#grymfared 01

[vinedhcart]

@grymfared

It's rather interesting how she only started embroidering for one specific person, but it has gradually become a newfound hobby of her's. Yumine has been at this work for what seemed like hours. Had she taken a break yet? Probably not, but while she worked her piece, she's listening to something on her phone. A kind of music that could put anyone's mind at ease and she hums along the song being played.

[occultacarne]

"Just as perceptive as yourself." He says with a nod. He can tell this creature is of great strength too. Dragons were in general one of the strongest. Perhaps one of the top tiers amongst the high class divine and infernals.

"Yes. I was blessed with the power to walk in the day. Vampires gain this ability at a certain stage in their life." Such a shame his father never made it to that stage.

"My name is Sebastian Everest Armaros. The first of his name." Titles didn't matter here and he had since dropped it when he realized.

"Who do I owe the pleasure of meeting?"

a vampire, and a powerful one from the look of it. this man had already been able to identify that malchior was more than the human guise that he seemed to enjoy deceiving others with. there was no use, then, trying to lie about it. ❝ perceptive, i see. ❞

❝ then there's no point in me trying to introduce myself as archmage- i am malchior, last of the fire drakes of the north. of course i would be able to tell the difference between a vampire and a demon- ❞ under his clothes, there's a soft glow in his chest- the fire sac that kept his body warm, that allowed him the devastating flames that once razed kingdoms. and even though he didn't have the same devastating power, this man didn't have to know that.

❝ but, you also walk in the light. not a trait of most vampires. so, i would assume you have the blood of the hells- if others assume you are a demon. ❞ malchior knows demons can be dangerous. if nothing else, he had seen raven's memories of trigon- the father she hated so much- malchior had never had to face demons in his day, simply holy knights that came with god-blessed blades to try to slay him.

he had added those sacred swords to his treasures and burned those bodies until there was nothing left. how he missed that sort of power. one day- one day. but what he had not lost was his pride as a dragon; perhaps that had been his downfall before- but even then, it was not something so easily cast aside. ❝ i suppose to an untrained eye you could simply be a sorcerer. no matter, i have met few of infernal blood. tell me your name, i will cherish it as you should cherish mine. ❞

[metamorphetic]

"If you step on her, I'm gonna kick you in the balls!"

It's spoken completely glibly: it would seem far too many people here do not have an understanding of, or appreciation for, Skorupi -- clearly, bug-type Pokemon (or anything similar) must be rare. Would you really step on something so small and innocent and cute? What kind of monster do you have to be!

"She's just a big baby."

Her arms, wrapped in her fuzzy jacket, scoop the large Pokemon right off the ground: 26 lbs is a couple of grapes to her, an absolute non-weight. She sighs, cradling Skorupi like a mother would their child (...that's pretty much what the bug is, after all), head tilted to the side.

"You wouldn't step on one of those kittythings with the tv heads, right? She's just as cute as them!"

@grymfared do not the bug

[learnspells]

@grymfared

ʚїɞ - Fern had been forced to reckon with some preconceived notions about dragons at the start of this bout. From what she knew, Spirale didn't have things like dragons natively. The Glitched didn't appear to have any monsters among their ranks aside from the few species that lurked in Cotes, too. So the fact that there was a dragon in her midst meant it came from another world, right?

They were already over a week in, and it had become clear how the mechanics worked. The crimson mist she'd encountered was one of the "modifiers". The problem was that she was at the point that her power was waning from overuse.

"Can you communicate with me? You're not... about to hurt me, are you?" Dragons were terrifying monsters in the world she came from. She had to make sure.

[amorinie]

They could not be sure how long it was that they'd stopped to watch him-- heart filled eyes filled with wonder at every step the dragon took took, at every grand movement he made with his wings. Their own were also present at their back; folded for now as they stood atop a tree, as if waiting for the right moment to say something.. anything, really.

...

Would he be displeased with the desire that had taken over them the moment he came into view..? Well, there was only one way to find out..

"Excuse me.."

They descended from their perch, gently; taking no time at all for bare feet to rest upon the grass below them. They craned their neck back to take him in, tilting their head ever so slightly.

".. it's been quite some time since I've had company in the sky.. if you have nowhere else to be, would you care to join me?"

  –  ( ♡*; @grymfared )

[aurelsabre]

starter - @grymfared

Meeting new people after being got here for a long time isn't so bad as long as humans aren't as annoying as last time she was here. Narberal was here to investigate a little hence wished she can sense magic but not sure if she can. Doesn't matter.

"Pardon me, are you also a magic caster?" Curiosity abound the adventurer. Had to stop strolling for a while.

[wingherc]

｢𓆄｣ "Hey, any way I can help! What kind of hero would I be if I didn't help out someone who needed it?" Ignoring that initially he was only watching and observing the new visitors that poured into the populace, he was going to help, Malchior just beat him to the punchline was all.

"Oh, yeah, it was pretty nasty. Came back with a broken arm too, it was reaaaaal bad. Def if you can help it don't make a habit of it. The place you get thrown afterwards is a real creepypasta of a labyrinth." But that was enough of elaborating on something Hawks didn't want to recount, "Mages, though? Sounds cool! Like a fantasy tabletop rpg or something!...Though, that's just reality for you, ain't it. No rpg about it, that's for sure."

"Mmmmm!!! It's kinda random who shows up here!" The avian explained with a satisfying stretch as they walked along the sidewalk, bustling with new residents, "But yeah, my pupil was here for awhile. So, def not out of the question: but don't get your hopes up about it, you'll get stuck in your head if you do that I think!"

"And uh. I don't think so: to the dream thing. It's like this is it's own reality separate from the one's we hail from! Pretty neat, right?"

Lips drew in a content 'v' as he peered up at the other, holding his phone up to Malchior, implying he should take it. His phone had maps pulled up, pins littered the map, notably in clusters. It seemed like they were restaurants and businesses for him to visit, meticulously organized by color too. But, that's not why he passed his phone up to the other. "Here, can you place a pin on the ward they've got you staying? It should be on that brochure they gave you in the cab ride."

You'll get used to this place in due time says the winged man- Hawks ⎛ another bird, and there's something bittersweet about that, isn't there? ⎠ and Malchior gives a small nod. At the very least, it seems he'd found someone willing to help. Hawks had that sort of aura about him, not unlike Raven's friends. Weren't they all young heroes? Too young to be fighting like that, although he'd met knights younger- and Rorek had been young ...

He follows Hawks closely, observing the other using the phone- Malchior had been given one of those when he'd arrived, but he hadn't taken time to figure it out yet. Maybe it would be helpful considering- people probably weren't going to send messages to others by using familiars.

As they continued to walk, Malchior took time to really try to process what he was being told. People were taken from their home dimensions- if he had to guess, Herald had sent him here with that trumpet of his- but wasn't that his own fault for working with the Brotherhood? They'd offered him a form of freedom ... he should've simply left. And despite everyone being displaced from their homes, it seemed they carried on. Getting jobs, having relationships, a fresh start, perhaps.

❝ That is still quite a bit to take in, but thank you Hawks. ❞

The part about dying, though- that one hits hard. ❝ I take it you speak from experience on that one? Of coming back to life? ❞

❝ Many mages have tried to master death, but I know of none who have succeeded, at least not from where I am from. Temporary existences are possible, but they are far from the same thing as that which they were when they lived. ❞ Still, it's somewhat comforting to know ... this life that he has been given is truly something new.

❝ If we are all from different worlds, it would still be possible to run into others from the same world, right? There is someone who I would like to meet again ... although with how disorienting this entire thing is, perhaps it would be better to know if there's a way to reach those who are not here- perhaps through dreams or the like? ❞

[charadrxxmxrr]

Chara has been trying so very hard to stay away from people since they arrived here.

clearly, they are doing a piss poor job, considering that everywhere they turn, there seems to be another human wandering. It’s exhausting to always be on guard, and sometimes it—

slips.

like right now. Chara didn’t mean to nearly bump into the stranger, but their eyes are firmly on the ground, trying to go unseen. The child flinches a bit when addressed, glancing up with bright red eyes for just a moment, before looking back down.

“I apologize for my clumsiness,” they say, instead of answering. Chara feels jittery underneath their skin; they’re tired, and hungry, and —

(Homesick)

They move to fiddle with their sweater for a moment.

“I am new to the area, yes.”

he's back, as if he'd simply fallen asleep- of course, he awakens in a different bed, a different part of the city. one that suits him better ⎛ so he likes to think ⎠ - one that doesn't remind him so much of jump city and all the things he had done. all the things he would never do. it's both easier and harder, isn't it? being in a place full of magic ⎛ like the old days before he burned the kingdom of nol to the ground ⎠

it's beautiful.

but malchior knows that he will need more time to wander, because he still wants to see what else spirale has to offer him. and it's in his wandering that he makes an almost-collision with a rather peculiar youth.

they have the look of someone soulful. someone who has been through so much- more than any human should. someone who endured. yes, he's always been fond of that sort of person, hasn't he? ❝ are you exploring as well? ❞

❝ i have not seen you here before- but i have only since returned from ... a dream. if i could call it that. ❞

❲ @charadrxxmxrr ❳

[guidingstarmira]

It was always interesting to see the different ways one could learn about souls, for the way he spoke told some aspects about himself. Even if all she could currently see of Malchior was the page with the eyes upon it, at least, she was assuming it was him but she isn't sure how exactly this situation works, as it could be any illustration. Such a thought brings about several questions. That she will ask him later, if he is willing to permit them.

Although, she hums out when she's called a young woman, and gives a small shake with her head.

"While my form may appear so, I assure you, I am much older than I seem. I could not tell you my age though, for I do not know it. And given most tomes do not house souls, I would think so."

As she sits there at the table, she's finding a way to make sure he can actively look at her, at least she assumes he'd rather be looking more towards her face than straight at the sky.

But, his question makes her pause. Magic?

While there is always the question of how she could do what she does, beyond that it was just her normal nature, she isn't sure if she could even cast or wield such a thing herself. It does bring up the question she's never given much thought into yet. What else could she possibly do? Before, she'd have said she was only a guide, one for souls, but she's never tried, never had the need. Yet, things were different now weren't they?

"I will admit, it is not something that has crossed my mind, and I do not know if my form is capable of such feats, but should the option arise, I do not see why I would turn it down? Does this tie into the need for this vessel, you spoke of, why you ask?"

she understands souls. malchior's laughter from the pages is warm and gentle. she is from the vastness of space- he thinks of raven's friend, starfire, was it? from the distant worlds beyond the reach of humans. you are a very curious and fascinating soul for me to find, she says. 「 i would rather be fascinating than boring, 」 and this is true. from the very start, malchior wanted to impress, to enthrall. a mighty fire drake of the northern mountains, had he not inspired awe and fear in the people of the kingdom of nol? 「 mira. a beautiful name for a beautiful young woman. 」 there's a sadness in him, then. raven deserved a better tutor. one who wouldn't lie to her. one who would be able to guide her properly. one who didn't take her away from her friends- he'd seen so much of rorek in her, but that wasn't an excuse for all that he'd done.

he wonders if this time would be different. 「 i suppose i could begin this story by telling you that i am not just some dusty old tome. 」 but he doesn't know how to address the fact that he happened to be a dragon with a grudge against a kingdom long since gone. numbly, he remembers the warnings of the gods of the city. 「 the story is better told with a vessel- it will take much more than a day sitting in the shade on a sunny day at this little cafe. 」 with how guarded he'd been, it could take ... months. years. because he had been so adamant that no one but rorek would know the truth. no one other than rorek deserved it. and while mira seemed to be non-threatening, no dragon would roll over and show its belly to a stranger.

「 tell me, mira, have you ever wished to learn magic? 」

[weavebcund]

GALE IS GROWING ACCUSTOMED TO THE ODD LOOK OR TWO. His attire, he'd learned very quickly, isn't standard for the people of this city ( for the most part; what with so many of them being brought here from more familiar lands, he strangely enough feels less and less out of place ) and even if it were, the denizens here seem to have a way of sniffing out newcomers, so to speak. He must look like something of a tourist. The notion isn't appealing.

This, though, is new, the intent stare that drills into the back of his neck, focused enough to cause him to search the smattering of passersby. A noise draws his attention more readily to the source— there, the man with the cat; no, a tressym. Gale feels a lurching tug in his chest. He does miss Tara, terribly so.

Transfixed by the animal, it's a moment before his gaze wanders to the face of the stranger at her side, the stricken look on his face, the glimmer in his eyes. A flurry of emotions descends upon him, confusion and worry ( has he done something? Is the man hurt? Gale hasn't got a single healing spell in his repertoire ) before the other seems to come all at once to his senses, drawn back into reality from whatever moment he was just caught in. Understanding dawns, the wizard's brow furrowing.

"Appreciated," he lifts a hand, as though to ward off the apology, "but hardly necessary. And I am sorry." It's nothing he's done, he knows. Nothing he could prevent. Gale... he thinks he might respond similarly, in other circumstances. Has before. A glimpse of long hair, a scent on the wind. She would never be drawn to the places Gale has gone, lately, but the thought of a clandestine encounter does linger. The absence aches all the more at such reminders.

"Let me buy you something? I've taken your time," inadvertently, and hardly more than minutes, but it feels wrong to leave someone so distraught and then run off. "The least I could do is pay you for it." An arm sweeps out towards the street - there's a bookshop in the area he's been visiting far too often, cafes on most corners - before he then offers the tressym a small wave. Clever creatures, they are, and too dignified to accept an offered hand without first passing their own judgment on those before them. Or perhaps Tara is just particularly uppity ( whether Gale got that from her or vice versa is a matter of ongoing debate ).

❲ @weavebcund ❳

This strange city was a far cry from the familiar surroundings of Baldur's Gate, or in fact any place in Faerûn that Malchior had ever been in. Well, maybe that was a lie- there were some similarities, but not enough for him to feel any sort of comfort- he'd been able to navigate somewhat ⎛ mostly with Raven's help- truly, the tressym had been his saving grace after he'd fallen into such misery ⎠ - the locals found him handsome and charming, he had caught a fair amount of people looking his way, and wasn't that nostalgic?

He and Rorek had been rather well liked back in Baldur's Gate. And speaking of Rorek ...

Brown hair with a gentle wave. The garb of a wizard- Malchior's heart skips a beat and he snatches Raven up from the spot she'd chosen for a quick nap ⎛ much to her chagrin- ⎠ and the tressym lets out a startled meow as she's squeezed a little too tightly.

Numbly, Malchior loosens his grip and allows her to land beside him as he simply stares at the man before him. Upon closer inspection, the man is most certainly not Rorek, but ... perhaps in another lifetime ...

He sees himself growing old with the wizard at his side. They spend their youth exploring Faerûn, considering following the path of the city's founder- deciding against it in favor of simply settling down, because they've earned it. Rorek is older, but no less handsome, and Malchior's white hair doesn't look so out of place for his age. Two tressyms are curled up by a warm hearth- In another life, they're happy.

The vision fades and he's faced again with the situation at hand. Raven looks up at him with no small amount of concern, and Malchior realizes that he's crying. ❝ Sorry- I ... ❞

How was he supposed to explain this one?

❝ You ... I thought you were someone else- an old companion of mine ... ❞

[atokrina]

       SHE HAD NOT EXPECTED TO be interrupted, to be faced with another by the stream she had crouched by. but even as neytiri had lifted a cupped hand full of water to her mouth and let the coolness wash down her throat, her ears had flicked at the sound of a branch snapping across from her. the beads in her hair had clattered sharply as she'd whipped her head around to face the new threat, eyes narrowing at the sight of a sky person emerging from the trees. neytiri had tensed immediately, hand ready to snatch her bow at a moment's notice.

    instead of attacking, though, he'd simply begun to speak, soft tones directed towards the sky. words that made a low, raspy growl ripple up from her chest and her eyes to narrow further. whether he knew it or not, the topic of discussion wasn't one she was particularly fond of. ❛ Those that come from beyond the stars bring only pain, and suffering. The do not respect the balance of life or those that follow it. ❜

    her nostrils flared, bringing the scent of smoke and fire. ❛ My people are of the earth, of Eywa and her gifts. That is all I care about. ❜

malchior isn't unfamiliar with beings from distant stars- if that's what this one was. certainly he'd never seen any being on earth like her. she holds herself like a warrior and a wise-woman, a favorable combination if he had to say so himself. both sides seemed rather clear in the way she looked at him with curiosity, yet seemed to take note of every other movement around them.

could she tell that he wasn't human? maybe that was what was causing her to seem so tense. or was it simply that she was also new to this realm? as he'd seen, plenty of people of all sorts had arrived with very little explanation-

❝ they say that we were brought here by the stars, ❞ he begins, turning his gaze from the tall alien to the heavens- clear skies that had not so long been darkened by an eclipse.

❝ where i come from, people have many different beliefs on the stars. some say that they were made by the gods, some simply say they came to be on their own. we mages used them to guide our magics- ❞ at least, he'd watched rorek draw magic from the stars long ago ... in a different time. a softer time.

❝ what do the stars mean to you? ❞

❲ @atokrina ❳

[vinedhcart]

"Mm?" Yumine's attention moves from the embroidery to the man watching. The music she was listening to playing softly in the background, "I'm not sure. Someone introduced me to it," and she turns her head to look at the name. "When the Flowers Bloom. It is a interesting playlist." She has Ismael to thank for introducing her!

"Please, you may sit closer if you wish." She folds her wings back to give the man more space to join in on her company. "I only learned how to do this recently." if that was a few months back. "Someone dear to me likes them. They call it embroidery."

malchior hadn't meant to stare, but there was something rather mesmerizing about how her hands moved. rorek had told him about how he would see people sitting and doing something like this. it seemed rather comforting. and the music, it was something that he certainly didnt recognize, but then again, he still was so very much out of his time.

a thousand years was nothing compared to his long life before, but he hadn't been able to watch the world like that. now was as good a time as ever to learn. he clears his throat as to not completely catch the young woman off guard- ❝ what is it that you are listening to? ❞

❝ it is rather soothing- ❞ his gaze flickers to the spot next to her before he sits- not too close, because crowding her wouldn't do any good. not for this. ❝ and you are working on something, too- it looks lovely! ❞

[wingherc]

｢𓆄｣ "Don't worry about that, then! Everyone here's far from home, you'll get used to this place in due time." Adjusting his visor to now sit atop his head, "You're definitely not alone there, so everyone can understand you and your plight."

"Malchior, huh?" A bit of a dramatic name, in all honesty, but, it was one Hawks could commit to memory pretty easy. "Everyone 'round here calls me Hawks." The heteromorph gestured for Malchior to follow him, already padding away at his smartphone while he walked and talked with the other.

"Well, for starters, once you come to terms with this place being your new temporary home, it moves a lot faster for you." Hawks had accepted it easily enough himself, but, he had many things holding him back at home which just simply didn't exist here. So, it was easy for Hawks to just be Hawks with no expectations or strings attached.

"As far as the city goes, it seems like we're all from different worlds or dimensions, seemingly spirited away for no rhyme or reason." The avian began to prattle on, "But, don't mistake it as some inbetween of life and death, you're very much alive here. If you die here, you actually die...Though, you will respawn for some reason. Speaking from experience: take my word for it." His free hand pointed towards his gut, only implying he'd been impaled in the past.

"Spirale's pretty chill, once you get over the initial shock factor. A lot of us do our own things, run our own businesses, start relationships, all that jazz. I think you'll like it if you give it a chance."

The red wings certainly catch the mage-dragon's attention. He hasn't seen something like this in quite some time ⎛ because the winged ones of the past are long since gone, and even if they existed in the era where he had been freed ... they were likely far from the eyes of humans. That was probably for the best. ⎠ and he can't help but give a small smile. Plus, this winged-man was being considerate, and Malchior had learned his lesson about first impressions time and time again. ❝ Ah, it is not such a bad thing to be curious, ❞

❝ I suppose I am frustrated, though. I am far from home and know not a single person here- it is rather lonely. ❞ The enchanted tome is forgotten, the dragon-mage's attention now fully turned to his companion. ❝ To think that the greater powers of the world would send me so far ... I am out of time and out of place. ❞

Blue eyes reflect a deep melancholy, and this time, it isn't an act. Malchior hadn't been aware of his loneliness on this level in quite some time. In truth, he had always been lonely, except the brief time in his long life where he had a companion- Rorek was long since gone, now, and when he had tried to re-create the archmage in the girl with the bird's name, things had gone poorly.

Had he been the one seeking freedom, or did he just want to gain something else from all of that?

❝ I am Malchior, Archmage of the Kingdom of Nol- ❞ The easy lie, but it might as well be the truth now with the tome lost ⎛ and Rorek was his better half, he remembered how they laughed together, looked up at the stars and understood their souls would always be connected ⎠ - ❝ I seek guidance of what to do now that I have found myself here. Can you tell me of this Spirale so I may learn how to find peace with it? ❞

[occultacarne]

"Hoh..." not many could detect Sebastian unless they were similar to something like himself. Though, he supposes in this foreign land, it wasn't hard to gather the kind of magic someone of his kind can hold. Even back home some witches had a knack of figuring it out.

"Most people would have jumped into assuming I was a demon," sebastian says with a smile. It hold some kindness to it, but also a tid bit of something akin to a tease.

Both were true.

"And yourself...it has been a long time since I've felt the presence of a dragon."

@occultacarne ⎛ sc ⎠

malchior had learned, at least somewhat, how to find happiness in his life in the city of spirale. surrounded by beings filled with magic, he found people who he could connect to. people he could teach and people he could learn from. and of course, he was acutely aware of when another entity radiated a powerful magic.

like this man, certainly more than he seemed, with dark hair and gold eyes. a hungry sort of look. something demonic ⎛ and once again it drove home the fact that raven was very much not a demon. if only he could've shown her that. if only he'd been a better teacher and not a vengeful dragon. ⎠ ❝ but you are not from any infernal realm i know of- ❞ comes his soft murmur. ❝ still, ❞

❝ it has been some time since i have felt a magic like yours. you carry the air of a vampire- can i assume you are one? ❞

[charadrxxmxrr]

hawks.

And — oh. Chara can’t help but giggle at the name. It seems like that man has been working overtime with helping people, hasn’t he? He’s just so… recklessly brave.

They laugh. Even if it’s not funny.

Chara wipes at the corner of their eye before folding their arms around themself, in some sort of false imitation of a hug.

“I do not know why you would offer your hand to a stranger,” they say, guarded. Anxiousness running down their veins (with blood, that’s blood, they have blood again and isn’t that terrifying) and bristling the hairs on their neck.

“But.”

but.

“I am not lonely, or homesick,” both lies, bitter lies, and Chara swallows them up like buttercup petals, “but I am confused. I should be… I was not…”

There is No Fucking Way they’re going to admit to this stranger that they’re dead. Chara amends their statement with a scoff.

“This sucks.”

Yeah, Chara, that makes sense to respond to his kind offer with. Way to get stuck in your head.

They note his tone. It reminds them of their father. The way Asgore would try to gently pull them out of their anxiety, when they first Fell — coaxing, soft and sweet, like the underlaying honey to his favorite tea.

It does not make them feel better. All it does is make Chara long for home more.

“It is not necessary for you to go out of your way for my sakes,” they say instead — careful, stilted and calm. Trying not to stoke any unknown anger that may come their way. An old habit that refuses to die. It doesn’t matter how many times the monsters underground were gentle and kind to Chara — underneath it all, at the base of their being, they were fearful, as if one misstep could lead to their ruin.

And here, in a place full of humans and humanoids, it is about a hundred times worse.

”after all, I am sure you have better things to do, sir.”

[wingherc]

｢𓆄｣ Whenever an eclipse brought new residents to the island, Hawks had found himself perched at vantage points well above the ground and out of sight to get a feel for what the new wave of residents would bring. And sure, maybe he did find the other's movements more suspicious than the rest.

But, he wasn't jumping to any conclusions...And then he was called out to. Which, if you asked Hawks, he thought he was pretty well hidden, but maybe this guy had some acutely heightened sensitivies just like he did!

So...He wasn't going to stew in it for long. And it's not like Hawks was plotting anything, just simply watching. The pro-hero rose from his perch and stepped off, hands in his pockets and wings flared to slow his descent and catch the wind.

"Hey. Sorry, couldn't help myself, you seemed particularly frustrated, and I got curious." Coy eyes traveled upwards to meet Malchior's own, them slightly closing in delight with a chill and relaxed smile.

"What's got you so worked up? Maybe I could help."

It must look rather unbecoming of him, scowling at the vibrant journal that seemed to have been enchanted to sing- which perhaps would be charming to anyone who wasn't Malchior, last of the great Fire Drakes of the northern mountains, chiefest and greatest of calamities- and maybe if he had a way to break the enchantment on it, he'd feel less annoyed. He'd considered throwing it into the ocean, but ... it had been given to him when he'd found himself in such a daze ... when he'd been brought through a city full of light to an apartment ... of course he knew what that was, and certainly hadn't asked the odd guide who had been so kind as to drive him there. Of course he knew what a car was- he didn't ask about that either! That would be rather foolish if he didn't know- but he certainly did, and he was most certainly not suffering in the way of a man who had been thrown so wildly far from his own era! By his account, everything was just fine, thank you very much!

He wasn't very convincing in that regard, and deep down he knew it. But if nothing else, he had always been rather skilled at pretending, and why would it be any different now?

It's different because he's defenseless and he knows he's being watched. Not because he sees anyone directly in front of him, but because he's a dragon, and dragons were always aware of their surroundings. In order to protect their treasures from thieves, or to detect the presence of those who would wish to take their heads back to kings and queens in exchange for glory- ❝ I know you're there. Are you simply content to continue watching, or will you show yourself? ❞

❲ @wingherc ❳