So, now is where I spend all my time going through system prompts and bore the pants off you.
No thanks.
I’m sitting on Emily’s lap in what I’m guessing is a living room. The lack of a TV makes me wonder if it’s still called a living room. Or was the TV a later addition to the living room?
Purrrrrrrr
Ah, Emily. Noo stop. Not there. My dignity.
“Are you sure you want to call her… erm, him? Are you sure you want to call it Calamity? What happened to a regal name?” Grandmamom asks. My eyes are a little fuzzy at this range, but I think she has the same blond hair as Emily and she looks a little fat.
“Hrm, it just popped into my head when she vaporized the table. Besides, I, um… want a name that will... scare my classmates.”
“Honey, you’re supposed to get along with your classmates.”
“No, I’ve had it. The past two days have been the worst. Now that they all have their beast companions the clique lines solidified. The vanguards are better than the scouts and so the scouts take out their anger on the commoner. ME! I’ve had it. Me and Calamity are gonna be awesome on our own and there’s nothing they can do.”
“*sigh* Well, Calamity, better learn not to calamitize the house from now on or she’s living outside.” Oh, god. The dad-jokes. Please grandpadad, restrain yourself.
Huurk
Emily has me in a hug that was raised by a pair of doting chokeholds.
“No way! If Calamity is living outside than so am I.”
I start trying to tap out.
“Actually that might be good wilderness training.”
Emily tightens her grip and I notice blackness creeping into the edges of my vision. Oi! Grandpadad, stop calling her bluff.
“Dear, stop strangling the poor thing.” Grandmamom interjects and Emily releases me quickly.
“Oh, sorry baby! I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
I narrow my eyes at her and snort. Well, I saaay snort but with my tiny little head it was more like a kitten sneezing. Not willing to face my shame, I jump off her lap.
Only, to crash into the floor below.
Right, can’t actually walk yet. Well, now is a good time to learn.
“Hehe-” I glare at Emily and it’s enough to stifle her laugh, but not enough to hide that she’s still laughing on the inside.
Let’s see you walk on the first day out of the womb.
Alright, first up standing on four legs.
“So, what does [Analyze] say now that it’s hatched?” I’m a little closer to grandpadad now that I’m off Emily’s lap so I can make out his head better. I was confused at first because his head was just a big red blur. Turns out, he has red hair and big bushy red beard. Also, a rather large physique. Just your everyday lumberjack guy.
“Oh, right. Hmm, I can see her(?) variant details now. It says ‘Dragon; Chaos Element’. That’s weird I thought beast summons with an elemental type followed the summoner's. But my highest is a mid-class wind. Wait! I’ve never even heard of chaos before.”
Ok, all four legs are working. Kinda wobbly but working. Tail is… doing its thing. Head I’ve got pretty good control over. Time to walk.
“You know we don’t know much about elements dear. You’ll have to ask at school. Why don’t you play with… Calamity, while we make dinner.”
“Try not to destroy any more furniture or it’s coming out of your allowance.”
“Haha, very funny dad.”
“Baby’s first steps. I’m so proud.”
Shut it.
Ok, I know I’ve got the form wrong but let’s take things easy. Right front, forward. Left front, forward. Ok, that’s leaving me kinda stretched out weird. That was obviously wrong. Ok, maybe diagonals in sync?
Right front, left rear forward. Left front, right rear forward. Hmm, that felt correct. Nice and easy. Maybe my dragon instincts are kicking in.
Pat Pat.
“Come here, Calamity. Over here. You can do it.”
Emily is across the room from me on her knees and urging me towards her. I need to take some time to think about our relationship. But for now she makes a good walking target.
I make it across the carpet well enough but I’m extremely tired. When I reach Emily, I just collapse my head into her lap.
Just pet me. Fuck dignity. I deserve pets in this life.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Emily starts petting my head and neck.
“Good job. You’ll be running in no time.”
The pets and pats and scratches all feel nice and before I know it I’m letting out a satisfied yawn with a smile. Wait can dragons even smi-
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Sniff
Sniff
Something smells good.
Ah, I’m back in my basket-
“Bassinet.”
Like I was saying, I’m back in my basket and the family seems to be eating dinner nearby. Time to hunt down some grub for myself.
First task, climbing out of the basket. It’s about my height when I’m on all fours so I should be able to manage. I get my front claws up on the edge and… Hmm, this is trickier than I thought. As a human I would just swing my legs over the side at this point but that’s not going to work here. I think I need to get my rear legs where my front are now then before I fall off either way I need to transfer my front legs to the ground and hop off. Ok, let’s try it.
Claws are getting good purchase on the basket (it’s wicker) so climbing is working. Seems balancing on the edge is actually quite easy; between my neck and tail I’m not really at risk of falling like I thought. Next phase, step on floor, go.
Miscalculation!
The floor is not carpet like before but is in fact polished wood. Not an ideal claw and scale gripping surface.
My chin smacks into the floor while my front legs slide out to the sides and my rear half follows less than gracefully. Last to make the journey is my tail, letting out a sharp crack against the wood when it limply whips down.
“Oh no, Calamity! I’m sorry girl. With your feet, and the floor, I forgot.”
Hurk. Emily shatters the exposed shred of dignity that is my gender identity while my pride defences are at their lowest. Truly masterful.
She picks me up behind my forelegs and carries me against her chest like a stuffed animal.
“Do you want something to eat? I don’t have special food for you yet but you can have some rotboar and sprouts if you want.”
Emily places me on the kitchen table and I look greedily at the roast sitting in the middle. I take a step towards it then remember my manners. I look back to Emily. Then to the roast. Then to Emily. Then the roast.
By the fifth repeat she gets it and cuts me a piece to eat. But then she realizes she has nowhere except her own plate and the table to put it so she’s just holding it in the air out of my reach. How cruel.
“Umm”
“I’ll get a plate for her.” Says her dad.
He returns with a plate and Emily drops the meat.
I stare at it. Pretty sure I have a problem here. I run my tongue against the tops and bottoms of my teeth. Yep, problem. No molars. I look at my claws. No thumb. Hmm. Guess I’m excused from manners.
I stab the slice of roast with my claws and rip a piece off with my teeth. I try to chew out of reflex but it’s pointless so I just swallow it. It tastes ok. A lot of the flavor of food comes from being spread around while masticating it so it’s kinda like I licked a piece of meat then swallowed it. Also, compared to mana-enriched egg shell…
But I’m hungry, so I eat.
I finish off the slice and settle onto my haunches to pick at my teeth with a claw. I wonder if they have toothpaste here.
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I fell asleep again while the family (my family?) was clearing up dinner and just now woke up when Emily picked me up like a newborn. My eyes open and I lift my head to get a better look at where we’re going.
It’s a short trip up stairs and through a hallway to a room on the left. Emily turns on a light when we get in.
Purple. Everywhere.
Rug, bedspread, curtains, pillows, all various shades of purple.
Emily puts me down in the middle of the room, which is a little smaller than my college dorm room.
“I have to do my homework now so… Here, you can play with Flitter.”
She places a plush wolf toy in front of me. I don’t think she understands what happens when you combine pets with teeth and claws and stuffed toys. But she’s waiting for me to do something.
Is this some diabolical alignment test? If I maul the fluffy little critter am I evil? Pretend to think it’s a real creature and lick it?
Like any real game programmer playing a game, I’m going to ignore all content and explore game mechanics instead. Ooh look, a mirror, yes please. I can finally get a good look at myself.
“Calamity? Well, I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
I hear the door close behind me while I check myself out in the floor length mirror.
What I see is a baby black dragon with neon purple lines on the edges of a few scales. It gives me a sort of corrupted by techno look that I think is pretty cool. I have two forward facing slit pupiled eyes and both are a ruby red color. I have nubs on my head that I think are going to grow into horns later. There's a rough patch of scales on the tip of my snout that's either a horn-to-be or just something that was meant to help with getting out of the egg. Along my spine are more bumps that will probably turn into spines. There are a couple of larger nubs that I pray to Tiamat with all the fervor I can muster are going to turn into wings. My body is big enough to suggest I will probably need to use magic in some fashion to fly though. The spine bumps continue down my tail which currently ends in a rough mass of bone, like a club.
I try smiling.
It’s terrifying.
Let’s remember not to smile at friends.
My teeth are mostly shark’s teeth but it also looks like I have fangs for canines. Maybe I’m poisonous? Oh, what about my stomach? I sit on my haunches and raise a foreleg to get a good look. Basically the same as the rest of my body. Good, no critical weaknesses here.
Now what? Emily is at her desk working on her homework. I eye Flitter again but shake my head. I think I should get some exercise. Try to figure out how to lope or run or whatever.
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It was a little tricky learning how to run in such cramped confines but I feel comfortable in my body now. I even managed to figure out how to climb up the side of the bed with my claws.
That blanket may or may not have some new frays and holes. I’m not sure. I didn’t remember to do a “before” before the “before and after”.
Emily gets up and starts changing. From which, I quickly avert my attention. Not into the lolis here.
“Ok, Calamity. Time for bed.”
She grabs me from the floor and slides under the covers clutching me like kid holding a stuffed animal. I struggle a bit but she’s got me under the armpits so I have no leverage. I give up. I’ll let her have this. I don’t imagine she’ll be able to hold me like this after I grow a bit.
“Aww, how cuuute. I’m gonna take a picture.”
What? Why?
“Duh. So I can share it with the other deities.”
I thought you said there was no established religion here?
“Sure, doesn’t mean there aren’t deities anyway. You got me without a religion didn’t you? Also, there are leftovers from ancient history and stuff. What, did you get worried that I’m all alone over here? Thanks for worrying but I’d be bugging you a lot more if that was the case.”
Oh, makes sense.
I’m not really tired so I guess now is a good time to get this [BCS] stuff figured out.