It was Tuesday, sometime in October, and I was trying and failing to build a Herobrine shrine in my creative world. Behind me, Alys was lying on her front, talking super loud to her human friend. Every squawky laugh made my ears twitch despite me borrowing Rhys' nice, soft headphones. They were made for dragons, and even though they were a bit big, they fit so nicely.

“No, seriously, he freaked out like crazy," I heard her say, voice practically humming with amusement. “I guess most humans don't expect a dragon to drop off their order of four large fries."

Gold, netherrack, torch… What else was I missing? Was there supposed to be a storm? I shrunk the game and pulled up Google. Oh… redstone torch. After some fiddling with the stupid controls I kept forgetting, I swapped them for the necessary block.

And… nothing.

Annoyed, I huffed out my nose and turned to Alys, wondering if James knew anything about the game. “Yeah, I'd probably be halfway out the window," his voice crackled through the tablet's speakers, voice light and warm. “Or worse, I'd try to tip you and start some sort of feeding the wildlife scandal."

Immediately, I turned back around, realising they were in one of their moods.

“Heh, yeah, you'd be the type," she teased, causing my eyes to roll as I destroyed my shrine and began work on some golden portal Oliver suggested I build. Like a nether portal, but made out of glowstone, pretty simple. “Oh no, it's a wild dragon; better offer it a fry so it doesn't eat me!"

She liked him.

Like some of the girls in my class, except she wasn't curling her hair in her claws.

“Hey, that's just survival instincts, Alys," James replied, pretending to sound serious. “But you'd be lucky to get a fry. Most people would probably run."

I wondered if she would if she had hair… I wonder what I'd look like with hair.

A quiet thumping drew my eye—her tail was swaying so rapidly it was practically wagging, knocking against the wall beside her with each exaggerated swish. “And then I'd chase them down, obviously," she shot back, grinning broadly, her cheeks warm. “What, you think I'd let them get away? No, I'm getting those chips."

…I want chips now.

Alys used to bring food home from work, but she hadn't since she got her delivery job.

The portal failed, much to my immense disappointment, and so I just sat there… sulking and not sure what else to do. I'd asked if I could get more games for it, but my sister said her computer wasn't very good, and it wasn't—it barely ran Minecraft. I opened my maw to ask if we could get a better one for Christmas, but she just kept talking.

“So, what have you been up to?" Her ears were perked up—nervous. “How's that fancy cyber-whatever course going?" She asked, her voice shifting into something more forcefully casual, like she was trying to sound cool.

I didn't get why.

Rhys said James had dumped her or something.

But… she looked so happy, and so, wanting to get why, I listened in for a minute.

“Cybersecurity," James corrected, his voice tinny but audible through the speakers. “It's going pretty good, actually. A couple of people on the course actually live pretty close, so we've met up a few times. If I'm lucky, I'll leave the course with, like, eight total friends."

He only has eight friends? I wondered. Am I a friend? He did give me LEGO.

Alys' grin faltered—not for long, but I was paying attention and saw it. She forced a laugh, one too sharp and too delayed to be genuine. “Wow, look at Mr. Popular here," she said, voice airy and a little too high. “Look at you go. Guess that makes me, what? Friend six, huh?"

“Nah, you're at least number two." James didn't sound bothered by the pauses or weird tone, but I guessed it was probably just because Alys' tablet wasn't very good at making calls.

It did put a smile back on my sister's face, one wide enough to disturb the family lines on her cheeks. “Oh, yeah?" Who's number one, then?"

“My sister," he replied quickly, his tone so nonchalant it sounded rehearsed. “I'm legally required to list her first. You know how it is?"

Alys' eyes flickered over to me, where I sat on my haunches atop her chair, forepaws gripping the back of the seat as I watched. I yelped and spun around, slipping the headphones back on and closing my game of Minecraft. But, just to be sure I hadn't missed anything, I clicked around YouTube before finding a human that was busting myths.

My sister's conversation faded into the background for a short while. With sore ears, I slipped the headphones off and prepared to climb down, only to freeze at the tone of my sister's voice. “So, these new friends of yours… any cute nesses?" 

Something about the way she said it kept me trapped in her room, rooted to the spot.

Even James paused.

Why is she asking? Didn't they break up?

“Uh… Well, one of them's a gryphon girl. She's been on Earth for a while—came over with the first group, apparently. She's pretty good with computers."

Zephyr is good with computers.

Are gryphons good with computers?

…I should ask him about the glowstone portal.

“Oh?" Alys' smile was frozen on her snout, her dangerously sharp claws digging into the tough case of her tablet. “She's cute?" Her tail had stopped moving completely.

“Um, maybe?" Her friend replied slowly. “I don't really have a reference for catbirds. I'm not exactly an expert, heh…"

I didn't know why, but everything felt off, and I couldn't stop myself from watching her face as it flashed through a variety of emotions. Eventually she settled on scrunching up her snout and pressing her lips together so tightly her uneven fangs peeked over. “Just wondering if I've got competition…" She muttered, her voice quiet and her tone… Well, it reminded me of when a teacher asked a question assuming you had an answer even when you didn't.

“N-Nah, I doubt it," he replied, words rushed. “Your wings are bigger."

What…?

Does Alys have big wings?

Her eyes snapped open, and her tail thumped once, hard, against the wall. “W-What?"

“I mean-" James' voice cracked, and he coughed to cover it. “Uh, not that I'm, like, comparing or anything. I'm just… You're fine, okay? She's not… Ugh, I'm going to stop talking now."

Alys let out a bark of laughter, tossing her head back against the pillow. Her cheeks flushed dark, and she covered her face with one paw, trying to smother the sound. “Oh my Skie, you're such a dork," she snorted, her voice breathy. “Your wings are bigger?"

I turned away from them, realising they were back to their usual gross fest.

Always so mushy…

I opened up Alys' copy of the ninja robot game, and after fiddling with the character for a while, I put her character on the jungle planet. It was alright jumping around for a while, but the controls were hard to figure out, and the enemies were too fast, so I turned it off and went online to search for the insane human Oliver had told me about—something to do with some guy that smashes food together.

H-

Hyuman porn.

Hyuman male porn.

How-

How to make people like you.

…I wasn't sure what to think, so instead I just powered through and typed in the rest of the name, finding the guy and absentmindedly watching him destroy food and make a mess.

“You… you ever think about that talk we had? You know, about…" I didn't bother turning around, but the headphones only got so loud. “…us." I could even hear her claws tapping loudly against the tablet's screen.

Oh no.

“Yeah. Yeah, I do."

I went to turn up the volume, but it only went up so far. My draconic hearing betraying me. I couldn't even take the laptop with me as her charger was busted and therefore kept her computer forever on 2%.

“And… And are you still…?"

“I'm… You know… Getting there," he stammered, trailing off into nothingness before loudly clearing his throat. “I'm trying, you know? I'm getting better, I-if that makes sense? I'm not just sitting here…" He paused again. "I just think you deserve better."

What? 

Getting better at work? 

Why should he get better at work for her?

I gave up and, for what felt like the fiftieth time that day, turned back around to see what she was doing. I shuffled back around, placing my paws against the sides and carefully peeking my head atop the headrest—just enough to see, as one time after she'd caught me staring, she bit my ears and dragged me out of the room.

Her wings shuffled repeatedly, stretching and relaxing against the mattress. “I'm not asking you to have all the answers, James," she said quietly. “But I…" Her tapping grew louder and louder as she waited. My video had ended, and autoplay wasn't working, leaving the room in silence—aside from their loud conversation.

“But you what?"

“I just-" She started, then clicked her tongue, frustration obvious on her face. “I'm not going to wait forever, you know?" She said, finally spitting it out like it'd been stuck in her teeth. Her grin returned, smaller, weaker. “Not saying I'm running off or anything, but just so you know."

“I know," James replied, sighing audibly as he did. “I'm sorry, I'm just—" he stopped himself and took a breath. “I just want to make sure I do this right. Like I said, you deserve better."

She leaned back slowly, stretching out. “Good, because I'm amazing, and you'd be an idiot to miss out."

“Wow, humble too, huh?"

“Humble is for creatures with something to prove," she quipped, tail flicking. “I'm just honest." For a moment she waited, tail frozen. “You know… you could make up for your transgressions with some snacks." Her tone was playful, yet almost... hopeful.

“Snacks?" James squeaked. Hearing this, I peeked my head another inch over the headrest, curious about the possibility of getting sugary food.

“Yep, only the best stuff, of course—befitting a majestic dragon such as myself."

“How about… vending machine snacks? Some crushed pretzels and a handful of squished Haribos."

She grinned broadly. “It's a date then." At the mention of the word, I raised my head even further, practically hovering over the soft headrest.

Date?

Almost immediately after the words left her maw, her head swivelled to me, causing me to jump. Her eyes bore into mine. I was uncovered, I realised quickly, unprotected by my precious seat. “What are you doing?" She asked, voice quiet and sharp.

“Nothing," I said quickly, looking back at the laptop screen and pretending I hadn't been watching the two. “You're loud."

“Don't act like you weren't listening." I didn't dare look back, thankful James was still on the line so she couldn't do anything too evil to me.

“I wasn't," I tried, but I knew there was no convincing her. 

“Alright…" James said slowly. “I'm gonna get going now. Let you get back to being cool or whatever older siblings do." He paused. “Talk to you later?"

“Yeah, talk to you when we go for our vending machine date." I could practically hear the grin in her voice.

“The what? Oh… Hah, yeah, sure."

Their voices faded, and I didn't have to ask to know that the call had ended.

After a moment of pure silence, she let out a long, soft sigh.

I didn't do anything immediately. I just sat there, watching the screen, not loading anything or playing a game, just… waiting. Despite how “cute" the two had been, as soon as it was over, everything felt… off. Like she was mad at him for some reason.

“He's a dummy," I muttered, trying to make her happy and reduce the chances she'd chew on my ears.

“Yeah," I heard her say, her voice barely a whisper. “Yeah, he is. But I like him."

Another long stretch of silence.

“If you're mad, just tell him," I said, opening up YouTube again to distract myself.

“Remember, you're on my laptop, Jarys," she said, her voice sharp. “And I can take it back whenever I want."

“He'd listen to you if you said it louder," I clicked on a channel I vaguely knew.

“Say what?" Her voice was quiet, but not soft. Just distant. Like thunder.

“That you like him."

She didn't say anything for a long time, and when she did finally decide to speak, I almost didn't catch it. “Yeah, well… It's not that easy. It's complicated."

“Okay," I replied, not wanting to upset her, even despite not fully getting it.

Maybe a minute passed before my confusion overpowered my fear. “B-But why is it complicated?" I asked, still not looking back at her. “You like him. He likes you. What's the problem?"

“Jarys, drop it," she snapped, sharper.

“I'm not trying to be annoying," I grumbled. “I-I just don't get it. You're just sitting there all sad."

“Jarys, I'm serious. Drop it!"

I heard her wings ruffle and the bed creak. She was leaning forward, and I realised my heart was thudding in my chest. “Is it because he's boring?" At last, I looked back at her in time to watch her mouth fall open and her eyes widen.

“What?" She stammered, voice pitching up.

“He's kinda boring. Maybe that's why you're upset? Some humans are boring."

Her snout twisted into something halfway between disbelief and offense. “James is not boring!" She snapped. “He's thoughtful and funny and…" Her tail thumped against the wall twice, quick and clearly agitated. “You don't even know him."

“Y-Yeah, but I saw him," I said, holding up my paws. “He was just there. Only talked if you talked to him first."

Her wings flicked back against her sides as she pressed a paw to her snout, dragging it down slowly. “He's not boring, Jarys. He gave you LEGO, remember?"

I blinked, remembering the party and how he gave me a snack during the argument. I was quiet, suddenly feeling bad for what I said. It didn't make it untrue, at least not to me, but I still felt bad. “Okay, b-but if he's so great, why are you so angry with me? And why aren't you two going out?"

“Jarys," she growled, sitting up to glare at me. “It's not about him being cool or something, and it's not that he's boring. It's…" Her jaw tightened, and she stopped speaking for a moment. Her frustration, bleeding over to faint, tired murmurs. “It's just not the right time, okay? We're not ready."

“For what?" I asked, genuinely not getting it. “Kissing? Holding paws? Didn't you already kiss him?"

Her ears shot up, and her face went bright red under her scales. “You're ten! You're not allowed to talk about that," she hissed, pointing at me with a shaky, broken claw.

“I'm not stupid." I pouted. “You kissed him, you like him, and now you're both acting dumb and just… waiting. I don't get it."

“You're dumb," she grumbled back, cheeks hot and clearly sulking. Still, her fury was gone, and I was in no danger of being bitten.

“Yeah, well, you're stuck with me," I said, grinning. “Forever..."

Alys didn't reply. She just kept staring at the tablet, her claws tapping against it one last time before they stopped. I glanced at her for a moment longer before turning back to the laptop and saw her staring at that blank screen like she was waiting for it to light up again.

Maybe she was.

I didn't say anything else after that, and neither did she.

…..

Drop it, drop it… so mean.

Tried to help. Not fair…

Stupid Alys, stupid boring human.

Just ask the human, and then you'd stop being so moody.

Why-

“Jarys!" snapped the substitute teacher, his dark blue eyes narrowing in obvious frustration. “Can you at least pretend to pay attention to your test?"

A few students giggled, but I barely noticed, too absorbed in my sulking. It was Wednesday, October 2nd, and I was failing my math test. I'd tried to revise the night before, but Alys couldn't multiply past six without melting down, and Rhys had locked himself in his room to brood about something.

Samys was at the head doctor's—again—and even if she'd been around, her math skills weren't much better than my sister's.

I glanced over at Oliver, hoping for some shared failure. Thankfully, he looked just as lost, his pencil hovering uselessly over his paper. Sensing my staring, he shrugged helplessly, and I knew I wasn't the only one in for a nipping when the results came back.

Alys had tried to help, in her own way, but between her limited skills and the constant distraction of her tablet's empty notification feed, it wasn't much of an improvement.

“Jarys!" Mr. Denia's voice cut through my thoughts like a lash. His tone was sharper now, and his surprisingly youthful features betrayed his irritation. Laughter rippled through the room again, making my cheeks—and the scales beneath—burn.

Before I could muster a response, he strode toward me with a huff, his polished shoes clicking against the floor. Instead of continuing his tirade, he leaned down close, speaking just loud enough for me to hear. “Jarys, come with me for a moment."

I blinked, swallowing hard as I nodded. My legs felt shaky as I slid out of my seat, following him out of the classroom, pulse pounding in my ears. I'd already gotten in trouble a few days ago as well…

Before shutting the door, Mr. Denia pointed a finger at Zephyr. “Zephyr, you're in charge until I get back. Keep them on topic, all right?"

The gryphon drake perked up and nodded dutifully, his wings twitching with the faint excitement of authority and his chest puffing out.

The door clicked shut behind us, and the substitute leaned against it, arms crossed. His sharp blue eyes locked onto mine, calm yet intense, as though he could see straight through me. He didn't speak; he didn't scold—he just… watched.

I shuffled awkwardly, shifting my weight from paw to paw. My tail flicked once before I forced it to sit still. He was waiting for something, but I didn't know what, and the silence was making my scales itch and my ears twitch.

Finally, he exhaled, his shoulders rising and falling in one smooth motion. “Jarys," he said, his voice even but carrying a weight that made my ears flatten. “You're smart."

I blinked, unsure how to respond.

“Very smart," he continued, tilting his head slightly as if studying me from a new angle. “You should've been breezing through that test. What's going on?"

I glanced down at my paws, wishing I could disappear. “I dunno," I mumbled. “Just tired. Sorry, sir."

He hummed thoughtfully, uncrossing his arms to tap a finger against his chin. “Tired, huh?" His tone wasn't harsh, but it wasn't soft either. “How are things at home? Is your sister doing okay?"

The question caught me off guard.

“She's been late a few times this week," he added, as if reading my hesitation. His gaze was steady, but his dark eyes seemed to shimmer faintly in the dim hallway light.

“She's been… busy," I muttered, keeping my voice low. I didn't want to say anything more, but when I glanced up, something about his expression made the words stick in my throat.

Then, as I watched, his dark blue irises lightened, deepening into a bright, vivid, almost violet colour. A shade in between blue and purple. The shift was subtle, yet impossible to ignore, and when he spoke again, his voice seemed to resonate, as though it was reaching past my ears and into my chest, into my heart.

“Is that all?" He asked, his tone quieter now, yet oh so louder.

I felt my mouth moving before I even realised I was speaking. “A-And… she keeps… She's upset that her boyfriend won't ask her out."

The substitute's lips curled into a faint, humourless smile. “Her boyfriend, huh?" He leaned back further against the door, crossing his arms again. “So, you mean her friend, then?"

I hesitated, feeling light-headed, and nodded.

“You said his name was James, right?"

Had I said that? My head felt hazy, like I'd just woken up from a nap. But when his bright violet eyes bore into mine, I found myself nodding again.

“James won't ask Alys out," he mused, his voice laced with amusement. “Good Skie, even Teran bent the knee quicker than this." His chuckle was sharp, the sound echoing faintly down the hallway. “…Maybe they just need a little push."

He tilted his head, his glowing eyes narrowing as his gaze locked onto mine. “What do you think, Jarys? Should I leave those crazy kids alone, or try a quick little jealousy arc?"

I stumbled back a step, the ground beneath me feeling unsteady.

“Careful there," he said, stepping forward to steady me. His hand rested lightly on my shoulder, his grip firm but not harsh. “Jealousy, huh? That's your suggestion?" His grin widened, showing teeth that seemed just a little too sharp. “You're a clever one, Jarys."

He crouched slightly, bringing his face closer to mine. “And besides," he murmured, his voice dropping lower, “if it doesn't work, Jamie can always shack up with that cute gryphon girl—what's her name? Galia? Could be fun for the few months he's got left…."

His words hit me like a stone, the meaning sinking in slowly. Months left? My chest tightened, and I stared up at him, unable to speak.

“Alys… well," he continued, almost as if to himself, “then we'd be two for two on sad little nesses. Poor thing that Leena was. At least her human got something."

The floor felt like it was tilting beneath me, and when he released my shoulder, I stumbled back, landing on my haunches with a dull thud.

The substitute straightened, rolling his shoulders back before arching his spine in a long, fluid stretch, seemingly cracking each vertebra at once. The movement was too smooth, too deliberate, like a predator loosening up after a hunt.

I felt like I might vomit. Something… something was wrong.

He turned back to me, his earlier amusement replaced by a faint but unsettling calm. “Relax, kid," he said, his voice audibly softer yet rolling in danger. “I'm just playing around. Besides, some people need a push, not you though. You're a good kid—friends with a gryphon and a human? I've always had a good feeling about you."

After straightening his messy hair, he snapped his fingers. The haze around me thickened, and before I could stop myself, I stumbled back into the classroom.

Everything felt weird and foggy, like trying to remember a dream. He'd asked me something about school—if it was going okay? I think I told him I was tired. Shaking my head, I focused on the whiteboard at the front of the room. The new teacher was writing out some formulas, simple enough that even I could follow them. He glanced at me, his expression serious as he nodded briefly, then turned back to the board. I wasn't sure why, but for the first time all day, I decided to pay attention.

The test didn't go great, but I didn't think I'd failed, at least. Poor Oliver looked even grumpier than usual, though. Probably because he knew his brother was coming to get him. Oliver always talked about how smart he was—something about glasses and books—but honestly, he sounded pretty boring to me.

When the bell rang, the teacher stood by the door, clipboard in hand, calling out names as parents or guardians arrived.

“Naomi Mercer!" I watched as Naomi darted out, her silver scales flashing as she clutched her backpack between her teeth. Oliver swore he didn't like her, but I wasn't buying it. “Daniella Stephens!" A maroon-scaled ness stepped forward. I paused, as always, when I heard her name. Hers felt so out of place—human. Too Earth-like—according to Samys.

“Nathmurr!" A black drake sauntered past. His bright eyes made me look twice. They were the same as the teachers. Were they purple? But… no… As I squinted at the twiggy human, I realised they were just a deep blue. Funny—I could've sworn…

“Jarys Morgana!" I hurried out, my pack bouncing against my back as I burst into the cool air outside. Alys was already there, sitting on her haunches with her tablet in her paws. She smiled when she saw me; she went to stuff the device in one of the many leather bandoliers strapped across her chest.

“Wait! I need to show my friend my avatar!" I begged. Alys rolled her eyes but handed it over after flicking through a few apps with her damaged talons. I wanted my own so badly, but I had to wait until I turned thirteen.

She followed as I waited for my friend, practically hopping in place while I checked out her screen. Then I smelt something—something vaguely familiar and… minty? Like mint ice cream and our computer room mixed together somehow?

“James?" Alys' voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up, and there he was, standing there like he'd fallen out of the sky. He looked different, though—cleaner somehow. His hair was shorter, his face less tired-looking, and he was even wearing a pair of nerd glasses.

He stared at us, wide-eyed, before smiling. “Are you following me, Alys?" His hands slid into his jean pockets like he thought it made him look cooler. His gaze shifted to me, and a spark of recognition lit his face. “Wait, no way—this is Jarys' school?"

Alys puffed up like a peacock, her muscles flexing in a way so obvious it was lame. “Yep, I always pick him up." I opened my mouth to say that Rhys usually did it, but one look from her shut me up fast. “What about you? Are you following me?" Her grin widened. “You could've just asked."

James blinked, then laughed awkwardly, scratching his neck. “Hah, yeah, no. I'm here to grab my brother and, uh, my friend, who…is…" He trailed off, looking around like he'd lost something.

A soft whoosh of wings made me turn. A gryphon landed lightly nearby, her feathers fluffing as she folded her wings. “Sorry, James," she murmured, her voice quiet. “I—I dropped my glasses and, ooh!" Her golden eyes went wide when she spotted us, and she jumped back.

“Sorry! I didn't see you there."

She was tiny, even for a gryphon, barely reaching James's chest. Her soft purple feathers looked like something out of a colouring book, and her smudged glasses were pink, framing her wide, owl-like eyes. A red scarf was wrapped around her neck, its ends fluttering in the cool breeze. I suddenly remembered what we'd learnt in science—she was a Dalmati gryphon. All bird, no cat.

“Hello," she squeaked, raising a claw in a shy wave. “I'm Galia. Are you a friend of James?"

Silence.

Long, tense, uncomfortable silence.

“She—she works at the same place I do," James finally said, his eyes darting to me, a flicker of understanding passing between us, like we were silently agreeing on how awkward it had suddenly gotten. “We've been friends for a while now."

I caught the way Alys' ears pricked up at the word friend—before immediately flattening.

She stepped closer to the small gryphon and held out her paw—the one without the broken claws. Galia hesitated, her smaller bird claw hovering in the air before she offered it reluctantly. Alys took it in a firm grip, squeezing just enough to make the gryphon's sleek beak twitch.

“Nice to meet you," my sister said, her smile too toothy to be friendly.

“Uh, you too." Galia hummed nervously and pulled her claw back too fast, the movement jerky and half desperate.

“Zephyr Walsh!"

The sound of the teacher calling my friend's name broke the weird tension—like snapping a rubber band. I instantly forgot about the staring contest and dashed over to meet my friend halfway. He, like his sister, was a small fluffy thing, looking more like a freshly hatched chick than a fearsome predator—like me, of course. The only difference between them was their colour. Whilst she was sort of purple, Zephyr was a dark grey.

I flopped down beside him and opened up Roblox. Together, we focused on tweaking my avatar. “Check this out," I said as we debated a new hat or maybe some wings. I always picked wings.

“Zephyr?"

The gryphon hen's soft voice caught our attention. Both of us glanced up as Galia called out again. “Do you know Alys' brother?"

“Yeah!" Zephyr said brightly, already turning back to the tablet. “We were playing that natural disaster game yesterday. You should load it up!"

Galia laughed awkwardly, her feathers fluffing a little as she glanced at Alys. My sister was still staring at her, not saying anything and also not blinking much.

I glanced over to James. He wasn't much better—his hands were stuffed into his pockets so tightly that his shoulders hunched, and he kept swaying on the balls of his feet like he wanted to bolt. After what felt like forever, he finally muttered, “One second," like he was cutting into a conversation instead of… whatever this was.

James walked over to the substitute teacher, who was standing near the door, herding the last few students out. I perked my ears to catch bits of their conversation.

“You're Alys' boyfriend, right?" My teacher asked quickly, his tone so casual it sounded fake. “I've got to say, I wish I had that kind of confidence. Takes a lot to mingle outside the regular crowd."

James froze mid-step, then quickly shook his head. “No, I'm not. I'm here to pick up Oliver."

That made my teacher pause, blinking like he'd heard something ridiculous. “Oliver?" He repeated slowly. “Oliver who?"

“Oliver Harvey," James said, sounding like he was trying not to sigh. “Didn't our dad call ahead?"

The substitute shrugged. “Nope, no call. You're his actual brother?" His surprise shifted into something closer to amused disbelief. “And you know Jarys' sister, too?"

I glanced back at Galia. She was making an effort to talk to Alys, though her feathers still fluffed up every few seconds, like one of those spiky fish. “So… You and James work at the same place?" She asked. “He said it was… kind of terrible. N-No offence!"

“I do deliveries most days now," Alys replied, her tone clipped.

“And is that… fun?"

“It's okay."

Galia nodded, clearly running out of things to say. Her golden eyes darted to Zephyr, then back to James. When neither moved, she finally said, “Um, Zephyr, we need to go now. You can play with your friend tomorrow. We've got to hurry."

Zephyr sighed dramatically but got up, promising to message me later. I waved him off, a little bummed, but Alys… Alys looked happy.

She tracked the two gryphons as they left, her narrowed eyes following them until they disappeared from sight. Only then did her shoulders finally relax.

I went back to playing on the tablet, trying to act like nothing weird had just happened, but I couldn't quite shake the heavy feeling. The world around me buzzed with tension, and no matter how hard I focused on the game, I couldn't make it go away.

James came over with Oliver in tow, looking slightly annoyed. He glanced around briefly before asking, “Hey, where'd Galia go? She was supposed to send me some files."

Alys shrugged, her wings giving a faint flutter. “She took her brother and left a bit ago," she said, her tone flat. 

I motioned for my friend to come over, but his brother kept him half pinned.

“Oh, hm." James glanced at her. “Alys, are you alright?"

She flinched, her ears twitching. “What? Why?"

“You looked kind of tense when Galia showed up," he said.

Quickly, Alys shook her head, her ears flopping. “N-No!" She said, her voice rising a bit. “I'm just really tired from flying all day, you know? Plus, I just wasn't expecting her, is all."

Lies, I realised anxiously. I couldn't tear my eyes away. Something was happening, and I just didn't know what.

“Right, yeah, that makes sense…" James muttered, though he sounded distracted. Then his face lit up. “Oh! Um, look!" He turned around, planting his hands on Oliver's shoulders and steering him forward like he was showing off a prize. Knowing how much Oliver liked scary characters, I immediately opened my inventory of horror character parts.

“Hello, Oliver. I've met him before. I've talked to his mother." She paused, but I couldn't see her face as I was busy checking for Trevor Henderson pieces. “Wait, was that your mother?"

“Nah, different mum, same dad," James said. “But damn, talk about coincidences… You even mentioned his friend being sick at the same time this one was also sick, and I just never made the connection."

“Yeah… How come I've never seen you at pick-up? Have you been avoiding me…?" Alys asked, her voice light but carrying a sharper undertone, one that made me freeze. It was the tone she used whenever she knew you were already in trouble. I swallowed and looked up, my claws tapping madly against the screen,

“Oh yeah," James said with a crooked grin. “I've been avoiding the creature that can smell what I've had for lunch three days ago. Still can't believe—"

“I wasn't talking about your lunch," Alys interrupted, her smile razor-thin. “But thanks for confirming you've been hiding."

James blinked at her, then gave a quiet, almost defensive laugh. “O-Okay, sure. Let's go with that."

He paused and tapped his sides. “Oh, um, speaking of lunch, Oliver and I are going out to KFC." Once again, he wrapped his fingers around his younger sibling's shoulders and shook him. “Little family bonding trip, y-y'know?"

Oliver shuffled uncomfortably, and I decided to try and help. “H-Hey, James, didn't you and Alys talk about going on some kinda snack date yesterday?" I asked, looking between them, trying to smile. “Isn't this the same thing? But, you know, with actual food?"

James glanced at me, startled, then at Alys. His expression flickered for just a second before he cleared his throat. “Uh… I mean, not really?"

Alys' ears twitched, her smile turning sharper. “Oh, right. That was just a joke," she said. “This is different, of course. KFC's way fancier than a vending machine. You could always take Galia along—she'd probably love that."

They both grew quiet, Alys staring at him, waiting for him to say something. He looked back, blinking, mouth opening and closing for a moment. It was like he'd just been slapped.

Eventually, James let out a laugh, a little too loud to feel natural. “Y-Yeah, I don't think she'd be into it. Bird and all." He shook his head quickly, brushing the comment aside.

Alys' wings twitched, and for just a moment, her smile faltered. “Suit yourself," she said softly, but the words carried just enough weight to make James glance at her again.

The human rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little cornered. “It's not like that. Oliver's been asking for it all week, and—"

“Oh, so it's Oliver's idea," Alys said, her tone sweet but a little too polished. “Makes sense. Can't say no to family, right?"

What's happening?

James hesitated, his smile faltering. “Yeah… something like that." Then, almost like an afterthought, he glanced at her. “You could come, you know. If you wanted."

Alys' ears perked up slightly, but her wings shifted tensely. Her voice was casual, but the words landed harder than they should've. “Nah, I wouldn't want to ruin your important family time. You two go enjoy your greasy fries. I'll stick to actual food."

James exhaled sharply through his nose, his shoulders tensing just slightly. “Right. Got it." He turned to Oliver, ruffling his brother's hair with maybe a bit more force than necessary. “C'mon, let's get out of here before you start complaining again."

“Not fair," Oliver grumbled as they walked off. “You're the one who takes forever to decide between hot wings and a burger—"

I didn't even get to show him my new outfits, I thought, trying to push down the upset sting bubbling in my chest.

As their voices faded, Alys let out a long breath, her shoulders slumping slightly. I glanced up at her, unsure if I should say something, but decided against it. Instead, I turned back to my game, muttering angrily under my breath, “So stupid."

“What was that, Jarys?" Alys snapped, her voice sharp and harsh.

“Nothing!" I said quickly, flinching, not daring to sneak a glance at her.

For a moment, we just stood there, the cool breeze ruffling her wings. Finally, after what felt like forever, she sighed and nudged my side with her snout. “C'mon," she said softly. “Let's go. I'll grab you something on the way home."

“KFC?" I asked hopefully, half-smiling.

“Don't push it," she shot back.

Even as we walked away, and the anger evaporated, I couldn't help but glance up at her every so often. Whatever was going on between her and James, I didn't get it. But it was definitely bothering her more than she wanted to admit.

…..

I hated buses.

They smelt weird, like wet metal and old coffee, and there was never enough room. Alys always had to stand in the middle aisle, one paw hooked around the rail, claws curling lightly for balance.

She was big. Not too big, but big enough to look weird. She folded herself up as much as she could—legs tucked close, tail coiled tight, neck pulled in—but her horns still came dangerously close to poking people.

She didn't seem to care.

I was small enough to sit, so I took a seat where I could be close to my sister. I sat sideways, facing the window with my back to Alys, yet despite this I kept my tail curled tightly around her own, holding on for support as I stared intensely at the passing streets and the great, dark clouds in the sky. It was raining. It was always raining.

Everything felt too loud for me: the roar of the engine under my paws, the constant murmuring of chatting humans, and the occasional rattle of the bus as it hit a bump for the hundredth time that trip.

But mostly, my head was still stuck on earlier.

James' face kept flashing in my mind, the way he'd looked—confused, cornered—when Alys talked to him outside. It wasn't like her words were mean, not exactly, but there'd been something in her tone, sharp and…off, that didn't seem right.

The bus jerked forward, and I dug my paws into the windowsill I was facing to keep from sliding off, my tail constricting around my sister's. Alys shifted, claws scraping the floor as she steadied herself. She didn't stumble. She never stumbled. I didn't even need to look over to see that she'd barely budged.

I flicked my eyes toward her, but she was staring out the window at the front of the bus, her expression completely blank. Her wings were pulled tight against her back, her tail coiled around mine, the tip resting against the front of my seat.

I curled my claws into the edge of the tough plastic, trying to ignore the tension buzzing in my chest. Whatever was going on, she wasn't going to talk about it. She never did.

The man standing near her cleared his throat, sharp and loud. I glanced over and immediately wished I hadn't.

He was staring at her.

It wasn't even subtle. His eyes locked on to her long horns, then her wings, like he was sizing her up. Like she was taking up more space than she needed.

My sister didn't look at him. She just stood there, quiet and calm, her gaze fixed on the rain outside. One of her paws flexed on the rail, claws digging in slightly before relaxing.

The man sniffed. Then he whispered, just loud enough to be heard over the hum of the bus, “Aren't you too big for a bus like this?"

Alys turned her head slowly, her expression calm but unreadable. “It's tight, yeah," she said evenly. “But I'm fine."

“You sure?" He said, louder now. “Looks like you're about to block the whole aisle. I thought your people were supposed to fly."

I froze. My tail tightening against her own, my claws pricking at the edge of the hard plastic.

Alys tilted her head slightly, her tone polite but distant. “Flying's faster," she said, “but it's not free. Same reason you don't run everywhere."

The man's eyes narrowed. His lips twitched like he wanted to say something else, but he hesitated.

“Just saying," he muttered finally, “you take up a lot of space for someone who didn't pay extra."

Alys didn't flinch. She snorted softly, barely a sound. “I paid the same as you," she said, not even looking at him. Her tail coiled tighter around mine, almost painful in its intensity.

I hunched my shoulders, my claws beginning to tap anxiously against the window. I could feel the weight of the earlier conversation pressing down on me again, mixing with the current heavy tension in the air.

The man shifted his weight, his fingers drumming restlessly on the metal pole. “Yeah, well," he muttered, leaning forward slightly, “doesn't mean you should act like you own the place."

Alys turned to look at him properly now, her horns tilting forward just slightly. Her voice stayed level, but there was a warning edge to it. Her ears were raised, and her wings were starting to twitch—she was trying not to flare them, I realised. Any dragon would have seen the signs of a potential snap. “I'm just standing. Same as you."

I knew that tone. It was the same one she'd used with James earlier, sharp and steady, like she was daring him to push just a little further.

The man opened his mouth to say something else, but the bus lurched suddenly, throwing him off balance. He stumbled, bumping into Alys' side. Her claws scraped the floor as she steadied herself, her hold on my tail nearly pulling me off the seat.

“Watch it," he muttered, glaring at her like it was her fault.

My ears twitched, and I sat up straighter. “You watch it," I said before I could stop myself. “S-She's only here because of me. I can't fly!" My voice came out louder than I meant it to, almost a shout. The man turned sharply toward me. Immediately, I clamped my mouth shut.

“What was that?" He snapped, moving as though he were about to take a step. At the mild threat I shrank back, holding on more tightly with my tail. I didn't have to scamper away as Alys herself moved closer, bringing her snout close to the human's left ear, teeth near this neck.

“Don't," Alys said quietly. Her expression was completely blank, yet the red in her eyes was blazing.

The bus hissed as it pulled to a stop, only a moment later, the doors swinging open with a jolt. Alys turned to me, her tail's hold on mine loosened enough for her to slip free and begin walking away. “Come on," she said softly. “Let's go."

I hopped off the seat and hurried after her, the cold air outside hitting me like a slap. The bus pulled away, but I could feel the man's eyes on us until it turned the corner.

Alys walked ahead of me, her wings tucked close, her tail swinging low. She didn't say anything for a long time, and I didn't know how to ask what I wanted to ask.

“Are you okay?" She asked finally, her voice quiet.

I glanced up at her, startled. “Y-yeah," I said quickly, my claws clicking on the pavement and my heart pounding. “Yeah, I'm okay."

We hurried home after that; the elevator ride to our floor was totally quiet except for my nervous fidgeting and Alys' wings constantly rustling. She couldn't stop moving them, always readjusting, making little shuffling sounds that bugged me.

The grocery bags attached to her satchel were noisy too, rustling like a bunch of paper bags being dragged across the floor. When we reached the door, I noticed it was unlocked. I gave Alys a look, but she didn't say anything—she just walked in like it didn't matter.

“—for sure, it was just an issue with that one shift manager. He doesn't…"

We both turned into the kitchen and saw Rhys sitting at the table, his headset on, talking to someone on the other side.

“Oh, um, one second, James." Rhys paused when he noticed us and waved a paw as if to say hang on.

James?

Alys didn't wait for me. I watched her tail swish once in annoyance as she shuffled past me, walking straight to the sofa. She tossed the bags onto it, not even trying to put them down neatly, before heading to her room without a word. Rhys watched her, his lips tight, but he didn't say anything. Then his eyes moved to me.

“Hey, Jarys," he said, a half-smile forming. “How was school?"

“Okay," I muttered, but then the frustration from earlier came back. “Alys saw James' new friend and got jealous. She's—"

Before I could finish, Rhys waved me off, a forepaw flicking side to side of his headset. Immediately, I realised it was exactly the human I was talking about on the other line. “Yeah, sure. Whatever." He tapped at his laptop with his talons, glancing over at me as if warning me of something.

I scowled, annoyed, still wanting to go on. “And then she took me shopping for ages while Oliver got to go to KFC," I continued. “J-James invited us, but she said no!" I was pouting by the end.

Rhys rolled his eyes and didn't look up from his game. “Uh-huh… Uh, latch the door for me, Jarys. And no, you two needed food for the week. You couldn't have gone to hang out with your friend or hers."

With a groan, I turned and locked the door, not bothering to argue. Rhys always had a reason to shoot down everything I wanted to do. He was already tapping away on his shiny laptop, the one he never let me touch. I hated that thing—it was way cooler than Alys' old one, but he never let me use it. Not even to try.

He was busy playing some ninja robot game, but I wasn't really paying attention to it. I snatched up the chocolate bars we picked up, and after breaking it up, I popped a piece into my mouth, feeling the sweet warmth spread through me.

“Jarys, don't eat all of that for Skies' sake," Rhys grumbled without looking up. “Uh, yeah… Jarys is just eating all our food."

I rolled my eyes but didn't stop munching on the chocolate. “I'm not eating all of it," I said, but I knew he was right. It was too good not to eat. “I'm just… eating."

Rhys didn't even bother to reply. He was too focused on his game, his talons clicking away. I knew better than to try talking to him when he was like that.

I glanced toward Alys' room. The door was still open, and I could hear her soft breathing from here. I crept in quietly, my tail dragging on the floor as I snuck past her. Her silver laptop sat on the desk, still plugged in and charging like always. She was curled up in her bed, wrapped in a blanket, eyes shut. She looked drained, and for a moment, I thought about leaving her room undisturbed, giving her the sleep she needed.

But then, the thought hit me—I could borrow her laptop without having to ask for once.

I knew for a fact she wouldn't notice. She was fast asleep after all. Giving me more than enough time to untangle her charger from the extension cord and slip away with the laptop held carefully between my teeth. I was silent all the while, determined to enjoy something that day.

I didn't bother with the living room TV, like I normally would. Instead, I opened up her laptop once it was properly plugged in, the cool metallic surface feeling good beneath my digits. As I typed in her painfully easy password—Alys24—I wondered if she'd change it after her birthday.

Once in, I quickly flipped through a few games, not finding anything especially interesting, and unable to play Roblox as our internet was being janky again. Without headphones, I was able to overhear the conversation Rhys was having as if he were right next to me. My adventure in Alys' room meant I only caught the end of it.

“...it's not that different. I think you're just overthinking it. It's—"

Rhys grew suddenly silent.

“Never mind, forget we ever had this conversation," Rhys muttered, sounding weirdly uncomfortable.

“Why?" I heard James' cheery voice bounce from the headphone's fine speakers.

“B-Because I'm basically telling you why banging my sister wouldn't be weird." Rhys' voice was strained, and I could hear the grimace in his words.

Banging? My head tilted on instinct as I watched Rhys' face twist in disgust. Like… pushing? Why is them banging into each other so bad? I bang into Oliver all the time.

James' laugh came through, loud and clear. “Oh, I know. Keep going; this is phenomenal blackmail material! Imagine if Alys found out you were saying half of this."

Rhys scoffed. “She'd probably say thanks."

I blinked. 

Why would she say thanks if you banged into her? That's mean.

“And Samys? How would she react to this phenomenal blackmail?"

“Samys would either kill you, then me, or... she'd explain what I missed. It's fifty-fifty with her when it comes to this sort of thing," Rhys muttered, clearly having given up.

James snickered. “Ah, of course. Internet racists and their boyfriends."

I felt my tail twitch in confusion. Racist? What were they even talking about? Who were they talking about?

Rhys laughed again, but it sounded weird. “Closer than you think." He leaned in closer to his screen, like he was trying to make sure I wouldn't hear. “Have you heard about her ex?"

I shuffled closer on the couch, my eyes wide. Is this about Samys?

“Ooh, are we gossiping now?" James teased.

“Only if you promise not to tell anyone," Rhys replied, lowering his voice like it was some huge secret. “I'm only telling you because it's kind of connected to… uh, what we've been talking about."

My ears perked.

“Did Samys date a human?" James asked. His voice was too confident, too casual. “And was his name Aiden?"

Rhys froze.

“Y-Yeah," Rhys finally answered after a beat, stuttering. “How did you know? Did Alys tell you?"

James laughed lightly. “I, uh, heard the name at Jarys' birthday party. Sounded human, and well, you guys were talking about how we're not all bad, so… y'know. Two and two and all. It was either that or a best friend, and you did just say ex."

I felt my brain freeze.

Samys had gone out with a human? 

I still remembered her getting mad at Alys for inviting my friends and James…

“Huh. That's… kind of disappointing, actually," Rhys muttered after a while. “And here I thought I'd get to do a big reveal. Way to spoil my fun."

“I live to disappoint," James replied, sounding far too pleased with himself. “Just ask my dad."

Rhys snorted at that, caught off guard. “To be fair, James, the guy was always kind of weird-looking, so maybe he was secretly a demon or something."

James rolled his eyes. “A human and a demon? Samys really does roll with the lowest of creatures, huh. Total hypocrite."

Demon!?

Like… like demon wings and horns!?

“Yeah, but, uh, did he have, like, red skin or something?" James asked.

“Nah," Rhys muttered, leaning back in his chair, stretching his maw wide in a loud yawn. “He had white hair and purple eyes."