Page 10 of Stripped to the Scales

“I’ll remember that,” Axlin nodded as I shut the door behind us.

Part of me wanted to give Axlin the full tour of my ship. I wanted to show him all its secrets and all the work I put in. Only this wasn’t the time, and he might not understand it all anyway. I offered a particular set of skills that not every dragon learned. Instead of rambling on about the ship – my first love and in some ways my first hatchling – I led them both to the dining hall.

“How do the other dragons here react to an omega in heat?” Casimir asked as soon as our asses hit the chairs.

“You don’t mince words,” Axlin laughed and then furrowed his brow. “If you have to ask that, I wonder if anyone should go to Earthside. We don’t havethathappen here. It’s something wild animals might do to each other. Sure, people might smell someone in heat or even in a rut if they’re not wearing or using some sort of blocker. It may even hit them in the junk, but we are not ruled by what’s inside our pants. We haven’t had murder since this world was built or anything worse like you’re implying.”

“It’s not every alpha back home, but it only takes one.”

“The law of the Starscales is sovereignty within reason. The within reason mostly applies to building new structures and acts that harm others. The whole your rights end when they step on mine.”

“You can’t tell me there aren’t assholes here,” Casimir rolled his eyes. “I get wanting to present your flight in the best light, but crime happens everywhere.”

“Eh,” Axlin shrugged. “I’m not going to argue with you there. Sometimes people get into fights. Not often here. That happensmore on Starscale 2. Sometimes people have to go to the council because someone didn’t hold up their side of a barter, but no we don’t have murder or that anywhere. You can’t be sovereign and have bodily autonomy if your whole flight doesn’t. If someone can step on someone else’s rights and body, what stops them from stepping on you too?”

“You smell like you’re telling the truth,” Casimir said, leaning back in his chair.

“I am. I’ve seen it before. An omega in heat wanting a good time has walked down the main street of the purple district. Custom is if someone is in heat or rutting no one offers anything. You can consent if asked, but they get to choose to ask or not.”

“Makes sense,” I said before Casimir could say anything else.

“What’s the drug scene like?” Casimir leaned back until the legs of his chair rose off the ground.

Once upon a time I’d have scolded him for leaning on the back legs of his chair, but that time had long since passed. I didn’t let the rest of the crew by with it, but Casimir was his own entity when it came to chairs.

“You can get rollies anywhere.”

“Rollies?” I asked.

“Eh, it makes you head fuzzy and relaxed when you smoke it.”

“Pot,” Casimir said.

“Weird thing to call it, but yeah,” Axlin nodded, putting his hand on my thigh under the table.

“What else?” Casimir asked.

“Mushies, but you have to take those where they grow them. They’re these bright orange mushrooms that make you giggle and see shit. Tried it once and thought the rug was going to eat me. Never again. If I’m eaten, I’d rather it be a pleasant experience. If you want to try them anyone can point you towardthat forest. There are doctors and staff there to watch out for anyone trying them out. You gotta be over thirty, though.”

“I have no inclination to try. Do these mushies leak out in the rest of the world?”

“No, because everyone knows you have to do them there. We have our ways of doing things and we do them that way to keep each other safe,” Axlin said trying to explain what even I couldn’t wrap my head around.

There was always one bad apple that takes advantage of every system anyone put into place.

“And what happens if someone breaks the rules?” Casimir asked.

“You can’t do mushies and hide it,” Axlin shrugged. “Everyone would know and probably get you help if you weren’t in the right place. Then I guess Hush and the others would probably ban you from going back there for a long time. If you’re talking about the practices of the purple district, honestly, someone would probably be beaten to a pulp if they broke those rules. If it’s not safe for one person to be there looking for what they want, it’s not safe for anyone. Everyone wants to have a good time when they go there and we’re all in the same flight. We’re protective of each other’s wellbeing. We all do what we can to make life happy. If those around us are happy, we have more of a chance to be happy.”

Casimir didn’t say anything for a long moment. Axlin stayed quiet to let him process. The memories rolled through my cousin’s eyes and I got up to grab the whiskey from the top shelf. I poured him a shot and offered one to Axlin who declined.

“Thanks,” Casimir said and downed his shot.

He put his hand over the shot glass when I went to refill it.

“I’m going to grab some stuff and bunk on the top deck for the sake of my ears,” he smirked at me. “Hopefully the world isas bright and shiny as he makes it out to be. Would be a nice change of pace.”

Neither Axlin or I spoke until Casimir was out of earshot.

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