I put this in tags before but I like the idea so much that it gets its own post:
Little babu Peril, growing old enough to fully understand more and more how she is perceived and viewed, and realizing that okay sure she is definitely dangerous and definitely a killing machine and definitely needs Scarlet to survive (none of these are true but she hasn’t met Clay to teach her otherwise yet)
But! She does not understand why Scarlet and Vermillion and every other dragon keeps referring to her as a boy. She isn’t! She goes into the arena the first time and she’s announced and when Vermillion says “making HIS debut, the world’s deadliest dragon, Periiiiil!” She wants to burn Vermillion’s scales off instead of the random Seawing they have her fight that day.
She doesn’t, because Scarlet would be upset, and she has learned not to piss her off, but she WANTS to.
And later she asks Scarlet why this keeps happening, why she was introduced as male when she clearly IS NOT and Scarlet insists the she is but then Peril asks “But why? Give me a reason!” And Peril has never done that before. Usually this silly little firescales is happy to go along with whatever, to kill whoever, to be used as a weapon and a threat and a shield but this is the thing it protests. (Which moons above of course Scarlet would refer to Peril as an it. As a thing.)
Anyway, the Queen should not be explaining these things. It’s not befitting of her station and it certainly isn’t anything close to Thrilling!
So she tells her little pet monster that that’s just the way it is and to stop asking stupid, stupid questions.
And so Peril doesn’t. For awhile. But every single time Vermillion announces her as him she wants to burn the entire world to the ground and kill every single dragon who’s ever called her a boy and rip out the heart of the first creature she sees. And at some point, maybe around her fourth birthday, she does that last one. She’s announced wrong and the Icewing across from her barely has a chance to beg before his heart is crushed to ash in Peril’s claw.
And Scarlet, from her lofty seat above the arena, goes, “what in the three moons was THAT???? That wasn’t thrilling at all! You went too fast!! Kill them but kill them slower!” And for a moment all of Peril’s rage and hatred and power is directed squarely at Scarlet. It’s just a moment, but it’s enough to make Scarlet terrified of her pet monster for the first time… well, ever. She’s always had control over him, over it, and a tool who doesn’t behave, especially one with Peril’s power, is dangerous.
But then. All that hostility evaporates into sulking and Peril just flys off.
She comes back of course because she thinks she’ll die if she doesn’t but the real question is— is that when Scarlet relents? Cause I can see her doing that. Just from sheer laziness. Does she just go: this really isn’t worth my goddamn time sure you can be a girl I really don’t care so long as you keep killing dragons in more fun and gruesome ways OR does she try to get someone else to explain gender and sex to Peril. Namely Osprey. And that’s when he starts teaching her. Honestly the idea that Osprey is the only one who uses Peril’s preferred pronouns immediately is really sweet and makes his death even more tragic!!
Like immediately acknowledges this poor little trans girl’s identity and then has to try to teach her why others don’t.
Regardless there eventually does have to be a point where Peril keeps harping on about this, keeps disobeying or getting mad and Scarlet goes.
“If I call you a girl will you go back to killing the way I want you to?”
And Peril’s like “I mean sure but Vermillion has to introduce me correctly or I’m gonna kill everyone extra fast just to annoy you. Including Vermillion.”
And Scarlet groans and goes “As tempting as the idea of you killing my brother is— Vermillion! From henceforth Peril will be referred to by name— Wait, do you want to change your name?”
“Three Moons absolutely not!”
“Right so by name or by she and her, understood?”
“Greeeeaaat. Oh! And Vermillion? Don’t mess up. Or she—“ and of course Scarlet emphasizes this and is delighted when she sees Peril smile with all of her sharp teeth because thank goodness problem solved now I can watch more thrilling murders “gets to kill you.”
And Peril’s immediately like “Oooooo! Can that be a new rule? If someone calls me he or boy or whatever I get to kill them?”
And Scarlet hmmms and haws for a moment before shrugging and going “You know what? That sounds hilarious. Sure. So long as I get to watch.”
And Peril claps her little claws together and no one ever fucks up her pronouns again yay the end.