#malikite

[blazesartbloglmao]

The Monster You Once Called a Friend

was thinking about them two again. this is actually a scene in the book ive been writing :) so i unfortunately cannot say much about it. i hope you enjoy :)

the speedpaint, for those interested

[blazesartbloglmao]

the smallest flock

i drew this back in november, but im trying a new thing where drawings go up around the same time that the corresponding speedpaint also goes up. for some reason around thanksgiving, i frequently draw various characters curled up in piles together, sleeping, and this year, im glad to have been able to draw quino, malikite and frieda doing just that the day before the aforementioned holiday.

this drawing is sort of an acute representation of what i want my book and the others in the series to have a strong focus on at the core. theres a lot more to it than that, but its always good and important to remember that this story started in my mind as a girl adventuring with two dragon friends who love her like she's one of them.

also, below the cut is a small ramble on the concept of what a flock is in the dragon culture of constellations. you dont have to read it if you're not interested, but it's there for the curious. i dont claim its original in the slightest, but i still think its neat. hope you enjoy the speedpaint if thats something you like :)

the concept of family can oftentimes be confusing to those not familiar with dragons and their possessive nature. humans in particular tend to confuse the possessiveness with their own definition of the word (i.e. ownership being that of control and power over a person, material or land, etc). for dragons, they refer to their family as a "flock", which is oftentimes used more among windwarpers, who are more likely to form large examples of these

a flock among windwarpers (the kind of dragon malikite is) functions essentially as a way to protect the young, but also to derive emotional companionship and support. flock members do not need to share a drop of blood between them, nor even be of the same species. a flock simply Is, as demonstrated in the above picture

flock members are known to be particularly ride-or-die. quino and malikite will do everything in their power to keep each other and frieda safe, whether that be throwing themselves before danger, hunting for their perceived "weaker" member or being particularly vindictive if someone or something were to attack them. in universe, its theorized by the dredewren islanders that this is a more extreme version of the bond dragons used to share with each other before the Pits existed. likely, it ensures the collective species' continued survival and may even be a remnant of the time from before the bipedal or "two-legged" species existed

needless to say, quino and mali regard frieda as "theirs" in a way that they regard each other as "theirs" and vice versa. for ownership to a dragon is not one of control, but rather a pledge to take care of the thing. one cannot claim something as theirs without being willing and fully invested to take care of said thing, whether that be another dragon, a human girl they fell in love with (platonically) or bits of discarded stained glass they found on the ground.

these three are by far, possibly the smallest and strangest example of a dragon flock, but that in no way diminishes the love they each share for each other :)