Sakura Mochi (LGBTQ+)

Chapter 1 - Bug

"Rin! Get back here," Onaeni shouted. "Yuki! Do not follow your sibling or I swear to Ryūjin-"

Yuki giggled from beside me as we ran. She always followed me wherever I went, but she was my other half; I wouldn't have it any other way. We rushed past our nursemaid and into the central courtyard. Onaeni continued to scream at us to come back, but we ignored him. "Where to, Bug?" Yuki asked me.

"Let's go into town, duh," I said, rolling my eyes.

We ran faster when we noticed the guards by the door looking straight at us. We slipped past them and out the wide-open doors, hearing them shout at us as well. Within a few minutes, we were in town and slowed to a stop. The sounds of people bustling about, shops trying to attract customers, and the smell of freshly-baked goods capture my senses. It was so lively here. Full of color and laughter. We loved coming to town because it didn't feel lonely. The estate was so empty. After all, it was just our family and the staff. I hated it.

"Bug, let's get some mochi," Yuki begged me, tugging on my sleeve and pointing at a stall. The confection was a special treat from outside of our realm, but dragons had quickly taken a liking to it and it became a stall food Yuki had an obsession with. 

"Okay."

We walked up to the stall and the person running it saw us and quickly bowed. "Oh, young nobles. What can I do for you?" The person asked.

While Yuki began rattling off what we—she—wanted, I glanced around. The town was filled with the smells of food and a hint of smoke from the multitude of fires. There'd always been the faint smell of smoke in the air no matter where you went. I kind of liked it. It reminded me of home. This was home, more than the stuffy estate was. No amount of open corridors and courtyards could alleviate the crushing loneliness that haunted those halls.

Yuki tapped my shoulder and offered me a piece of mochi. She knew I didn't really eat much of it, so she offered a small piece. I accepted it and popped it into my mouth. Then, Yuki looped her arm with mine and we began walking around. The faint sound of music brought my focus to a flame-weaver in the town square. My attention was grabbed and I pulled Yuki over. We squeezed through the small crowd to the front where a beautiful dancer used their flame to create intricate patterns in the air. It was beautiful. A dragon's flame was always beautiful. There were different colors, different intensities, and different qualities. A flame was a manifestation of a dragon's magical spirit, so each was unique. This person's looked like a flowing white silk ribbon as it weaved in the air. Like a glittering snake dancing in the sky to the beat of the drums being played off to the side.

When the dance ended, the crowd clapped. Yuki had a large smile on her face as she clapped along. I was still watching the dancer. They looked out of breath, but content. A small elbow poked into my side and I flinched. "Hey!"

"Go talk to them, Bug," Yuki urged and roughly pushed me into the circle left for the dancer, but I stumbled and fell to the ground, scraping my knees in the process.

My face instantly reddened. What did she even want me to say to them? My ears reddened as I avoided looking up. I probably looked stupid. Why did Yuki have to push me like that? Tears welled up in my eyes, but a blurry hand appeared and I blinked them back. It was the dancer. They had a gentle smile on their delicate face. "Hello there. You took quite a fall."

I carefully reached out for their hand and they pulled me up easily. "T-thank you," I mumbled, still embarrassed.

"No need to thank me. What is your name, dear?"

"Rin."

"Oh, what a lovely name, Rin. And how old are you?" They asked.

"I'm still a hatchling," I answered.