He pulled at his hair. "That's why I don't let myself get adopted,I don't want to be lied to anymore than I already know I am. My brothers say it's fine and that I should just get a home. Silver....is now saying it too." He folded into his wings,curling up and hiding in them,scales shivering in color before camophladging. "Oh,and Thistle,you know your supposed to be at your post right?" he said and two deep hazel eyes appeared by the mirror. Within a blink the colors of the crystal and stone melted away and revealed a sleek spikeless and hornless beast a little taller than Ash of ice blue and sweet green. "His majesty Silver and Flasher wish your presence in the center stone." He said,then ducked his head a slithered off,only saying one thing back as Jason peaked his head out a bit. "Oh,and welcome back.I don't think any one else has told you that." He said,then,giving a weak smile,slithered off.

Once Thistle was gone, Ash spoke again. "I guess all I can say now is good luck. And I know I can't give you what you really want...parents...Crysta is your family. Make sure that you love her unconditionally, no matter what she does, no matter how many creatures it hurts. She deserves to love and to be loved. Just like you. Teach her everything you wish you were taught in your childhood."

"That's what I'm trying to do for her,and...I don't want parents,not anymore." He said softly,gazing at the little sleepy dragon who was smiling softly in her sleep. He came off the bed and limped over,reaching out and gently stroking her snout and caused her to purr a bit more. "I'm trying to raise her right and kind...but I can't do it well on my own. I'm trying to find her a home,but nothing here will work. I'm thinking ... since she's like me,when she get's old enough I could help her get adopted and teach her how to avoid any random shifts.Took me a few years.But...I don't want her in the system I'm stuck in. And if I'm caught back and not with Lila,then I'm going to Juvie.She'd lose something to hold onto." He pulled his hand back as if he would burn Crysta just by touching her again and he clearly wasn't as jocky and flirty as he let most others see. He wasn't...calm and collective.Deep thinking and brave,he was just a kid. A 17 year old kid who truly feared the world.Feared himself and what he knew he could do. He had a viciousness and fighting side,a part of him that truly was superior but he feared that part so much that he'd done all he could to hide it since he couldn't kill it.

"Why are you trying to get her adopted? If no one adopted you, what makes you think Crysta's situation will be any different? Why don't you just keep her? Get a home, as they've suggested?"

"I've never been adopted because I always run away!" He said,a but upset for a moment before he calmed the angry red in his freckles and underwings,his anger was a dangerous thing and Shade knew that.That's what he had feared in him and that's why he had run,that's something that Jason kept down.
"If she behaves someone will take her in,she's sweet and I know those are the type of kids people like,I've seen it all before. Sweet little girls that know they look cute,and love to show it as being adorable as ever all the time.Crysta does that without even trying,she'd get taken easily. And I can't get a home anymore,once I'm seen I'm to Juvie,and they aren't keen about letting me try again. I used to want to get adopted but I always slipped up...now I've just given up.There's no point for me."

"How do you know that her step-parents aren't going to be terrible people? Let's say a couple adopts Crysta, takes her home. What if they sell her? What if they put her in a zoo?"

"I'd keep a safe eye on her, I would never stop being there for her no matter what." he said,orange frustration starting to fill his freckles but he breathed a bit and took a limping step back and calmed himself,letting the anger subside again.

"But...you can't be there all the time." He sighed. "I learned that the hard way."

Jason shook his head a few times,seeming to have thought through this before because he seemed to be shaking a bit. "Still...still....I have to do what I can for her...I'm not enough though." He said softly,shaking his head. "Come on,I better get going.You can come watch us,it'll be loud but,depending on what you think of music,entertaining. The little ones like it a lot." He said,seeming to become a bit calmer and softer as he mentioned the little ones.They seemed to have a soft place in his heart.What was left of it that is.

"I'll come check it out once Crysta wakes up."