RP Log: Ryuuji and Wolfram
A knock came to Ryuuji's door, Wolfram adjusting the dragon's weight to free a hand. It wasn't really necessary, Gilandren would easily cling to him if Wolfram let go with both hands. But he wouldn't feel like a very good dragon owner if he did that.
"Ryuuji-Sama?" Wolfram called. "It's Wolfram von Bielefeld. I have brought Gildandren!" Excited clawing is heard at the door. "That is not me!"
Getting up, highly amused by Wolfram's need to clarify that he didn't claw at doors, Ryuuji walked over to the door and opened it, taking a step back and glancing at Gilandren first, then up at Wolfram.
With a friendly smile, he greeted both of them politely, "Hello Wolfram," then in the harsher, back-of-the-throat rasp of dragon speech, "Kindred. Welcome."
It really was a very tiny dragon, which was why Ryuuji didn't go for telepathy straight away -- it looked either too young or non-sentient.
Maybe it didn't matter for humans but for dragons, size was important.
Wolfram strided into the room, his admiration for Ryuuji's kind not taking away any of his pride or self-possession. Gilandren was doing his best to make keeping his pride very difficult for the demon, however, as he was currently climbing his way down Wolfram's back, his tail in the air.
At the sound of Ryuuji's change of tone, Wolfram stepped back, surprised but not frightened. The little swamp dragon (about a foot long) poked his head up at the other dragon's tone, bopping his head in interest. However, he didn't appear to understand anything beyond it being a form of peaceful greeting.
He seemed about to let out a small burst of flame in greeting, but stopped when Wolfram rested a light hand on his head. But it was only temporarily postponed, as Gilandren soon just let out a burst of flame in Wolfram's direction. Luckily, the boy was used to this and he ducked.
"He's a swamp dragon! According to my research, he doesn't fly very well and he has a tendency to explode. You'll help me prevent that, won't you?"
"I'll do my best, of course. No dragon wants to see kindred splattered all over the walls, even if it's non-sentient." Ryuuji responded, then nodded at the heavy stone case on the table, made of a glazed black material. Onyx-like, because it was harder to melt jewels than metal. "Can you open that? It's got some tools inside that could be helpful."
He held out both arms towards Gilandren and clucked his tongue, letting a low, continuous growl rumble from the back of his throat. It was an oddly soothing sound for all its roughness, the kind of noise you'd associate with a mother grooming a dracling. Ryuuji wanted to get that association into Gilandren's mind so that he wouldn't mind the examination -- just because he wasn't easily hurt by fire and the entire room was flameproof didn't mean that Wolfram couldn't be hurt, after all.
Wolfram didn't seem eager to give up his dragon, even to another, and almost was about to feebly protest. Gilandren didn't give Wolfram the chance, however, as the colorful creature quickly crawled his way into Ryuuji's arms, trying his best to make it to the other dragon's shoulder. He attempted to mimic the soothing call, but all he managed was to crane his neck so his snout was near Ryuuji's ear, and then released a loud squawk.
The demon pouted. That should have been /his/ squawk. Still, he was mature enough to recognize when he wasn't being so, and he followed Ryuuji's instructions. He looked at the case and then opened it, looking inside. "Right now Gilandren is a Pewmet, but he will shortly reach eight months and become a Cock," he added, trying to show that, despite how much of an expert Ryuuji might be, Wolfram had still taken the time to learn about his dragon.
Ryuuji nodded his understanding, stroking the dragon's scales soothingly, checking the backs of the ears and between the claws as best as he could. He'd prepared for the meeting by putting on black leather gauntlets, lined with metal on the inside so that Gilandren could brace on those if he prefered, but holding the swamp dragon close to his chest wasn't difficult either.
Stepping backwards, he sat down on the beanbag and smiled at Wolfram, sunny and approving, "Gilandren seems to be in good shape. Think you could pass me the small black tube on the left, with the green sticker? That'll analyse the make-up of his scales and tell me what nutrients he needs to keep those strong and shiny. I can give you some oils to rub into them to make them stronger while he's in his growing stage."
While not precisely fighting him, Gilandren wasn't making the examination any easier, as he was attempting to explore Ryuuji as much as Ryuuji was trying to examine him. He squawked against and his tongue quickly darted out to taste Ryuuji's hair. Still, his real goal was to make it to Ryuuji's shoulder, as made clear by his tries to ignore the examination and climbs up. That's where he was trained to go, after all. Of course, he also had a strange interest in then climbing down the holder's back. Being upside down was fun!
Wolfram smiled, appearing to glow in pride from Ryuuji's approval. He told Yuuri in Shin Makoku that he'd make an excellent guardian for a dragon! And now he was helping one again. And Mr. Black would probably try to insist that his quest was hard. He'd already completed it without even trying, some of the tasks twice over! He passed him the black tube, and watched with fascination. "That would really be helpful of you, Ryuuji-Sama. Would you like anything in exchange for the oils? Of course, what do dragons need from demons... do you want me to defeat some poachers?"
"Just take good care of Gilandren, and that's all I need." Ryuuji responded with a warm smile, running the tube over Gilandren's back hard enough to press against the scales and scrape over them lightly. The end of it flashed different colors, then emitted a series of low-key beeps, making Ryuuji nod his head and scratch behind Gilandren's ears again.
To keep the dragon still, he shifted his hold on him, putting Gilandren onto his lap. "Right -- his scales are good condition, nice and tough without being inflexible, which is good since they'll stretch a little as he grows. Pick up the top layer of the kit, and there'll be some black-red biscuits underneath. Since we're testing him for explosiveness, I want to feed him those since they're stabilizing agents, and then take a saliva sample."
Wolfram nodded. "Of course I'll take good care of Gilandren. I'll defend him to the death if need be!" He gained a determined glint in his eye. He then glanced at one of the beanbags. If Ryuuji was in one, surely it would be alright for him to do so, as well, no matter how ridiculous they looked. He moved to one and sat down, sinking deeply into the cushion. He widened his eyes and forced himself not to panic, even though he felt like he was being eaten alive by a potato.
Gilandren gently rumbled a high-pitched keen as he was scraped by the tube. He seemed to enjoy the sensation... and the different colors and beeps! He watched them, happily attempting to nip at them with his snout. He didn't appear to be upset by the move back to the lap, but just tried to get back up on Ryuuji's shoulder again. Half the fun was the journey!
Wolfram struggled out of the beanbag chair, and ended up having to clumsily roll out of it. He'd get the hang of it, eventually! He picked up the top layer and took out the biscuits. "May I feed him?" He asked, approaching. Much better than what he would have said only a few weeks earlier. ("I'll feed MY dragon, not you!")
Ryuuji resisted the temptation to say that nobody was likely to try to kill a swamp dragon, instead just continuing to pet Gilandren and scritch over the bits that his own dragon form liked best to have scratched.
Glancing up at Wolfram's question, Ryuuji shot him a quick, friendly grin, "Of course. Your dragon. And you don't need to get warned to watch out for biting either since you've had him
for a while."
He paid Wolfram's ineptness with the beanbag absolutely no heed, though a sneaky bit of his mind wanted to try putting Wolfram in a hammock now to see how well Wolfram dealt with that. Looping an arm over Gilandren's side, he kept the small dragon firmly in place, petting him to make the temporary pause in climbing more bearable.
"Biting is how Gilandren says 'hello'. And 'good-bye'. And 'I like you'. At least, that's what I assure myself." Wolfram offered Ryuuji a light smile, moving forward to feed his dragon. The idea of a meal actually managed to get the pewmet to hold still. He held a bisquit at its end and waited for his dragon to go for it, dropping it at the last moment. Even by doing this, Wolfram almost lost a finger. He slightly tapped Gilandren on the snout to gain his attention. "No," he gently reminded him.
Gilandren just stared at Wolfram blankly, eager for his next treat. When impatience caused Gilandren to let out a small flame, Wolfram sighed, not too deeply, went back to feeding him again. Despite his attempts at correction, there was a gleam in the demon's eye. He seemed proud of his dragon's bold eagerness. "Is this enough snacks?" Wolfram eventually asked.
"Maybe I ought to try to teach you how to at least say some basic bits of dragon-speak, like 'good' and 'bad'." Ryuuji mused, watching Wolfram feed Gilandren with mild amusement. Ouch. Ryuuji personally would have been more likely to toss it into the air and let Gilandren snap it into his mouth like dragons did when hunting aerial prey.
As the level of biscuits diminished, Ryuuji confirmed, "That's fine." He slipped one hand down to Gilandren's stomach, testing the firmness of it and slowly, gently massaging it to try to aid the digestion without making him explode.
"Can you get the swab of cotton from the right-hand top layer, and the small, flat black thing with a half-moon indentation?"
"Could you?" Wolfram asked eagerly. "There was this girl in Gryffindor that an acq- a friend knows. He was going to set up classes about dragon rearing with her, but that's not likely to happen anymore for some time." His slight smile moved to a frown, but then it was quickly back to his neutral expression. He pet Gilandren's head, and wished that he got along with everyone as as well as he did with his dragon. Then he wouldn't have nearly the same amount of trouble!
The dragon craned his neck down to watch Ryuuji's hand with interest, tail smacking against the ground. "Should I do that whenever he finishes eating?" Wolfram asked as he received the materials Ryuuji aked for. He handed the device to Ryuuji, petting Gilandren's scales. "Would you like me to hold him? That won't hurt him, correct?"
"Well, if you're going to be taking care of Gilandren, then yeah, I think that I should tease you at least how to rumble soothingly." Ryuuji's eyes were bright with genuine affection as he kept massaging Gilandren's stomach, the smile on his lips honest and unstudied, usual polished charm disappearing for the moment in favor of genuine appreciation of the volatile beastie.
At Wolfram's question, Ryuuji tilted his head to a side consideringly, "Hm. Only if you're careful? He seems to have a very complex digestive system so even though massaging his stomach makes it work faster, I'd want you to learn how to do it properly so that you don't accidentally press the wrong bit and trigger him to explode."
He gave the little dragon's stomach a final pet, then squeezed under the jaw lightly, coaxing Gilandren to open up so that he could take a swipe of saliva then deposit in the analytic machine.
Wolfram cleared his throat, and attempted to mimic the sound Ryuuji made to the little dragon. "Grrrugh.... Gruggerraggerblah." Gilandren had closed his eyes, unusually calm from the strokings, but he then opened his eyes at his demon friend making such strange noises. He looked from Wolfram to Ryuuji. He let out another squawk/growl of curiousity, looking back at Wolfram again in interest and confusion.
The demon widened his eyes. One wrong press and he could hurt Gilandren!? "Perhaps we should wait, then. Any other places I shouldn't touch? I truly don't want him to explode!"
The dragon obediently opened his jaw, full enough that he didn't even attempt to bite at Ryuuji's fingers. He did try to tag them with his tongue, however.
Ryuuji did his best not to laugh at Wolfram. "No, not quite like that. Back of the throat, but smooth it out. Imagine rocks getting coated with lava and melting -- that kind of noise."
Letting Gilandren lap at his fingers, confident that his gloves could protect him, Ryuuji took the swab out and placed it in the half-circle indentation. He waited for it to be analysed, and tilted his head up at
Wolfram, "Just be gentle with him in general? Like, don't poke him with anything or make him feel threatened. This is a very different species of dragon to mine."
Wolfram raised his eyebrows, and remembered back. "I think it's a very alarming thing that I know what that sounds like." Wolfram narrowed his eyes and lets out a low, '"uuurrrrrrrrrgh." It was a bit closer, at least close enough that Gilandren didn't seem confuse anymore, though not interested, either.
As soon as the swab was taken, Gilandren went back to try to climb up Ryuuji's shoulder. Wolfram, meanwhile, leaned over to look at the indentation.
"I can be gentle," Wolfram mentioned. "I have a daughter and a tribble and I helped Yuuri deliver a litter of Bearbees. I'm like a parent to all of them! Well, more than like with Greta. But you're right, he must be a different species. He's very tall and he can't speak... he probably doesn't do magic, either." He tilted his head, curious. "How do you know so much about him, then? Did you study or is it just..." He waved his hands around his temple vaguely, trying to spell out 'innate knowledge' with his hands. Should have just said it.
"Possibly. And that's definitely better. Just smooth it out a little more and deepen it." Ryuuji told Wolfram approvingly, bringing both hands up to catch Gilandren's legs and tug lightly, coaxing him back into Ryuuji's lap.
The machine made a soft, whirring noise as it started to go through the enzymes in the saliva, and Ryuuji ignored it to listen to Wolfram instead, a light smile quirking his lips, "You are very responsible, yes. But as for Gilandren, some things are innate just because they're the same -- like even though you're a demon, you speak with your mouth and listen with your ears like humans do -- and others are because I studied up on my dragon form and other dragon forms. The dragons native to this world aren't the kind that I know, either, and it behooves me to learn as much about my kindred as I can."
Wolfram cleared his throat, trying a few more times. Eventually he hit the right tone, and Gilandren snapped his neck towards Wolfram, and let out a loud squawk and a burst of flame. The blond grinned in triumph and shouted, "I did it! I will be the greatest dragon raiser in the history of Shin Makoku!" He folded his arms as he smugly declared, "In your face, 'Naturally Beloved by all Creatures Shibuya Yuuri'."
Gilandren snorted some smoke at the mention of Yuuri's name, and looked back at Ryuuji. Gil was an extremely active dragon that didn't like to be kept still, but he was also very cheerful and good-natured, so Gil didn't hold being kept still against the strange looking dragon. He swat Ryuuji's shoulder with his tail and went to crawl across Ryuuji's lap to try the other side.
"How dare you! Everyone knows that demons breath through our ears. We dread winter when the Earmuffs attack." He smirked slightly, and then took an overdramatic look of despair. He was good at dramatics. "Poor Old Belial. He just didn't want frostbite, and then..."
Tilting his head backwards at the burst of flame, quick reflexes coming to the forefront, Ryuuji snickered at the swat to his shoulder. Fairly hard, but not painfully so -- spirited little thing, this Gilandren.
Putting him down on the ground so that he could observe Gilandren walk, Ryuuji glanced at the analyser which was now flashing a cool orange with multi-colored little dots, green green and then blue red green again. "Hm..."
Pulling the kit onto his lap, Ryuuji rummaged through it, looking at the instruments instead of Wolfram. Then paused, and blinked. "...What?"
He laughed outright, eyes bright with amusement, "C'mon. You seriously don't breathe through your ears. I can hear you breathing when you shout."
Gilandren started to waddle over to Wolfram, who smiled at such a show of familiarity. He kneeled down and held out his arms, leading to the little dragon climbing his way up to Wolfram's shoulder. He looked over to Ryuuji as if giving him a friendly reminder about how to hold a dragon properly. Then Gil started to pick his way down Wolfram's back, and the blond had to gently tug at his legs, like he saw Ryuuji do, to show Gil what HE thought was the right way.
He stopped at Ryuuji's remark, and immediately stepped forward. "What? What's what? Ryuuji! What's what!? What is bad? What is bas, isn't it? What kind of bad is what!?"
When the dragon was redeposited, Wolfram crossed his arms and said, "Well, we breathe through our mouths too. Like humans. Only we also breathe through out ears because we can't breathe through our mouths when giving birth. That's where the baby comes through." He made a face at his own image. "Can you believe some humans would actually believe that!? It's horrible-"
"...Horrible indeed." Ryuuji agreed, slightly taken-back by Wolfram's rapidly changing moods, and held the analyser out. "See the different dots? They represent the levels of certain indicator enzymes in his saliva, which breaks down into components which can be used to estimate how effectively his digestive system functions."
He paused expectantly, looking at Wolfram to see if Wolfram had any questions. Which hopefully would make sense to Ryuuji because how could he answer questions that didn't make sense?
"Well, what's wrong with it? There's something wrong, right? Is there anything?" He looked at the analyser carefully, but did not have enough experience with modern medical equipment to make much sense of it. Gilandren looked over Wolfram's shoulder at it as well, curious.
"Well, the carbon content is a little on the low side." Ryuuji informed Wolfram with a frown, looking down at the machine. "Feed him more carbon? It's one of the key criteria for good fuel, so the more carbon he has, the stronger his flames and the more steady his system will be overall."
"Where's carbon?" Wolfram looked deflated. He thought he had been doing everything right! "Which foods should I feed him." He looked over at Gilandren. "You should have acted sicker, then I would have known!"
Gil ignored the orders, trying to catch the machine with the beeping noises with his teeth. Wolfram pat his neck and glared down at the analyser, as if blaming it for the bad news.
"No, it's okay, he's not really sick." Ryuuji hastened to reassure Wolfram, "You're doing an excellent job so far. It's like how humans can go low on calcium and then their hair turns brittle or their nails get white spots but they don't actually count as sick."
Taking the analyser away, Ryuuji scratched behind Gilandren's ears again, and told Wolfram reassuringly, "And it's easy to fix anyway. Feed him charcoal, processed leads, or let him nibble on some steel. Diamonds also work for larger dragons, but I don't think that Gilandren will ever get big enough to need those to fuel his fire."
Wolfram relaxed, but only marginally. "I didn't know that humans have that problem. No wonder they resent us so. They're balding and they require manicures just to keep from looking disturbing." He still appeared nervous, and continued to pet Gilandren's neck.
Gil didn't seem too upset about having his toy taken away, and leaned into Ryuuji's scratches before move back, starting to crawl on the other side of Wolfram's shoulder.
"Charcoal, leads, steel. Alright. Will they be difficult to send for? I have the funds to pay for them."
Ryuuji glanced down at his own buffed nails, then flipped his hair, "No, only if they don't take proper care of themselves."
Then again, if Wolfram paid more heed to Ryuuji's dragon side than his human side, Ryuuji probably couldn't use himself as an example. Oh well.
Ignoring that, Ryuuji closed up the kit and shook his head, smiling easily, "No, they'll be easy to obtain, I should think. Charcoal gets used for art supplies and barbecues both, but purified lead shouldn't be kept lying around because it's bad for human brains since it causes insanity. And steel, you can buy in blocks."
"Demons barely even need to do that," Wolfram said, not leaving the subject. "My mother has hair past her waist- I have the shortest hair in my family." He looked at his own nails, then at Gilandren's claws, as if expecting to find those white spots. "And I don't need to eat charcoal for it. But we live five times as long, too. It's the magic in our blood." He nodded, not realizing that he was insulting Ryuuji's human side. He believed the older (well, actually younger) man completely, including the idea that his human form was just a clever ruse.
"Is there anywhere on campus that they're keeping some?" Wolfram asked. "Lead would be bad for half-humans as well, wouldn't it? I wouldn't want my dragon to suddenly start driving everyone mad around him. So I don't think I'll give him any lead."
"Do you eat or drink anything at all?" Ryuuji asked curiously, wondering what exactly Wolfram's limitations were, "Or sleep? I mean, I don't eat charcoal either except in my dragon form occasionally, but I don't think that my dragon form's lifespan can even be measured in human years."
After all, Mahaado's Ka had lasted at least 3,000 years. Why shouldn't Ryuuji's?
The question about the lead made Ryuuji blink, then nod, "Okay, you can skip the lead. Charcoal works best anyway. And maybe check with Care of Magical Creatures? If not, I can order in a few sacks for Gilandren."
Wolfram laughed at Ryuuji. "Of course I eat and drink! See? Taste-buds!" He stuck out his tongue, and then realized that he had just stuck a tongue out at a noble dragon. He blushed slightly and covered his mouth, but refused to react anymore to it. He put his hand down and said, "I'm actually known to be a very heavy sleeper." He tilted his head, curious. "How old are you? Are you actually older than me?"
"I will owl Care of Magical Creatures soon. That's where I got my tribble." He shook his head. "It's not that you need to order for me. I just need to the location of where I can order from."
"Very nice taste-buds." Ryuuji observed gravely, utterly deadpan and refusing to let a trace of amusement show at Wolfram's obvious embarrassment. With a laugh, he added, "And oh really? I'm a light sleeper, usually. And I really am only nineteen. Promise."
Understanding that, Ryuuji explained, "The thing is, I was thinking of ordering online. Do you have a laptop or know how to use one?"
"I get compliments about them often," Wolfram responded. The sad part was, he was complimented on them once or twice. Stupid flatterers. "Yes, it's a bad habit to have as a soldier. I'm trying to train myself out of it."
"Lap...top?" Wolfram blinked and looked down at the top of his own lap. Gilandren followed his gaze, pulling himself up by Wolfram's head.
Complimented on taste buds? Wow. Even Ryuuji's fangirls weren't that bad. He might have said something more about that, but Wolfram's obvious lack of knowledge about laptops distracted the tech-friendly boy.
"Ah. Laptops are portable computers. Like that one." Ryuuji waved at his own lime-green customized baby laptop, which packed quite a lot more power than one would think to look at it.
"Oh!" Wolfram widened his eyes as his translator caught up. "My 'Speak to the Heart-Kun' had trouble with a modern word, which has a very different meaning if broken into two." He then turned back to Ryuuji. "If it would get my dragon the feed he needs quicker, then I would appreciate it. I'll pay for whatever you order, of course."
"...'Speak to the Heart-Kun'?" Ryuuji inquired curiously, tilting his head at Wolfram, "And okay, sure, if you insist. I'll throw in a few treats for him every so often as well, if you don't mind? Because I know he's your dragon, but he's a very little one, and I feel just a little responsible for him."
Pause. "Much like you would towards any baby demons in the school, I imagine."
"I would be very grateful. I've been researching what kind of treats he'd like, but maybe you could give me some suggestions? Dragons deserve to be spoiled!" He gave his dragon an affectionate look, and began to pet where he saw Ryuuji do so earlier... but not the stomach!
Wolfram almost looked offended. "I'd feel responsible for any babies in the school, human, demon, or anything. It's not their fault if they're human."
"Dragons like jewels, gold, and pretty much anything shiny." Ryuuji explained, thinking of his own lair with a soft smile, "Get him some nice jewelry and that'll make him happy. He also can eat gold and other such precious metals so if you can afford it, the occasional nugget or two would be a very special occasion treat for him."
The near-offended expression made Ryuuji blink, then look half-apologetic even as he was amused by Wolfram's insistence that it wasn't the fault of the babies that they were human, "Of course you would. You're a responsible person."
Pause. He just had to ask, "Though if it's not the fault of the babies that they're human, then it's also not the fault of the adult humans that they're human, right?"
"Just like demons and humans, then!" Wolfram grinned, being reminded of his palace. "No wonder Gilandren had been so taken by that machine of yours."
The dragon of the hour also seemed to take with Wolfram, as he made it his new mission to perch on his head. The blond winced and tried to endure, but when a claw got dangerously close to his eye, he gently led the dragon back to a shoulder. Wolfram's hair momentarily had the rare look of being messy, but that was dispelled with a quick run through with his fingers.
Wolfram nodded to Ryuuji's first comment, and then shrugged. "Well, it's an adult's fault if they continue to have human-like actions. Being prejudiced, ignorant, immoral, cruel, aggressive to the innocent... They're old enough to know better. Or they should, but being surrounded by other humans makes it hard."
"Except that demons and humans don't usually eat shiny things the way that dragons like to." Ryuuji laughed in response, and then started to pack the drac-kit up, knowing that nothing more from it would be needed. "Congratulations on having a relatively healthy little swamp dragons, Wolfram. Keep taking good care of him."
The bit about 'prejudiced' made Ryuuji's lips twitch but he decided to stay quiet for the moment and let Wolfram take the dismissal for what it was -- a polite goodbye.
"I will, Ryuuji-Sama! Thank you from Gilandren and me!" Wolfram had spent enough time in court and the army to know a dismissal when he saw one, even though he was often hard-headed enough to ignore it. He started to the door and looked back. "I'll keep you updated on his condition. And if I find anymore dragons. And I promise to keep the secret that you're a dragon safe!" He then opened it and looked back.
"Good-bye, Ryuuji-Sama!" And he shut the door behind him.