Practice makes pretense

Dragon

A/N I know 2 in a row sorry. So this prompt got me pumped. So instead of the 3 I said I would do to catch up instead this one is going to be longer than the others and is a daily double. So anyway yeeeeeeeeeeeeees dragons~.

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"Do you know why they call her dragon tamer?" Ren whispered to a short boy with hair the colour of dark raspberries. "They say she channels dragons to fight spirits, isn't that a load of bull? Look at her, she works part-time on the weekends as a receptionist for a rent-a-date group to pay off her loans faster," he snickered rolling his eyes.

"Well, if you're not careful Vick will catch you talking about her behind her back then we'll see if we don't start calling you burnt meat," the berry-headed boy huffed getting up.

He approached a girl seated in front of an oversized monitor, perfect for 'having alllllllllll the things open at once' as she would say. Today she was wearing a light grey dress with a belt cinching her waist, a charcoal jacket adding some additional warmth. Overall, a business casual look, until you look at her socks, llamas today. Her honey coloured hair had been put up in a bun but had partially fallen out leaving gentle waves dropping out of it.

"Hey Vick," he greeted. " The boss man said you were working on a better system to screen potential clients. How's it going?"

The girl nodded her acknowledgment," Give me just a second. Just gotta. There!" She turned to him with a cheeky grin. " It is done~", she lilted in a sing-song voice", okay, well the first draft is at least."

"I was told you started working on it last night, what do you mean it's already done," he dead-panned.

"Oh, silly Raspberry, never doubt a woman's abilities"

"For the four-hundredth thirty-second time my name is Liam not Raspberry!" He buried his face in his hands, a vein protruding in his forehead from under the edge of his pinky. 

Damn this woman, always calling me raspberry. Hmm? Is that a tattoo? I know she talks about getting one, but I thought she's tell us if she actually got one. Maybe she's just waiting until everyone is here, yah that has to be it.

"Good morning everyone~" came the voice of a middle-aged man with his raven hair pulled back into a low ponytail. "Working hard I see Vick, but honey you look dreadful," he stated walking towards the two at the computer. "You need to stop fighting. At this rate your putting your health at risk. Why can't you leave it to the younger ones for a while?"

Vick turned to him venom in her eyes. " Are you truly deluded enough to believe I want to be fighting Elias?" Her words like fangs sinking into their target. " I fight out of necessity not out of pleasure. I do what must be done. If there were others who could take my place do you think I would still be fighting? I never took you to be such a fool," she spat, a sneer decorating her face.

Almost on cue her phone began buzzing, "Level C threat detected to show in 8 minutes downtown, head there immediately." Reading the message, Vick got up and disappeared in the back of the building.

" Well, even if she's not a dragon tamer, she sure can be a snake, huh?" Ren chimed in from a sofa. Elias didn't react, a level C and just her to respond. Liam simply glared at his impudent colleague. 

A chime signaled someone entering the shop. "Good morning~. This is the base for Piccolo, the dating service yes?" A man with white hair and pallid skin inquired.

"It is, though I am sorry to inform you that we currently do not have hosts who see male clientele." Elias returned politely.

"Oh, I'm not here for your services. You see, I've done my research and that tells me that your precious little dragon tamer works here and is quite fond of you all," he smiled wickedly. "So it naturally follows that if I destroy you, she'll be caught up in grief leaving the city to finally be ours."

"Wow, she really does attract weirdos, huh?" Ren piped up.

"I think it's time you leave our shop. Those who threaten my staff are not welcome here," Elias stepped forward blocking the path to Liam and Ren. 

"Oh, I'm not sure you understand the situation you're in old man," he pallid man licked his lips as if preparing for a feast. He continued moving forward.

Sorrow knows my soul. It seems the day is coming to an end, and those countless nights now begin.

Vick returned wearing a low-cut white pencil-length dress, her back left open. As the haunting melody came from her lips images began to take shape on her pale skin. 

All eyes turned to her, surprise, awe, and anger. The pallid man surged forward, closing on his closest prey, Elias, before she could do anything.

A sudden wind filled the room, and the image on her skin seemed to jump off for a second before returning.

 It is through grace I know the nights shall end. I will call on your name to keep me safe and remember my name. Oh, grace with you I am saved.

The song finished and the image became clear. A dragon, twisting and turning wrapped itself around her. 

"You weren't supposed to be here. You should have gone to deal with the other threat."

" I knew you were coming. Your intent has been here for the last 3 hours, you must be an A-class. To think you would come this far as to hurt those I work with. Disgusting." Vick moved towards the man. As she did the dragon took flight and wrapped around the other constricting him.

" You really are strong," she said looking down. "If it was anyone else they would be dead by now." Taking a deep breath, she locked eyes with the intruder stepping forward she trilled a last few words.

Sorrow knows my soul. Took hold before I was old. Oh grace, you've kept me safe, now let me protect what you create.

A blinding light filling the room for an instant. Then a sword made of light pierced through Vick from behind and into the invader's heart. He struggled as if screaming silently before fading. The dragon returned to it's home on her back, and she fell.

Just then, a team of the little fighters came in, only to see Vick fallen. They confiscated her immediately for treatment. Their leader turned back to the three men who had witnessed the incredible event. " Don't forget what she was willing to sacrifice for you."