Wings of Fire Oneshots

This One Gift | Anemone x Tamarin

I won't be surprised if something like this has already been done before, but I liked the idea so I wanted to write it anyway. This oneshot is based on the letter Anemone writes to Tamarin in A Guide To the Dragon World (was probably my favourite part of the SeaWing chapter tbh <3), specifically this part at the end: "P.S. I was going to give you this pearl that I found that is cool and splodgy-looking, but certain dragons (Kinkajou) threatened me with some HIGHLY UNCALLED FOR VIOLENCE if I ever give you anything, in case it's enchanted, even though I promise I would never do that, but I guess I can see her point, so if you would like to HOLD a cool, splodgy-looking black pearl sometime, you should stop by my room (and yes, your huffy overprotective friend can come, too)."

Thus, enjoy the Kinkajou-Anemone antics as well as your promised Anemarin, all brought to you by my System of a Down-fuelled writing trance. I just love the beef they have.

Also, I know a lot of people don't like the usage of pet names in fanfic that aren't used in canon, but I just wanted Anemone to call Tamarin "Tam"... Sorry if that bothers anyone :/

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Summary as written on AO3: Tamarin receives a gift Anemone had wanted to give her, much to Kinkajou's disapproval.

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Tamarin sighed at the sound of muffled conversation in the tunnel outside her cave, though not necessarily in an irked manner. "Hello, Anemone."

"O-Oh!" There was a moment too long of nervous chuckling, and a frantic scuffling of claws on stone. "H-hey, Tam-"

"And Kinkajou." Tamarin smiled innocuously in the direction of her cave entrance. (If she was keeping track of her internal clock correctly, her clawmates would be returning in about an hour, so they were right on time. And this would be a nice distraction from the thought of putting up with Onyx's silent judgement.)

A lighter skittering of talons across the stone told her of Kinkajou's approach. "You better be very careful, Anemone," was the first thing she said, an ill-fitting warning note in her bold voice. She softly brushed her tail against Tamarin's so she wouldn't startle when she intertwined them protectively. "You can't sneak any blindness-curing spells past me! You know Tamarin told you she didn't want that."

Anemone huffed in irritation - and what might've been embarrassment - though it was quiet enough that Tamarin suspected she'd tried to hide it. "I can't even use my animus magic anymore. How would I enchant it in the first place?"

"Enchant what?" Tamarin asked innocently, irregardless of her feeling that she already knew the answer. "Oh, and I'd love to have another gardening date, Anemone. I'm sure we can ask for plenty more flower seeds to plant." She thought of snowdrops, of bluebells - she was sure they were as gorgeous as her internal vision of Anemone, a sweet-smelling, pale blue just like her. Blue.With nothing visual to go off of if she were to pick one, the sweet smell, and the knowledge that it matched the hue of Anemone's scales, might be enough to convince her that pale blue was her favourite colour.

Kinkajou gasped dramatically, her tail tensing against Tamarin's. "Another what?" She demanded, and shifted toward an area that she inferred was occupied by Anemone thanks to an awkward shuffling. "What did you do behind my back?"

"Kinkajou- Tam-" Anemone faltered, then drew in an insistent breath. "Nothing, we literally just- planted some flowers!"

The memory of Anemone's letter flashed into Tamarin's mind again; can we please have another gardening date because planting marigolds with you was the most peaceful I've ever felt in my life; she smiled in spite of Kinkajou fuming beside her. It had been peaceful. Anemone's swooning company was an incomparable thing somewhere between sacred silence and sleep, where all the world's disorder was so far away it seemed insignificant.

Indeed, she had received and read Anemone's letter to her with amused endearment, but this wasn't quite how she'd expected the supposed meet-up she'd proposed to happen.

"She's telling the truth, Kinkajou." Kinkajou only growled quietly, in a cadence that gave Tamarin the alarming impression that she was baring her teeth. She touched a wingtip to Kinkajou's scales. "Hey, I trust Anemone. She's sweet."

"Yeah," Kinkajou scoffed with uncharacteristic scorn, "cause threatening your brother - and your entire family! - with mass familicide is sweet!"

Anemone let out an anguished groan. "Look-"

"Anyway," Tamarin interjected, slipping her tail out from Kinkajou's to lightly whack the area of space that Anemone's voice had come from; it hit a solid wall of scales, and Anemone's voice grunted in alarm. Kinkajou was sure to take offence, but she needed to rescue Anemone. "Now what was it that Kinkajou accused you of enchanting?"

"Oh, yes!" All Tamarin heard for a moment was a tap dance of talons on stone, until Anemone weaved herself to Tamarin's side, deliberately opposite Kinkajou. Still, Kinkajou stood sentinel, and Tamarin humoured herself with the thought of the angry shades that must have been flowing through her scales.

Anemone softly touched one of Tamarin's claws with hers, slowly easing it closer until her palm was laid daintily over the back of Tamarin's talon, yet poised as if she was ready to pull it away again at any moment. Still, she lifted Tamarin's talon until she was holding it in the air between both of hers, and something cold and gritty dropped into Tamarin's palm. It was quite heavy, but only a few moments passed - dragged out by bated breath - before it warmed up in her hold. Surprisingly, Kinkajou remained silent, but her suspicion was palpable.

She knew just from the way it slid roughly against her scales, and the little grains that broke off and skittered into the old gashes in her skin, that she was holding a pearl. And then it clicked, and she smiled, the wind of a delighted giggle whispering through her teeth. If you would like to HOLD a cool, splodgy-looking black pearl sometime... "Oh, Anemone... If you really want me to keep it, I'd-"

"HA!" It came so suddenly that Tamarin flinched, but Anemone didn't even seem to notice. "I TOLD YOU SO, KINKAJOU! It didn't do anything to her!"

"How would I know that? Maybe it did something invisible to her, like- make her want to keep it! That would explain what she just said!"

"Why would I even give it an enchantment as stupid as that?"

"So you admit you might enchant it if it was something less stupid?"

"I can't anyway, kelp-face!"

Tamarin sighed, this time actually in an irked way. "Guys, I'm still right here."

They both went completely silent, then, "Sorry," in quiet, awkward chorus.

"It's... fine," Tamarin insisted. She felt around until she found Anemone's talon again, taking it back in hers and smiling reassuringly. "It's a lovely gesture."

"I mean- you only have to keep it if you want to-"

"I do. I promise."

Kinkajou made a mock gagging sound. "Ugh, I can't believe you, melon-brain." And just a moment later, "But I guess I can let this slide. Just this one gift, though! Okay?"

"Fine, by all the moons," Anemone breathed, audibly fighting back an urge to groan. "A-Anyway, thanks, Tam. And," she turned back to her, "you'd really like to do gardening with me again?"

Anemone had again taken her talons in hers, so the pearl now rested jaggedly between their palms. Tamarin smiled, knowing that Anemone would see her smiling directly at her as though she could really see her. "I'd love to."

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Tamarin is the first time I've written a character with absolutely no ability to see, so you can probably tell I was grasping for ways to describe her perception of what's around her. But oh well. I also feel like this isn't as well written as I'd hoped it would be. The pacing is fast, the characterisation feels off (not that I haven't always been terrible at that). I hope that doesn't spoil it too much.

I hate the title btw lmao