The date of the new excavation was fast approaching, not more than a sleep or two away now. Ahivo shook his head to himself, grinning over his paperwork. Sleeps indeed. With December in full motion he’d taken to returning to the old habit of counting down the Christmas calendar. He hadn’t done it since childhood, but with Fuvii around the Christmas spirit had wiggled itself back into his mind. He’d informed Fuvii of the holiday, excluding all religious aspects of course, that was an Earth thing, and Ahivo wasn’t really into Christianity. But Fuvii wasted no time at all to hunt down the origin of the holiday and for days now he’d been spouting facts to his bond.
Fuvii may not have been religious either, but anything that had any sort of connection to his beloved crusaders was going to get the little dragon’s full attention.
Ahivo would have to start thinking about a Christmas gift for him.
“Ahivo!” Fuvii pounced through the door, mouth curved in a gaping grin. He was dragging a book with his forepaw, causing his gait to be a little lopsided,” Guess what?”
Ahivo flicked his gaze from his work to Ahivo’s…book. It was thick volume, and Fuvii could barely wrap his little claw-toes around it.
“This,” said Fuvii, sitting back on his haunches and lifting the book a little,” Is a bible.”
Ahivo’s eyes widened,” Who…?” Who would have given that to him? There was the spattering of humans here and there throughout the Labyrinth, but he didn’t think there were any around attempting to convert children.
Of course, Fuvii wasn’t much of a child any more, was he? Over the past few days his wings had begun to grow out. They weren’t fully developed yet, but they were certainly a prominent development. He’d gotten much larger, too, making the bed a difficult thing to share. When they returned Ahivo would look into acquiring a larger apartment. Apart from the wings and the size, Fuvii had also developed some rather colorful attributes. Around his shoulders and hips had sprouted large aquamarine gemstones, and the first tell-tale signs of spikes had begun to sprout out of his spine and behind his ears, the color and texture resembling that of Fuvii’s delightful strawberry quartz.
“It’s from that curator, I know you don’t know their names, the one who runs the crusader exhibit, ”he grasped the book between his forepaws and extended it toward Ahivo,”I can’t read it very well, mind you, too many words I haven’t learned yet.” Fuvii beamed,” But I’ll be able to soon, won’t I?”
Ahivo nodded absently and thumbed through the book. The pages were thinner than that of any other book he’d run across, the print miniscule, and the volume of it a tell-tale sign of well over a thousand pages. It was thicker even than the width of Ahivo’s hand. It would take years to get through a book like this.
He didn’t say so of course, he didn’t want to upset Fuvii. He handed back the book, which Fuvii quickly cradled against his chest as best he could.
“I’m going to go try my hand at it, all right? You don’t need any help with your forms, do you?”
Ahivo shook his head,” Nearly finished.”
“Then can you read some Genesis to me?”
Ahivo paused, flicking his ears back against his head, but he gave a nod, if a minutely small one,” All right.”
Fuvii grinned and shouted a thank-you after him before slipping into the room for a few minutes of quiet reading.
Ahivo turned back to his paperwork, signed a few things stated that the companies involved would not be held responsible if he happened to impale himself of a sharp rock (or some such thing), clicked the stapler over the few loose papers he had to include, and slid it gracelessly into a manila tag envelope.
He didn’t really want to read the bible to Fuvii. He didn’t want to end up with an overzealous dragon with an obsession with religion. But Fuvii wanted it, and there really wasn’t that much harm in reading a few passages.
Ahivo pushed himself up out of his chair and moved toward the bedroom, wringing his hands in the hem of his sweater as he went.
He just hoped Fuvii would keep his mind to curating and not to becoming a priest.
.:.:.::.:.:.
What was he going to get Fuvii for Christmas? History books were an obvious choice, but Fuvii would have hundreds of them by the time he managed to achieve his goal of curating, and books could be found anywhere. Of course, going to earth Ahivo might be able to find some old-fashioned artifact for him, but that would certainly cost a pretty penny, and money was not something Ahivo had in abundance.
What was he going to get then? Something better than a book, but certainly nothing he couldn't afford.
He'd left Fuvii back in the Labyrinth, allowing him some time to search the station for potential gifts. Star City was a cultural mosaic, after all, there must be something of interest lying around. He hoped the curators could keep his little dragonling busy until he found something (or at the very least decided there was nothing worth finding...he could wait until they reached earth, after all).
The streets were long and bright, seemingly endless as a mess of different colors and brightness. It was impossible to get a good look at anything without really stopping and staring. Ahivo didn't want to be gone for that long, so his search would have to be quick one. Unfortunate, but he didn't want Fuvii not knowing where he was for any longer than need be.
Even without catching a good glance at everything, Ahivo was rather quick to note that there were very few stores selling anything that might be related to earth history. He'd stopped in a few antique stores, found some lampshades, portraits, and a couple odd looking sculptures, but nothing of the religious aspect and certainly nothing that would appeal to Fuvii's crusader fetish. There wasn't so much as a piece of arm-
Ahivo jerked his gaze toward a shop across the street. By itself it wouldn't have caught his attention, but there was a creature stepping through the door. Not a very large creature, mind, but it was eye-catching none the less. Dark red and insectoid, with several spines running down the length of its body. But more importantly, half of its body seemed to be encased in a sort of gold plating. Not armor, but close enough.
Ahivo tugged his fingers through the knotted clump of his ponytail and strode (or flopped his feet awkwardly over the metal streets in attempt to stride) toward the store.
The name flashed in glowing neon letters above the shop window.
Draconic Designs.
.:.:.::.:.:.
Fuvii bounced through the apartment door, a grin on his face,"Ahivo!"
Silence greeted him.
Shrugging it off Fuvii made his way across the living room and poked his head in the bedroom door. No Ahivo there either. Striding toward the kitchenette showed no signs of Ahivo either.
"Hm,"he flicked his ears back and plopped down on the kitchen floor, scratching his cheek absently. Where could Ahivo have gone? He wasn't usually one to go anywhere without telling him. In fact, Ahivo hadn't really gone anywhere on his own since he'd bonded Fuvii. If Fuvii decided to run off on his own, Ahivo always stayed put in the apartment until he came back.
Fuvii shrugged to himself and plucked his bible off the side table to the couch, dragging it to the floor and flicking it open with his claws. He couldn't read it well, but he did get the jist of most of the words.
The doorknob clicked and Fuvii's ears shot up,"Ahivo?"
The 'roo pushed open the door and slipped into the room. A waning grin curled his lips delicately, and he had a sort of wistful look in his eyes. Fuvii's grin widened when he saw it. Good, he thought, it's always nice to see him happy rather than worrying.
"Welcome back, Ahivo."
Ahivo jumped and swirled around, his hands immediately falling behind himself to grasp his tail, pulling it in front of his body like a shield. Upon seeing Fuvii he gave a little sigh, laced with the slightest tinge of laughter, and dropped said appendage.
"Fuvii,"his smile widened a little and he moved toward the couch, sitting down and patting the cushion opposite him, brows arched tentatively.
Fuvii crawled to his side and dropped his head into his lap, rolling his back so he could smile properly up at Ahivo. This, of course, was a very uncomfortable position for his wings, being squished beneath his body. After a few minutes of squirming he managed to free them from behind his back, letting one stretch down the floor, the other rest against the couch cushions.
"My wings have finished growing in."
"Have they?"
Fuvii nodded,” I flew a little today,” his grin turned sheepish,” Did a bit of falling, too."
Ahivo straightened, casting his gaze quickly up and down Fuvii's form.
Fuvii let out a bark of laughter,” I’m fine though, no broken bones,” he shifted his wings a little,” Maybe a few bruises, but no broken bones."
Ahivo's brow furrowed a little. Fuvii frowned, reaching up to rest a cold paw against his bond's cheek,” Bruises heal, but I have to learn how to fly. No use having wings if you don't."
Ahivo nodded, silent.
Fuvii's frown deepened. He hadn't thought Ahivo would be upset over that. Or... Fuvii let out a little sigh and turned his head so his cheek rested against Ahivo's knee,” It wasn't much of a flight really, you didn't miss anything."
"Hm? Oh! No,"Ahivo let his hand fall against Fuvii's neck, stroking the fur there softly,” It’s not that,” he sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, brow furrowing deeper.
Fuvii arched a brow,” So you're not disappointed?"
"Hm..."
"Ahivo."
He sucked in a breath and held it a moment or two before exhaling slowly,” Do you think armor would interfere with flying?"
"Armor? Why would I-"
Ahivo opened his mind to him a little. There was no sense in keeping secrets, after all. They would have to leave for Earth before Christmas, so if he wanted it, he'd have to get it now.
Fuvii's eyes widened instantly, as soon as the thought passed between their minds.
"Oh,"his mouth formed a little 'o', slowing sinking back into a toothy grin,"Oh!" He flipped himself onto his stomach and tossed his arms roughly around Ahivo's neck,” Thank-you! You'll really let me do that? Get armor, I mean?"
Ahivo nodded,” It’s...permanent, though. I won't come off."
Fuvii nodded frantically,” That’s okay. It's worth it."
"But what about flying?"
Fuvii's grin turned cocky,” They wouldn't give it to dragons if they thought it would keep us from being able to fly, would it?"
Ahivo couldn't help but smile back,” Of course."