[1-07] UNINVITED GUEST

As the pink sunset shines into the loungeroom, Orie sits at the loungeroom dining table behind the sofa, right next to the front window. Her left arm is still broken, but that's not stopping her from sloppily attempting to eat cheesecake with a fork in her right hand.

ORIE:
"Gah! Why is this so difficult!!!"

She carefully positions her fork over the end of the slice and as slowly as she can, moves it downward into the cheesecake. She succeeds, slicing through the graham cracker crust on the buttom. But when she tries to pull the bit of cheesecake up, her unbalanced fork holding sends the whole fork and bit of cheesecake to the floor.

ORIE:
"Nooooo!!!!"

;I enchant this slice of cheesecake to feed itself to me, right this instant!;

In response, the cheesecake slice lifts up into the air quickly, and crams itself into her mouth and down her throat.

ORIE:
"MMMHGH!!!! FSHTAHPH IDH!!!!!!"

Orie quickly gets up, almost collapsing, unbalanced on 3 limbs, choking. She limps over to the refrigerator past the sofa. She opens the fridge foor, then opens and pours a can of root beer down her throat to help wash the cheesecake down, taking the biggest gulps she could physically do.

After a few moments, she coughs and collapses to the floor, finally able to swallow the whole slice of cheesecake. She speaks with a raspy, breathy tone.

ORIE:
"Okay... So... I mostly deserved that but THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!!!!"

Phoenix's head emerges through the hallway door to look to her left at Orie.

PHOENIX:
"What the hell happened in here? I heard your screaming."

Orie coughs.

ORIE:
"Tried enchanting a slice of cheesecake to feed itself to me, so it decided to force itself down my throat..."

PHOENIX:
"Sweet Myrka, Orie! How do you keep finding ways for your syntax to nearly kill you? Weren't you taught anything about it??"

ORIE:
"Not really, no. I was raised by a runic idnagol, and she knew nothing about the uh... syntax stuff"

Phoenix walks into the room fully to stand in front of Orie.

PHOENIX:
"What? Then how did you learn how to use Myrkuran syntax in the first place??"

ORIE:
"I only learned just before you arrived here from a book series I have tons from. It vaguely taught how to use it. It didn't go too in depth though, or maybe I just didn't read enough."

PHOENIX:
"Book series?"

ORIE:
"Yeah, it's called 'Dreki Studies' and it goes in depth on a variety of topics. Sometimes I read them when I'm bored."

PHOENIX:
"Huh, I've... never heard of that book series."

ORIE:
"Really? Because I have a ton of them I inherited!"

PHOENIX:
"Who did you inherit the books from? Was it your hatchparent or guardparent, or was it someone else?"

ORIE:
"Huh?? Hatchparent? Guardparent??"

PHOENIX:
"Oh my fucking- ORIE! Had no one taught you those words?"

ORIE:
"Not exactly... I've heard them thrown around, but... I've never really known what they mean."

PHOENIX:
"Oh my Drek. Do I actually have to give the talk to a fully grown dragon??"

ORIE:
"The talk?"

Phoenix sighs.

PHOENIX:
"Fine. Okay, so. We as a species are different from most other life found in the universe. Most other life, have male and female reproductive organs...

However, we're not so much like that, as all of the Dreki species typically have... both parts for reproduction."

ORIE:
"I... yeah? I know THAT...

What does... this... have to do with the words?"

Phoenix begins to blush through her purple cheeks.

PHOENIX:
"OH... well... then...

Sh-SHUT UP! I'M GETTING TO THAT!"

ORIE:
"Alright..."

PHOENIX:
"Anyway, to cut it short and not get into any... awkward bits... the dragon who lays the egg is called the hatchparent. And the other one in the... specific relationship which caused the egg is called the guardparent.

I think the idea is that traditionally, hatchparents tend to take care more directly of the egg or hatchling itself. Whereas the guardparents tend to be more protective of the whole family unit, or that they stand guard, while the hatchparent cares for the egg or hatchling."

ORIE:
"Huh..."

PHOENIX:
"That's just how I figure the titles came about traditionally though, and that's not ALWAYS the case. Sometimes the guardparent is more protective of the egg, and the hatchparent is more protective of the family. OR sometimes it's both. Or neither? Or some combination? There's so many ways a family unit can be now, especially with polyamory being an option...."

ORIE:
"I think that clears up things a little bit. Do you have hatchparent or guardparent, or other?"

PHOENIX:
"Well... no... unless you count-...

Nevermind."

Phoenix squints her eyes and shakes her head.

PHOENIX:
"Anyway, what about you? Who were you raised by?"

ORIE:
"Oh, I was raised by-"

A knock at the front doorframe interrrupts the two dragons and they look over. 

Behind the door frame stands a shortish pine green looking old dragon. Her long lime green and curly mane waves in the wind. Her white horns show mysterious markings etched into them, almost as if they were in a different language. She hold a dark bag over her right sholder near her wing.

TAFLA:
"Hellooooooo! Am I disturbing you two?"

Orie smiles wide as she sees this dragon and jumps up, limping toward her. She clears her throat from all the cheesecake residue leftover.

ORIE:
"TALFA!!!!"

TAFLA:
"Come now, Orie! You know it's 'Taf-la' and not 'Tal-fa'!"

ORIE:
"I know, I'm just teasing, and being silly!"

Orie goes in for a hug with Tafla, but avoiding using her left arm in the hug.

TAFLA:
"Orie! What happened to your arm??"

ORIE:
"Oh, um... I was using my Myrkuran syntax and it went wrong..."

Tafla sighs and lets Orie go.

TAFLA:
"I've told you countless times to be careful if you ever use magic, Orie!"

Phoenix almost she says "So did I..." before deciding she doesn't want to be rude in front of a new dragon.

TAFLA:
"Oh, if only your hatchparent were here. He's a-"

ORIE:
"Yeah I know, he's a healing sorcerer. You always remind me when I'm injured... But  healing magic ends up harming the user, right?"

TAFLA:
"It does?"

ORIE:
"Yeah, I tried healing myself using my syntax- The injury was on my wing at first- but when I used it, it injured my arm instead?"

TAFLA:
"Huh. That explains why he was always getting himself new injuries when I knew him."

Phoenix goes up to Tafla and holds her right hand out for a handshake, and Tafla squeezes her hand very excitedly. Ow.

TAFLA:
"Hello! I assume you're one of Orie's friends! Correct?"

PHOENIX:
"Hi, Tafla, right?? I'm Phoenix. So you're Orie's... uh..."

TAFLA:
"Adoptive hatchparent! Or her caretaker, if you will. Either works for me, ahaha."

PHOENIX:
"What happened to her biological hatchparent?"

Tafla's expression widens and she leans in and quiets to a whisper.

TAFLA:
"Uh... ehehehh... well... they... they're still alive, if that's what you're asking... but..."

Tafla whispers into Phoenix's ear and shoots a small look at Orie with her white eyes as if to ask her to not read her mind. Orie nods and looks away.

TAFLA:
"I don't want to upset Orie by bringing this up around her... but her hatchparent gave her to me to keep her safe, and her guardparent is-"

PHOENIX:
"No need, I know Orie's guardparent."

TAFLA:
"You know Perseus?"

Phoenix seems to flinch at the sound of that name.

PHOENIX:
"I... well... she is the Myrkuran queen... and I am a Myrkur."

Phoenix feels the beginning of an anxiety attack coming on as Tafla leans back and talks at normal volume.

TAFLA:
"Oh, you really ARE a myrkur! I thought it was either my eyesigh already going bad, or you were an idnagol shapeshifted as a myrkur. That's pretty common, you know! Orie's hatchparent used to shapeshift all the time into a Myrkur to be with-"

Tafla turns over to Orie, who's now staring at the two.

TAFLA:
"Oh, Sorry! I don't know if you want to hear this right now."

PHOENIX:
"Yeah... probably not..."

ORIE:
"So... Tafla, what brings you to my den?"

TAFLA:
"Oh, what an interesting name for a house, dear! But to answer your question, I couldn't miss your first hatchday on your own, Orie!"

ORIE:
"Oh yeah! That's in only a couple of days!"

TAFLA:
"Actually it's in 6 days!"

Phoenix looks away toward the hallway and closes her eyes

ORIE:
"How long do you plan to stay?"

TAFLA:
"Hm... how long do you want me to stay?"

ORIE:
"Oh, I don't really mind you staying, so however long you want to is fine!"

TAFLA:
"Well, in that case, I'll stay here until the night of the 31st!"

ORIE:
"That sounds good! I'm so glad you're visiting, Tafla."

TAFLA:
"Oh, and since I'm going to be here for a while, I'm glad I brought my trusty dimensional bag with my runestone equipment!"

Phoenix looks back toward Tafla but not directly at her.

PHOENIX:
"You're a runic sorcerer?"

Tafla looks back at Phoenix.

TAFLA:
"Of course! Didn't you see the markings on me horns?"

She points to her horns.

PHOENIX:
"Sorry, I'm not too familiar with what those mean."

TAFLA:
"Well, runic sorcerers like me are hatched with markings over our horns. Different sorcery Idnagols are hatched with give them different physical attributes too."

PHOENIX:
"Oh."

Tafla turns back to Orie.

TAFLA:
"Oh, hey Orie. I've got some presents for your hatchday! But they're only for your HATCHDAY. You'd better not look in my mind or in the future to see what they are, otherwise you'd spoil the surprise!"

ORIE:
"Well, duh."

Phoenix starts to feel tears forming as she slinks away from the other two.  She starts into the hallway.

ORIE:
"I love surprises, why would I spoil a HATCHDAY surpris- Hey wait Phoenix! Where are you going?"

Phoenix ignores Orie and continues into the hallway

ORIE:
"Sorry, one second Tafla. Phoenix!"

Orie walks toward the hall doorway and peeks her head in.

ORIE:
"Phoenix? Are you okay?"

Phoenix ignores her again, and walks into her room, tears dripping from her snout.

ORIE:
"Phoenix..."

Orie steps back toward Tafla and sighs.

TAFLA:
"Is she... always like that?"

ORIE:
"Well... a lot of the time, yeah. I think something happened before we met that messed her up mentally, really badly. Now she kinda tends to take her anger out on me. We're friends though, so it's okay."

TAFLA:
"That's not friendship. That's just mean. She shouldn't do that to you even if she's suffering..."

ORIE:
"Nono, it's not like that. I know there's good in her, She just has a hard shell she hides behind. I'm trying to help her break out of that shell, and I think I'm doing well so far."

TAFLA:
"I know you mean well, Orie. I really do. But I wish you wouldn't let others do that to you, no matter if you KNOW they don't mean it with your mind reading and all."

ORIE:
"I know... but Phoenix is different. I know she cares a lot about me. I want to just show her a friendly face and that I care for her, flaws and all."

Tafla sighs and closes her eyes for a moment.

TAFLA:
"Alright... I trust she isn't as mean as you say..."

She puts her hand on Orie's chest.

TAFLA:
"I just want to make sure you're taking care of yourself first, Orie... okay?"

ORIE:
"Yes ma'am"

Tafla and Orie hug each other again, and afterward, Orie talks about setting up an air mattress in the loungeroom.

While Tafla gets settles into the den, Phoenix lays in her room bawling her eyes out on her mattress while Arakados and the laptop are nowhere to be seen.

Phoenixdoesn't feel safe around herself right now. She puts her claws around her neck for a moment and then shakes her head, pulling them away from her neck and instead around a pillow.

PHOENIX:
"N... no..."

She hugs the pillow close to her body and continues crying silently, for if Orie heard, she'd probably come in.

After a couple moments of being silent, through a broken voice, Phoenix casts a spell.

PHOENIX:

;I enchant myself to... not be conscious for... 10 hours.;

Suddenly, Phoenix's body goes limp and her crying and her grip on the pillow fades.

She sleeps through the tears for the rest of the night.