Araw Macalino

“Humans nefer know vat to do ven faced vis somesing zey do not understand. Their instinctual reaction is to just lash out vis hatred and to try and intimidate ze unknown so zey feel in control.” Kurt said simply. He had seen it happen before; seen it in history books time and time again. When Araw expressed concerns about the noise, Kurt place a hand gently on his arm. “Zis vill pass.” He spoke, “But do you need to get avay from it for a vile?” He asked softly.

Kurt smiled softly at Araw’s gently hand on his shoulder and slowly shook his head a couple of times. “Ze vorld does not see ze beauty zat you do, Araw.” He responded gently and making absolutely no move to move away from him. The teleporter had to admit it was nice to see the man again and it was comforting having him there at a time like the present.

“You and your broser must be careful. Ve haf to be delicate in zis situation - ve cannot start anysing zat could spiral out of our control. Zese demonstrations must remain peaceful, ya?” He explained, though he didn’t expect the other would be reckless. He honestly couldn’t say about his brother though. He still had yet to meet this man since meeting Araw.

“Then the world is lesser for it’s close mindedness.” he replied, voice just as gentle despite the anger and hatred that seemed to swirl around them, it made him take a small step closer and sigh, “It is so loud here. It makes me miss my home.” The jungle could be full of noise yet, not like this, not so vicious, designed to hurt however it could.

Kurt remained stalwart, keeping his gaze firm and pitying as he stood at the front lines of the protesters - until he heard Araw’s voice speak up and felt him gently tug on him until he had stepped away from the main crowd and off into a small alleyway for a reprieve of sorts. The mutant finally let out a sigh and frowned, shaking his head slowly. “I can…handle… ze insults and ze hate. I haf for most of my life, ya? Vat is a few more days here, now and again?” He stated before looking at the man and giving him a tiny smile.

“Vat are you doing here?” He asked curiously. “Zis kind of demonstration does not seem like somesing zat you vould vant to be around.” He spoke honestly. Araw was too kind of a man for Kurt to ever picture him being near something so hateful, even if it was on the side of ‘mutant and metahuman rights’.

Luckily, it seemed the other was willing to let him pull them away from the front lines. “I’m certain you can, you are a strong man.” he said with a small nod, “But you are not alone. Those who work together can allow others time to rest so they will always be ready if they are needed.” He reached out and put a hand on Kurt’s shoulder, “Though you should not have to suffer their insults to your beauty.” Kurt was a kind man as well, one who’d did no deserve to deal with such cruel responses.

Guilt. Uncertainty. It was funny how those two little emotions could eat someone so much that it made it difficult to sleep or even put your thoughts aside so you could focus on something else. Kurt hadn’t seen Erik since their sudden escapade to the mystery address the man had given him. While nothing had confirmed his suspicions, Kurt just couldn’t shake the feeling that had he not helped the man - perhaps the NOVA facility would not have been raided in such a fashion. Showing up at the protest wasn’t going to bring back the people that were killed but Kurt felt like he needed to do something - even if he knew what most of his friends would say.

The mutant stood front and center among the line the SCPD officers had drawn and forbidden anyone from crossing. The overwhelming shouting - vile slurs and even shocked exclamations from those that stood at his sides - were deafening, but Kurt endured. In fact, he did more than endure. He was there to make a statement – and he did so as nature had made him. No Image Inducer. Nothing to mask the demonic vestige his genes had provided him. He wore the black and red skin-suit he was used to wearing on missions and regarded everyone he looked at with a solid gaze.

“Zis is how ve vere born. Ze actions of von man, does not speak for ze entirety of our community!” He stated to the opposing crowd, tail twitching behind him. “Go to Hell, freak!” The arguments came back. Kurt merely shook his head in pity.

Araw was not here to battle, he was here to observe and protect. He did not trust these people, he’d seen and experienced the cruelty of men. But their machine’s seemed not to calm the beast within him and should the need arise he would do whatever was needed to save the people who had saved he and his brother so long ago. Thus far he’d kept further back, watching carefully without expression, scarcely moving, save for a quick head tilt. He was more in touch with the dragon in times of danger and his reptilian habits showed through.

“No,” he said plainly, “Charles isn’t with us.” It was best not to explain. It was too much to explain. Too big. Too hard. In all likelihood, Araw would hear it in time, and if there were any questions then…Scott would answer him.

He shook his head. “We can put something together. We’re mutants. Finding ways to handle power is kind of what we do.” And while he wished there was a better solution than ‘wait it out’ for the two of them, he could at least make sure there was somewhere safe to do the waiting. “I’ll start working on something. Twenty days is plenty.” Scott was used to working on more with less.

“Ahh, I see.” Araw was intuitive enough to think something may have happened, that man had seemed to be their leader when they first met and now to not be here at all. “I hope that the current situation suits you both as well as it can.” Regardless of what it was.

When Araw seemed to just huff away his concerns, Kurt chuckled quietly and shook his head; nestling himself down against the other. “Alright, alright. Ve can nap for a little vile. Just a bit zough, okay?” He stated as he made himself comfortable, closing his eyes as well. There wasn’t anything wrong with a little nap, after all; and the Danger Room would alert them if anyone tried to enter the room and end their simulation.

There was something to be said for his divine senses, he always woke up when he needed to. A few moments after the golden dragon’s eyes opened their simulation ended. Time was up. He yawned, blew a little fire and reached back, unashamedly plucking the sleeping Kurt from his back and gently plonking him on the floor.

The story of how Araw and his brother got their names made Venus smile, the woman nodding along as they walked. She’d never had children of her own, but she could imagine that giving birth to two beings such as Araw couldn’t have been easy. “I am sorry that she did not survive to see what a good man you’ve grown up to become.”

They continued to walk arm in arm, Venus paying more attention to Araw than their surroundings. She listened as he spoke of how he and his brother ended up here rather than the jungle. When he got the part about why they came here she looked into his eyes with a smile. 

“I came here for the same reason. Hopefully my…talents can be put to good use mediating the situation here.” She didn’t know if she’d actually be able to help at all, but she would do her best to try. 

Araw sighed, “It’s somewhat tragic on all sides. My father is a god yet... he is forbidden to see myself or my brother. They were never to fraternise with mortals yet, my mother came upon him wounded and tended to him.” he sighed, “My mother’s husband realised we weren’t wholly human when we first transformed and he abandoned us in the jungle.” And despite that harsh beginning, they had thrived.

“I do best to do good in the hopes she would be proud.” he nodded slightly, quiet for a moment in respect to his lost mother before resuming their conversation. “With powers such as yours could love not win the day and drive this mindless hatred into darkness?”

Kurt continued to smile at the majestic creature beneath him, chuckling softly each time he heaved out a small huff for a sigh or warmed the ground up for him to nestle his head into. The teleporter adjusted his position; scooting up the other’s neck and straddling over it so he could lay flat against him - propping his chin up on folded arms atop Araw’s skull. “It is peaceful in here sometimes.” Kurt commented. “Yet, ve can’t really stay in here all day. Sooner or later ve vill haf to leaf.” He chuckled once again.

There was just something about being hoisted through the air by the cuff of your shirt by a massive dragon that you just couldn’t ever mentally prepare yourself for. As he was dropped onto Araw’s back, the mutant let out a small yelp but chuckled once the ‘ride’ was over. “Vell, zat vorks too.” He said and waited for Araw to settle back into his curled up position before laying himself against the scales on his back. The dragon was warm to the touch, but not as warm as Kurt might have suspected him to be. It was a nice temperature to be certain.

“I appreciate you showing me zis side of yourself. It is incredible and I haf to say it is hard to make a choice vezer I prefer ze human side or ze dragon side of you.” Kurt laughed softly. “I sink ze human vins by just a hair zough.” He said playfully.

His little huffs rumbled through his body as the dragon laughed a little at the other’s response and settled in his position, head bobbing up and down once in a nod at the other’s confirmation of his ‘plan’ working. The dragon’s mouth opened wide, revealing hundreds of sharp teeth, the smallest about as big as one of Kurt’s fingers, and his tongue snaked out mid-yawn before he grumbled again. He’s body shuffled a little and he opened his mouth again, spraying a little fire on the ground before him, heating it up before he rested his head on that spot. That was better.

Venus’ smile grew when she saw his blush, he was adorable, but then he’d been adorable even as a dragon. She had spent more time than she probably should have just rubbing his belly and making his scales shine. 

“Araw is a beautiful name. Less of a mouthful as well.” Blue eyes glittered as she teased him, and then she was slipping her arm through his, drawing him close so they could walk together. The thought that Araw might have somewhere else to be didn’t even occur to Venus, the woman not used to having to consider other’s schedules. 

“Tell me what you’ve been up to since we saw each other last. How is your brother?” Surprisingly, she’d never gotten the chance to meet the moon dragon so many years ago, but the villagers had spoken of twin guardians, so she knew there were two. The goddess unaware that the lifeguard she had met when she came walking out of the ocean upon her arrival in Star City had been the moon dragon in human form. 

Araw ducked his head slightly, not embarassed as such, so much as quelled by the other’s aura. He felt... Young, in her presence and subdued. It may have been left over habit from how he’d behaved around her in his more animalistic form.  

“My mother named my brother and I before she passed. My brother came to her when the moon was high and full, so she named him for it. I came after hours of struggle, when the sun ruled the sky; she she named me for it.” His arm curled up to nestle hers more comfortable as they walked. He was free for the afternoon and was pleased to see her again, a familiar face was a rarity in this place.

“Hey!” Kurt chuckled at the puff of warm air that escaped Araw’s mouth and washed over him. He watched how the dragon flicked the air with his tongue, silently admiring the sheer natural beauty of the entire experience. It wasn’t everyday you got to interact with a dragon - literal or a form of a demi-deity. “Is it considered disrespectful to try to try to sit atop you or near you?” Kurt questioned curiously. He wondered how many children had wanted to ride on the back of the magnificent beast at some point. Even Kurt - a man in his mid-thirties - was giddy just being near him.

Kurt laughed gently when the giant dragon seemed to smile at him. As Araw lowered his head and laid it on the floor, the fuzzy mutant stepped closer and closer until he was only a few feet away. He reached out with a three-fingered hand and gently ran it over Araw’s snout. “You aren’t terrifying.” He said softly. “I can see vy people vould sink so, but I don’t belief it. I like it.” He smiled a toothy grin.

As Araw’s body continued to grow and neared the completion of its transformation, Kurt leaped backwards as the dragon’s massive front feet struck the ground. He waited a moment, watching the beast’s mannerisms before slowly creeping forward as Araw hunkered down. “You are…” Kurt began, but wasn’t sure there was a word fitting enough for what he wanted to express. “…beautiful.” He finally settled on, smiling to himself and inching even closer. “I don’t efen know if you can understand me in zis form.” He chuckled as he realized he was still talking.

Kurt remained turned and listened to Araw explain himself. “Vee are just taught zat nudity is supposed to be intimate.” He clarified lightly and shook his head. “I am uncomfortable… but it vas not unpleasing….” He admitted quietly. It wasn’t long before he heard sounds of pain that made him turn back around. His eyes were too focused on the transformation to pay attention to anything else as the man began shifting and growing larger and larger. “Großartig…” The fuzzy mutant muttered in awe. The sight was mesmerizing, even if there was a part of him that was frightened the other emotions he felt outweighed the fear.

He was the dragon, but he wasn’t as well. His mentality shifted, baser urges difficult to control. His wings sprouted and spread to their full 22′ in length, his neck elongated, fingers became claws and teeth large fangs. His transformation complete the golden dragon let out a monstrous roar and threw its head back, breathing a stream of intense fire into the air. He fell forward and the field seemed to shake as his front feet hit the ground.