The 'Dragon Defender'

Oldest Partners, Newest Partners

Overseeing training hasn't really done much, nor filling the water tanks, nor washing down some of the dragons who were interested. I think the dragons are starting to notice how distracted I am, and I keep getting gently nudged by them checking up on me as much as I'm checking up on them.

"Indigo? Are you sure you're okay?"

This time it's Stylive, still dripping form where I've been giving her scales a good scrub. "I'm fine," I smile to her, patting her side in an attempt to reassure her. "Just... just want a distraction. Is all."

"From what?"

"Well if I told you, I wouldn't be very distracted," I point out jokingly. "I guess..." she agrees. "But I don't think it's working out for you anyway. Plus I'm your best friend ever, so you're obligated to tell me everything. Go."

I laugh at this, throwing the sponge at her, causing her to dramatically gasp as if she's been assaulted. "You monster!"

"And what are you gonna do about it?" I tease, only to be tackled, knocking the water bucket over and spilling suds and laughter all around us.

I start shoving at Stylive, but the both of us are cackling like idiots, way too much for either of us to properly do anything at this point beyond Stylive deliberately soaking me. "Get off!" I laugh, only for her to reply with "Never!" and lay her head down.

"Oh, the horror, betrayed by my own partner!" I jokingly wail, pretending to punch at her, only making the lightest contact possible so there's no chance of actually hurting her, even by accident. "Begone, you foul beast!"

Stylive responds to this one by picking me up by the back of my armour and shaking her head quickly, essentially treating me as a rag doll. "Okay, okay!" I shriek. "I surrender!"

Stylive drops me down unceremoniously, but I'm still too gone to care. The both of us take a while to stop laughing and actually collect our breaths again.

"We... Phew! We haven't played like that in a while!" Stylive giggles, to which I nod, unable to keep the dumb grin off my face. "Yeah... I've missed this... thanks, Livy. I needed that."

"No problem! I enjoyed it!"

I chuckle and lean against Stylive's side. She nestles her head down beside me. "Now... tell me what's wrong? Do I need to kill someone for you?"

"No, nothing like that," I wave the idea off. "I just..." I shake my head, letting out a breath. "Well, do you know about Plasma?"

"That Morphwing guy?" She clarifies. "I've heard a little about him, not much. Why? Has he done anything to you?"

"Nothing bad," I assure her, patting her side. "But, um... he's said some things to me, and I'm... I'm a little perplexed..."

Stylive cocks her head in curiosity, watching as I pull my knees up to my chest. "Okay... well what did he say?"

"He basically told me he loves me."

I look to Stylive, who blinks at this revelation, then opens her mouth to speak.

"... Pfft! Hahahahahahaha!"

"Hey, I'm serious!" I glare as she bursts out laughing. "I know, I'm sorry!" She wheezes. "It's just- oh gods, this is the best day of my life! Sucks to be him!"

"Am I really that bad?"

"No, no, that's not it!" Stylive shakes her head quickly, sobering up slightly, but her tail still thumps on the ground where it's wagging. "I mean that, out of all the humans and dragons in the world, he fell in love with Miss I-Can-Never-Get-Close-To-Others-And-Here's-A-Long-Repetitive-Speech-About-Why-Humans-Have-Ruined-My-Social-Life-By-Being—!"

"Okay, I get your point!" I cut her off, resting my forehead on my knees. "Look, Stylive, I just... I've never had someone I actually care about approach me like this. And I don't know how to respond to it."

"Oh, so you do like him?" Stylive sounds surprised at this. "Huh. Never thought I'd see the day. Then again, I also never thought you'd survive this long, so..."

"Seriously?"

"What? You're constantly throwing yourself single-handed at entire fleets! How are you alive right now?"

"Look, can you just stop calling me out for five minutes?" I huff. "I'm trying to have a serious talk with you right now."

"I'm your best friend, it's my job to wind you up. Now have you told him you like him back?"

"I don't even know if I do!"

"Well if you didn't like him, why are you finding it so hard to handle?"

I shrug, slowly looking up at Stylive, trying to collect my thoughts and arrange them into proper words. "I don't know... he's my friend. I don't want to hurt him."

"Look, Indigo, would you hurt him or would he be hurt?" Stylive questions. "He isn't going to blame you or whatever else you're thinking. It's just a crush, it's not the end of the world. Since when did you care about protecting somebody's feelings?"

"I care about peoples' feelings," I roll my eyes. "Only if they're dragons," she teases, to which I nod. "Okay, your point?"

"Hm. Anyway. What else are you worried about with this?"

"I don't even know if I like him or not. How are you supposed to know if you like somebody?"

"There's no specific way to know," Stylive hums, tapping her chin with her tail thoughtfully. "Sometimes you just feel complete when you're with them. Sometimes you want to kiss them or something. Sometimes they're just someone who makes you very happy in a way that nobody else does."

"Adriana said that she gets butterflies in her stomach that make her nervous and excited at the same time," I comment. "And that you're supposed to be able to imagine a life with them."

"Sometimes, yeah," Stylive concedes. "But like I said, there's loads of different ways to know. No way is better than the other, just more common. And having an idea of the future is a stupid expectation, in my opinion; how many people actually know what they want for the rest of their life?"

"Exactly!" I agree, sitting up properly now instead of slouching against Stylive's side. "There are so many factors in that! Am I supposed to predict every little thing?"

"Of course not! That's ridiculous! And I don't think she meant it literally, anyway; I think it's supposed to be more of a 'would you be happy?' type of question that's wayyyyy too open-ended to really answer."

"So how am I supposed to know if it's all different?" I ask her. "Sometimes you don't always know," Stylive shrugs. "And that sucks. So that's why you need to give these things a try, so you know what you like and don't like. And when things get serious, you'll know."

"Mm, well, I don't have time to 'give these things a try'," I huff, collapsing back against her side. "I don't know what to do, Stylive. I just... why can't this be easier? Why can't I just know what I'm feeling?"

"What are you feeling?" She questions me. "Try putting it into words as best you can."

"You think I haven't been trying?"

"I think you need to work out how to word it on at least some level or you're just gonna sit there whining all night."

"Shut up."

"Have I ever actually shut up when you tell me to?"

"No, but I can keep dreaming."

"You love me and you know it."

"I can love two things."

"Is the second thing Plasma?"

"The second thing is silence, idiot."