well someday soon when the spring brings the sun
i'll sleep, i'll finally
feel better when the winter's gone

Embarrassment kisses her lips in a weak, lifeless embrace, torn by Hobgoblin’s need to strike hate towards the dragon. “Dragons bad! Rude. Not care! Beneath me. Like Monster.”
His words make her cringe, remembering how quickly he had abandoned his silver form for something more ‘powerful,’ as he called it, shortly following the meeting with the golden dragon with Him. Jaws snap with as much speed as they can muster and follow with a groan. Zhu simply stands beside the Rougarou with small, growing teeth bared, thinking this is how Hobgoblin initiates play. Her brother had been rough during play in the past, but she’d always been around to control the situation to ensure Zhu wasn’t wounded.
Stop that. Stop it now.
“Dragon WEAK before ME. Dragon nothing. Dragon worthless. Dragon stupid. Look Dragon.”
She turns to look at it, watching her son drip his head in towards it, smiling brightly as the small reptile made a sound. A chuckle comes from within her throat. This one was more adorable than ferocious, quite possibly weak, but she had no complaints. Zhu seemed to enjoy it, going to pick up the rock in his lips, fumbling as his lips can’t seem to get a grasp on it.
You should ask Zhu for his opinion about this one. He looks like he likes it.
But the mare is quick to give him a response to his question, giving up in the end with trying to encourage her dragon to play with him and the rock. Thoughts immediately go back to Him at the mention of the mare’s father, wondering if Zhu will end up that big. Roy was never tall, and while she had never seen her parents together at the same, he came off as the smaller one. Adrixaura just seemed to tower over everything back then. The trees, the mountains, her, maybe even Tonk-
She cuts herself off with enough time to stop the wave of sadness. While she had attempted time and time again to not think of them anymore, they still managed to slip through the cracks.
“Who that?”
Not important.
He’s staring at her, and she knows it. They both know it, but neither move to meet each other's gazes.
Zhu’s mouth hangs agape at the idea of the idea of the mare’s father. For him, Pa was tall, this mare was even taller than that, which in his mind shouldn’t be allowed and doesn’t even seem physically possible, and now there is someone even taller than her.
“Wow…. H-H-how tahall is he? He must ee a tea!” A check with Ma tells him he hasn’t done very well with his words this time, regardless of how hard he tries. “You did fine, dear. We can practice more later if you’d like.”
Their company offers him a new thing to enjoy and turn over in his mind, watching as he stands on his hind legs and desperately works to keep his tail and all of it’s hair off the ground, now attempting to become taller. “How f-f-” A frustrated groan comes out of him instead the words he wants, trying his best to form all of them correctly. “Aaaahhhhh can yooouuu….” Hobgoblin turns his head to watch. “stee?”
At least he gave it his best.
A loving nudge of her muzzle against his hip acts as praise and encouragement to keep up the good work, that he’ll get better with time if he works for it.
Everyone’s attention seems to head straight towards the dragon, whom is apparently named Hubris. Hobgoblin’s head raises higher upon his streamlined, fat body, leaning backwards until he stands taller than his previous position on the ground.
“Dragon scared. Dragon weak.”
You’re the one scaring him.
“Good.”
“Hobgoblin doesn’t like them because of one of Zhu’s father’s dragons. He likes one but not the other.” Eyes dart towards him, watching as he groans, still leaning backwards to show off his size. “I doubt he’d try anything. He’s only fought another shapeshifter like him and an Unicorn, but with good reason.” Zhu lets out a whinny, pushing the stone back towards Hubris, once again trying to tempt him back into games.
“I don’t think Zhu has a single reason to hate them.” And as if on cue, the colt raises his head, shaking it to ensure that his mother is correct on her thoughts.


"Talk."