❛𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙥 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙯𝙤𝙣𝙚.❜

Her eyes widened in playful alarm the moment she saw the dripping-wet alchemist heading straight for her with open arms. In one smooth motion, she unfurled her glossy black wings with a soft 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘩, kicking off the ground and rising several feet into the air, well out of hugging range. “𝘈𝘩-𝘢𝘩~ Not so fast, Ryza-chan,” she called down with a teasing lilt, hovering just out of reach while water dripped from Ryza’s clothes below. “Hugs can come 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 you’re properly dry. I’m not letting you turn me into a soggy mess too~” She folded her arms beneath her chest, smiling down at her with fond amusement. “Now be a good girl and let me dry you off first. No funny business.”

“The water isn’t the problem. Walking around in wet clothes for the next several hours is.” A small sigh followed. “We still have errands left in town, remember? Unless you plan on squishing through the market sounding like a drenched little duck the entire time.” Akeno lifted one hand afterward, gentle warmth beginning to gather across her fingertips as faint traces of magic shimmered through the air around her. “You’re lucky I love you enough to keep such a fate from becoming reality...♡” The devil smiled with obvious pride before puffing her chest ever so slightly. “So?” Her gaze drifted back toward Ryza expectantly. “Surely that deserves at least a little praise, hm?”

A soft sigh escaped as she watched from the grassy bank. Honestly, she should be used to these 'spontaneous adventures' by now. “ Don’t stay in there too long, Ryza-chan,” she called gently. “It feels nice now, but you’ll catch a cold if you linger. Once you come out, we’ll need to dry your clothes thoroughly so you don’t get sick.”

⠀ 〝 I remember digging through a few myself. Some alchemists might think they can cheat death, but … ultimately, we're all in the same boat. Y'can only run from the inevitable for so long. Still, say they do achieve immortality … what's it 'gonna cost 'em .ᐣ 〞 ⠀

"Ehh, yes and no. This odd combination of mundane and yet...not quite, for these last ten years."

Got her-. "Well, nothing except magical energy by default. My French mother's side of the family delved in magic alot and were amazing, apparently." And unbeknownst to him, centuries of familicide. "It's an inherited thing. The potential for it, I mean. I don't know magic."

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ╔════▣◎▣════╗ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ 中野・三玖 ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ╚════▣◎▣════╝ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀

"...Is it because I'm mostly red, Ryza-?"

"Yep. But what I learned is that when one source is ejected and it's empty, it can give way to another--whether natural or supernatural--to become its new primary element. There ARE different kinds of proper dragons because of this. Ice, lava, solar. My daughter's electric-."