Braxton didn't quite know how to feel about the recent events, no matter how much time he spent thinking about them. At the moment he was on his way back to his home, having finished his college courses for the day. He was glad he was able to get a house all to himself, even if it meant having to pay a higher fee. As he entered it and locked the door, he reviewed the events once more. What had started out as just another standard Thursday evolved into the most unusual one he had yet. Lev had been used to organize a meeting only heard of in fantasy, and the experience opened his mind to several possibilities. 

For starters, it turned out that magic--physical, as opposed to metaphorical--exists in spite of what he had learned and was told. He was still reeling from this revelation, but there was no way the things that happened to him and Lev were things possible via technology... at least, not with the speed and absence of pain he went through. Braxton had been shrunken and placed into a small ball while Lev was turned into platinum, and he hadn't quite come around to believing they happened. He had not suffocated at all while imprisoned, and if the dragoness (if she wasn't a figment of his imagination) was to be believed, that greedy man was still alive and well. How he woke up in his bed this morning was a mystery, and he would have decided it was all just a dream were it not for the item he spotted when he walked in.

On his desk stood a clear glass ball being held by a podium resembling the very talons that held him before. It looked exactly like the one he had been imprisoned in and was large enough to fit in his hands. In the center lied a jagged crystal that alternated in color between red, green, and blue. Strangely, this item did not have any magical shine to it, but he knew where the properties lied. Given the location of his house being in front of a street that had constant activity, even at night, it was unlikely someone would break into his home, much less leave such a beautiful gift behind.

"So it really did happen..." he mused. "I wasn't just hallucinating, after all." He sat in a chair and placed an index finger on the ball. In spite of his confusion and uncertainty, a part of him was excited on the inside. Braxton was surprised that the idea of something not at all human falling in love with him did not disgust him, but he found himself not caring as much as he should. He remembered being pressed against Yuki's underbelly and how... right it felt to be near her. For the first time in a long time, his sleep was restful, and he began the day on a positive note.

"You seem very chipper today, mister Hall," one of his professors had noted amusedly. "What's gotten into you?"

"I don't know," had been the young man's response, followed by a shrug. "I just woke up on the right side of the bed, I guess." Braxton had remained unaware of how much more energetic he was until that point. He realized that there was some truth to his words when he thought about how much more active he was in his classes, and as he stared into the ball, he wondered if Yuki had something to do with it. A knock at his door snapped Braxton out of his thoughts.

"Who could that be?" he wondered as he went to answer it. He hadn't set up any events that he could recall, and he was not expecting visitors. He looked through the peephole and stumbled away in shock. On the other side of the door stood the dragoness, who was smiling at him. She stood on two legs and was noticeably shorter than before, standing only slightly taller than himself. He managed to compose himself and open the door, to which she responded by entering quickly, nearly knocking him over, and closing the door behind herself.

"Before you ask, no one saw me. I used a disguise," Yuki said immediately. He quickly reminded himself on how she spoke, canceling out his shock somewhat. "I can also change size."

"Oh... okay... What are you doing here?" he questioned slowly, taking a seat on the sofa.

"Just wanted to say hello. Along with that, I wanted to apologize for being so abrupt earlier." She took a seat next to him. "I barely considered how you felt. You must have been very confused about everything, you poor thing."

"It was... no problem." Braxton wanted to say that it was a little upsetting. He was glad it was a very quick one, but he couldn't bring himself to say so. Even if it was unusual, a small part of him enjoyed being on the receiving end. He could not deny that it felt pleasant, however brief it had been.

"I understand that humans do not typically accept such physical contact from anyone, but I simply could not help myself. I had you all to myself, and--"

"I get it, Yuki. You took the opportunity when you had the chance."

"Yeah."

"Sometimes I find myself wishing I did that more often. Would have saved me a couple of headaches." Yuki looked at him, unsure what he meant by that.

"Headaches?"

"Stress that could have been avoided had I been a littl-- no, a lot more daring." He looked away from the dragoness, trying not to bring up the memories that threatened to surface again.

"Well in any case, I want to get some confirmation about things between us. Yesterday was rather... swift, I must admit. I've never been so forward before."

"You wanted to see if I was serious about giving our relationship a go?" he supplied, to which she nodded. He smiled. "I couldn't possibly say no to someone who's gone to great lengths to meet me."

"I'm glad you feel that way, Braxton. I really want to make this work. So... how was your day?" He looked at the jewel on his desk.

"Apparently, according to some of my professors, I had more energy than usual. I'm guessing that's got something to do with it, right?"

"Hmm... Actually, I did nothing of the sort," she admitted. "The most I did was send you home and leave that gift for you." Surprised, he looked at her, then at the orb again. If that was the case, then it meant his good mood was genuine and not conjured up by whatever magic spell Yuki could have used. And if that was true... was she really the one he was meant to be with?

"Huh." Another possibility went through his mind. What if she actually did cast a spell on him, and he hadn't realized it was there? It was certainly a likely scenario. Doubt coursed through him as he considered the possibility that his small feelings for the dragoness were not his own. He even began to wonder if her intentions were really benign...

"I am pleased that I could make your day better." In that instant, he felt a bit guilty as he realized that it was too soon to pass judgement. He didn't know much about dragons save that they were very strong, crafty, short-tempered, proud, and dangerous when provoked. As far as Braxton knew, Yuki didn't have any of those qualities.

"Thanks," was all he was able to say. She sensed that there was something wrong and sat further away from him.

"Something on your mind?" she asked, concerned.

"I... well, no," he lied. Voicing his doubts was not something he wanted to do. Yuki definitely seemed like she cared about him. It helped that she was trying to be patient with things, despite her feelings for him.

"Lev is still in my home, if you were wondering." Braxton perked up at this, remembering something important.

"I've been meaning to ask... what is up with your treasure? Why did he turn into a statue? Can you free him?"

"It is cursed... in a way."

"Cursed?" Given what happened to him, he was not about to brush off such a notion.

"Yes. As an anti-theft measure, I cast a spell on my things," the dragoness explained as she sat closer to him once more. "It was meant to only immobilize would-be thieves while making them think they were claiming their findings long enough for me to expel them. The conversion was not intended, and it was not until I noticed my hoard had expanded when I realized the type of spell I used was one that imbues whatever it's used on with a curse."

"Well, that doesn't seem too bad. You can undo it no problem, right?"

"Thing is, it's a curse. Curses won't go away until something happens to the caster, and I fear the worst-case scenario."

"Ouch, that's pretty harsh."

"Fortunately it only affects people who already have a lot of greed to work with. I can free the people who've been turned into statues easily. Some of them displayed rather unusual logic, believing they were entitled to my things. A few had the gall to attempt blackmail, believing that threatening me with exposure would get what they want." He couldn't help but feel bad for her, and out of sympathy he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry," he said. "People like that unfortunately exist." Her scales felt surprisingly soft to the touch, and he felt a short amount of fur on her underbelly.

"It really does get annoying." Yuki returned the hug, slightly digging her claws into his back. He winced as they pricked him, but did not say anything. They broke away a few seconds later. "Thanks. The curse is fueled by their greed, and will turn them into a statue eventually."

"Have you tried getting rid of their memory?"

"It's... complicated via magic, and I would rather not fight them or make them disappear. I have had to rely on them and their stories being treated lightly. So, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Your heart's set on me, so of course." The dragoness reached into her mane and pulled out a small metal box. Setting it on the floor, it grew larger until it was nearly as large as the sofa they sat on. Braxton stared at the box, flabbergasted by the sudden display of magic.

"Um... what's in the box?" he asked anxiously.

"Just my things. I'm going to stay with you for a while. I understand this really is a thing among humans. You don't mind, do you?" He looked into the dragoness's purple eyes and found himself unable to deny her request, not that he would have in the first place. "Great! I promise not to try anything you're not comfortable with." Yuki stood up and exited the room with the box, but not before brushing his face with the tip of her tail, snapping him out of his trance.

"What am I getting myself into?" Braxton muttered. He looked at the setting sun and wondered how the next few days were going to work. "It's probably a good thing that today is Friday. I have no classes for the next two days... Maybe it won't be a tricky thing... yeah..." The human was so lost in his thoughts that he failed to spot the long appendage snaking around him, and before he knew it he was once again in the coils of his lover.

"Nice sleeping spot you have here." Okay, maybe this would be more complicated than he thought.