Breath of Fresh Air

Noah's eyes sparkled. "Can I come help out with stuff, too? I mean - I'll definitely give you your space and rest when you need it. But it would be so fun to help out in the Dragonry together! I bet Nel would have some stuff for me to do that's safe." He hurried over to the elevator, unlocked it with the copy of the key he'd gotten from his father, and held the door open for Lily. "So anyway, your tow line - do you have any preference on the type of metal, type of line, things like that? It'll be easier if we narrow it down before we get up to the factory."

---

"Oh, they don't need to have anything foreign," Axle said with a soft smile. "Any sort of beautiful flower would do. Do you know the name of the place? I could go into town with Grandpa Jenkins later and try to find it."
 
Lily only gave Noah a big shrug, holding up her free hand with an unbothered expression. "I don't see why not! There's always stuff to do, if you don't mind getting your hands dirty." There were always things that needed cleaning or organizing, or even dragons that needed baths. It was sweet of him to say he would give her space, even if she didn't think she would need it. It would be fun to work together.

"I usually just pick whatever's cheapest that still feels sturdy," she said with a sheepish little smile. "What specific materials it's made of isn't super important. Sorry that's not an easy answer." It would at least communicate the fact that she probably couldn't afford anything but their cheapest model, at least. Different options could be hard to find in Lower Floaten some days.
 
"I don't mind at all! Besides, if I'm gonna be a scout, I gotta know how to help out around the Dragonry anyway," Noah said with a smile. "I'll probably be passing through to report a lot. It'll be great!"

His eyes sparkled when he stepped into the elevator with Lily and started the machine. "That's okay. I can help you out with some guiding questions. Do you value speed or stability more? Reach or strength? And also, what color hook would you like?"

He leaned back against the side of the elevator, giggling a bit when his stomach dropped as the machine made its way slowly upward. ". . . Ooh. Still not quite used to that."

---

"Oh, they don't need to have anything foreign," Axle said with a soft smile. "Any sort of beautiful flower would do. Do you know the name of the place? I could go into town with Grandpa Jenkins later and try to find it."
 
"You don't have to," Lily said with a little laugh, following him into the elevator when they got to it. "I just like to make myself useful. Being a Scout will be your actual job, not doing handyman work. But there's always room for more helping hands."

She put a hand against the wall as the elevator started to rise, grinning and shifting up onto her toes a little like what she actually wanted was to jump. "It's cool every time!" She agreed, and tried to think about tow lines as they ascended. "I'm on and off Fern's back all day, so I think speed and reach are important since I'll need to be fast during delivers, and so if I forget to take it off nd dismount I won't land on my face." She laughed at that, but she was sure the weight rating wasn't so important. She wasn't a very big person, and all tow lines had to be able to hold at least someone her size. "Color doesn't matter so much . . . Unless you think there's a blue one to match Fern's scales?"

***************

"Oh, wow. Testing my memory." Malia stood and thought for a moment, arms loosely crossed as she considered, then finally held up a finger like it had finally come to her. "Snapdragon Florals. I remember now. It's far from the Dragonry, but they chose a thematic flower for a logo, as if they're affiliated with us at all." She paused, thoughtful again, and shifted the basket resting against her hip to take another little peek inside. "Shopping for someone in particular?
 
Noah shrugged and smiled. "I do like helping. And as long as my hands are able, that's what I'll be doing whenever Chaital and I fly through."

He slowly relaxed as the elevator carried on upward, nodding and tossing hair from his eyes. "As a matter of fact - yeah, I'm pretty sure we do carry blue tow lines." He tapped the railing he leaned back against, and his smile faded a bit. "Hey, if I can ask . . . what's Nel's thing with Upper Floaten? Does he hate it like Jasper, or - ?"

-----

Axle blushed and laughed, adjusting the flower in his hair. "Why, yes. Myself," he admitted. "I have to say, I've gotten very accustomed to the look and smell of a fresh flower in my hair. And I'd love to help support a local small business. Of course, if you'd like some flowers as well, I'd be happy to pick some up for you." Then he realized how that might sound and blushed deeper. "Ah - for your hair, of course. Or a bouquet. If you want! Um - " He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair with a wobbly smile. "My apologies."
 
Lily made a thoughtful sound at the idea of a blue tow line, interested but wary as always about what that extra color might cost, and was quiet as they rode for a moment until Noah spoke again. "Hm? Oh, no, nothing like that," she said with a little smile and a dismissive wave of her hand. "I don't even think Nel's capable of hate. He's just shy, and he grew up out in the country, kinda isolated, and really poor. Upper Floaten may as well be a different planet, as far as he's concerned. It's probably for the best. I don't know what he'd do if anybody was mean to him."

Just the thought of it made her frown a little, a concerned furrow in her brow. Most things slid right off Nel, whether because he didn't know enough about interacting with people to understand someone was being hostile or because he was too nice to take anything personally, but the idea of the nosy neighbors Noah had described before being mean to Nel because his clothes were cheap or he hadn't cleaned the dirt off his face made her want to call Infernus and go on a rampage.

****************

Malia paused with a couple grapes in hand, smiling slowly at the admission that the flowers were for himself, and as he went on biting her lip to keep from laughing at the way he fumbled with his words. She didn't mean it unkindly, of course. It was just that seeing the powerful businessman blushing and babbling was very cute. Endearing, even. At least she thought she didn't really have to worry about misinterpreting his intentions anymore.

"No need to apologize," she said, amused and thinking that perhaps she should reassure him, though she didn't want to make him feel patronized. She held out the grapes closed loosely in her fingers, and set them gently in his hand when he figured out that she was handing them to him, to give him something to do other than fumble. "l would like it very much if you were to bring me flowers." She let it sink in, gave him a small, almost coy little smile, and turned to walk away. "Come. Let's finish our tour before we both begin to sweat."
 
Noah's mouth tightened a bit into a line. ". . . I know what I'd do if anybody was mean to him. I'd punch 'em in their fucking face. Nel's the kindest kid I've ever met, and I would never bring him somewhere he might get hurt." He sighed and smiled. "Guess Upper Floaten's out for him, then. Although I bet I could bring some of the factory workers here to meet him at some point! They'd love him as much as I do."

Then he gasped softly, clapping his hands. "Do you think Nel would like it if we brought him back something? Oh! Maybe we could all get matching saddle bags! We could form a club with our dragons," he added excitedly.

-----

Mr. Harn's face broke into a smile when he saw the way Malia nearly burst out laughing. Clearly she'd taken his intentions well, whether he meant to declare them or not, and he blushed when she invited him to buy her a bouquet of flowers. "Ah - yes. Of course. I'd love to see the other plants."

He reminded himself he ought to talk to Noah; if anything came of his interest in Malia, he wanted to make sure Noah would be all right with having her as a mother.
 
Lily fought down an almost shocked laugh that tried to come out of her at Noah's declaration, startled to see the more violently protective side of her otherwise extremely soft and welcoming friend. She reached over to give him a few gently pats on the back and try to calm him down. "Deep breaths, deep breaths," she said gently, and gave a little chuckle, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. "Jasper would absolutely fistfight you for the role of Friend Who Makes Death Threats."

She smiled at his immediate bounce back to enthusiasm and care, and thoughtfully considered his ideas. "If you think they would want to come down to the Dragonry, I don't see why not. But Nel doesn't have a saddle of his own yet, so I would maybe hold back on the saddle bag? You could hide it in your closet or something for whenever he gets one." She wasn't sure if he had that sort of money saved up, or if he needed to save up for a little while or anything, but surely he would have one soon-ish. Noah would just have to be patient and wait.

****************

Malia was amused but composed, unbothered by both Axle's intentions and his very sincere fumbling. It would not be her first time indulging in a romantic interest, after all, and she had faced far greater threats than attempting to talk to another person. She led him further into the greenhouse as if nothing had happened, pointing out plants he may not be familiar with and telling him what they were used for. Some were medicines, others treats, and still others nutritional boosts for both young and old dragons. A few in particular were often mixed and given to hatchlings to assist in their growth.

"Dragons do subsist mainly on carnivorous diets," she explained, "but off on their own they're known to eat most anything they can get their hands on. A wider variety makes for a healthier stomach, just like humans."
 
It didn't take much for Noah's expression to crumble back into a happy one, especially when Lily laughed. "I can't help it," he said with a grin. ". . . I don't want to fight Jasper, though. He would absolutely win."

He paused thoughtfully when he realized he didn't have a saddle of his own, either. "Hm. Good point. Now we definitely have to have some people from the factory come visit. Someone's gotta take Chaital and Soot's measurements. That reminds me! Do you have a list of Infernus' measurements, or should I have them get him too while they're down here?"

The elevator arrived at Upper Floaten with a soft ding. Noah led the way out, locked the elevator door behind him, and then quietly made his way into the factory, greeting the workers as he passed by.

-----

Axle listened intently, folding his hands behind his back so he wouldn't be tempted to touch any unfamiliar plants. He nodded and smiled at each of the descriptions. Occasionally, he'd glance out the window to check on Pumpkin, who was still playing in the tall grass nearby. "This is an excellent resource to have on hand," Axle said at last, nodding. "The dragons here at the Dragonry are absolutely lucky to be here."
 
Lily laughed at the thought of Jasper winning, knowing the idea of them fighting was a ridiculous one and would never happen. "I used to have them written down," she said thoughtfully as she followed Noah off the elevator, waiting for him to lock up and following after, "but it would probably be faster to just take them again than to try and find that piece of paper. Jasper could help me draft something on paper if they don't want to travel all that way."

It would be simple enough to take measurements, but given how he was used to working with metal and leather in different shapes he was much better at conceptualizing the shape of Infernus' body onto flat paper. He could probably do Chaital's and Soot's if they were comfortable enough being measured.

***************

"Well, thank you," Malia said with a gracious smile. "It's taken a lot of years to get this place running as smoothly as it is, and I'm thankful to the people that came before us who made it all possible." She had inherited a large portion of administration in keeping the place running, of course, but while she had made changes here and there she would never claim responsibility for getting it all started. It had been a gargantuan task when it all started, even with only a couple of dragons in residence.

"We should get back to your little one," she suggested after a pause, gesturing for him to walk back towards the doors, "before he gets annoyed at you for staying in here." Pumpkin would either fly off or come investigate, if he got too bored, but she knew she should get back to work soon enough as well.
 
"Oh! Jasper can measure dragons?" Noah asked with a grin. "That would be perfect! In that case, maybe we can fly over to your place after we're done practicing and drag him out to help us measure the dragons."

He strolled up to a worker threading leather together and waved. "Hey, Cassandra! What do we have in blue tow lines? I need something with reach and speed."

Cassandra, who had a few metal replacements where part of her jaw and mouth should be, smiled and signed something to Noah. Then she reached into a nearby box and held out a blue tow line.

Noah signed back "thank you" and handed the line to Lily. "Here, how about this one?"

-----

Mr. Harn chuckled and nodded. "Or before he wanders too far off into the grass and doesn't want to leave," he agreed, strolling towards the doors. "Should we make our way back to the office? I've got a few things to do around Grandpa Jenkins' house, but I can drop you off first."

Once outside, he scooped Pumpkin into his arms, who squawked and went limp in protest. "Ohh, I know. How dare I make you stop playing?" Axle asked with a laugh. "Say, Malia, could you toss me a grape? My hands are a bit full."
 
"Well, I'll do the measuring, and he'll do the drawing, if we need it drawn up." Lily shrugged, chuckling at Noah's urge to drag Jasper out of the house. She stayed quiet, just giving Cassandra a smile and a little wave as Noah did the talking.

"Ooh, it's actually kinda pretty," She said with interest when Noah handed it to her. "I didn't expect the dyes to be so nice." She gave Cassandra a smile, unsure if the woman was deaf or mute and not knowing if she would understand but hoping facing the woman was enough to let her read lips. "Thank you!"

She turned to Noah as they started to move on, running her fingers over the line. "How much does one of these go for?" She didn't want to assume that he was gifting it to her, despite his generous nature, so if it was too high she was going to have to say sorry and give it right back.

****************

"Probably best to go, then," Malia agreed with a chuckle, not fighting his need to walk her back. She didn't need an escort, especially not in her own home territory, but she did like the thought of spending more time with him as they walked slowly back. She couldn't see a reason to shoo him off. He was an adult and could manage his own time, after all.

When he asked for a grape, she thought for a moment, then fought down a more teasing sort of smile and innocently held one out to him where it was close but not in danger of being stolen by a little dragon. "Say 'ah'."
 
Cassandra could speak a little, but didn't often, especially not in front of strangers. She could hear just fine, though, and she smiled back at Lily and signed "you're welcome."

Noah smiled sheepishly. "They're way cheaper than saddles, that's for sure," he told Lily at last. "But it's nothing you need to worry about. Perks of knowin' a Harn - you get free stuff sometimes," he added with a wink. "I think I'll get a new tow line once I get my new saddle. I still haven't decided what color would look best on Chaital, and I want them to match. Maybe I should let her pick the color, huh?" he added, strolling back towards the exit.

-----

Malia's hand was suddenly very close to his face. And Axle was sure it had to be, lest Pumpkin steal his food, but even so it sent his entire face and ears blushing. "Oh. Um - ah," he stammered with a lopsided smile.

He was literally just eating a grape. But something about having Malia hand feed it to him sent his heart fluttering.
 
Lily sighed at Noah's continued giving, but with a fond smile. It was nice of her friend to be so generous, and she didn't truly mind gifts, but it would always feel strange to accept something so expensive from someone. "I don't know if she would choose colors you would choose," she said with a shrug as they started to walk again. "Dragons could see differently than we do, for all we know. But a nice red or maroon might look nice, or even just black? Gold is probably too hard, and it'd get messy faster anyway."

She glanced back at Cassandra before they were out of view, then looked at Noah again. "I didn't know you could speak with your hands - where'd you learn that?" It wasn't something that was taught in any schools she went to, at least, though she had been dimly aware of the gesture-language's existence. It was fascinating, really. She thought Nel might like it too.

****************

Malia rewarded Axle with a soft laugh, and with not some little amusement at the pink flush to his skin very gently fed him the grape. "And one for Pumpkin." She fed the small dragon a grape to reward him for not stealing the first one, then gave a mischievous little smile as she took one for herself as well, quietly pleased. It was fun to tease someone who clearly wasn't used to it.
 
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"Well, she is going to be the one wearing the saddle. I want to make sure she likes the colors, too," Noah said with a shrug. "I'm sure I'll be fine with whichever color she likes. Black would definitely stand out on her scales, though."

Noah smiled again and nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Father taught me," he said. "And I learned some in school, too. I could teach you and Jasper and Nel, if any of you are interested. It comes in handy sometimes."

He made his way back to the elevator, but before he unlocked it, he paused and glanced at one of the sides with a frown. There was a triangle with a skull carved into one of the posts. "Fuck. The gang's been through here," he muttered. "I don't think they messed with the elevator, but - I've never seen their mark this close to the factory before."

----

Axle swallowed his grape and smiled shyly. "Th - thank you. I appreciate it," he said at last.

Pumpkin chirped and took his grape gently, licking Malia's cheek afterward to thank her.

"So, ah - do you have any hobbies outside of work?" Axle asked at last, wandering through the tall grass.
 
"She won't really be looking at it once it's on!" Lily insisted with a laugh, but patted him on the arm after as if congratulating him on his forward thinking. "But maybe she likes to feel pretty sometimes. Maybe something purple? Purple and gold are pretty." She nodded along with the idea of the hand-language, perfectly agreeable to learning new things. "Nel never says no to learning something new! Jasper pretends, but he'll practice when no one's looking."

She smiled at that, but when Noah pointed out the carving it turned gradually into a worried frown. "Oh. . . That's not good, is it? Is the factory gonna be okay? Maybe we should tell your dad." They might need to get more security for the building, if dangerous people were going to be nearby. She didn't want the people that worked there to be in any danger.

****************

"Any time," Malia said with a self-satisfied grin, giving Pumpkin a couple gentle pats for his thanks before going back to carrying the basket with both hands. "I haven't much time for hobbies, to be honest. I do draw some, if we consider that a hobby. Something I picked up from Nel when he came to us." She smiled a little, more softly this time, at the thought of him a when he was young. "Teaching someone made him feel less like he only ever took things from people, I think."

She had watched over him carefully, in his first few years of being with them, taken him under her wing until he started to wander out from beneath it on his own. She was glad he had found a place at the Dragonry, though she hoped one day he would feel like he belonged in the rest of the world as well. Until then, she was happy to house him, and to pay him for work he enjoyed doing.

"And you?" She asked after a thoughtful pause, looking at him as they walked. "Have you time for any hobbies outside your work?"
 
Noah beamed. "Once we hang out with Nel again, we can see if he'd be interested in it. Then we can go after Jasper when he comes out to help measure the dragons."

He pulled in a breath, stroking his chin for a moment as he studied the mark. "Yeah, we should definitely let father know. We've got to keep the workers safe. Lucky for us, I don't think the gang knows what an elevator is." He unlocked the door, ushered Lily in, and then locked it behind him again before it began slowly descending. "Sooo . . . Jasper immediately shot me down when I offered, but - what do you think Nel would say if I asked if he wanted to be brothers?"

-----

"Drawing is certainly a hobby. And it's both fun and useful," Axle pointed out. His expression softened at Malia's description of Nel, though. "Poor lad. I hope he knows now just how invaluable his work at the Dragonry is."

He smiled and nodded when asked about his own hobbies. "I am quite partial to cooking, watching plays, and designing new saddles and supplies."
 
"Sounds like a plan!" Lily said with a smile as they stepped inside, feeling a bit better when the doors were closed and the familiar drop in her stomach told her they were moving. "That's a fair point, probably. I didn't really know what it was either." Well. She had known what an elevator was in concept, but nothing so long a distance or for so much weight. She had never imagined it was possible to bridge the gap between Upper and Lower Floaten without dragons or ships.

"Ah, sorry about that. . ." She said a bit sheepishly, as if Jasper were really her responsibility. "He's just . . . prickly about family. . . I really don't know what Nel might think. He doesn't have any family now either, I don't think, but I don't know if he ever had siblings." It could be a sensitive subject for him, but she had never seen him snap at anyone about anything. Smiling tentatively, she patted her hand gently against Noah's back as if to console him. "Not everyone thinks of family as people you choose, like you do, but it probably can't hurt to ask." It was sweet, really, the way Noah's heart opened for everyone that would let it. She really liked that about him.

****************

"He's much better at it than I am," Malia admitted with a soft laugh. Nel's sketches were rather detailed when he sat down to work on them. Hers, in comparison, were more like things found in a children's book: done well, but with less detail, and less realism. "But we have done our best to assure him that what he does is important. The rest is up to him." Just her repeating it to him would never convince him, she knew, but many of the staff were sure to seek his expertise and to thank him for it. She couldn't force it on him.

"And you tried to tell me you were not the master griller?" She accused, an amused smile on her face. "I should have you make me dinner, some day. For science, of course." Bringing her lunch was generous enough, so she had meant it as a jest, but she wouldn't be opposed to having dinner with Axle Harn. If that day came, though, she would rather they collaborate and make dinner together.
 
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With the elevator on the move, Noah relaxed against its side again, enjoying the scenery spread out before them beyond the thick glass walls. He chuckled a bit about Jasper and waved his hand. "Aww, it's all right. He's technically my brother anyway since Grandpa Jenkins adopted him, but I don't mind him thinking otherwise. He's still a close friend of mine."

He blinked and raised an eyebrow. "Huh. You've got a point. I guess some people are more used to family being blood." He shrugged and grinned. "But I'll definitely ask Nel. He fits in so well with us, he's practically a Harn already! And Soot loves the other dragons, too. He fell asleep in a pile with them. It was super cute."

The elevator eventually came to a stop, and Noah hummed and hopped out, locking the door behind Lily. "All right. Off to training?" he asked hopefully.

----

Axle blushed a bit and scratched his chin. "Ah, that," he murmured, averting his gaze briefly. "I guess I just didn't want to make Jasper upset. But to be fair, Grandpa Jenkins' recipe for barbecue sauce is far better than mine is." He smiled and nodded. "I'd be more than happy to cook you dinner sometime. For science, of course. Er - what sort of food would best fit the parameters?"
 
Lily laughed warmly at Noah's enthusiasm, and did not repeat for him Jasper's insistence that they weren't actually family just because he'd been 'adopted'. She thought it made a decent amount of sense, and really it was probably just because he refused to be related to a rich businessman from Upper Floaten. A thought occurred to her as the elevator door opened, and she tried not to really laugh as they walked out. "If Mr. Jenkins actually adopted Jasper, wouldn't that make him your uncle?" Axle was his son-in-law, after all, and then Noah his grandson. She knew it was different and Mr. Jenkins was more like a grandfather than a father to Jasper, but it was still funny to think about.

"Right. Training!" She grinned and held up her new tow line for emphasis. "I can't wait to see you and Chaital and Soot in action! But training saddles are usually set up different than regular saddles, so maybe some time you can practice putting on Fern's? He won't mind." The training saddles had more straps and less sitting space, so they could be used on different dragons. Infernus had a saddle made just for him and her, with the leather shaped to his body with a wider surface to keep her legs and body safe from his scales.

****************

Malia gave a considering little hum at the thought of the grumpy metalworker, and could only give Axle a shrug. "I can't say I blame you for wanting to dodge around his prickly edges," she said, sympathetic though not entirely in agreement, "but some day you'll have to stop and just let him get angry, I think. He'll boil over, then simmer down again." He could only stay mad for so long, and with he and Noah making friends, and his connection to Mr. Jenkins, he couldn't possibly stay mad forever without being constantly berated for it.

"I don't need anything fancy." She chuckled at the idea of him going overboard, which felt highly likely. "Why don't we try something simple one day, hm? Let's do . . . breakfast for dinner. Omelets, perhaps?" That would give him a chance to be fancy about it without doing too much, she thought.
 
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