Dragons were not known for their patience.

Dread wasn't malicious, or even deliberately selfish--it didn't even occur to him that others might be waiting their turns, really. The only thought on his mind was that he wanted his Shinies--this time, in the form of glittering fire sparkling over his own scales--and so he took the vial in his hind claws and wing-waddled over to Elspet. He set the big vial carefully down before her, and made his demands.

...They were probably intended as requests, but regardless.

"I WANT LINES," he informed her, loudly. "BUT NOT STRAIGHT. AND WITH POINTS. LIKE MANY CLAWS," he decided abruptly.

A brief demonstration by way of scuffing his claws in the pebbled beach below, and the dragon had an example for Elspet: apparently, he wanted sweeping curves with pointed lines, like some sort of ancient tribal tattoos.

@Elspet

It wasn't possible to get any sort of response to 'missing' the spell, because a dragon far too large to argue with cut straight to the front of the proverbial line. His vision was already set, too, as he scrawled it hastily in the pebbled beach. Weird swirly stuff, eh? That was possible, if Elspet could manage to make it last down the length of his entire body. There was a lot of surface to cover, but she figured--- between the scales, cascading down would be fine, yeah?

"A'ight, a'ight. Lean down a l'il will ya?" She picked up the large vial of magma-esque fluid, faintly warm, and held it against her chest with one arm. Using her other hand, the gorilla uncorked it. The neck of it was large enough to stick her entire hand into, so she made sure to douse it well with the dye. Then, off she went through the motions: sweeping curves falling into place on Dread's flanks, nestling themselves among the lines of heavier plating and making the so-called 'claws' he had desired.

Work complete and briefly rinsing off her hands, Elspet set herself to casting magic, once more. Maybe her focus had been just off enough...

A thrum of magicka pulsed through her being this time, arcing from her palms to the dye now permanently affixed to Dread's scales. "There we go!"

@Dread

The dragon turned, watching with a flame-glowing side-eye as Elspet did her work. Eagerness and greed ran through him: he wanted the colors, and how he'd have it! He, himself, would be shiny!

When she finished, and spoke, he leaned back. Rocking onto his hind legs he beat his wings, head tilted enough to see his own flank, and was enormously gratified to see the flash of fiery lines glittering across his scales. He let out a delighted, shrieking bellow--a roar that cascaded over the pebbles and to Fornax's sea--before slamming back down on his wings to give Elspet a grateful nudge.

And then, he remembered his manners.

"THANK YOU!" he bellowed.

He didn't wait for anything further, instead turning--tail lashing wildly behind him--and breaking into a swift, shambling run. Wings beat as he picked up speed, until he leapt up, launching himself back into the air.

Dread circled overhead, letting out a couple of joyous bellows. If nothing else, he was always easily-pleased.

exit Dread ; @Elspet

The Blacksmith watched, pleased, as the others seemed to not only grasp the making of the dye, but began to apply it with the magic he had taught to Elspet.

It was glad to see this magic being spread--the creativity, the use of mind and heart to make new. Quietly it began to gather up its things, the few vials that had not been used, though it left the unused stones, feathers and so forth behind for those who might wish to use them.

Then, quietly, the Blacksmith departed, smiling behind its mask.

The Blacksmith exits. Those who wish to speak with him further may seek him out and tag him in a new thread.

Wilder couldn't help being a little jealous when the gorilla began to paint the dragon's scales. If she had hands like that she could make beautiful patterns too! But she shook it away - she could learn to paint just as well with her paws if she so wanted! She watched the gorilla's motions carefully and she watched the spell in action. She needed to learn this, memorize it so she could replicate it in the future. But she didn't know what was going on in her head...so she'd just have to figure it out herself!

"Wow," she breathed as Elspet stepped away. "That looks amazing! Beautiful and shiny!" She watched all the way until the dragon was gone. "I'll learn how to do that too! I'll have two hearts on my cheecks!" She stood taller and proud before leaning forward to snap up the bottles she had in front of her, taking off eagerly to stash them away and get ready to learn how to paint as well.

*exit

Usingizi took her vial quickly, not wanting to take more time than was needed. It was a little thing of black opal dye, the liquid flecked with spots of green that shone in the light. She found the color pretty. It fit her, she thought. Her scales were already dark, but she hoped itd be visible anyways. She flickered her tongue nervously.

She gave her best approximation of a nod when the other gembound began speaking about who'd recieve the dye spell. Elspet was the only one she really knew here, and the least scary looking, excluding the kitten.

"I agree." She'd feel safest with Elspet doing the painting-she didn't really know any of these other gembound. She balked though when the blacksmith approached Elspet, and by proxy Usingizi. For some reason the idea of the blacksmith having to approach to teach Elspet the spell didn't register. She backed up some and coiled into a tight ball. She pressed the gemstone in her mouth as she considered where she'd like the dye.

"Id like a stripe." She says to Elspet once the gorrila had finished working on Dread. Usingizi wasn't the most creative animal. But, to her, the only alternative pattern she could think of was dipping her face in the dye, and she'd enjoy that much less.

@Elspet

Aside from getting her eardrums blasted out by a dragon at point-blank range and having a little black cat shout praise and promptly leave, Elspet was pretty content with being the resident tattoo artist.

She settled down, preparing to affix dye to her own skin permanently. The little serpent was edging forth, taking up her small vial of iridescent, inky-black dye. "Ah, sure thing, Ooh!" Elspet smiled gently, teeth flashing for just a second as she reached over to pick up the glass bottle. Delicately uncorking it and splashing the liquid onto her fingers, she carefully drew a stripe down Usingizi's back.

Just to make sure she didn't mistakenly affix the black dye to her own hands, she swished it around in Fornax's shallows. The gorilla called upon her magicka briefly, but it fizzled out quickly. "Ah, this shit's fickle, ain't it..." she cursed softly, before covering her mouth because she just swore in front of a Baby. Babies were not allowed to hear Naughty Words. "Don't repeat that s-word, a'ight? It's a mean one."

@Usingizi