Haven crowed happily and clapped her hands together, "Yay!! Uhhh there was this tree I was sleeping in a day or so ago."

She took flight and swooped around Electrum like a ribbon dancing in the sky, as if she was floating on the wind, "Follow me! I'll show you."

She took off flying through the trees instantly, a lot more deft and graceful than she was when Electrum met her. She was different in many ways. Long, sleek, and small, though she was mostly length rather than muscle mass. Even the way she held herself was different, as if embracing all of the instincts that was hidden inside her mind.

Letting out a shriek, she used the sound to navigate, clicking gently to gauge her surroundings. No longer was she truly blind. She just saw the world through an internal pair of eyes.

@Electrum

Electrum

Electrum weaves after her, staying low so as to let himself stretch and enjoying the feeling of whipping around trees and scaring small creatures and watching them flash away in his periphery with vague and secondary interest. His primary focus is on Haven, and when she seems to be closing in on the tree, he launches himself into the air with his hind legs and tail both, wings snapping open with a sound like wet silk and cellophane as he coasts after her, swinging his tail slowly back and forth like a snake's body to keep his body level as he closely analyses how Haven has not only grown, but matured in multiple ways.

I hope she keeps me around, now that I've hurt her and she doesn't need me to get around. I know she's said she wants me around, but we've both changed... maybe she'll change her mind...

With that sitting coldly in mind, Electrum bobs his head up and then tilts down, angling his whole body down so that he can skim the waters and attempt another hunting trick.

What? He's hungry!

Two large shadows under the water convulse and Electrum swings his feet down, cutting his field and using the confusion to snatch the two large Redfangs out of the water with a satisfied smirk and "Hah!"

@Haven

Haven cooed and swooped down to press a nuzzle to Electrum's shoulder before flying away, grinning, "You got them! I never go for Redfangs anymore, I got bitten once and it nearly took a toe off!"

She landed on top of a tall tree, far off the ground with a flared top to it. She perched and spread her wings, flapping lightly before calling down.

"Electrum! Look at this!", she called out, walking around to inspect it.

With some branches, soft items (rabbit furs, perhaps), and a bit of weaving, they could have a nice, sizable nest... all for them. How lovely.

"Gosh- we could build a nest big enough for...", she trailed off and went quiet, looking over at Electrum before smiling, "Big enough for more than two people."

She took off and went to the next tree to snap off branches and leaves, wanting to get started right away.

@Electrum

Electrum

Electrum frills up once again, his scales rising only slightly but his fins splaying wide from the unsteady perch he had chosen as Haven praises him once more.

"I think the only reason I'm able to get 'em is because I can stun them with my magic." He pries one's mouth open with a wingclaw, an winces at the gnashers. "Yeah, these guys have teeth like us. Respectable. I guess. Still food, though."

This dude's just remaining bright gold, now, and he springs off the ground with the fish in his jaws, darting between branches and weaving his tail and hind legs into one of those positions that shouldn't be comfortable but really is, I swear!

Taking a bit out of the first fish, he nods at the wide branches and small nook that Haven had alighted near- yes, this could do nicely! Needs more color, though...

"More than- why would we need one that big? I mean yeah, of course we can here." He sounds a little... unsure, and he remains still in his spot, chewing thoughtfully on his fish. Before yelling- "Ack! Ow, wh- this fish has a rock in it? A... gem? Huh, like us..." as he speaks his volume drops, leaving him to mumble that last part and glance over at Haven, and then back at the grossular topazolite in his pinched claws.


@Haven

"'Cause a big nest is super comfy!", Haven explained, purring, "And... it makes more room for um... anyone else we may want to add."

Her head perked up at Electrum's last words, though mumbled.

"Electrum... what are we?", she asked, approaching, "We're closer than anything, we're thick as thieves and like..."

Haven shuffled and ducked her head, "I... I love you. So much."

She dared to slink forward and tuck herself into Electrum's front, purring softly. She twined their tails together and huffed gently.

"I um... I want to be your mate," she mumbled, "If you'll have me. If not, that's fine!! I still want to be your friend!"

Gosh she was so scared all of a sudden...

@Electrum

Electrum

Half the fish is hanging out of Electrum's mouth when Haven comes back, nodding along as she talks about comfort, barely recognizing what she means by adding more people.

Maybe people like Bihn, then. Though I'll make sure they don't make her sad, like that snake did. Rude. He punctuates his mental monologue with a snort, and he continues chewing on the rest of the fish, finally swallowing, and going to reply to Haven's question.

But she's still talking, and so he keeps himself silent to allow her to get whatever her point is off her chest.

The big L word has him fully freeze, and blink a few times, before he pulls in some air and promptly had that knocked out of his lungs in shock as she asks him... That.

Fins flexing and tail tightening around hers where she's managed to get his grip to loosen on the branch, he has to take a few seconds to process what she asked... he's barely been awake after leaving her for a whole cycle, and she wants to keep him permanently like... that?

Yes, alright, I'm pretty impressive, but she can't... see that. All she knows is my personality. That's less than stellar, from what I've overheard around the caves. Why?

Well the decision isn't hard, although he wonders why she'd ask him at all.

"Of course. Who else would I ever choose like this, anyway?" he sounds confident, like he's stating the obvious, and again he hopes that's enough.

That he will be enough.

But that's something he can change, that he can work on.

For her.

@Haven

Haven puffed up so big she looked like a cobra, letting out a sudden squeal as she tackled Electrum, hopping around with him in her arms, laughing and crying and just so happy that she could sing!

"YOU SAID YES!", she exclaimed, beads of tears bubbling out from where her eyes would be, "Oh my gosh- Electrum!!"

Haven bumped their heads together in her desperate hug, moving quickly and apologizing before twining herself around him and nuzzling everywhere she could possibly reach.

"Oh- you're all mine! This is wonderful- I'm your's, you're mine...", she rambled, the tip of her tail wagging wildly.

Haven wiped her face and sobbed softly, so overwhelmed she couldn't do anything but cry.

@Electrum

The first two fish were not, as it turned out, Redfangs at all.

Of course, leaving blood in the water from those they'd killed already was one surefire way to attract them--if the dragon-creatures so desired; but that would take some time. The predators were quite few and far between, but if Redfangs were desired, then perhaps they could be attracted--or sought out--with patient time and effort.

@Electrum

by request

Electrum

The puffing made him pause, and almost start to lean back, before the squeal and tackle nearly take him out of the tree, but he feels himself partially lifted as Haven bounces and swings him around, and he uses his tail and hind feet to scrabble for purchase on the wood.

"Of course I- why would I say anything else? Of course you're mine, I'm yours, who else is there to belong to?" now he's just confused, and really concerned because now she's crying oh Caves, and he uses one free forelimb to brush gently at her face, wiping away what tears he can and letting his half-eaten fish fall into the water, odd stone and food forgotten for now.

Maybe the next few times he fishes he'll catch something, like an actual Redfang? Who knows, but now part of this big blue lizard's brain is hell-bent on impressing Haven with food and comfort, with belongings and... huh, there's a new feeling he doesn't know how to name in there, but him not being able to I.D. a feeling isn't much new...

So why is this thought making his magic spark and mind flash with bright and crystaline lights?

@Haven

Haven nuzzled into his hands and wiped her eyes too, "I'm so sorry- I didn't mean to cry all over you-"

She inhaled and exhaled, rubbing the dimples in her skull before shaking her head out. She poked him gently and sniffed, wiping her nose.

"But... let's make a nest. Somewhere really nice, with water and somewhere like a ledge- somewhere that doesn't smell like rot all the time," she said, no offense to Cetus.

She tapped her claws together and hummed, "So I went exploring with a horse a bit ago. We could... we could go exploring too! Now that you're awake you can come with me and we can explore the caves together! You and me again."

Haven smiled brightly, her pink wings vibrating with excitement at the idea, "Our nest is going to be so soft and comfortable- I wonder if we could use animal fur or feathers to line that nest to make it super soft!"

@Electrum