Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons…

for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.

 

 

Also, dragons are egotistical, vain, opinionated, prideful, and very, very difficult to work with.

 

I got this dragon as a prize in a Steampunk animal contest.  I had planned to give him wings and a Steampunk makeover, but he had slightly different ideas.



 

 

He liked my idea of a copper re-finish, but insisted on turquoise eyes (“Like verdigris,” he said).

 



 

 

Next he complained that the copper adornments didn’t show up well.  “Gold!,” he said.  “They must be GOLD!”  (He uses a lot of exclamation points.)

 

Then he discovered a crown charm in my stash.  “I am KING!”  he said.  “Obey me!” That was the end of my input. 

 

“The gold is lovely with my copper scales, but the black leather harness for the wings is too plain.  How about studs?  Oh, no, wait—use the gold JEWELS!”

 

Oooh, those turquoise jewels match my eyes!  Use them!”  (See what I mean about the exclamation points?)

 

 



 

“Wait, what is that?  A SADDLE?  NO NO NO!  I am not some pathetic riding dragon.  I’ll never be your Beast of Burden!”  (Now I can’t get that song out of my mind.)

 

“Those wings you have spent hours custom-making for me are too big.  Don’t you have others somewhere?”



 

 

“Hold it right there, you’re planning to drill holes in my sides to mount the wings?  NO WAY!  Find another option.”

 

“The wings are too plain, they need GOLD!” 

“The gold is too one-note.  Add some copper!”

 



 

  I suggested adding a little bit more Steampunk detail. He declined:
“You mean GEARS?!? I don’t need gears! I’m not some mechanical monstrosity like that foolish elephant! And all dragons have perfect eyesight; we don’t NEED goggles! Besides, they would get in the way of my crown.
And hide my lovely eyes.”

 

So here is my Kind-of-Steampunk King of the Dragons.


I think the copper-black-gold colors and Victorian-style lavish embellishment give a sense of Steampunk, without gears, goggles, or…well, steam.

 



 

I’m going to give him away at our mini club’s holiday gift exchange.  He’s too much trouble to keep.