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[at_heart]

You called me, so my guess is you know who I am. But I'm busy, so leave a message, or whatever.

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shakes fist at dw for this lost notif

[at_heart]

—Works for me.

[ Right, it... makes sense that she'd expect him to pick. It's going on his nails, after all. But Lupine is very blank. Maybe it'll be easier once he sees the polish? What's a favorite color, precious. ] [ Heading back 'inside'. ]

[featherbeaned]

[ happily skips alongside him ]

And if you can't pick just one, pick a bunch! I'll make it work for you, don't worry.

[at_heart]

[ A short chuckle, he glances at her as he holds the door open for her, then slides into the kitchen. ]

I dunno, my reflex is kind of 'black'.

[ Sets the basket down on a counter, then gets out a cutting board and sets it next to the knife block. Getting everything ready... ]

[featherbeaned]

Well, hey! Black's as good a colour as any, and I've got a few different types.

[at_heart]

[ —Okay, he has to laugh a little. ]

Even picking black doesn't get me out of it, huh?

[ A gentle and rather systematic rinse of the fruit before he sets them back in the basket and leaves her to the cutting. ]

You'll wanna core 'em, too.

[ Already getting started on the dough! ]

[featherbeaned]

[ An amused noise, because nope, she sure isn't letting him off. In fact, she delves into her pockets and pulls out what looks to be a whole sack of nail polish. ]

Here, whenever you're ready.

[ Gets to cutting! ]

I do know how humans eat fruit, you know. [ There's amusement rather than irritation. ] And how to cook.

[at_heart]

[ There's just the tiniest beat of hesitation, but he takes the sack and opens it. He should really do this before he gets any dough on his hands anyway. ] [ Also that reaction has him flushing a tiny bit. ]

I mean, when I eat apples, I don't usually get that fancy. Pretty much just bite into them.

[ —Yeah, he's... sure he's eaten cores before. Given what memories he's already gotten of where he was living and how, he probably couldn't afford not to eat the whole apple. ] [ But he also... doesn't miss what she just said, or its implications. His tone is pretty casual, as he holds three different black polishes up to the light to find that one's shimmery and one's got glitter in it: ]

So, you're a dragon who sometimes looks like a person? Not the other way around.

[featherbeaned]

[ Listen, apple cores are delicious. Nice and crunchy. A++ Tea approved. ]

[ She pauses chopping to glance at him over her shoulder ]

I mean, I'm always a person, but yeah. I came up with this form [ gestures at herself with the knife ] so I could get around in human society.

1/2

[at_heart]

[ —Cool, awesome, absolutely what he meant to say. Ugh. ]

[at_heart]

Shit, Tea, that's not how I meant that. Obviously you and Pentium and whoever else are people.

[ Stowing the shimmery and glittery blacks back in the bag as he turns to look at her, purely because one hand had two polishes in it and the other had only one. Fastest way to make a decision, Y/Y? ]

I should've said human. I was just — [ Stops. Admits, ] ...focused on not saying 'woman'.

[ And he hadn't wanted to make a thing out of that, but here he is, doing it anyway. Pushes a hand through his bangs. ]

[featherbeaned]

[ Does the headtilty, ears lopsided thing dogs do when they're confused ]

... You were? Why?

[at_heart]

[ It's possible she absolutely said "I'm a dragon" in their first thread and I accidentally retconned it up above but I like these tags so, ] [ ...Well. Lopsided smile. ]

So — back when we met, obviously, you'd used that potion? ...But what I saw was you changing into — well, back into a dragon, and then taking a potion that changed you into a human again, only this time...

[ A gesture that kind of encompasses her current shape. ]

Wasn't really until I was talking to Lark, and Lark was saying 'she', that I got that this was... more your default? [ Lipquirk. Wrong, since the dragon is her default. ] He also said you probably wouldn't mind the mistake, but...

[ Mrrr. ]

I dunno. Especially after what Pentium said — about people insisting on calling him a dragon or a demon horse, even though he's not either... I guess I just — didn't wanna make any more assumptions.

[ Beat. ]

Still managed to anyway, but.

[featherbeaned]

[ ... Oh. ]

[ Oh. Huh. That ... gives her a smidge of a feeling. Enough so that she puts the knife down and turns to face him fully, leaning back against the counter ]

I don't think anyone's ever put that much thought into it before. Or asked me.

[at_heart]

[ Well, now he's really self-conscious about it, but. ]

Yeah, well...

[ Just trails off. ]

People should be called what they wanna be called.

[ And maybe those assholes on that talk show calling her it didn't bother her at all, but maybe they did, so. ] [ He's gonna just. Close up the sack of polish and offer it back to her. ]

[featherbeaned]

Huh ...

[ Takes the sack, distracted. ]

Sorry, I just — it's something that means a lot to me, but it's … [ pauses. waves a hand ] Well, I s'pose I wouldn't call myself a woman. I'm not really anything like that. But "she" and "her" are just fine.

[at_heart]

[ Listening. Still feeling self-conscious, but also... really glad he asked. ] [ He turns to wash his hands so he can go back to making dough. ]

Good to know. Is there a better word, then? [ With a quick grin, ] I mean, it's okay if there isn't, too. I can just stick with dragon, since that's always gonna be right.

[featherbeaned]

Pfft. "Dragon" works.

[ Turns back to chopping with a smile. ]

I don't really know what words humans usually use for people with a bit of everything, anyways.

[at_heart]

[ He's still smiling to himself when she says that last bit, and then. Well, then Lupine pauses, glancing at her. ...If it weren't for the context, he'd definitely need to ask what that means. And he still isn't sure about the specifics, but. ]

—Probably depends?

[ Dries off his hands and moves back to the dough he was starting up, the mixing bowl and ingredients. ]

Or it should, anyway.

[ Because again. People should be called what they wanna be called. ]

[featherbeaned]

Mmm, it should.

[ A thoughtful pause ... ]

Another word for what I am is "alpha".

[at_heart]

Alpha?

[ Well, that's definitely not the kind of word he expected. 🤔 Starting to whisk the ingredients together. ]

[featherbeaned]

Yeah. It's, well. Hm. Dragons where I'm from have different sex stuff from humans.

[ Not that she remembers other dragons. ]

There's omegas and betas as well.

[at_heart]

Makes sense.

[ Because it absolutely does? Why wouldn't dragons be different, really. ] [ And uh it's possible that making dough while he listens is making this easier to process and remember, not that Tea's gotten particularly technical. ]

So, dragon and alpha. Or... alpha dragon?

[featherbeaned]

Alpha dragon, dragon alpha. I'm not fussy. The "dragon" bit's the most important, anyways.

Here. [ Behold: a bowl of neatly chopped fruit. ]

[ While Tea grabs the peels and cores for a snack. ]

[at_heart]

[ He's nodding, but he chuckles when he sees the bowl. Little head jerk to indicate where, as he says, ]

You can set it down over there.

[ Dough's good now, so he sets it aside, too, and rinses his hands. ]

[featherbeaned]

It needs to rest now, yeah?

[ Sets down the bowl, and - ]

[ casually leans against him, hi ]