#draconem

“Draco stop it!” Iris huffed, swatting their hands away. “I’m fine! I don’t need to be mother henned.”

“No,” they sigh, “I’m turning off your alarm and you’re getting some real rest, flower.”

Iris simply puffed out her cheeks, glaring at the Elder Demon. She didn’t really have an argument to make that they wouldn’t be able to verbally parry so she left the argument carry on with her cold glare.

“What’s with the look?” They raised an eyebrow.

“I hate you.”

“You’ll be thankful later, even if you have too much pride to actually be like-” Draco put on a high-pitched voice that was supposed to be a poor mockery of Iris’ tone- “oh thank you Draco! I totally forget to take care of myself! What would I ever do witho-”

Iris punched them in the gut.

“-ow. What was that for?”

“I don’t sound like that.”

“You do a little bit.”

“No.”

“Teeny tiny bit.”

“No.” Iris repeated with a huff.

“Stop being so stiff all the time flowers, you need to relax just as much as you need to relax. Just because we’re demons does not mean we don’t get wrinkles or grey hair.”

“Like you?” Iris huffed, elbowing Draconem in the side causing the Elder Demon to whine.

“I do not have wrinkles!”

“Really?” Iris raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Then what’s that I see on your face?”

Just went through and re-organized my art folder. Phew, that was a task long overdue. xP I had fun opening all those old (3+ years old) files though. So many of them I seemed to completely forget I even made... 

“C’mon Ireeeeeeeee! Say cheese!”

“Fuck you.”

It had to be around 9pm as the sun was setting and casting the forest in a golden glow. Iris was doing her usual lap of the clearing, keeping an eye on the murky darkness of the forest. You never knew who would want to come this late, but it was better to find out at the beginning and not when they’re sitting inside. Iris sighed, feeling a bit of hatred for Dimity and her manners. Always telling people they could come in before even learning their name or why they’re there. It ends up putting everyone in awkward positions, mostly because they were there for a meeting with Liron and instead had a child harassing them with a teddy bear. It was better not to ask.

Turning around, she let out a startled scream as she was unpleasantly pulled from her thoughts.

“Heya-”

“YOU ASSHOLE!” Iris stomped her foot, slapping Draconem on the arm but their grin merely widened.

“Missed ya too, girly.” They chuckle, slinging an arm around her as they sipped on their iced coffee. “Hope I’m not too late? I brought you a gift.”

“I don’t trust you.” Iris declared, but followed them back the house, leaning against them.

“Trust is a five letter word-”

“Good to know you can count.”

“I’ll count when it counts.” Draconem winked and Iris couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’d hope?” She hummed before falling silent and let the ambience of the forest carry. The silence did carry to the house, though it shattered when they opened the door, quite literally.

Standing on the couch was Aku, broken vase on the floor in front of it. Ah, that made sense.

“NEMNEM!” Aku yelled, grinning brightly as eyes opened around it, as it climbed down and sprinted over. They only laughed brightly, picking it up and spinning around. “Heya Aku.” Draconem smiled gently at it, poking its nose. “Isn’t it a bit late for you to be causing trouble?”

“Evil never sleeps!” Aku squeaked out, wiggling around in their arms happily as they started to rock it back and forth.

“Are you sure about that?” Draconem asked with an amused tone of voice as Iris chuckled with an eye roll, walking towards the mess and started to pick up the large pieces of the vase.

“Yes!” It squeaked, despite ceasing its wiggling.

Draconem hummed doubtfully, “where’s Dimity?”

“Probably in the library, looking for Aku.” Iris replied quietly, dumping the pieces in the trash. 

Draconem nodded, walking off as Aku giggled happily. Iris, now left alone, finished up cleaning the broken vase before retreating to her room. She hoped she’d be left alone for the rest of the night. In all honesty she just wanted to eat some cheetos and binge watch Carmen Sandiago. Alas, there were apparently other plans in play as there was a loud knock on her door 5 minutes into the episode. 

“Yeah?”

“It’s Draco!” 

“...”

“Iris! C’mon!”

“...What do you want?”

“I brought you your gift!”“Is it another snake?”

“...No.”

“Draco…”

“It’s not! Well, kinda? It’s not alive.”

“Draco!”

“Let me in and I’ll show you!”

“...The door’s unlocked, come in yourself dumbass.” Iris huffed, closing her laptop to watch the door carefully. Draconem came in, closing the door behind themselves, holding a cardboard box with a snake painted on it.

“Classy.” She hummed, causing them to start giggling.

“Shut up, the surprise is inside.” They hold it out to her, sitting down beside the girl.

“What if I just want the cardboard?” She raised an eyebrow, taking it slowly, “maybe I just want the box, what about that, huh?”

“I won’t stop you.” They shrugged as the girl opened the box and gasped, face lighting up.

“Twin snakes!” She pulled out the package of sweets, grinning brightly at them before encasing them in a crushing hug, “no way! Thank you!” 

Draconem let out a wheezy chuckle, having your lungs crushed would do that to you, “it’s not a problem girly, I heard Aku stole your gummies the first time around so now you have some secret ones.” 

“I owe you one.”

“Consider this repaying one of my debts,” Draconem shook their head, pulling away from the girl’s hug, “or as a bribe to let me watch whatever baby show you were watching before I came in. I’m avoiding Liron.”

“He wants you to change?”

“Yeah… But my scarf is so comfy!” They whine, leaning on Iris as she opened the laptop again.

“Fair, I guess.” She hummed, waiting for the show to re-load as she opened the gummy package.

“What show even is this?”