(Yep, just been a bit busy these last two weeks since I needed to travel for a bit. I'm back now though, so here's a post!)

For a moment, Kavaratti pauses upon seeing Ember shake, worried that it's a sign of old mistreatment or her trouble adapting to life on the island. Realizing that it's the return of Alexis though, he settles down, silently marveling at how docile the Terror seems despite their reputation. Seeing how it curls into Alexis's touch, it really does seem less like the menace its been proven to be and more like a house pet.

Training though. "Like Spillage, so that they're friendly towards people they know?" he asks, leaning closer to Alexis in curiosity.

(Yay! Where did you travel to?)

Alexis smiled and kept petting the dragon before looking over. *Yeah! Think of it - dragons are amazing. And we can utilize them, our and their lives could be so much better! Heated water for food and baths without needing to wait a literal hour for the snow to melt in your bathtub in the fireplace! Constant food supplies thanks to dragons hunting game and fish! Flying on their backs, allowing us to scout out new locations to settle and approaching armies! And flight! We will be able to take to the sky and FLY!* she turned to Kavaratti.

*We can make the next generation of Vikings, with these ones on the back of dragons.*

(Went to Kansas then kept going up to pay a visit to Missouri. I'm from a border state to Kansas, so the first drive wasn't too bad. It only got longer though haha.)

Seeing Alexis's excitement, Kavaratti can't help but let out a soft breath, resignedly amused by the explosive presence of her mind. They're still working on her smithy and yet, it seems like they've got something new on their plate already--because this is something that he can already tell will stick from the emotion in her voice. Really, though. Dragons.

"That does sound wonderful," he says, eyes softening and voice encouraging. He glances upward, thinking; allowing himself to be distracted from the presence of the Terrors around him, though not without due diligence. "We have more Tidal class dragons around here than anything, though the neighboring isles have a mix of everything."

"Though," and Kavaratti turns back, smile wry and words lightly teasing. "I don't think we'd make the best Vikings, even with that. Among all the tribes, ours has always been the easygoing sort in both trade and exploration. I'm only one in this generation that's traveled beyond these waters."

"Still, if anyone could change that, I'd be you. After all, people are going to be lining up for your inventions one day, no?" His eyes flicker shut, a soft peal of laughter hummed from his lips.

(Awesome)

Alexis blushed and smiled at all the praise. *Aw, thank you! Im sure youll help convince the people Im not useless!*

. . .

Sometimes Kavaratti forgets about where Alexis came from and how harshly life on her home island affected her. But comments like that, and Ember, remind him real quick that shes a broken girl with big dreams and a bigger heart. She just needs some encouragement.

(Sorry for the delay again, I forgot to log in so I missed all my notifications ._.)

Something acrid chokes up the back of Kavaratti's throat at Alexis's reply, leaving his own words unfinished and unfit. How do you convince someone that they're not what they've been told they are for their entire life?

Surely no words can fix that, so he turns back to the Terrors instead, still weary, though now -- trusting in the possibility, at the very least.

"Do you want to bring a few back so you can work on taming them? I'm not quite sure what sort of system you want to use, but it shouldn't be hard finding the fish to feed them, at the very least.

(Its ok lol)

Alexis smiled and nodded happily, pulling out some meat scraps for the terrors to try to convince them to come with her. This is gonna be great!

(Sorry for the short reply - college sucks)

(That's so real. School just keeps getting harder the further up you go. x-x)

Seeing the swarm crowding further around Alexis, Kavaratti pauses. "If you'd rather, I know a longer route that doesn't need climbing. It may be a bit hard to scale the cliff with those following you."

Alexis smiled and nodded, rising slowly. *Alright, lead the way. Come on, little ones.* She said, guiding the small pack of Terrors with her as they walked.

This. . . This was beautiful. She looked like a Disney princess, with confidence in her steps and animals by her side. Just a lot more warrior-esqe.

So shes Merida from Brave.

Shes also SO beautiful now - Kavaratti would have to be a moron to not realize hes crushing on her now.

(ooh, being a kick*ss disney princess fits alexis. O-O)

And, Kavaratti does realize, eyes widening faintly with the thought. "Fxck," he mutters, softly -- too softly to be for anyone but himself.

Maybe it's the way Alexis's hair dances the ocean breeze, black strands billowing out long and full behind her, or maybe it's the way she wears her confidence, Terrors falling behind her in visible curiosity. She's beautiful like this, of course it is. He's known that since the night they escaped in the moonlight, sails full as they sailed away from Berk like a divine blessing.

Truthfully, though, she makes him feel like he belongs, in a way he hasn't in a long time. How silly he is, needing to be a sojourner welcoming a foreigner in his homeland to feel this way, but who else would listen to him guide them around like this, and who else could he spend days this way with?

Still, this doesn't seem like a terribly romantic place to confess, so he swallows the thought and resolves to figure out a plan latter. For now, he smiles and carries on, stepping a little past Alexis to guide her around the cliffs until they've arrived back at their budding smithy, its skeleton already risen.

(Yep, like Merida or Moana)

Alexis smiled and kept guiding the terrors, not realizing Kavaratti was going through a mental crisis and his crush on her was growing. She just enjoyed guiding the terrors and occasionally feeding them treats, continuing to walk happily forwards. Soon, they were on the edge of town, near her new home and smithy, where she was slowing down, signs of nervousness on her face.