Blue Rose... (open)

[Julias]

Landon layed on the top of the Observatory looking down at the grounds, he liked it up there. His eyes flicked to each human as they passed through the grounds, he knew none of them and wasnt sure how to go about meeting them. He knew he would start classes sooner or later and be forced to tell about himself in some stupid introduction that would make him look like a fool, his forked tongue flicked out for a second. He pulled himself up slowly, relaxing his muscles then flexing them once again. He had lost weight here, he could tell.


His scales formed around his body much tighter, he could see the ripples in the muscle of his arms and hands. He liked the look much better, with a soft kick as to not disturb the Observatory he glided down to the grounds. People watched as the blue dragon coasted down and came to a walking stop on the grounds, he kept his wings close and his tail strait as he moved through the small creatures around him. He didn't want to hit anyone and cause a stir, as he made his way back to the wood to grab his clothes and shift back to his human form he spotted an opening to a garden.


He stopped completely and looked at it for a moment, he turned and started for the garden at a quicker pace. Something about it intrigued him more than he thought, he stopped before it and looked at the small door way to get inside, he sighed in a breathy kind of way and then using his neck and head he slid through the doorway to look around. What came to view almost stunned him, the garden was quite pretty, though under-cared. He thought when he got back into his human form he could come out and clean it up, he smiled at that and looked at he rose bush off to the right of the entrance. Sitting on the rose bush on the very top was a blue rose among the red, Landon eyed it suspiciously and moved his head to the bush. It was an ordinary rose like any other only blue, he thought of himself among the school student.

"I'm like the blue rose on this bush." He said to himself, he blew a puff of smoke from his nose onto the blue rose. Then carefully, using a small part of his teeth he cut the blue rose from its companions and exited the garden. He walked a few paces away and went to large patch of shade under an oak tree, he curled up in the shade and set the rose carefully down in front of him. He studied it carefully, he liked the flower, it was blue like himself.


Delicately he used the tips of his claws to pick it up and bring it to his eyes, he could see every detail in the peddles of the blue rose. Then using his claws carefully he tied the stem around one of the horns on his head, he would keep it there until he got to his things and changed, then he would put it somewhere safe. It sat on his horn without incident and didn't seem to move when he shifted around, he shook his head and it still had yet to budge.

He figured it was safe there now, feeling slightly drowsy he layed his head on the soft earth and from the ground watched the students he didn't know pass by. They looked at him oddly and others watched, there were other dragons but most of them didn't stay on the grounds in dragon form. They were either in the sky or elsewhere, he knew he was rather different but he didn't mind that what so ever. He layed on the grass, his wings curled around his body, his head twisted slightly to watch the people around.

[Ayame]

Jo was perched on the top branch of a looming sitka tree, scanning the Academy grounds lazily. She didn't really fit in here, she knew, but it was the closest she'd gotten in a long time.

Then again, how many Phoenixes walked around with the humans? Here, at least, she wasn't the only weird one. Well, she wasn't the only Phoenix, anyway. She was still the only person she knew of who had a weapons collection.

Spending the last four hundred years or so living with her family in their salloon hadn't done much for her innocence. Her father had been a trained warrior, and he passed all his training onto her, ignoring her mother's constant protests.

Because of this, she'd learnt how to fire a rifle, how to fight with a knife, and proper hand-to-hand combat. She was fast and smart, but rather lacking in the strength department, so the defensive skills she'd learnt sometimes came in quite handy, too.

Shaking her head, Jo spread her wings and soared down into the garden. She hadn't gotten far when she spotted a large blue-ish shape, and, curious, she flew over to it. With a start she realized it was a dragon. She landed silently a little ways off and wondered if it was safe to approach him or better to leave him alone. She had enough to deal with without a ****ed off dragon on her case.

Giving him a quick once over, she spotted a blue rose tied to one of his horns. This interested her. Since when were dragons the sentimental types? She leaned a little closer to inspect it, but was startled when he stirred. Nervously, she waited to see how he'd react to her close proximity. If all else failed, she could fly away.

[Julias]

Landon felt the presence of something coming close, he heard the slight flap of wings and felt a small push of air. He turned his head slowly then, scanning for whatever it was and there it sat. It was a phoenix, a very close phoenix. He stared into the birds eyes and blinked a couple of times, his nose was only a foot from the creature. He spoke softly, his voice in his dragon form sometimes got a little loud and he didn't want to frighten the creature.

"Good day phoenix.. What is your name?" His mouth curled into something like a smile, his bright blue eyes watched the phoenix intently. He had never seen one up close but knew they had the tendency to be emotionally unstable, that was fine with him he wasn't to worried about making it angry.

As long as he stayed level and was polite he was sure the creature wouldn't try to peak out his eyes, he chuckled inwardly but kept his composure. He took a deep breath and sighed, making sure the wind from his breath didn't hit the phoenix he turned his head. His eyes then moved back to the garden, he stared at it and layed his head back down on the grass a slightly somber look coming to rest on his features.

[Ayame]

Jo tilted her pretty golden head to one side at the dragon's question, contemplating. Should she be polite, or informal? She didn't want him to think her rude by being to informal, but being too polite would make her seem... well, sort of pathetic.

In the end, she decided on a bit of both. "I am Joanna Beth Wesson, but most just call me Jo." There, she thought approvingly, the perfect balance of casualness and manners.

She looked at the blue rose on his horn again and smiled a little, her spirits lifting. It was such a pretty little thing. She shook her head forcefully and blinked her jade-green eyes several times to clear her mind.

"What's your name?" Jo asked in return. It was only fair that he tell her after she told him, wasn't it? She sat back and began preening her feathers as she waited for him to answer her.

[Julias]

The phoenix tilted her head at his question, it took a second before she answered him. She introduced herself as Johanna Beth Wesson, Jo for short. Landon smiled and nodded, he watched her eyes travel to his right horn. He knew she was looking at the blue rose he had found, he saw her smile a little. 'So that's why she came over, interesting.' She shook her head then and asked


"What's your name?" She then proceeded to sit back and preen her feathers, Landon watched for a moment then spoke easily


"My name is Landon Invictus, it's my pleasure to meet you Jo." Then moving slowly, he used his claws to pull the flower from his horn. Then with a smile he held it out to her, making sure his long clawed fingers held it carefully. He spoke softly, looking at the rose


"I saw you look at it, you seem like you like it." He kind of shrugged, and continued to hold out the flower waiting for her to take it. He didnt mind giving it to her, he just liked it because it was blue and quite rare. He knew he would find other things of such rarity in his life, he also liked Jo for being straightforward and nice. Landon liked it when people were open to talking to others the way she had, his bright blue eyes looked at Jo he smiled again still holding out the flower.

[Ayame]

Jo's eyes sparkled and her face split into a beaming smile as the dragon--apparently named Landon--held the blue rose out to her. Carefully, so as not to harm the delicate flower, she took it from him in her beak.

She then weaved it through the feathers of her wing and flapped the wing experimentally to see if the flower stayed put. When it did, she turned back to the dragon, still smiling widely. It was unusually kind of a dragon, was it not? Perhaps the old saying that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover had some weight to it after all.

"Thank you, Landon," she said earnestly, dipping her head gratefully. "You're right, I was looking at it. I wasn't expecting you to give it to me, though. That was very kind of you. It's lovely."

She smiled down at the rose for a moment, admiring it. The blue against her golden feathers was an interesting contrast. It stood out, it's beauty sheltered but undeniable. It wasn't a garish clashing, but rather a pronounced splash of colour with an ballanced background.

"So," Jo started, realizing that she'd been quiet for a while, "I don't mean to sound rude, but it's not exactly common to find a dragon on the ground. What are you doing here?"

She cursed mentally at how brusque she'd come across. It wasn't common to see a dragon on the ground, true, but then again how many times was a Phoenix seen lounging about on the grass?

"Sorry if I offended you," she added, offering him a weak grin. "That wasn't my intent, but that's probably what I did, isn't it?"

[Julias]

Jo smiled widely, he could tell by the bright shine her eyes had gotten when he offered the flower to her. He smiled back as she took it in her beak and wove it through her golden feathers, it looked very beautiful against her golden wing. He nodded in approval, she looked at him and spoke

"Thank you, Landon," she dipped her head in a gesture of thanks, Landon nodded in return and listened as she spoke again.

"You're right, I was looking at it. I wasn't expecting you to give it to me, though. That was very kind of you. It's lovely." She looked back at the rose and seemed to watch it for a moment, Landon looked at it again to. It was quite a lovely flower, he was almost sad that he had plucked the flower from its thorny home. He was about to ask why she was hanging around here when she spoke herself, his mouth slightly open he shut it immediately.

"So, I don't mean to sound rude, but it's not exactly common to find a dragon on the ground. What are you doing here?" Landon looked at her quizzically she looked almost stunned for a moment before saying

"Sorry if I offended you," she smiled an odd smile and spoke again, he wasn't sure why that was offensive but he didn't interrupt

"That wasn't my intent, but that's probably what I did, isn't it?" Landon laughed then, it was hearty and light. The tree close to them shook from the noise he had made, he chuckled lightly, stood and stretched. He spoke kindly and with a soft smile

"No trouble at all Jo, you have not offended me in any way." He looked at her, his face pure amusement at the sound of her being so respectful, he wasn't used to being treated in such a way. He spoke again still with the same soft smile


"Well Jo, to be honest I came to look at the garden. I found that flower in a rose bush in there." He motioned to the garden then the flower and added

"I'm normally at the top of the observatory watching everyone, or at the lake taking a swim. But something about the garden drew me to it." He shrugged slightly and twisted his head around to look at the sky, he stared for a moment before looked back down at Jo. He smiled and asked

"What brings you here Jo? If you don't mind my asking?" he layed down again this time letting some of the sun hit his scales. He liked the warmth more than anything, but the bright sunlight and his own eyesight made it hard to see when it struck his eyes. He kept his head in the shade as he spoke to Jo, her own golden feathers reflecting parts of the sun making her easy to see but what ball of golden lights hard to keep track of?

[Ayame]

Jo stretched her wings out and ruffled her feathers slightly as she thought about his question for a moment. It was a good question, to be honest. What was she doing there?

"I don't actually know what brought me down here. I was just sitting up in one of the sitkas of the forest, and I guess I wanted a change of scenery." She laughed a little at how silly that sounded.

The warm sun felt good on her back, and she sighed contentedly. Jo loved the sun; she always had. That was part of the reason her affinity was for the sun--or perhaps it was the other way around. She didn't really care. Landon appeared to be enjoying the sun as well, she noted.

"It's perfect out today, isn't it?" she asked happily. "The sun is shining, there's little humidity, and the wind is just strong enough to keep the sun from being imbearable. It's great for gliding, too," she added as an afterthought.

She lapsed into silence again, and went back to admiring the rose. It was like her, in a way. It didn't fit ion quite right--it was blue, whereas the other roses were shades of red and pink and yellow. It had lived a life sheltered by prickly thorns to keep anyone from getting to close, but there were spaces without thorns that someone else could reach if they knew how.

And now, also just like her, it had left that home. It was on it's own, freed of the sheltered life it had once lived. There were no barriers to keep everyone out anymore, just the thorns it carried itself. And yet, it allowed others to do as they would, so long as they didn't try to harm it.

A sudden quote popped into her head at that thought, though it wasn't entirely related, and she'd murmured it under her breath before she could stop herself.

"Love is much like a wild rose, beautiful and calm, but willing to draw blood in its defense."

Startled by her slip-up, Jo coughed nervously and glanced at Landon apologetically, trying to let him know that she hadn't meant to say that out loud.

[Julias]

Landon listened intently to Jo, she seemed very wise. He wondered how old she was, he decided to not be nosy. He watched as she ruffled her feathers then answered him, it was an honest answer. Maybe that was why he was out here to, he couldn't really know. He hummed slightly as the sun extended its warmth and hit more of his blue scales, he sighed a content sigh and spoke.

"Yes, it is quite the lovely day outside. I'm glad I am alive to feel the suns warm embrace." He waited for a moment, his eyes watched Jo as she had lapsed into a silence. Then suddenly she had spoken a quote that touched him truthfully, she was quite wise indeed. He spoke to her quite impressed at her words

"Well that was quite sudden, but also very true." He looked at the rose and added

"With beauty comes a heavy curse." his eyes glazed over then as he stared at the blue rose, he wondered why such things had the impact they did on him. He just thought he was weak to let such small trivial things affect him in these manners, or maybe he was strong to let them. He would never know, he figured he was just an odd dragon. He never did understand why he was sent to this school in particular, he just knew he was here and that he had to make due. He came to and looked at Jo, the sun made her shine very brightly. He smiled and asked

"Why speak in such manners Jo? Today is to lovely a day to be wasting on talk of blood and defense, let us just enjoy the sun." He liked Jo, she seemed very down to earth in his opinion. He only met a few like her who dwell deep into their own thoughts, a couple of them had become scholars and writers. She seemed very creative in his eyes, he layed his head down and sighed again. He moved his tail slightly, the end of his tail had itched slightly. He yawned a large yawn, his mouth opening wide. When he finished he looked at Jo and said

"My apologies, I should have covered my mouth." He took a claw and sat in on his nose in a funny gesture, he figured he would at least try to lighten up the mood for her.

[Ayame]

Jo snorted lightly in amusement at how silly Landon looked with one claw over his mouth and smiled again. "Don't worry about it," she told him laughingly, her eyes gleaming.

She glanced momentarily at the sky. It was perfectly clear today, not a cloud in sight. The sun glowed ever brightly from it's place in the centre of the stretch of blue, and the warm soothed her. It was too nice a day to be mumbling old quotes of blood.

Jo spread her wings and fluttered up into the branches of the tree next to Landon, landing on a wide bow and settling down with her wings folded neatly behind her back. the wind was stronger up here, and it felt nice.

She closed her eyes, losing herself to the feeling. Idly she considered that she might be making Landon uncomfortable, but if she was he'd say something. Jo herself had gotten used to the quiet a long time ago.

ooc:: sorry... I couldn't think of anything for her to say, soo... ^^;

[Julias]

Landon watched her as she flew up to the branches above him, she was still in his site but he figured that meant that she liked his company. He smiled inwardly and took his claw off of his nose, he knew he looked rather silly doing such a thing. He rolled to his side then and looked up at Jo on the tree branch swaying slightly in the breeze, she looked like she enjoyed it up there.


Landon figured he would play with her a little to see how she would react, she seemed like the playful type. He waited for a long moment, giving it about 2 minutes before aiming his face in her direction. With a skilled shot, he sprayed a thin stream of water from his mouth directly at her. As soon as the water had left his person he turned quickly and looked the opposite way, he knew he was just being childish but he figured he might as well.

(OOC: sorry about the shortness, I couldn't really think of much either.)

[Ayame]

Jo closed her eyes and enjoyed the delicate wind that buffeted her. It was just warm enough to be comfortable, not too cold or too hot. She was starting to doze off when something wet shot up right next to her face.

With a startled screech she jerked backwards and almost fell of the branch, only just managing to hold on with her sharp talons. She looked around to try and figure out what had happened, and her eyes fell on Landon.

He was looking off in another direction innocently... too innocently. Jo narrowed her eyes suspiciously. It was obvious that he was a water dragon, and what had flown past her head couldn't be rain, considering how sunny and clear it was. Landon had shot water at her, and was now pretending he hadn't.

She just about broke out in gales of laughter. He was playing with her is what he was doing. Well, Jo could play, too. She summoned up the sunshine and opened her beak, light shining out in a narrow beam. Artfully, she directed it right into one of his eyes.

It was bright enough to be uncomfortable and possibly to blind him for a second or two, but not bright enough to do any real harm. She then turned her head away to inspect a nearby lilac bush as if nothing had happened, returning the favour of appearing innocent save for her small smile.

[Julias]

Landon heard the squawk and almost laughed but he kept his composure, he didn't look at her or anything he kept his posture and stayed where he was. He was about to turn and smile at her when a bright light caught one of his eyes and blinded him, he growled and batted at his face with the palm of his hand. He still couldn't see when he looked up at the bird and saw her dripping with water standing on the branch watching a lilac bush. He saw the small smile and started to laugh, he couldn't help it. He knew he was going to get along with Jo quite well, she knew when he was playing and she came right back at him with her own. He took his tail and hit the branch with it, shaking the tree a little. He was still chuckling when he spoke

"I am glad to have met you Jo, your very nice.. and funny."He chuckled again as the sight came back to his eye, he knew he was going to get along with her just fine then. He stood on all fours then and stretched, walking out into the sun he stood on his back legs and stretched upward. The sun hit all of his body now, he collapsed in a heap in the grass under the sun. It felt very warm and he couldn't help but feel sleepy under it, he spoke to Jo then looking in her direction.

"Would you like to accompany me on a flight to the lake Jo?"He figured on such a nice day he would do some swimming, he knew he would have to change form though. He had some work to do and he didn't feel like waiting to grab his things, he told her this.

"I am going to change into my human form first though, I plan on getting some training done while I am there. I also need to grab my things, but if you have other places to go I wont be offended." He watched her and waited for her reply, he was going to go with or without her. He just liked her company and figured it would be nice to have someone to talk to while he practiced.

[Ayame]

Jo gripped the branch tightly when Landon hit it with his tail and waited until it had finally stopped shaking to respond. "Actually, I have some Latin homework I really need to finish. If you don't mind me spilling over my notebooks while you work, then it's not a problem."

It would only take her a second to fly back to her dorm and get the things she needed, and then she could meet him by the lake if he really wanted her company. She didn't mind his. Landon was an easy guy to get along with--or at least he seemed to be.

He was able to take and dole out jokes easily, he was clearly smart and keen, and he wasn't just some jerk who was being nice to her because she was attractive. He didn't know what she looked like in human form, and didn't seem to care. He seemed to genuinely enjoy her company.

Jo found that this lifted her spirits considerably until she felt like she could sing. She'd met an actually decent person who didn't think she was weird or different or anything like that. Well, not yet anyway. He still didn't know about her arsenal. Not that he really needed to.

Stretching her wings, Jo smiled a tiny bit when she felt the rose sitting merrily between her feathers. "So by the lake then?" she clarified.

[Julias]

Landon nodded to her and spoke easily

"Ill be on the left side of the lake near the large rocks, Ill meet you there." With that he stood up, he rolled his wings in a circle to loosen them up a little before taking off. The back wind sent a huge gush of air back into the tree when Jo was perched, he yelled back as he flew off

"Sorry Jo!"He smiled, not intentionally making the wind hit her but he couldn't help but think she probably thought he did it on purpose. He chuckled as he neared the forests edge, he flew low over the tall trees and found the spot he had changed. He dropped down quickly and searched for a moment before finding his things, he picked them up in his jaw then took off again to the lake and the large rocks.

He passed over the last of the large trees and right below him was the lake, he looked off to the left and saw the large boulders he had layed at once before. He glided down to them without to much effort and landed on the largest boulder right over the water, he set his things down and began to change back to his human form to work on his magic.

It took a few seconds before he was completely human again, and stark naked. He gathered up his shorts and put them on quickly, he didn't need anyone seeing him in just his skin. He went to the edge of the rock in his shorts and dove into the water, the cool liquid hydrated his skin and gave him new life as he peddled through the water skillfully. He swam to the middle of the lake before turning back around, he made it back to the rocks quickly and climbed back up soaking wet from his swim. He came up to the boulder and layed flat, spreading his arms and legs. The rock was hot but he didn't mind it, he layed and waited as the sun dried the water from his skin and hair.