crowspace | Dragon's Bride Meme

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Dragon's Bride Meme

The Dragon's Bride

Flames, then ash. Your village will be left with little else should the dragon that plagues the countryside not get his demanded sacrifice...if you're lucky. Your good fortune turns south, the bones of your neighbors (or whatever else remains of them) litter a new charred graveyard that was once a town. So, the necessary offers must be made.

At least that's the hope. The alternative would be too awful to contemplate.

In a last-ditch effort to save those you love — or against your will, as these things tend to go with forcibly created martyrs — you have been hoisted onto the pyre, waiting for the dragon to fly off with you. What terrors race through your mind as your doom impends?

How you'll end up in a beast's belly, no doubt. Except, you must consider this: there are worst fates than being a dragon's next meal. A monster that covets you as its treasure...a new type of danger unfurls its wings. You've become a dragon's bride.

But could such an infernal creature ever learn to know honest, unselfish affection? Is it possible to be more than a "spouse?" A mere treasure?

Perhaps, you could learn to be a dragon's love.

HOW TO PLAY
✗ Comment with your character, roles ("dragon" or "bride") prefs, etc.
✗ Y'all know how this goes. Approach "dragon" as a stand-in. The monster mash could be elves, orcs, goblins, werewolves, demons, dwarves, fey, purple people eaters, what have you. Of course, actual dragon and shifters folks are welcome, too! And don't think that you have to make your boring human a boring ol' human. Consider this the monster/supernatural being/cryptid/creature AU of your dreams!
✗ Second verse, same as the first, "bride" registers as gender-neutral 'round these parts. That word choice just sounds a touch more poetic.
✗ Reply to others.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Monomon herself had forgotten when this little exchange first begun. Vague memories of her youth could be brought forth, knowing that once she had attacked them whenever they built too close to the shore; bringing forth crashing waves and scorching their land with lightning.

They were an odd species that took more than they gave. Now, in her old age, she was intrigued by them and their oddly individualistic society.

It was why she continued, and today she was intrigued to know what they would offer her. She had seen many come and go, old and young, wise and foolish, with all manner of skills to show or stories to tell. Each an intrigue till age eventually snuffed them out.

What would today's be? Slowly she ascended from beneath the waters to the shore, where her gift awaited.]

[Suga had suspected it would be him this time around.

He had never been liked in the village, and had no family to vouch for him after Shiori's grandfather passed. The museum was in the way of expansion into the forest, the 'safer' way to grow the village than building towards the shore - suffice to say that no one would particularly regret giving him up.

He waits by the shoreline, not entirely sure what kind of creature he should be looking for. There are pictures, but they vary as much as the stories do and it's hard to separate fact from fiction.]

[What appeared first were two giant tentacles. They slid up the sandy shore before ascending into the air. Then came her head, covered by a mask and something akin to a veil. Nothing in the air, nothing around them, the human was alone.

The rest of her voluminous and gelatinous body floated up into the air, leaving the waters behind her turbulent, and she stared down at the sacrifice---a mere child. Shame. It wasn't the first time, but it still struck her as a cruel choice every time. She supposed the village thought they had chosen well, but more often than not their reasons for sending a child were rather petty.]

Hmmm. [She lean down till her mask hovered three feet above him]

You look quite young. How old are you?

[That... he isn't sure what he expected, but it probably wasn't a masked jellyfish. It's a shame he's not going to get to go back and tell anyone about what Monomon actually looks like.

He pulls the notepad out of his pocket and jots down an answer, which he shows to her.]

17

[Oh? Does he not speak? Monomon could only assume that was the case if he had come with all that prepared. Fear immobilizing someone's tongue had happened before but this was new. And he was 17. Young indeed, even for a human. What was the reason that they had chosen someone so young? Ah, well, she could ask that of him once they were back home.]

I see. Well then, we can continue things below.

[One massive tentacle reached out towards Suga, encircling him before pausing.]

And your name?

[He has to assume he's not going to drown. There would be no point in asking his name if that was her plan for him. All the same, he does startle a little when she wraps her tentacle around him.]

Suga

[...This paper definitely isn't waterproof.]

[Suga. Monomon gives a nod of acknowledgement. Unfortunately she was not expecting someone who could not speak and so she had nothing to give him to replace it on her at the moment. Hopefully once they are home she could find something to replace it. The tentacle wraps further around him, squeezing, but into of any pressure or pain he'll suddenly just find himself popped right into the gelatinous tentacle.

It is perfectly breathable, but would give a sensation akin to a day of intense humidity.]

There we go. Are you ready?

[It's... definitely weird. But better than drowning, so he supposes he has no room to complain.

He nods. Take him to your lair, or wherever.]

[It was quite the long journey, but one that certainly had a lot to look at. Monomon glided gracefully through the ocean waters, passing seaweed, bright coral, schools of fishes of all kind. Dull, bright, small, large, slow, quick. All seemed accustomed to her presence, and so would not run, but neither did any ever try to attack her.

As they descended further, the scenary changed to darkness and rock walls and the creatures became those of an eerie, translucent self. Massive, but not quite reaching that of the tentacled behemoth that carried him. Finally, in the distance there came light in the form of bioluminescent mushrooms and jellyfish, and then an elaborate and colorful dome. It was there that Monomon went, and she descended down it's center through a hole that closed behind them. They were in a chamber that drained all water, and then another door beneath them opened which the masked creature floated down after.

It was here that Monomon finally released Suga, gently placing him down]

[The ocean is beautiful, in an eerie way. Suga's eyes go wide, and he takes in all of their surroundings with a silent awe.

Once he's released into a dry chamber, he takes a deep breath of real air. Suga pulls out his notepad to write a 'thank you' on, but... ah, it's soaked.]

One moment. [As Suga is hardly the first human that she had kept around, Monomon definitely had something to replace his ruined notepad. She just had to find it. The room they were currently in one large and cavernous with many corridors leading off in different directions, splintering from the central room like a spiderweb.

Monomon rose along the walls from which jutted many shelves piled with books, chests, gadgets, paraphernalia, statues, paintings---until at last she opened one chest with a triumphant aha!. Quickly she closed the chest and floated back down to set it before Suga, where once again she opened it to reveal stacks of books and writing utensils. Some of those already had been written it, all left behind my the humans that had been her companions in the past.]

Use whichever you wish, it is yours.

[Any book will do - Suga just hates being without a way to 'talk' to people. He picks the first pen and notebook he finds.]

Thank you You're more generous than I thought you would be

[Now that he had his of communication and they were safely inside, Monomon settled down. The journey to and fro was a little tiring and she was grateful to finally be able to speak with Suga without concern. She takes no offense to what Suga says--after all, she has hardly done anything to distill the myth about her, and they had once been accurate.]

Such things are of little use to me, and it would not be much fun if we could not talk, no? Tell me of yourself Suga. What did you do back in your home?

I made protective charms + ran a museum about the history of the village

[Neither things that got him much respect, but they were important to him.]

[A museum? Now that certainly catches her interest. She is of course very familiar with it but it would be intriguing to hear it from the point of view of the humans.]

Is that so? Then could you tell me about the most important beats of your village's history?"

[Suga blinks, like he hadn't expected anyone to actually be interested in it, ever.]

There's you, of course We've been sending you sacrifices for a long time now Because we rely on fishing to survive We can't expand any further on land The forest nearby is haunted by a woman's ghost The Kotori Obake, who takes children who enter the woods She's even older than you, or at least, she's been taking people for longer

[The name is not unfamiliar. She is indeed older than Monomon, or at least she assumes, and that is why Monomon has never ventured out to their to learn more about her. Hard to say what sort of strengths she has or how civil she might be.]

Children? Specifically?

Specifically children You're actually the less scary one Nobody you've taken is haunting the sea now At least not that we've found There are a lot of child ghosts in the forest

[So, while 'don't spend a lot of time near the sea where the tentacle monster is annoyed at you fishing so much' is perfectly valid advice, trying to get food from the forest is... a much worse idea.]

[Monomon never turned away a child when they were offered to her, but neither did she specifically seek them out. Curious. And indeed, somewhat unsettling. She possessed no such abilities and the prospect of the reanimated dead or drifting souls was so unnatural.

Thought the giant, sentient, jellyfish.]

Do you know what she does with them? [Besides killing, obviously]

Well She threatened to put me 'back in her belly' once I think she has some issues

[Just. Just a couple of issues.]

Ah. So you have come across her yourself?

[...]

Does that mean you were given to her as well, or did you wander into the forest?

I wandered in as a child If someone else hadn't made a promise to protect me I would be dead

[For what it's worth, they don't give offerings to the Kotori Obake.]

[Seemed like this child had gone through a lot. The comment of 'a promise to protect them' gave a lot of implications, all of which were unfortunate. Granted, she could be wrong, but she didn't want to pry at this moment.]

Well, Suga. I can assure you I have no intent to kill you, for what that is worth. You will stay here to keep me company and assist me in archiving the knowledge I come across. In turn I will keep you safe, well-fed, and gift you with all that is in my power. There are people here from different villages, not all of whom are human who you may meet and converse with. In five years time, if you wish to return, you may. Whether specifically to your village, or the world above in general.

[While a couple had chosen to return to the surface world from that village, none of them had ever returned to that place specifically. She wondered what he would choose when the time game.]

[The surprise on his face is plainly visible, and it takes him a moment to come up with a response.

Thank you That's much more generous than I thought you would be, from the stories

The reputation is not undue. I have not been the kindest in the past.

[The reputation was not one she wanted to dispel entirely, it kept her safe after all]

Is there anything I can do to make your stay here more comfortable?

Dragon's Bride Meme

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wrap up? or maybe just one more round to take to room?

timeskip!

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