#Darnell is about the only normal dragon but even then IS HE REALLY?

[avalonianrising]

HI HI

Okay so, what faction of yours or group of dragons is the spookiest? Your seers/soothsayers/prophets that may or may not put the hair of your neck on end? Any who kinda walk that strange line between the living and dead, where you're not sure if they're looking at you or THROUGH you?

Hhhh, I love this ask so much I'mma eat it.

This one, I also have to give to The Petrified Ruins! They're absolutely haunting. Every time I see them in my head, I get that little shiver like I do not want them to be -anywhere near me.-

When you look at Stein, you may wonder if you're looking at a doll. Whether in humanoid form or dragon form, he's meant to be pleasing to the eye. Porcelain skin, but are those...ball-joints? And then, he moves. The most sickening pops echoing into air that's suddenly far too still for your liking. When did the birds stop chirping?

When did he get so close to you? His face next to your face, those green eyes staring unblinkingly into yours. Any thought about him being natural has been shattered in an instant. Briefly, you believe yourself crazy for noticing how absolutely wonderful he smells. Cedar, fresh water, sunlight--he smells of the very place you're in, but so much more intense.

Some would say you'd be lucky if you're a Pearlcatcher. They receive the mercy of a swift death, their pearls added to his growing collection, their bodies buried deep in the roots to nourish his favorite plants. Gods help you if you're any other breed, because his master's last experiment has broken--and he needs another post-haste.

You can try to run, but...wait, didn't you just pass that hedge? Pop. Pop. Pop. They get closer and closer the faster you run. You can try to fly, but inexplicably find yourself slamming to the ground as many times as you can get up and take off again. You can even try and stay completely still. But how long can you wait? Should you even try to cry out for help? It's not advised.

Your absolute only hope is Usnea, who has been living on these grounds far longer than Stein or Darnell. But even then, she may just use you for her own purposes. She could use a new mask. But if you're suddenly sitting on your butt at the end of the train tracks you walked in on, consider yourself very lucky...and never come back. It's just not worth it. Somewhere behind you, something howls. Shrieking Wilds is right...

[avalonianrising]

/flips through dragons like playing cards

Hmm, hmm, hmm.

Nah, really--I was thinking about this dude a lot today, ‘cause he’s fun.

Something really fun that I thought about was that, like. He does leave the ruins on a fairly regular basis. No one sees him coming or going, because he certainly doesn’t dress as he normally does when he’s there.

For all intents and purposes, he looks completely normal. You may pass him on the forest path, and he may even smile and flick a wave. In the small village or city he visits, you’d never notice anything out of the ordinary about the tall and dapper gentleman smelling a brilliant bouquet of carnations.

Now, Stein obviously can’t come with him--he sticks out like a sore thumb, even in humanoid form. So, Darnell probably has a lot of fun just being part of a crowd!

But can you remember what his face looks like when he turns away? When he passes you by entirely? You could’ve sworn you’d gotten a good eyeful, but his features just seem to meld away, even when you turn to try and take a look again. Were his eyes...? Hm. What color were they? Is he even from here?

I don’t doubt people have tried to follow him, out of curiosity, only to find that even sitting in a cafe, he’s hard to keep an eye on. Sitting completely still, you have a hard time remembering the specifics. God forbid anyone try to actually follow him back out into the Labyrinth--no doubt, some of them have never made it back.

But, some people go home, and settle down...

And there’s a carnation behind their ear, or in one of their shirt pockets. A little token. Your effort haven’t gone unnoticed.

Back in the ruins, Darnell is probably wriggling into his lab coat and mask, smiling in delight. He tells Stein about the person who watched, this time...and while he’s nowhere near interested, he tells him anyways. One of life’s little joys, in a place like this.