Here - there be turtles.

Masterlist

[avery73]

Works By Me: Masterlist

These works are primarily Bayverse TMNT inspired with some Rise sprinkled in. ALL CHARACTERS ARE ALWAYS AGED UP. Part of that is mature content (NSFW). This is a blog for adult readers only.

Welcome to my little world of fantasy! Hope you enjoy, and as always, Happy Reading!

One Shots

Minis

Developing Feelings HCs

Turtles HCs

Sapphire (Discontinued)

Random Posts

Random Turtle Thoughts

#1 - #50

#51 - #100

#101 - #130

[adebauchedsloth]

To Pee or Not to Pee

Honestly, I don't know why I fixated on this. Also, the title just made me laugh.

I was writing what I consider a ‘part 2’ to the Spring Shed blurb, but then there was going to be a line in that where Donnie pees while he and reader are both in the bathroom getting ready for bed. Couples do that. I like the realism. Anyway, the mention of it was going to be all of a single sentence, but then I went down a rabbit hole of how large mutant turtles would use the bathroom if they had more turtle leaning anatomy, and then this happened.

Except I decided to give Leo a try. Look at me branching out.

SFW, unless you consider talk of going #1 problematic. Just a weird slice of life (I guess you could call it that).

Word count: 1,700

Your bathroom was tiny. Why was it so tiny? He knew you lived in a small apartment, but this? This was ridiculous. In fact, how did anything get done in here? There barely seemed room to turn around.

With hands on hips Leonardo stood before the porcelain toilet bowl and grimly assessed his next move.

Your commode was unfortunately tucked into a sort of nook between the wall and sink, and the narrow space left him little to no room to maneuver, despite his ninja agility.

Still, he tried, and confirmed that a forward approach was risky because he couldn’t get his legs on either side of the bowl well enough to get the angle he needed, and a backwards approach was nigh on impossible, what with the shell and all.

He bit down his sigh of frustration.

If he’d been human, this would be so easy. All he’d have to do is unzip his pants and aim. But he wasn’t human, and his equipment wasn’t located on his body quite the same. No, it was instead in his tail, which was right now tucked between his legs under his boxer briefs and twitching slightly from how badly he had to go.

With a sour curl to his lip Leo again wondered why on earth the mutation left that part au natural. It gave him human-like arms and legs and eyes and he was bipedal because of it, so why keep that bit as was? Surveying the angles of approach to the toilet again, he cursed his turtle anatomy.

What was he going to do?

The first thing he should have done was scope your bathroom out the one other time he’d been in your apartment. What had he been thinking? A ninja should always know his surroundings.

Second, he should have made sure he peed before rushing out of the lair. It was only he’d been so distracted by the thought of seeing you alone, that he didn’t think of it. When you’d called and told him your Tea of the Month Club package had been delivered, and then asked if he wanted to swing by for a cup if he wasn’t busy, he was up and on his feet before he realized it. Yes, it was true that he and his brothers might not have known you for all that long, but there was something about the way you would smile at him that tickled a part of his brain, a tickle he found hard to ignore, though goodness knows he tried.

Which led him to this moment, and this tiny, tiny bathroom.

At home in the lair this wasn’t an issue. Given that reptilian cloacas were a slit and not a hose, Donnie had modified their bathrooms to accommodate their uniqueness and so they could sit without fear of breaking something or their tails dipping into the water. And at April’s apartment they simply used the shower as a urinal because over time they’d all learned that that was just less problematic (and easy to clean).

Here, in your shoebox of an apartment, however, even that wasn’t an option. Your shower was also petite and enclosed in glass and there was no way he could wedge his shell in through that small door without scraping and possibly breaking something. And wouldn’t that just be perfect? He finally gets to spend some time with you one on one, and what does he do? He shatters your shower glass.

Hands still on hips, Leo lifted his face to the ceiling, silently cursing.

So his choice was between likely missing the bowl entirely because he couldn’t position right, possibly breaking your shower, or lying so he could go to the roof and relieve himself. And he’d have to say something. He couldn’t just sneak out because you were sitting and waiting for him right next to the only window that was large enough to accommodate him.

His dignity hated all these options, and with leg bouncing because of the strain on his bladder, Leo took a deep, meditative breath to calm down.

Mind over matter.

He would just hold it. Simple as that.

It was only a cup of tea or two, and it was only a full bladder. He’d been through worse endurance strain in the hashi plenty of times.

Or he could just figure it out and urinate, he scolded himself, eyeing the bathroom sink.

What? No. He was civilized. He would not be peeing in your sink, but he had to think of something. After all, he wanted to be able to come and spend time here, with you, and he could never admit to you that he had to go outside to urinate like a dog because your bathroom didn’t meet his needs. So he just needed to—

Leo froze when you knocked softly at the bathroom door and called his name, and then embarrassment rose up to swallow him like floodwater. How long had he been in the bathroom? It hadn’t seemed like that long, not long enough for you to come looking for him, that is.

“Leo?” You say from the other side of the door, also sounding a little embarrassed. He also hears you clear your throat when he fails to immediately respond. “So, um…Donnie was here the other day and he dropped off some stuff. Some medical supplies as a precaution and…and some other things he said you guys might need… Um, look below the sink, just in case you, uh…yeah, just have a look.”

And with that you quickly retreat back to the living room, leaving Leo to blink at the back of the closed bathroom door.

Donnie did…what?

With some trepidation Leo then knelt down to peer into the little storage space under your sink, and there amongst your hair dryer, curling iron, and other miscellaneous items, he spied a very Donnie like box of medical supplies along with a black canvas drawstring bag and his hope soared.

Oh Donnie. Blessed Donnie. He was 100% being excused from patrol the next time he asked.

Inside of the bag was a bit of kit Leo hadn’t seen since April’s old apartment years ago, but was thrilled to see now. The flexible funnel with an attachable tube was something a much younger Donnie had first rigged up back in those early days of knowing April. She, too, had had a small bathroom back then, though not quite as bad as yours.

The aid was simple, and easy to direct and easy to clean and Leo had never been happier to see it, even though embarrassment washed over him again because now he knew you knew. Still, the pressure to relieve himself overrode his embarrassment and his hand was on the button of his pants before he realized it. 

Now equipped with — and he hated this, but Mike had dubbed the thing the T-Wee when they were young — he did his business quickly. Then he cleaned both it and his hands thoroughly before returning it to its canvas bag and shoving it back under the sink like he could rehide this secret. He knew he shouldn’t be embarrassed about it. They were just formed differently and this world wasn’t made for them, but he still felt his cheeks warm at the thought of going back out to face you and you knew that he needed help to do something as simple as urinate in your bathroom.

Standing, he caught his reflection in the vanity mirror and grimaced at how deep the frown lines were creased upon his face and scrubbed a hand hard over his forehead as if it could wipe the lines away. That failing, he then took a deep breath to gather himself before exiting the bathroom. He couldn’t hide in there forever, after all.

The tea kettle began to whistle as Leo found you in the kitchen. You were just finishing setting up a tray of tea things with two cups, two spoons, two napkins, and one larger plate of sweets in the center. It was so charming, he noted, the way you had arranged the assortment of cookies on that little plate meant for the two of you to share. Also charming was the way you smiled at him as you looked up from your work to see him hovering there just outside the entrance to your tiny kitchen.

“Did you find what you needed?” You asked nonchalantly and Leo couldn’t help but dart his eyes away to focus on some wayward junkmail you had left sitting on the counter.

“I did,” he replied quietly, and hoped you wouldn’t ask more. Mercifully you did not and instead moved to pour the hot water into your pretty blue teapot and then placed it too on the tray before lifting it all and walking towards your coffee table. Leo blinked and remembered his manners in time to take the tray from you before you’d taken two steps, and as he did your fingers brushed his.

You both stall there for a moment, looking at where your hands had touched. Then you smiled again as you looked up into his face. 

“Good,” you almost whisper before seeming to remember to find your voice and saying, “I…I just want you guys to feel welcome here. Anytime. Alright?” 

You say it so sweetly that Leo’s breath catches in his throat as you continue past him into the living room and then take your seat on the couch, waiting for him to follow with the tea.

It took Leo another deep breath to calm his slightly racing heart before he could make his feet move.

“You’re a very thoughtful host,” he reassured quietly, thankful for your acceptance, or at the very least your discretion.

Leo gently set the tray down on the coffee table before taking his seat next to you. Then with a soft smile of his own he offers to pour your first cup of tea.

[truffle-draws-turtles]

Hey, my art got stolen so I not only went full lethal legal but I also quickly put together a guide for followers, mutuals, and artists of how to:

- detect stolen art,

- take the next steps and

- protect your art

Enjoy and share this stuff!

[miggylol]

Spin the wheel. That's who's trying to kill you.

Spin the wheel again. That’s who’s trying to protect you.

(If you have zero idea about a name you got, spin until you see someone you recognize.)

Are you safe?

Absolutely not. I'm dead. 100% dead.

I might stay alive, but it'll be a really close thing.

I'll take some hits, for certain, but I should be okay in the end.

A few attacks might get through, but nothing concerning.

The attacker might be able to get in one lucky hit. If that.

I am the opposite of worried. I'm 100% safe.

…Look. I've tried picturing this. But I honestly don't know how to answer.

Voting ended onJul 14

(I've run this poll twice before, expanding it significantly for the second run. With about a year passed since that second run, I thought it was time to add another couple hundred names to the list and have another go.)

[queerwizardsphotoarchive]

Sunset, 2012

[nature-travel-photography]

Nature’s masterpiece. 🌿✨ - Author: annalowell

[nature-travel-photography]

Where the mountains breathe and the wildflowers listen. - Author: TinglyTalia

[sophiacloud28]

@avery73

[donniecrazy20]

Do

[avery73]

@desceros @turtlecleric @sophiacloud28

[jhaenyra]

—` bay!tmnt dating headcanons ‘—

# ‎‎ 𓂃𓈒 ﹑ ‎ ‎ ── both good and bad sides of dating them (let’s be realistic, there’s always a bad side of dating someone)

₊˚‧︵‿꒰୨ leo ୧꒱‿︵‧˚₊

dating leo would feel stable most of the time because he’s protective, dependable, and the type to always make sure you got home safely. if you’re upset, he’ll try to help instead of ignoring the problem since he takes commitment seriously and doesn’t date casually.

but leo can be frustrating because he often thinks he knows what’s best; sometimes his concern turns into controlling behavior without him realizing it. if he thinks something is dangerous, he might try to make the decision for both of you. he’s also terrible at relaxing, so there would be periods where you feel like his responsibilities come before your relationship. arguments with him can become exhausting because he hates admitting he’s wrong and tends to double down when stressed.

he’d love you deeply, but there would definitely be moments where you’d have to remind him you’re his partner, not another mission he has to manage.

₊˚‧︵‿꒰୨ raph ୧꒱‿︵‧˚₊

raph would probably be the most intense partner cuz when he loves someone, he loves them hard. he’d be fiercely loyal, protective, affectionate in private, and surprisingly attentive to small things about you. he’d remember who upset you, what food you like, and exactly how you take your coffee.

the downside is that raph has anger issues, tho not in a “he’d hurt you” way, but in a way that makes arguments bigger than they need to be. he says things when he’s upset that he doesn’t actually mean, then regrets them later. jealousy is also one of his biggest flaws, i mean, he trusts you, but not necessarily other people around you, so if someone was obviously flirting with you, he’d struggle to hide how annoyed he was.

dating him would mean getting the sweetest boyfriend one day and the most stubborn man alive the next. he’d apologize eventually, but you’d probably have to wait until he cooled off first.

₊˚‧︵‿꒰୨ donnie ୧꒱‿︵‧˚₊

donnie would be incredibly thoughtful; he’d make things specifically for you, remember random facts you mentioned months ago, and genuinely enjoy spending hours talking about things you love. if you had a problem, he’d immediately start trying to solve it.

the problem is that donnie can get stuck in his own head and sometimes he’d be so focused on a project that he’d accidentally neglect you without realizing it. he’s also prone to overthinking: if you seemed distant for one day, he’d probably spend the entire night wondering if he did something wrong.

he can become possessive in subtle ways too; not necessarily controlling, but emotionally dependent if the relationship becomes very important to him. he’d want a lot of reassurance, even if he’s embarrassed to admit it, and when he’s insecure, he sometimes tries to compensate by acting like he’s the smartest person in the room.

being with donnie would feel like dating someone who loves you intensely but occasionally forgets the world exists outside whatever is currently occupying his brain.

₊˚‧︵‿꒰୨ mikey ୧꒱‿︵‧˚₊

dating mikey would be fun, super fun. he’d make you laugh constantly, turn ordinary days into adventures, and never judge you for being weird; he’d be affectionate, emotionally open, and surprisingly good at cheering you up when you’re having a terrible day.

but mikey can also be immature and sometimes when serious conversations need to happen, his first instinct is to joke his way through them. he also gets distracted easily and isn’t always great at thinking ahead, so there would be moments where you’d feel like the responsible one in the relationship.

he’s also more sensitive than people realize and because he acts carefree, people forget he gets hurt too. if he felt rejected, he might pretend everything was fine while secretly taking it very personally. and instead of confronting problems directly, he’d sometimes avoid them until they became impossible to ignore.

dating mikey would mean never being bored, but it would also mean occasionally having to remind him that not every problem can be solved with pizza and a joke.

[thoughtsdumps-blog]

The most difficult thing I will ever have to accomplish in my life is to love myself.

[nature-travel-photography]

Misty morning at Yosemite Valley - Author: DrizzlySofia

[squishybeesbuckethat]

TMNT BAYVERSE

Natural Smell

How do they naturally smell?

They probably don't smell good by human standards, but not necessarily because they're turtles.

Think of a combination of:

• Damp concrete.

• Freshwater and algae.

• Old pipes.

• Wet fabric.

• Leather gear that's been used for years.

• A faint reptilian/musky scent.

If they've just come back from a mission through the sewers, that smell would be noticeably stronger.

However, they're also shown caring about themselves and their home. Their lair isn't pristine, but it's organized enough that they're clearly not living in complete filth.

Do they bathe?

Almost certainly.

The lair has running water and plumbing. It's hard to imagine Splinter letting them go weeks without washing.

A realistic routine would probably be:

• Shower after patrols.

• Wash off sewer grime before relaxing.

• Clean shells and gear regularly.

That alone would remove most of the "sewer smell.”

Could they use deodorant?

Yes.

There's nothing stopping them.

In fact, it makes sense they'd use stick deodorant if April ever brought them some or they bought it themselves during supply runs.

It wouldn't completely eliminate their natural scent, but it would help with sweat, especially because they train constantly.

Cologne?

Probably—but differently for each turtle.

Heavy cologne would actually be a bad idea during stealth missions because strong fragrances make you easier to detect.

If any of them wore something, it'd likely be very light.

My guesses:

• Leonardo: Maybe a subtle clean scent if he ever uses one. Nothing flashy.

• Raphael: Probably doesn't bother most days unless someone nags him.

• Donatello: More interested in hygiene than fragrance. He'd probably use unscented products because strong scents could bother him while working with electronics.

• Michelangelo: Absolutely the one most likely to experiment with body spray or cheap cologne because he thinks it smells cool.

Do humans notice?

Yes.

April has known them long enough she'd probably stop noticing unless they've just crawled out of a sewer tunnel.

Someone meeting them for the first time would probably think:

"...Why does it smell damp in here?"

rather than,

"They smell like garbage."

Would Splinter encourage hygiene?

Absolutely.

• Splinter teaches discipline.

• That likely extends to:

• Washing after training.

• Keeping weapons clean.

• Maintaining gear.

• Taking care of themselves.

Good hygiene fits his philosophy of respecting yourself and your environment.

Most realistic conclusion

The "they constantly reek like raw sewage" idea is probably exaggerated in fan works.

A more accurate headcanon is:

• After a patrol, they smell like damp tunnels, wet concrete, leather, and a mild reptilian musk.

• After a shower, they're mostly clean but still have a faint unique reptile scent humans would notice up close.

• They could absolutely use deodorant, soap, shampoo (or shell-safe cleansers), and even a little cologne or body spray if they wanted. It just wouldn't completely erase their natural scent, and for stealth missions they'd likely avoid anything strongly fragranced.

[ray-jaykub]

How the Guys Text and Call

Pretty self explanatory, I thiiiinnk I made a post like this a really long time ago, but I think it was a sexting situation.

TW: Leo being peepaw

- Leo... Leo, Leo, Leo. This man is a dry text and caller. His responses are very short and sweet, to the point

- *Lee💙 reacted 👍 to your message*

- He doesn't like having conversations over the phone, and if he had to he opts for a phone call so that way he can at least hear whoever it is he's talking to. Texts leave too much to be desired and he doesn't want to risk what he says being misinterpreted

- Texts are for things like grocery lists, letting you know when he's on the way, asking him to pick up something while he's out. Every now and again you'll get an 'I love you' text or something adjacent to one

- His phone looks like a trap phone. Screen kind of cracked, no case or a clear flimsy one, and no background. He doesn't even have social media, all he's got is candy crush

- This would be amazing if he wasn't also very guilty of losing his phone

You: Hey, I can't find my phone, you mind calling it?

Leo: Um, yes... once I find mine.

He hasn't seen it in 3 days

- What is texting? Raph don't know her

- Seriously. He isn't a texter. He swears it's much easier to just call you super quick and tell you what he needs to tell you. This can be fine, but super annoying when all he has to say is, "I'm headin out, see ya." And just hangs up

- It's mostly because he can barely type on his phone, big thumbs, y'know? But also because he can't spell very well and that's nobodies business

- If you text him and get left on seen just be glad he even opened it. His brothers get left on delivered

- His phone, much like Leo's, is very bland. He has a heavier duty case, and his background is like some wilderness scenery or a photo of you. He only has tiktok (Mikey begged him) and some sports bidding app

- Does take a lot of photos though. Not like they're spectacular but it's mostly ones of you, his brothers, some friends, and random stuff he sees. Mostly funny signs or something gross. Occasionally you see like a grainy mirror selfie he took and didn't bother deleting

- Trust, if you need a clear answer and response, Donatello is the one to contact

- He'll probably make you get discord. His profile is decked out from nitro benefits, colors, banners, emojis and all. It kind of makes you jealous

- You'll get gifted some, don't worry kitten, your e-daddy has you

- He can answer whether it be phone call or text, it doesn't bother him which you prefer. If he's the one to contact you it's most likely gonna be a call. A very long call

- Yes, this man will keep you on the phone forever, and he's talking the whole time. Telling you about his projects, complaining about the others, asking about your day. Every now and again he'll face time you to show you what he's been up to or just to see you

- Such a cornball. He has more confidence over the phone than in person

- His phone has a thick case with a pop socket, his lock screen is some fandom quote and his background is you. The thing is jail broken for optimal customization and fun with more space added onto it. It's got games, Facebook market place, Ebay, and some custom apps he works on in his spare time.

- Photo album is filled with pictures of mechanical parts, video game clips, screenshots, you, and purple stuff he spots (don't ask)

- Very 50/50 on whether he'll answer on time or not

- He gets distracted, sometimes, and you won't hear back until way later. Which is fine in casual conversation but not when you need something right that very moment

- Constantly sending memes and tiktoks and blowing your phone up with silly shit. You'll wake up to a mile long thread of messages and videos. Sometimes this is nice, other times it's overwhelming

- Like Donatello, he'll keep you on the phone for a long time but not even talking. You just have random ass sounds in your ear for 2 hours before he says bye and hangs up. Sometimes he'll pass the phone around to the others and you'll end up in a conversation with Raph

- You'll probably be texting more on Instagram or tiktok instead of your actual message thread. He only uses that when he needs something important (like his favorite snack)

- His phone has a few hairline fractures with a busted front camera. The phone case is some pizza print and he's got a little charm looped into it. He has almost all socials and a few games but the big reason for having so much storage is that beast of a photo album. It's filled with a ton of shit, random and weird or meaningful and beautiful, if you need it he has it

- His ringtone is that video of the cat playing chopsticks with the chopsticks

Tagged: @thelaundrybitch @milykins @adebauchedsloth @symbiosae

[nature-travel-photography]

The Mighty Aphrodity 5/8/26 5:00pm EST - Author: denisescholander

[sophiacloud28]

@avery73

[ray-jaykub]

Yearning Leo eyeballs | rayjaykub | Ellipsus

Ellipsus makes it easy for anyone to write together.

This is total balls but whatever, it's just something small to keep my mind fresh

@thelaundrybitch @milykins @moxfirefly @symbiosae @adebauchedsloth @antishadow2021

[mousegirlheart]

you there. mutual. 🫵 yes you.

*kisses your forehead* i love you. thank you for being mutuals with me.

[inkskinned]

she is a princess and you are a dragon. she will be married tonight. do not keep standing outside of her room like that, go inside. go get her. that is what proper dragons do.

not that you have ever been a good or proper dragon. when you hatched out of your egg, your eggtooth was too smooth. the other dragons were rough with you, put little holes in your wings.

you were not bold. you were odd. you liked rippling water and the shine of chitin when bugs scuttle and of course the movement of the stars. those were all acceptable interests albeit maybe not traditional. perhaps you had inherited these through some great-great-uncle or something. certainly a dragon may be wise, or clever, if they are not bold.

yes, you have been a great deal of a puzzle to the other dragons. your body is smaller and rather more soft than it ought to be. so speed should have been yours, perhaps - your mother said it would be like fighting a shadow. if a dragon is not aggressive, it may instead be cruel, sly; a backstab. but alas your scales - so iridescent that they almost shine like the moon at night, a glow from within - you are not a shadow, you are a beacon like the flash of a knight's blade. your father has said at least you would make a fine egglayer, a nice mate to a good male. a dragon like you may still be a good mother perhaps; and that is a fine thing to be; although of course it would have been better if you'd been a trove-hoarder instead.

what a dragon must not be is kind.

you have watched her now for six moons. what a good and proper dragon would do is to go inside and to snatch her. a very proper dragon would have kidnapped her many times over, but you will be the delight of your brood to princess-snatch even at all. when you catch her in your jaws and bring her home, they will love you, then. they don't think you're capable of it, but you are, because you're a proper dragon. you can show them that. if you go in, now, right now.

you are rather too glossy to hide in the shadows, so instead you have learned how to appear flat and round, a puddle of light. (how your siblings would mock you! a dragon should be matte, to blend with the night). you dapple your flank with mud. you perch in odd angles atop of trees, scuttle like the bugs you love - hither, tither, frantic.

what you must not do is fly with your wings full-out. alight, you will be limned by the moon's corona. you will be a beacon. you must remember this when (not if) you snatch her.

____

you found her because of the lake. this lake in particular was your favorite - nestled deep in the woods, between two mountains. it is very quiet; there is nothing to horde there so no other dragon bothers you. a gentle waterfall spills over into a deep cove, and there are many mossy caves you've spent your afternoons napping in. while it is not proper for a dragon to prefer such things, you like to lay in rolling tenure just under the water. you have become excellent at holding your breath, can do it for hours. it is the easiest way to appear as a patch of sunlight.

she was not sunlight. she was the night's joy. the dark press of water. her face at first concealed by many diaphanous layers. her breathing quick and quiet.

she had pulled them back to drink from her water flask. and there she had been: a princess. your first very-real princess. right there, only the reach of a single talon from you. if you had simply lunged then, you would have been able to take her easily, in one single movement.

but you did not take her.

she had startled you a bit; you'd been daydreaming about music, which you'd just discovered, and rather liked. you'd heard it from a little house while you snuck in and stole their sheep.

but you knew the sound of fear, of being followed. you'd been chased too many times, you knew what it looked like. the rapid jolt of fear.

you smelled her then; cinnamon and onyx, and perhaps that was what had blinded you. perhaps your mouth was just watering. whatever the case, you waited until she had fled back into the forest; and then you waited a bit longer. in her wake, a garrison of men, their hands rough.

oh. so they were not knights. they were just men chasing a young woman through the woods. perhaps they did not even know a real princess had been running from them. well, that was a relief. you are not good at fighting with knights, who have swords instead of cudgels. these were just men, so you rose from the water in the quiet way you'd learned from the fish. they did not hear you coming.

and besides. proper dragons do violence so well.

___

once you had smelled her you could find her, although such things have always been easier for you than for the others. you spend a great deal of time studying things - it allows you to analyze them. you have tried to explain to the other dragons that sometimes it is best to slow down, but of course no dragon should be slow.

at first you did not understand the confusion of the people's umwelt. they relied so much on their communication (only words and actions!) and what they could see with their eyes. you and the other dragons did not use these as much; but you liked prying out the little sonic differences between hello that means "i like you" and hello that means "i don't like you."

so it took you a while to learn that you were responsible for what had happened to her. men had gone missing, and even bad men going missing makes a big fuss. (you know that if it had been girls missing, it would be okay. many proper dragons steal girls because it will not bring a knight to their door). for a while she had been trapped on the palace grounds. it was determined that it was no longer safe for her to be just a princess, she must undergo some human transformation and become a wife.

and then you saw her descending from the window of a castle, quick and agile, moving like a whisper, clad almost entirely in black. you could see her quite well of course, although you were not seeing her; but instead her heat and her smell and her sound and all the other sensory noise all humans give off.

you followed her, keeping yourself in a cloud so you appeared as if mist. she stole off into the woods. you were interested in that, and watched her scuttle - although of course you could have taken her then. she did not seem to do much in the woods, only run around cry into her little hands.

she appeared to be looking for something. she did not get far that first night; scurried back to her bed. over and over this happened - she would run as far as she could, only to go back again. it seemed rather boring to you, but of course you had been free your whole life.

and then one night - finally, she arrived at the lake. she sank to her knees then, her hands pressing into the water. her head tilted to the sky. her dark hair spilling in a caught breath behind her.

this is how you heard her voice for the first time. when she came again the next night, she did so more quickly, more assured. straight to the lake, as if it had called her.

she had skipped a pebble over the surface of the water. this action was dangerous, because it almost hit the sail of your wing. you had structured yourself very finely to look like a rockslide.

"three months." her voice was like her: it was deep and smooth and dark, a low violin string. "they want me to marry that bastard in three months."

and then she cried into her hands again, and the sound of it almost broke you.

so you followed her maybe more than a proper dragon should, then. more than back to the castle. you hid along her daily walks and watched her in the throne room and saw her out riding horses. she was good with dogs and nice to her people and very much a proper princess, although you know a proper princess ought not to slip out at night and run around barefoot through the woods.

you discovered she is terrible with directions. you have often had to make a path more clear so she could get home again. she cannot hunt better than an egg; you have had to kill fish and push them subtly up to the shore.

but she appears to love the lake as much as you do. you have seen her read by candlelight (how foolish. the entire woods saw her each time). you have seen her build little paper boats to float along the surface. you have seen her strip her many layers and dive in, have seen her lay with her belly to the sky, floating like she is suspended by the hands of darkness itself.

oh. so she loves the stars, as well, then.

__

you must go in. she will be married tonight. that is a human thing, but you have learned what it has meant. she will go to somewhere else, and you will not see her again, maybe ever. and then how will you be a proper dragon? go!

you have made yourself in the form of a gargoyle, hiding in the white stone. you can see into her room; and the tapestries that seem unlike her. everything in her room is very bright, which is bad for a proper dragon. there are many knights in the hallways and in their rooms, and their smell is itchy and repugnant to you.

her dress is white, which does not seem like her. you have only seen her wear black. she is sitting at some kind of desk, and she is crying again. she smells of cinnamon still, but moreso of grief. you can feel the heartbreak in her as if it was inside of you.

you cannot watch her cry anymore. you have watched too often without moving. that is shameful.

you nose the door open. you can move quiet, because you are not very big. she is within a cave of you, then a wingtip, and then she is standing up, looking into your eyes.

"it's you." her hand on your jaw is warm. "i thought i was imagining you, you know. i turned around that day. i saw what you did to those men. i have been looking for you since. i told everyone that i had an angel to protect me. they locked me in here anyway."

you are not an angel, you are a dragon. you have to keep your wings locked tight or you would explode the walls of this place. it makes you feel big, suddenly. you are not used to that sensation. you do not like to be locked in a tower. you believe maybe the princess does not like to be locked in a tower either.

you take her in your jaws. she is very small, and does not resist you. although you are not a strong flyer, you must take off in a single push. any other movement would be too slow. you must also hold your breath so you do not smell her, the clove and cinnamon and little bird of hope. your mouth would water and you would drop her.

against the full moon, you do the thing that is impossible. you stretch yourself out all the way, a bold and beaming arrow, and you fly. you can hear them cry about you now, loudly. a banner that would strike pride even into your father: dragon. dragon. dragon.

on the eve of her wedding, you snatch the princess from her tower.

an arrow whisks for you, and then dozens, and then hundreds. you are not afraid of pain. you have learned long ago how to fly with holes in your wings. you hold her very gently still, and you push past the smell of your blood.

in the night you are a star. someone somewhere could look up and see you and make a wish.

there will be another lake, you decide. you can find another lake. somewhere very, very far from here. however long you must fly, however long you must hold your breath: you will take her home, because you are a proper dragon.

___

sometimes they come for her, your treasure. you have built her a little castle here, deep in the forests off the map. and of course for you: a silver round lake like the shift of her iris. you bring her books and she brings you bugs to study. you let her saddle you, and together you ride through the clouds and fog banks. she is a shadow on your back; a warm and velvet thing. she makes you music and lives the way she should; free in the night like a promise.

but they do come. you have stolen a real princess, and they do not want her to be a princess. they want to make her into a brood mother, or into bait, or into prey. they always look into the caves first; into the places proper dragons stay. they are real knights, not just men with sticks. they are loud and their smell still makes you itch.

but she has made you brave now, and cunning. if a dragon is not big, it should be cunning. and since you are a proper dragon, and since your treasure is your most precious thing, you lay in wait.

let them come. you will let the light drip off of you, and then you will pour through them.

afterwards, your princess will tell you a story around the fire. she will patch your wounds as she did that first time. she will sing to you.

and in that moment, neither of you will be a title nor a story. she will just be herself, and you will just be you.