Chapter Text
For the first time in his life, Shuriken was counting down the days until his next transformation that would occur the next month — something that he hadn’t considered important up until now.
Every second, minute and hour that passed — he would note it in the back of his mind as if his whole life depended on it, to the point where Shuriken could probably predict the exact time of the day he’d embrace his transformation. All because of Coil.
Hell, Shuriken was so persistent with this countdown that he began to mark every day that passed on his freshly bought calendar that now hung in his bedroom.
(He was just doing what he should’ve done a long time ago. Nothing out of the usual here.)
It didn’t help that after their little conversation, Coil began to show up on a daily basis — just like he had said. From the middle of the day until Thieve’s Rest closed, Coil was there.
An everlasting presence that now followed Shuriken’s every single move. A voice that lingered in the back of his mind that bugged him about cupcakes, cream puffs, and whatever Slingshot decided to put on the menu that caught Coil’s interest.
‘Could I have a bite of this’ or ‘Would it really hurt you to sneak a bit of that’ were sentences Shuriken had gradually grown accustomed to. Coil wasn’t afraid nor shameful to ask about pastries out loud.
However there are moments that stand out from Coil’s typical questions and teases.
Shuriken still remembers the day they had strawberry cheesecake on the menu — an item that rarely appeared in the display cases due to Slingshot’s distaste for the specific pastry.
Oh, how Coil just kept asking about a free slice, claiming that he would be the perfect taste tester for it since Skateboard wasn’t around. While that trick obviously didn’t work on Slingshot, it certainly had an effect on Shuriken.
He vividly remembers the day. From his successful attempt at hiding and preserving a slice from his siblings, to the lies he uttered to hide his tracks, and all the way to the moment where he pulled Coil behind the cafe after closing hours just to drop the packed cheesecake into his hands.
(His smile was blinding — warming him up in the cold evening and energizing him for the following day. Shuriken had been worried that his heart would stop pumping blood altogether when Coil said his gratitudes in his own, unique way.)
(Guess the worker discount was real, with how often Coil received pastries at this point.)
It was safe to say that Shuriken was talking to Coil way more often than before.
And if Sling or Vine noticed that, then they hadn’t dared to comment on it just yet. At least Slingshot seemed to be faring better now that Coil wasn’t constantly pestering him.
But that's enough reminiscing (of the past) for now. As much as Shuriken had grown somewhat fond of these recent memories, the day he was looking forward to the most was right around the corner.
If he had to guess, the transformation was just a few hours away.
Staring at the final day that he had marked down in his planner, Shuriken scowled at himself for allowing himself to feel excited about it. The day he often dreaded, now being something he looked forward to.
He should be feeling concerned, or cautious to some extent — because the following day would either be a total success or a complete failure that would put his secret at risk.
(If Coil ever found out about this — how would he react? Would he hold it against him like some super top secret blackmail material for whenever he craved something, or brush it under a rug and forget abou it?)
The more he stood there, the more he sunk into his thoughts and potential outcomes.
Prying his gaze from the calendar, Shuriken lazily glanced outside instead. As always, the obscure lights and flickering neon signs of all kinds greeted him in return. It was the same old scenery, was it not?
The same view he typically glanced at whenever he needed a distraction in the late evening. There was nothing unique about it, and if anything else — it bored him greatly at times.
But that’s exactly what he needed at this very moment. Some sense of normality that would ground him before tomorrow. The view would never change, and Shuriken could always return to it, even when he was about to flip his life upside down.
…But first things first, he had a duty to tend to.
Tugging the hood over his head, Shuriken turned to face the mask that had been left on the bed. Even with all of these emotions that coursed through him, Silver Shadow, much like the streets and buildings outside his window, remained a constant in his life.
(And soon enough, Coil would too be a part of this consistency. All Shuriken had to do was push a bit further, step out of his comfort zone, and hope for the best outcome.)
(But for now, he could settle back into the mundane vigilante work, he still had a few hours before the inevitable occurred, if he had done his calculations right. The future could knock at his door later.)
—
Despite the mere minutes he had of rest (he couldn’t even consider it a nap, really), Shuriken was the first one to embrace the cold morning.
And the first thing he was met with, as expected, was a familiar sight of sharp claws and a blanket that left him feeling rather suffocated. It must be the reason why he woke up to begin with, now that he thought about it. Lack of air, paired with too much heat and a sudden transformation — it wasn’t all that pleasant.
And he was typically a huge lover of the warmth his blanket provided. Guess this time around it just wasn’t doing it for him.
Unwilling to linger there any longer, Shuriken gradually began to wiggle from under the heavy cover, his claws catching on the sheets through it all. Once his snout managed to push past the blanket, he wasted no second in taking in a deep breath. Then, with just enough force, Shuriken emerged from under the cover.
At last, he was free!
…Although now that the blanket was no longer there to contain the warmth, Shuriken was quick to realize just how cold it was in his room — a sneeze escaping him as the air nipped at him, the short fur standing up in retaliation at that.
‘Cold. So, so cold. It was never this cold when I’m normal.’ Shuriken complained to himself, hopping off the bed with a quiet thump that echoed through the quiet room. Much to his distaste, the floor was even worse now that he came in contact with it.There was no rug to ease the chill that seeped into his paws, either.
If only socks for dragons existed.
(...Maybe this was a sign to purchase a rug as soon as possible instead, huh?)
Shaking his head at the concept of socks tailored for animals (because those typically looked stupid and tempered with one’s walk) Shuriken was quick to scurry over to the closed wooden door that gave into the hallway.
From this point of view, Shuriken forgot just how big the door truly was. It was always taller than he remembered, decorated with scratches that he had failed to notice up until now and dents from Shuriken’s bad habit of throwing his gear at it.
(One day, he was probably going to make a hole through it if he kept aiming the shuriken at the same spot over and over again. Shuriken could already spot a pretty big hole in the middle of the door.)
Of course, Shuriken wasn’t admiring the door because he wanted to. He had no reason to waste his time like that.
No, no — he was looking at it because there was no way to open it. The handle was far up, and Shuriken wasn’t an acrobat in a dragon’s body. His skills only applied when he had proper limbs and all.
(Imagine if he could do a backflip like this. That would be insane.)
Fortunately for him, there was a solution to this dire situation! A well crafted system that would aid Shuriken in getting past closed doors whenever he was a dragon.
By that he means he’s forced to scratch at the door until one of his siblings inevitably wakes up due to the amount of noise he’s about to create. After all, he got stuck in all sorts of rooms plenty of times.. much to his obvious embarrassment.
(He still remembers the time he had been stupid enough to nap buried in dirty clothes. As comfortable as it had been, he had also been one second away from being a part of the washing machine. Bless his brother for hearing his cries.)
With every press of his claw against the wood, the marks gradually began to appear on the surface as Shuriken’s scratches grew more persistent. Louder and more difficult to ignore — similar to the way a cat would behave when it needed someone’s attention.
(Although, if you were to ask him, he’d rather die than think he’s similar to a feline. He wasn’t about to let himself fall to a cat’s level. No offense to them or Sling.)
Soon enough, Shuriken could hear a faint squeak coming from a door being opened. Then, the footsteps belonging to one of his siblings, accompanied by the floorboards subtly creaking under each taken step.
And last but not least — the sudden swing of his bedroom door, revealing Vine Staff in all of her sleepy glory.
“..Shuri, what are you doing?” Vine Staff yawned into her palm, bleary eyes gazing down at the dragon. “There’s no reason for you to be awake before Sling..”
‘Just preparing for something’ Shuriken grinned to himself, hopping onto his sister’s fuzzy slippers, stomping on what should’ve been the face of a bunny. Vine Staff always had a tendency for these unique slippers.
(He says, as if Shuriken himself doesn’t own an atrocious pair of slippers. They simply hadn’t seen the light in a while now, hidden away in the back of his closet.)
“Don’t step on them like that..” Vine huffed, crouching down in order to scoop the dragon into her arms — a lighthearted glare directed towards Shuriken. It was nice that she was relatively in a good mood.
Cause he’ll pull a stunt that probably neither Vine or Sling will appreciate later on.
Still, with the two up and awake already, it didn’t take them much time to nudge Slingshot awake — having the satisfaction of being the one to get his brother out of the bed for once, and to witness the scowl on Sling’s face.
Oh, how upset he had been to be on the receiving end. At least Sling was now aware of how Shuriken felt every damn morning.
Afterwards, however, it was all smooth sailing.
Having more time on their hands than usual, the trio indulged in a proper breakfast to some extent — which meant actually sitting down at the table. The warm sunrays fell over them with ease at the kitchen table, making up for the lack of artificial light in the open kitchen.
Then there was the strong smell of bitter coffee that Shuriken was aware of, covering the sugary smell coming from his sister’s morning pastry. Even as he remained curled up in Vine’s lap akin to an oversized cat, hidden away from the mug that was to blame for this smell, the dragon found himself covering his snout nevertheless.
(Being a dragon meant enhanced senses, though Shuriken more often than not considered it troublesome and overall a bother. A few hours wouldn’t allow him to properly adapt to that.)
“Not a fan of coffee?” Vine chuckled, already aware of Shuriken’s distaste — her palm patting the top of Shuriken’s head almost endearingly so, flattening his ears in the process. The dragon could only let out a puff of warm air in return.
“So dramatic..” Sling hummed, his own smile hidden behind said beverage, being the only one in the family to actually indulge in such a drink. Shuriken never understood how he could drink it without milk or sugar. It was like he got a kick out of such an awful coffee!
Besides, everyone in the whole Inpherno probably knew how better it is to start the day with something sweet instead of.. that. Extra energy and all, no?
Fortunately for him, Slingshot was quick to finish his drink — and overall his entire breakfast — so the bitterness soon faded into nothingness, allowing Shuriken to take in one deep breath.
(Not-so fresh air, at last.)
Although with the plates now empty, Sling and Vine’s departure would soon follow — especially with how stubborn Slingshot seemed to be about ‘opening Thieve’s Rest in advance.’ Sure, it would be in their favour to do so since Shuriken was… ‘out of commission’...
…However it seemed a bit extreme, considering that it was the middle of the week where the flow of customers was slow.There was no reason to rush this morning.
Especially when Shuriken also had plans to meddle with their routine.
Usually he’d have to stay behind in the apartment, given that it would be a hassle to look after a dragon like him whilst handling work — and usually, Shuriken would’ve been fine with that, sleeping the day away to make up for the sleepless nights and whatnot.
But for today, he just had to get to Thieve’s Rest along with his family; so Shuriken would really appreciate it if Sling could take his sweet, sweet time and —
“Shuri, we’re leaving!”
— And they’re leaving already?! Seriously, it hasn’t even been half an hour!
(When did Vine Staff even put him down?? Shuriken doesn’t remember that happening — had he been this lost in his thoughts?)
Shaking his head, Shuriken was quick to sprint towards the entrance to their apartment. His claws lightly clicked against the floor, the noise quick and constant as his gaze locked on the two figures near the exit.
Naturally, the noise generated by Shuriken had caught the attention of the duo who now idly stood at the open door — their curiosity palpable from the curious tilts of their heads along with the inaudible question.
(What is he doing? — Shuriken could imagine that question floating through their minds. And in all honesty, even he was asking himself the very same question.)
‘You guys are not leaving without me..!’ Shuriken thought to himself, his gaze locked on Slingshot’s figure as he forced himself to run just a bit faster, because who knew when they’d decide to shut the door on him? It wouldn’t be the first time that happened, and he wasn’t looking forward to running straight into the metal door and dealing with a killer headache.
The more he closed in on the distance between him and the exit, the more visible was the confusion that befell over Vine’s face — whereas Slingshot only seemed to grow more impatient.
Yet as he took one final leap, a realization quickly settled in the back of his mind.
He probably should’ve considered that he couldn’t just accelerate all the time. Slowing down took some time, and with so little space left to cover…
…his only option was to ram into Slingshot’s leg at this point. And that’s exactly what he did.
(At least the clothing would act as the perfect cushion for his impact. Definitely way better than the solid, metallic door.)
“Shuri, what are you — !” Slingshot stumbled before the sentence could be finished — long horns and a mushed snout coming into contact with him — his balance temporarily thrown off as his hands subconsciously latched onto his sister.
Vine Staff, who also hadn’t anticipated this, was quick to lose her footing for a split second — a noise of surprise escaping her as the inphernal leaned against the doorframe for support.
Just like a bunch of dominos — Shuriken snorted to himself, peeking up at the feline inpheral with a sheepish look of sorts as he took a few steps back once he registered the faint glare on his brother’s face.
“What’s up with you?” Sling softly exhaled, the flick of his tail giving away the well hidden irritation that simmered under that calm, collected facade of his.
Shuriken could only offer his best puppy eyes in return to Slingshot’s disappointment. Slingshot obnoxiously sighed in return, a hand falling over their face.
“I think Shuri just wants to tag along.” Vine chimes in after a beat, covering for Shuriken whilst her hand adjusting the headband that had slid off in the aftermath of the unanticipated push. “Am I right?”
‘Yes! Yes, you are!’ Shuriken frantically nodded, hopping and skipping around his sibling’s legs in agreement — his enthusiasm being displayed just to show how bad he needed this.
That act alone seems to gain a laugh or two from Vine Staff, beaming at his behaviour.
Slingshot, on the other hand… Seemed anything but happy about that, instead resorting to a silent contemplation that (fortunately) replaced the previous annoyance.
At least his brain was preoccupied with pondering whenever he wanted an animal in the vicinity of his kitchen. Shuriken or not — it would be a disadvantage to have him around.
(Which, again, it made sense. Especially since Shuriken had fur to shed, but even he can see how unsanitary it would be to have a dragon around the place.)
“...If you’re coming, you better stay at the register only.” Slingshot exhaled, carefully grabbing the dragon by the scruff for the sake of staring down at Shuriken — just to get his point across, rather than anything else.
Because staring down at your sibling is simply the way to go. And it definitely didn’t make Shuriken feel just a bit more aware of his situation.
(Why did Slingshot always feel the need to do that?? Does he not know how unsatisfying it feels to be grabbed by the back of his neck? Jeez!)
So Shuriken shakes his head for the second time that morning.
“Alright then, let’s go! We can’t delay the opening any further.” Sling announces, a hum of agreement from Vine Staff being the only answer he receives in return.
—
Waiting for Coil to turn up to Thieve’s Rest turned out to be rather boring.
Left in the company of Vine at the register, Shuriken was forced to endure the pets and scratches from every single customer that laid his eyes on him — cooing and making all sorts of faces, all while whispering something about ‘how cute the dragon is’.
(The temptation to nip at their fingers was strong, however the bux falling into the tip jar made up for it. Slingshot would be happy to see the jar filled up to the brim for once.)
All in all, Shuriken felt like an attraction for customers — and a magnet for business.
Because who could say no to a dragon, let alone pass on the opportunity to post such an animal on phorums? One could only imagine the attention it would gather, and the traction Thieve’s Rest would receive for a while.
Oh, Shuriken can already imagine the disappointment on the future customer’s faces when the dragon won’t be there to greet them any longer.
…Not like they’ll get to see much of him for a while, anyways. The moment Coil shows up, Shuriken won’t hesitate to make a run for it.
(And by ‘make a run for it’, he means jumping into Coil’s arms and doing whatever dragons do.)
“This is the second time I’ve seen you pout today, Shuri..” Vine Staff noted with mirth in her voice, her fingers ruffling the short fur on Shuriken’s head — as if he hadn’t been pet enough today.
Although, he had a feeling that Vine Staff understood just how fed up he was with physical touch, cause it didn’t take a lot of time for her to remove her hand.
“You know, maybe Sling will treat you to something nice on our break for all the attention you brought.” Vine hummed, the words coming out as an afterthought rather than anything else, the beginning of a mindless rant of sorts. Maybe both of them were bored on this sunny day.
And in all sincerity, Shuriken wouldn’t be all too opposed to listening to his sister talk about flowers and whatever crossed her mind.
Yet just as Vine Staff was about to open her mouth, the sound of an inphernal coughing into their palm stopped her from delving into her ramble.
(How did neither of them register the inphernal standing in front of the counter? No one could possibly be that silent… Unless —)
“Oh, Coil!” Vine exclaimed, blinking at the dual coloured horned inphernal that lacked his usual duo.
“Welcome. Sorry, Shuriken isn’t here today — if you were looking for him. I assume you are here for him?”
Shuriken silently choked at the bluntness expressed by his sibling — and by her blatant acknowledgement of their developing friendship. Or whatever they had going on.
(But did she really have to call him out like that?! He’s still here, listening to that! Can she not be this blunt?)
“..Nah, I’m not here for him this time.” Coil casually answers instead, not even bothering to acknowledge the fact that he had been bluntly called a casual. Instead of being asked if he was looking for Slingshot, the inphernal of interest was changed to Shuriken now.
(God, this was embarrassing.)
“I’m here for this dragon, actually.” Coil grinned — fangs and all, as always — as his finger pointed at the animal in question. “Your brother told me I can have him for a day. No issues, yea?”
Vine Staff in return staggered, confusion befalling her face. “Well..”
. . .
Right, Shuriken never got around to tell them about this deal, did he? Quite the crucial step he missed.
Glancing up at his sister, Shuriken was greeted by pink eyes that looked down at him with curiosity, the silent question almost audible with how Vine Staff was looking at him.
’Did you seriously agree to this?’
To which Shuriken subtly nodded his head, tail giving a sway or two before deciding to nudge his head against his siblings hand in an attempt to reassure her. He knew Vine Staff wasn’t doubting him — or Coil by any means — when it came to safety..
..However, up until the last time he transformed — and today — Shuriken had never really stepped out of the apartment and into the streets of Crossroads as a dragon before.
(Back at Thieve’s Den however, Shuriken had always been eager to venture into the thick foliage and duck under oversized leaves. Back then, Vine and Sling would’ve been used to that concept. However ever since they arrived in Crossroads, they both seemed so.. reluctant about him exploring the area. Isn’t that absurd?)
“I wasn’t aware of this, but if my brother trusts you enough to hand you over his… dragon..” Vine politely smiled, her fingers offering one final caress to Shuriken before nudging him towards Coil. “..Then he’s all yours! For today.”
Coil, in return, spared no second to hoist the dragon up — a satisfied smile of sorts tugging on his lips as he allowed Shuriken to get comfortable on his shoulders. Guess he really was just a fan for animals.
“Just make sure to return with him before evening?” Vine hummed.
“Sure.”
“And don’t feed him too much — even if he makes those ‘puppy eyes’ for food.”
“Yeah. Will do.”
“Oh, and do not —”
Shuriken let out a long, annoyed whine, effectively interrupting Vine Staff’s rambles. The sibling in question owlishly blinked at him in return, before looking rather apologetic.
(This was the second time Vine was unknowingly embarrassing him. Or maybe Shuriken just felt awfully self aware of every little thing, which in return made him embarrassed for no reason.)
Yet what Shuriken found embarrassing, Coil instead snorted at the few requests that managed to slip past Vine Staff’s mouth — finding them amusing instead. At least one of us is feeling good about this whole ordeal, Shuriken dryly thinks.
“Won’t do anything this dragon won’t like. Got it.” Coil easily waved her off, his back already turned to Vine as he took his goodbye to the pink horned inpheral — not sparing any additional time.
And as Coil pushed the glass door open, all Shuriken could look at was the oddly relieved expression resting on his sibling's face, a small thumbs up directed towards him.
(Shuriken had a feeling that Vine was content that he was finally interacting with others, instead of avoiding them. That speculation in return left him chewing on his thoughts for a while. Was it really that much of a big deal?)
The dragon huffed, prying his gaze as he let his head hang low, the warm, welcoming sunrays falling over him as Coil stepped outside.
He’ll have to ask Vine Staff later about that (if Shuriken will even remember to do so by the time he returns to his siblings) but for now he is in Coil’s care. How bad could that possibly be?
—
“So, you know any tricks? Or are you a napping warrior?” Coil hummed at one point in their walk, his steps coming to an end as they faced what a relatively short building — couldn’t have more than one or two floors, really — his hands stuffed into one of the pockets.
‘Tricks?’ Shuriken frowned, looking up at Coil with a look of bafflement. Could he do tricks like this? What is even classified as a ‘trick’? Running in circles or jumping through hoops?
“Well, you better know some, cause I sure as hell signed you up for a competition.” The entry ticket was waved in front of Shuriken’s eyes, his face falling as he caught a glimpse of his name on it. ‘Shuri’.
(Did Coil seriously just sign up a dragon for what — an universal pet competition?? God, just how much did he pay to obtain a spot in this place?)
“It wasn't cheap, you know?” Coil, almost as if he was capable of reading Shuriken’s thoughts, answered almost perfectly. It all felt way too convenient sometimes, but maybe that just meant that the guy was really observant. Maybe. “55 bux just to get your name on cheap paper.”
(Shuriken swore his heart almost slipped at that number. That’s like two hours of work on a busy day!)
Without having time to complain — let alone express his distaste for this whole ordeal — Coil was quick to push past the entrance doors and into the building. Right off the bat, they were met with the reception, where a rather old, grumpy lady sat — horns lost of colour from stress and age.
And almost inevitably, the inphernal was quick to spot them.
Yet the moment Shuriken felt himself become the center of the attention — given that the woman had visibly lightened up at his appearance, or at the very least gave off that idea — he was quick to zone off.
After all, he didn’t exactly want to hear someone coo over him again. He has had enough for today, especially with all the customers back at Thieve’s Rest.
(Sure, the compliments did numbers to his ego, really! But it was getting a bit repetitive, no?)
It wasn’t long enough until Shuriken felt himself get scooped up, exchanged between the two as if he was a mere animal (which he wasn’t! he was so much more than that!) before he felt himself get stretched akin to those stupidly flexible cats videos he saw on phorums.
Why was it so important to test an animal's flexibility anyways?
“Ah, he’s got quite the potential in competing.” The old inphernal proudly stated, yet the praise went flying past Shuriken’s head as he glared down at her.
(The urge to bite was there, but he refrained. The poor lady wasn’t at fault. Coil, on the other hand..)
“Obviously.” Coil snorted, cocking his head to the side. “Wouldn’t have signed him up otherwise. I know the dragon.”
(And god, wasn’t that just so cocky of him? Shuriken wanted to gnaw on his fingers then curl up and die because the concept of Coil putting his trust on him meant something even when he was a dragon.)
(He was being irrational.)
Fortunately enough, the inspection came to an end soon enough, and Shuriken was handed back to Coil — the dragon’s frustration most likely visible from the nervous laughter coming from the lady. Nevertheless, with that soon came his registration number, some useless informative paper, and some words that he refused to tune in to.
And any thoughts on harming Coil were quickly washed away the moment the cold palm fell on top of his head — the rough, powerful strokes of his hand leaving Shuriken bewildered, effectively stunning him as his ears visibly flattened.
(Were those the consequences of loving someone?)
“Don’t act all soft now, Shuri.” Coil teased, before hoisting the dragon over his shoulder, his other hand tightly holding the paper that held numbers. “Baring your teeth at me? I’m starting to think Shuriken hasn’t trained you at all — jeez.”
‘Bare my teeth? Did I do that?’ Shuriken scowled, yet he couldn’t help but feel like Coil had humbled him one way or another — the same way a stray, rowdy cat on the streets lowers their defenses at the sight of treats and ceases to be violent.
. . .
God, why did his thought process have to humble him further? Comparing himself with animals like that?
“Hey, chin up now.” Coil idly smiled, patting the dragon’s back as if he wasn’t the one that had riled him up just a few minutes ago. “Can’t have you pouting and moping when we still have a contest to win.”
‘And by that you mean me, yeah.’ Shuriken mentally rolled his eyes at that, yet his tail betrayed his mind as it began to sway against Coil.
(Even if it wasn’t what he had expected, and the time he was spending with Coil was rather questionable, this was still something he wanted. An experience that Shuriken was capable of enjoying, even with all the downsides. Hell, he was even preening under Coil’s attention.)
(Because somehow, someway, Coil’s smile, along with the few pats he had received every now and then, had managed to outshine every little thing that had pissed him off so far. Including the fact that he had been unwillingly signed up to this competition just for some quick bux that he wouldn’t even be able to look at.)
“And hey — maybe if you win the first place, you’ll be rewarded.” Coil added as an incentive of sorts, a ‘promise’ that most definitely aimed to cheer up the dragon for the sake of ensuring victory.
(And that idea sure as hell worked like a charm! Scratch the previous thought, now he was definitely going to get his claws on some bux.)
Nevertheless, from there on it didn’t take much time for the whole event to kickstart. All sorts of animals were brought up to the public, participants were named, and the (nearly non-existent) crowd was shortly filled with all sorts of noises. Some surprised hums, a few gasps, or some barely audible whispers that couldn’t quite reach him.
Still, there was one thing that Shuriken was certain of. Out of all the felines, the reptiles and so much more — he stood out like a sore thumb.
And by default, the public was fixated on him. Shuriken felt watched from every single angle.
(So much attention. Shuriken didn’t know whenther he wanted to puff his chest out akin to a cocky dragon, or use Coil as a meatshield and attempt to hide behind his frame like a coward. He was more fit for the shadows either way.)
In return, Shuriken could only stare back at them. Frozen like a statue, unsure of what pose to take — but nevertheless, nothing that could potentially embarrass him.
…Maybe he actually looked kind of cool, unmoving at all. If he had been a bigger dragon, he could’ve been considered menacing — a predator eyeing his prey, probably?
(A part of Shuriken prays that his dragon form will continue to grow just to achieve that idea. Unfortunately for him, he stopped growing a year or two ago, so the wish was rather unlikely to come true, but who knows? A miracle could happen.)
“Eyes on the prize, dragon.” Coil unexpectedly spoke up — or rather whispered, for only Shuriken managed to hear those words — and the tension settling in his frame eased up a bit, a confused tilt of his head redirected towards the inphernal.
All he got in return was a half-assed shrug. Unwilling to elaborate further, Shuriken huffed under his breath before it inevitably clicked for him.
Encouragement. That’s what he was getting. From Coil too, nonetheless!
(How rare was that? Was it because he was a dragon at this very moment? Most likely! By all Swords, he was not going to forget this anytime soon.)
The reminder on the goal was also appreciated. Shuriken always performed better when he had an objective — he was always more confident when he had what to focus on. All he had to do was ignore everyone else, and just —
Win.
Because who was he, if not a winner at the end of the day? He was already above the rest of the animals (no offense to them, really), so what was stopping him?
With a stretch of his back, and a puff that served no purpose other than to signal that he was calm — Shuriken lazily glanced at his competition. Nothing to be scared of, that is certain. That victory was his. Definitely.
—
Shuriken quickly learned how a loving community online could affect the overall outcome — a bowtie awkwardly hung around his neck, the number ‘two’ plastered somewhere along.
No matter how elegant he had been while jumping through hoops, how adorable he was when striking poses for the few inphernals spectating, how eye-catching his backflip managed to be — it had been an owl that took away his glory. A big old ruffled owl that never hooted throughout the entire deal.
The temptation to throw a fuss over the unfair decision was high, because who allows the public vote to overturn the judges final word! Shouldn’t the wise and oh-so knowledgeable ones have the final word — what happened to that stupid belief???
All because on the phorum, some inphernals were obsessed with the ‘mysterious owl that delivered letters to an unknown location.’ (heard it all from the public itself.) The animal didn’t even have a name on there — he was quite literally labelled as ‘the owl’. How absurd is that?
(Sure, there have been a few instances where he was called ‘Prince’ — because he was graceful and whatever — but Shuriken digresses.)
To top it all, the owl didn’t even have an inphernal to represent him! The bird showed up alone, somehow got registered into the competition, fees paid and all — and wins! Him!
Why was that animal allowed with no overseer? Where was his owner??
. . .
Safe to say, his ego had taken quite a hit. Losing to an animal, when he was a whole inphernal stuck in a dragon body…!
“Can you stop fussin’ — you’re getting all that short fur in my burger.” Coil grumbled, pinning down the dragon’s tail with merely his thumb — a strangled hiss answering in return as Shuriken squirmed at that, shuffling and clawing at the table before being let go.
Shuriken stumbles at the sudden freedom. Behind him he can hear a huff concealing the laughter that would’ve escaped.
(Asshole.)
“Not satisfied with being in the top three? Used to being an all time winner or something?” Coil mumbled between bites, and the teasing easily struck Shuriken’s ego — a growl escaping him as he turned away from the inphernal.
And in return, he could hear a groan followed by the word ‘seriously’ from none other than Coil. Maybe if he put his imagination to good use, Shuriken could even picture a roll of eyes and a silent look of contemplation.
That mental image, unfortunately, only added fuel to his already simmering anger.
“I don’t see what the issue is, you stuck-up dragon.” Coil suddenly uttered out loud, a thin slice of pickle slipping out of the burger as he took a generous bite. “We still got plenty of bux. And I’m feeding you a delicacy! Doubt your owner would ever let you enjoy a burger.”
The words muffled by his loud chewing did nothing good to Shuriken, his tail harshly flicking against the table beneath him. So laidback, carefree.. Where’s the Coil he saw during phights?
After all, Coil always got upset whenever he ended up on the losing team — Shuriken remembers that. The weak excuses, the grumbling and following silence, before lightly pinning the blame on Skateboard, if he’s on the same team as that guy. Shuriken could relate to that sentiment to some extent — even he despised losing.
(After all, he had always won in Thieve’s Den. Top of his group, winner of skrims and one on one fights. That had been him at one point. A prodigy that couldn’t compare to others. Then Crossroads came along, and well…)
(No use lamenting about it all. Focus on the present. Focus on Coil.)
So, why was Coil all relaxed? Did the competition not matter to him all that much, were the bragging rights lackluster? Or maybe…
. . .
The more Shuriken stared at the guy that lacked any ounce of anger, the more he realized that he had allowed himself to get a bit too much into the competition. That Coil was probably in just for the quick bux.
And he could.. get behind that idea. Easy way to get your hands on some pocket money — except Shuriken’s ego had been hurt after losing to a mere owl and the concept of agreeing with Coil wasn’t exactly on his to-do list at this very moment.
And it seemed like that realization befell Coil too, for the inphernal had long stopped enjoying his meal.
“God, no wonder you’re Shuriken’s pet —” Coil groaned out of the sudden, the burger falling flat onto the tissue as he began to lick away at his fingers — typical Coil, the dragon huffed. “You’re a sore loser! Just like him.”
Well, that wasn’t very nice.
“Didn’t even think animals were capable of frowning, and here you are — moping around. Scowlin’ and all.” He dryly added, pushing the remnants of his meal towards the dragon without much care. “It almost feels like you’re just — Shuriken’s reincarnation in the form of a dragon!”
(…Okay, that hit a bit too close to home.)
Yet Shuriken merely scrunched up his nose in defiance at that, only playing further into the description Coil had given him. Fangs visible, and with claws beared at Coil — it almost resembled a feral animal rather than the domesticated dragon Shuriken was trying to pretend to be.
And that seemed to earn a rather memorable reaction out of Coil — the inphernal for once visibly judging the dragon instead of laughing at him.
To Shuriken, Coil looked almost constipated at that moment. Keyword ‘almost’.
The more fitting word would be slightly ‘bashful’, which Shuriken didn’t think was possible. This wasn’t an appropriate reaction — or at the very least, not one that fit Coil’s character.
“God, you remind me too much of him. I know you’re Shuriken’s pet and all — but can’t you have some sense of self?” Coil suddenly let out a long, exhausted exhale of warm air, his hand dragged across his face in what Shuriken believed was an attempt to hide himself.
(How does he assume that? Simple — he himself makes use of this cheap trick to hide his expression in embarrassing moments. Mask the bashfulness behind made-up fatigue.)
(...Or maybe he was just looking too much into it, and the guy was simply that tired of it all.)
Without another sound, the leftovers that had been abandoned on tissues were pushed towards Shuriken. “I lost my appetite, and I don’t like wastin’ food. Go on.”
(Ah, now he was the live, breathing trashcan too, huh?)
“Don’t give me that look again.” Coil grimaced, glancing away as if searching for a distraction. “You should be grateful I’m feeding you the good stuff. Shuriken probably keeps you on a tight diet. Be glad I’m here to offer you a breath of fresh air.”‘Yeah, because a breath of fresh air implies eating a burger..’ Shuriken sarcastically reasoned in the back of his mind, the subtle tension radiating off Coil, pushing him to take bites out of the half finished meal.
And for a while, all that there was to listen to was the noise of a dragon chewing on food that wasn’t fit for an animal. Really making the whole experience more awkward than it should. Just him, his potential crush, and a soggy burger to wrap it up.
Shuriken didn’t think it could get any worse at this point.
..That is until the sound of frantic scribbling reached Shuriken’s ears. It caught his attention easily so.
Tilting his head to the side, Shuriken awkwardly took a glance at whatever Coil was doing. The sound of his erratic writing was unpleasant, yet the look on his face — the narrowed eyes, the concentration behind it — made it seem like it was all so worth it, to the point Shuriken wondered what could possibly be so important.
Taking note of the colourful edges of the paper, the unique design, and the overall quality of it — Shuriken easily noted that it was a flyer for Phights, hosted by none other than the Flipside.
The Phights that bring in a decent amount of bux. Yes, those phights that he had already partaken in countless times, yet never had the opportunity to be on the same team as Coil.
Yet as he watched Coil fixate on that poor piece of paper as if it was a paycheck worth millions, Shuriken had a feeling that soon enough he would get to team up with the inphernal in front of him.
(And isn’t that just exciting? Shuriken doesn’t know where this eagerness came from, yet the thought of working with Coil — catching those moments up close, it truly did something to him.)
“Quit staring at what I’m doing and eat the burger.” Coil suddenly hissed under his breath, his hold on the flyer tightening against it, crumpling the edges in the process. “It’s just a little something for your owner.”
‘A little something’ he says, but Shuriken might just die on the spot after he spotted the numbers sprawled in the corner of the flyer that could only mean Coil’s phone number.
(Now hold on a second — was Coil doing what he was thinking of? Could this be a date? No way, that’s too early, they haven’t even hung out that much!)
With his thoughts all over the place, wondering and looking over all the ‘what ifs’ that there were to explore, Shuriken was quickly shaken out of it as the piece of paper was pushed against his snout — a bewildered look taking over, as if a bucket full of cold water had rained upon him, rather than an invitation to some friendly phights.
“Here, take it.” Coil grumbled, the flyer neatly rolled as he encouraged the dragon to properly bite into the paper. “Make sure you don’t lose it, cause I’m not doing this again. Would be too embarrassing.”
…Embarrassing? There’s no way he was implying that.. that —
(Oh my God.)
To say his jaw dropped to the ground would be a lie, because Shuriken is pretty sure that it just popped right off from the shock that coursed through him.
Could this be it? The peak of his and Coil’s interactions? It hasn’t even been a full year — let alone half of it — and Shuriken had yet to grow comfortable enough around him to accept this idea.
“Can you close your mouth already?” Coil snapped, his frustration bleeding into some odd combination of embarrassment.
Shuriken silently obliged in return.
Yet as he felt himself get hoisted upwards by those warm hands of his, Shuriken couldn’t focus on anything else besides the paper that he was biting into. It felt like a reward for everything he went through today.
(And that alone made up for his embarrassing loss in the competition, cause he sure as hell struck gold with this instead.)
“C’mon, let’s get you back to Vine Staff.” Coil quietly puffed, the dragon hoisted on his shoulder like he weighed nothing to him (which, in all honesty, he probably did), his steps silent and determined as they left behind the table.
At the end of it all, this had been a pretty successful day — Shuriken silently concluded. Snuggled against Coil shoulder, all he could think about is the next Phight he would attend…
…and how he’d have to hide this piece of paper as if his whole life depended on it, for the sake of his dignity — even if a part of him knew there would be no grave consequences to such a stupid thing.
