peridork | (no subject)

(no subject)

Peridot has a nose for gold. It's a trait common to all types of dragons, from big to small, no matter what their nature or their diet or their habitat. There's nothing special about her, in that regard. What every dragon doesn't have, is the small size and inherent nosiness that Peridot possesses, which has inexorably drawn her inside this strange little human structure.

Dragons love treasure. It's a well known fact, and it's the reason why she's been lingering in here for far too long. Crawling in through one of the battered windows had been easy enough, and from there she had just followed her nose deeper into the house, down into the basement where, lo and behold! Riches lay in wait.

That's how Lapis will likely find her: in the process of tearing apart her basement stash, pulling out jewels and gold and silver from very containers, in order snuffle at them and roll around in a massive pile of wealth.

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For a change it hasn't been a long day, it's been a quick and easy day and it turns out that shady merchants blueprints for that lords manner had been right. Which means her path to riches had been disgustingly simple and easy, a quick in and out with one lord sans a burlap sack of shinies and one Lapis Lazuli all that richer.

Everything needs to be put away in its proper place however, and it's on her way down the stairs to do just that that she hears the unmistakable jingle of coin against coin and the echo of jewels dropped on the floor.

Someone is in her stash. She slips a dagger from her waistband. She's only a murderer when she has to be, and it's not because of compassion. Bodies are messy and hard to hide, but she'll be damned if someone roots around in her ill gotten gains.

With quiet footfalls, Lapis descends the stairs. Whoever this is, it's better to catch them by surprise and- Hold up, is that a god damn dragon? She squints at the shape literally nosing gems across the floor. That is a god damn dragon. A small one, thankfully, but the cottage is made of wood, and thus very flammable.

Lapis flicks her wrist, and the dagger is suddenly stuck in the flooring right next to said dragons head.

"Back off, that's mine." And that's not her only dagger on her body, because she's already slipping another one from her boot.

Peridot is so distracted with sticking her stupid snout into a box of gold plates, that she doesn't even realize Lapis is there until there's suddenly a knife sticking out of the floor next to her, still vibrating with the force of the throw. She jerks her head up and hisses in surprise, taking a few hasty steps back and instinctively throwing her wings up in a threatening display.

She doesn't say anything yet. Just stares, eyes wide and round.

It's a display that would probably be more threatening and frightening if this dragon could at least look her in the eye without the help of a sloped floor. But it can't. Honestly, it's probably a young dragon judging from the size of it?

Look, she's a thief, not some weird adventurer. She doesn't do dragons, she lets weirdos in armour thicker than her hand go off stealing riches from dragons. The weirdos are easier to steal from than a dragon anyway.

It's a smart business model, in Lapis' honest opinion.

"Good." She's not lowering her dagger, though, and she's watching warily through narrowed eyes. "Now away from all of it, because that's not yours." It's also not hers either, but that's a technicality.

Spoiler alert: She's not young. Not really anyway. She's just fucking puny.

This time, the dragon doesn't budge. She just stands there with her nose twitching, wings lowering slightly, eyes narrowed. "Hold on. What does a human possibly need a hoard this big for?" she probes.

"That's none of your business, and I'd suggest you move away from my hoard before I land a dagger between your eyes. Don't think I can't!" Then again, this dragon is a pretty small target. It'd be hard, but not impossible, probably.

Peridot tosses her head and snorts angrily, but complies. She slinks off to the side, belly low to the ground, hackles raised, never taking her eyes off of Lapis and her weapon.

The dagger doesn't get lowered all the way once the dragon is off to the side, but it does get lowered into a less immediately threatening position, her free hand coming up to run through her hair.

What exactly is she going to do with a dragon in her house anyway? This is already posing an issue. Can more dragons get in? No, or at least none of the more worrying ones, Lapis sincerely hopes.

"I really hope you weren't going to try and make off with my loot."

She doesn't answer that. She just crouches there on the floor, glaring, and licks her lips anxiously.

She was definitely trying to make off with that loot, though.

Lapis gives her a moment, waiting for some sort of denial. When she doesn't even bother to give one, it's fairly obvious.

"You could have at least denied it." The dagger gets lowered that much more, until it's hanging at her side. She's not a very intimidating dragon. At all. "Where would you have taken it anyway?"

"Like I would ever divulge such sensitive information," Peridot snaps, crouching lower.

"I'm the one with a weapon here. Tell me or I'll sell your parts on the black market." Lapis points the dagger at her, but it's less threatening thanit could be. "I've heard that powdered dragon blood can fetch a good price."

The dragon squeaks, wilting visibly. "I have a nest nearby, alright? I don't know what else you expect me to tell you!"

"Better." Thankfully for this dragon, Lapis doesn't actually know how to powder dragon blood anyway. The dagger lowers again, and Lapis mulls over what exactly she could do about her home intruder.

"Anything of value in it? Or were you just thinking of starting your riches off with mine?"

She cocks her head at that question... and then sits up a little, looking outraged. "Hey wait a second, you can't have my treasure! It's mine, I need it!"

"You wont need it if you're dead." She counters, twirling the dagger in her hand. "And I have a feeling no one will actually miss a dragon. Besides, you got to look at mine, I want to see yours." It's really only fair?

"I didn't even know anyone still lived here," Peridot shoots backs, showing some teeth. "I've met swamp dragons that keep a cleaner den than what you have going on upstairs."

"It's supposed to look like that." Her clutter is super important to her, for the record. "And you still haven't told me what you've got in your nest."

The little dragon sits there making uncertain grumbling noises to herself for a few moments before she replies.

"Shiny rocks. Gold coins. And I didn't steal any of it!" she adds abruptly. "It's all stuff that I find on dead humans."

Well, that's actually a little disappointing to hear, but whatever. Lapis was hoping for something bigger, though then again, she really shouldn't have gotten her hopes up for a dragon so small. Still, she gives a contemplative look anyway.

"Hey, roar for me. And I mean a real one." If she at least had a bigger bark than her bite, maybe it'd be good to keep off anyone else who decides that her stash should be theirs.

That's your mistake for assuming she's telling the whole truth, Lapis. Peridot breathes a private sigh of relief; her hoard may be small but she does have a handful of pretty choice items.

The ruby encrusted shield is her favorite. She likes to nap on it.

Peridot looks taken aback. This conversation keeps getting stranger and stranger. "What? Why?" she asks, squinting suspiciously.

"You're not exactly in the position to be questioning what I tell you to do, you know." Thankfully Lapis only believes Her because she's so small. Why would a tiny dragon like this have anything of value?

"I don't really... I don't really roar?" she says, shifting uncomfortably. "I mean I can try, but... Do you seriously think all dragons roar? There are a bunch of different kinds of us you know."

"Seriously? How are you supposed to frighten anyone off?" Unfortunately for Peridot, Lapis knows like, the bare minimum of dragon physiology. "Can you do anything to actually defend yourself?" If not...

Wow, Lapis might actually feel a little sorry for this tiny creature.

"The only thing I know about dragons is how much your parts are worth." Which is sad, but true.

"Of course I can! What do you think these--" she gestures to her teeth, "and these--" she wiggles her claws, "are for?"

Also she'd really appreciate if Lapis would stop talking about selling dragon parts? Like. Yikes.

They're good money??? But also it's not like she'd murder a full sized actual dragon for them, because she's not stupid.

Lapis gives her a completely, entirely unimpressed look. "So what, no breath weapon? Isn't that like, a defining feature of your kind?" This poor, pathetic, sad creature.