BLUE SCALES

“Are we gonna just gloss over the fact that you also broke into a liquor store?” 

“——Blue.”

“Wait, back up.”

“——Two places?!”

“Thanks, Blue. You’re a pretty good kid…for lack of a better term.”

“Hey, I’m basically your dad. It’s my job.”

He’s putzing. Claire had long since gone to bed and he decided to wait up for Blue to get home from her outing. He was proud of her for trying to branch out, for putting herself out there and trying to adapt to the world. It was getting late now though and he was starting to get worried. Grey eyes keep glancing up at the clock on the wall as he cleans up from the meal he and Claire had put together earlier. 

Right as he’s checking his watch for what feels like the thousandth time, he hears the sound of her voice outside and fear sets in. That’s not a good sound. The dish he was working on is set aside and the kitchen towel thrown over his shoulder as he bolts outside to find her laying on the ground. 

“Oh my god, Blue!” He pauses for a split second then darts over to her side. “What happened? Let me see—What the hell, where did you go?!” 

She forces herself to sit up, pushing against the ground beneath her. Pain seems to shoot everywhere as her spine straightens and the wound is stretched. Teeth bite at her lip in an attempt to hold the painful cry in. The last thing Blue wanted to do was to attract unwanted attention to what was happening. All that mattered was that Owen was there.

The moment he’s by her side, she’s gripping his arm. “I-I just went...into town.” The girl forces out as a hand slowly moves away from the wound. Blood has soaked her clothes as well as her hand, dripping down onto the ground beneath her. “These guys, they...” But before she can say anything else there is a lull, her head swinging to the side as her head begins to feel light, no doubt from the loss of blood.

“Look, I’ll go and grab you a few things okay?”

“——And some chocolate too. Apparently that helps.”

“If we did, don’t you think I’d know more about it?” 

     a hand is held to her side as she limps towards their home, feeling a shock of pain course through her body with every single step that is taken. blue had been out trying to interact with other humans in an attempt to blend in with them more. a couple of unruly teens thought it would be funny to mess with her, to threaten her, to steal what little money she carried in her pockets. it all resulted in the feeling of cool metal piercing her skin, crimson liquid soaking her clothes.

     blue collapses on the ground in front of the house, laying on her stomach with face in the dirt. it all hurt so much. she’d been hurt far worse but that was when she was a raptor, when she was designed to deal with such pain. but this? no, humans weren’t meant for this. “dad!” she calls out in a broken voice, a scream of pain following the cry. she needed his help, and fast, or else her human form might just lose this fight.

“I don’t know about better. More useful, maybe.”

“——There’s books about this stuff too.”

“I kind of miss being a raptor.”

“Well…yeah. I’m pretty sure it’s the same across the board.” 

“Why? Do you want me to call her up or something?” 

“I do. Why do you ask?” 

“I uh….know a little bit.” 

“——But not much.” 

“That makes two of us.” 

“——I can go with you. Don’t know  how helpful I’ll be but I’ll go.”

“Oh. You know I can just…buy that stuff for you, right?” 

“I have a sister, I’ve done it before.”

“I don’t really know how it all works.”

“You’re being cryptic.”

“That implies you’re gonna pay me back. What do you need money for?”