seen any extremely good movie with her recently?)
When Joachim approached her, Mia had carefully shifted both of the fruits to one of her hands so as to use the other, to gently wrap her arm around the dragon and lean over so as to rub her cheek with his head. After being seated and having handed the apricot to Tome, she nodded at him and said a "Don't mention it" Before she took a bit of the fruit. A content exhalation accompanied with a pleased small noise that escaped her were her only remarks to the deliciousness of it, the juice flooding her mouth immediately as it left behind a truly good flavor.
"They seem ripe." When Tome said those words, Mia actually had to chew and shallow before answering "And they are really good" She finally stated as she took another bite, a smile settling on her face as she saw Tome's and Joachim interaction.
((I'm making her watch all the xmen movies so she can see Days of Future Past with me when it comes out xD But we watched Despicable Me 2, which is pretty hilarious, and a while ago we went and saw Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2 in theaters, and it was so adorable we spent the whole movie just going 'AWWWWWW!' lol I made her watch Red 2, though, since she'd already seen the first one, and that's a pretty awesome movie))
Tome rubbed Joachim's head and then just pushed it down until it rested on his lap, letting the dragon stay there but keeping a forearm atop his head just in case. Tome took a little bite, wiping a drop or two of juice away before it could drip down his chin, and nodded along. "Most of the food here is." Everything was grown locally, of course, and things like that always turned out better than something that had to be fetched a day or two's journey away.
"I've been thinking lately . . ." He said, after they'd both gotten a few bites in and had sat in a comfortable silence for a moment. "I was wondering if you ever . . ." He shrugged. "Wanted to go anywhere. I mean, we've decided to stay here but, once Joachim's big enough we don't have to stay here all the time. . . We could travel a little, if you want. . ." He wanted her to be happy, and though he didn't have any true desire to leave and wander, he thought maybe she might want to see other places beyond this town, lovely as it was. He just . . . wanted to be sure she had the things she wanted, and wasn't afraid to tell him if she wanted something else.
(Oh my sisters just love Despicable me, I do too but believe me, not as much xD Though xmen saga is really fantastic! So those are really, really good ones! I did watch Red but not the 2, is it good?)
Mia had done her best in not dirtying her hands with the apricot but to no avail, they had been left rather sticky in the process. When he spoke, she was almost done with half of her fruit, and she so, she lowered it a bit as she raised her head to look at him. She heard his 'proposal' and for a couple of seconds remained quiet as she thought about it. It was not like she'd dislike to stay there, though it wasn't like she didn't want to see other places either.
Looking down at their dragon on Tome's lap, Mia tilted her head to the side a bit as she considered what he had just said. "Well… I would like to travel here and there someday…" She finally declared at the same time she looked back up at him, her gaze looking for his "However, it's not like he'd have to wander all the time, perhaps going to a different place from time to time as long as we return?" She did like to think of that town as their new home, a home to return to, so as long as they returned they could choose places to go to or something like that on the future.
((Red 2 is very good I love all the actors, and the new guy they add is pretty funny too))
Joachim had the pit trapped under one big paw so no one could take his toy away, and the other held down one of Tome's wrists, the dragon's rough tongue licking the sticky juice from his fingers. Tome allowed it because he had only a few bites left and could eat them one handed, and because he was going to have to wash his hands anyway. It made Joachim happy to give him a sort of mini bath, so Tome just let it happen and endured.
When Mia spoke, Tome nodded quickly, conceding the point. "O-Of course. I didn't want to stay away for a long time all at once. I just thought . . . I thought maybe it would be nice for Joachim, and for you, if you both got to see some new places." And he would be happy to facilitate their seeing those places. "Just, vacations, I suppose. This place . . ." He looked around them, eyes sliding slowly over the buildings and the people he could see from where he sat. "This place could be home. . ." Forever, if they let it. It was certainly beginning to feel more like 'home' than anything he'd ever had before.
Mia couldn't help it but give out a small, content smile when the word 'home' left his lips. Truly, that place was more than a home that those houses she had been living on before. "As long as the two of you are there, it is always home" She replied with the same smile before she finished with the task of eating up the fruit on her hands. She did mean those words, Joachim and Tome were her family, and wherever they were, she was at home. Honestly, she really liked that place and it gave her a certain sense of belonging, but it was also because both of 'her' boys were there with her.
"I'd love to see those places though" She finally stated after she was finally done with what had been left of the apricot "I'm sure we would love for you to take us to new places" She added, because she also new Joachim liked to experience new things. She was also aware of the fact that Tome was doing his best on making both of them happy and it was like that for her too, as long as he was happy, everything was okay.
Tome gave Joachim the last two bites of peach, telling him to open and setting it on his tongue, then pulling away to let him close his mouth and not lose any fingers. Joachim was good enough to know to wait until Tome said okay. When Tome looked at Mia again, it was with a content sort of smile, and ran a hand over Jachim's head, grateful for the two of them, loving them more than anything. "And I would love to show you those places. . . Anywhere you want to go." Well, anywhere but back to their previous kingdom, but she knew that.
Mia felt encouraged by Tome's smile "Anywhere... Anywhere sounds just fine" She declared with a nod as she twirled the pit between one of her hand's fingers. With that proposal in mind and feeling, yet again, particularly in a really good mood, she finally decided to take a look of the letter, probably it was a prank or perhaps a silly little matter. As such, she raised her free hand to her mouth and licking the remaining juice from her fingers, she stuffed them into her only pocket and pulled the already crumpled piece of paper.
"Let's see then..." She murmured to herself as she, single handedly, opened the folded piece of paper, tearing with her index finger the seal that maintained it close beforehand, of course. From the look of it, it had to be a woman's writing, such delicate calligraphy in a way couldn't be male, that she could tell just by taking a quick look of it. The words she found concealed on that paper, nevertheless, were words she'd have never expected and that were written in such brief and simple words that even she, with her reading disorder, could understand. At those mere 8 words, her eyes widened and all trace of cheerfulness was gone in the blink of an eye.
Tome took the peach pit when Mia let it go, scooting it under Joachim's paw so it sat next to the other one there. The young dragon gave a sort of full body wiggle, happy to have two things to bat around, and moved a bit away to do so, hunting for the pits each time he batted them away. Tome smiled a little watching him, but it faded slowly away when he turned back to look at Mia again, and saw the color draining steadily from her face.
"Mia?" Tome queried, concerned. "Mia, what is it?" He looked at the letter in her hand, reached over and gave it a gentle tug to see if she would let go. "Can I see? What does it say? What's wrong?" Something was horribly wrong. That much he could tell just from her expression.
For some reason Tome's voice seemed like the faintest and most distant sound for a moment. Her eyes were glued to the paper and she couldn't help it but reread those words over and over again. So… He was dying, huh? Well that… happens to everybody, doesn't it? She gulped noiselessly and just then she felt the gentle tug on the paper and she automatically let go, even though it felt as if her fingers were glued to the paper.
Parting her lips to speak, she couldn't get the words out at first, probably not knowing herself what she was supposed to reply. "Nothing, nothing is wrong" She finally said. Mia lowered her gaze and she shook her head lightly "I'm just… surprised, that's all" And though she said that, she couldn't shake off that horrible feeling that seemed to be stuck on her throat.