[OPEN] Here There Be A Dragon

[coiledscales]

Who: Alacruun and OPEN
What: A new arrival gets used to everything.
Where: Melai Temple and surroundings.
When: Shortly after the new batch of arrivals shows up.
Warnings/Notes: Dragon.


Alacruun is not all that pleased by this development. There's something to be said for being (relatively) free and no longer stuck hopping a ride in someone else's body or having to communicate via divination, but he's also on another world, being asked to help save it. Which isn't entirely his first choice of activities, but if it will prevent damage to the world he lives in, it's worthwhile in the end. He can put aside his plans - he's been waiting for eons already, he can wait a little longer - and cooperate. For now.

Not that he's fond of their surroundings, either. The dragon - horse-sized, black scales, horns, and yellow-green eyes - has set up camp on the front steps for the temple, keeping a weather eye on the surrounding forest. He's determined that he's not going to be a humanoid if he doesn't have to be - at least not for now - and even if they've stripped him of his power, he's going to enjoy the freedom to stretch his draconic limbs and just lounge.

At least for a little while. Even if for whatever reason, there's a creeping feeling of irritation that keeps nagging at him. He isn't sure why. There's nothing that he can't really compartmentalize, so - what's bothering him?

He almost looks asleep at first glance, half blocking the front steps, large head resting on his forepaws. However, both eyes are open in tiny slits, just exposing the dark of his pupils. Anyone who wants to come up the stairs is going to have to go around him or over him.

Maybe it's a social experiment.

Comments

[awfulcer]

[Dixon doesn't particularly want to return to the temple anyway, empty-handed as he is and knowing the instant he sets foot inside it he's going to get that weird nauseated feeling, but he's out of clean water and the stuff they've boiled up inside is probably less likely to give him some kind of bacteria than just drinking straight from the river.

He's breathing heavy by the time he gets back to the temple, feeling the effects of a lifetime of smoking (god he wants a cigarette) weighing on him like a ball and chain around his ankles. He bends over and pants when he gets to the top of the slope the temple's at, and for a moment he doesn't notice the horse-sized dragon sprawled out on the front steps.

He sees it out of the corner of his eye, then straightens up and gets a nice, clear look at the scaly, clawed, reptilian beast blocking the entrance.

Nope.

He'll chance the fucking river.]

[suckitblue]

[ Simmons isn't coming back in, he's heading out when he runs into trouble. Mostly because he's not looking down, he's assessing the weather and- wait, what's that shadow? Some kind of bird? Is it a normal bird or is it going to be some kind of horrible giant fantasy bird and he just can't tell because of the perspec- ]

Gah!

[ Something is on the stairs. Who left something on the stairs?! Simmons trips over a tail that definitely should not be there and bounces all the way down to the dirt, yelling. ]

Ow! Jesus! FUCK!

[coiledscales]

[ Alacruun doesn't do much besides curl his tail in slightly and raise his head to watch as Simmons goes bouncing down the stairs. He's silent for a long moment and then yawns widely. ]

You should really watch where you're going. You might've sprained something in my tail...

[ Look, that's the important part. ]

[suckitblue]

I was!

[ Lie harder, Simmons. He gets back to his feet, glad that at least the armor ate most of the impact. He's okay. ]

I didn't put your tail in my way!

[ ...Wait a second.

That's a fucking dragon. ]

...Oh fuck.

[ Simmons immediately ducks to put a pillar between him and the horrible fantasy reptile. ]

[coiledscales]

[ Come on, he's not even that big anymore. He's only the size of a draft horse or something. That's like... not that big at all, really. He watches Simmons scurry out of sight behind a pillar and a low, sibilant hiss of laughter follows in his wake. ]

Running away? I'm not going to eat you. I much prefer fish.

[ Which is true. Eating humans is not something he indulges in often. It's just too much trouble, really. ]

[invisibleheir]

[ Arturia is returning from the forest with some success at foraging. There are edible greens stuffed into whatever pockets she has. Reaching back to adjust Excalibur as she starts up the temple's stairway, she pauses as she suddenly spots the black dragon just chilling on the stairs.

Well.

It doesn't look hostile, but one never knows with dragons--but no one is running around yelling about a dragon, so perhaps it's friendly. Related to the one with the Hiccup kid. She starts her way up the steps again and tries her best to navigate around the creature. Which isn't easy. ]

Perhaps you could find another place to sun yourself.

[ It's a dry remark, and she doesn't expect an answer. ]

[coiledscales]

[ Alacruun's eyes lazily open all the way to regard the human that's trying to step around him. At least she's being a bit polite about it, although she does have a sword. Looks like an adventurer or something. He yawns wide, showing off far too many teeth and then sits up to give her a looking over. ]

I like this spot.

[ Very matter of fact. ]

It's convenient.

[invisibleheir]

[ Dragon talking is unexpected. Arturia jumps back a little, startled by the sudden rumbling voice that comes from the creature. She stares for a moment, then purses her lips. ]

I'm afraid it's not very convenient for those of us coming and going from the temple.

[ SHE'S ALSO A DRAGON. Technically. Kinda. ]

[coiledscales]

[ The little jump is intensely gratifying. He can still inspire a little bit of fear, even in this much reduced state. He cocks his head to one side and then the other. ]

And? It's still the best spot for a bit of rest.

[ Look, it's not his fault none of you have wings. ]

[the_hit_list]

[ Tim is heading outside. He doesn't have the clearest intent, just a notion that someone should make a regular sweep around the temple. Maybe around a square half mile perimeter. It wouldn't take him long - he walks fast - but he's still internally debating it as he goes through the door of the temple. He is, after all, only in pajamas and socks. The socks aren't much for an outdoor patrol, and -

And there's another dragon.

He stands there, feeling rather undersized, and notes that it is quite definitely another dragon. It isn't the previous docile dragon with his Viking friend.

Tim tilts his head back and to the side because he wants to softly call back into the temple and he doesn't want to take his eyes off the dragon in the meantime. ]

Hey, guys? Did anyone else bring a friendly dragon with them, or is it still just the one?

[ If nothing else, he sounds supremely calm. He doesn't want to come off as aggressive, given that it might be ... an actual wild dragon (he loathes and thrills at the idea). There's nothing he can do to hide the bo that had been in his hand. He'd had it when he was leaving, and acting like it's a staff to lean on would make it less useful if the dragon attacked.

Like a bo stands up to a dragon.

Tim decides to wait out the dragon's next move or the next two minutes. If nothing happens, he'll back up. ]

[coiledscales]

[ Alacruun listens for a moment, although his eyes pop lazily open as Tim starts to talk and his head lifts so he can give the human a calm, curious look. His tongue lazily licks at his snout and then he gives off a yawn - perhaps a bit wider than it needs to be - and then he settles again, tail curling just a touch. ]

No one brought me with them.

[ He rumbles a reply, voice deep and resonating. ]

I brought myself. Or I was brought here by whatever magic brought all of us. But I don't belong to anyone. I'm a dragon - we very rarely do.

[ Alacruun does give him credit for not running away. He's known quite a few humans who would do that at the first sight of a scale. Of course, back home dragons are often incredibly destructive, capricious creatures, but that's neither here nor there. ]

[the_hit_list]

[ Tim hadn't even thought about running away. Running away would turn his back, invite a chase, make him look like prey. These are not things he wants to do or be around a dragon. He's read enough fantasy novels to know better.

Which is why he's swirling the fictional "facts" he knows about dragons with this one's words and actions in an attempt to navigate this conversation. 'Good' and 'bad' is oversimplifying what a dragon's options in life are. Benevolent, wild, and malevolent are more accurate. He would like to know which this is before he leaves in one direction or the other. Points in the dragon's favor:

• He can talk (Tim assumes the dragon is male due to vocal pitch, although anything that big would probably be 'he' in his head).
• He seems rational.
• He is not lunging at the mammal dinner (i.e., Tim himself).

Points not in the dragon's favor or, perhaps more accurately, not in Tim's:

• Holy masticating molars, that is a lot of teeth.
• Do dragons have lips, technically? Because he just licked his lips.
• In general, meep.

The short list of unknowns is simply whether or not is an encouraging sign that the dragon doesn't seem to be talking in riddles. Yes, Tim suspects, because riddling dragons always seem to either be playing with their food or seeking amusement in return for letting someone live. Though, if it's a wild dragon, Tim would prefer having the chance to please it with cleverness.

As it is, he tries to choose his words carefully.]

I didn't necessarily mean that you belonged to someone. You can bring a friend to a party, but you only own the friendship, not the friend.

[ Okay, he did mean as a sort of pet, but that's why the adverb is there to couch the explanation in technicalities. ]

I didn't mean to offend you.

[ There's a hesitation at the end, where a name or sir would go, but he swallows the latter and offers his name first.]

I'm Tim. I'm one of the people who fell through a talking hole in the ground, but you already knew that.

[coiledscales]

[ The good news is that fantasy novels might help in this case. The bad news is that Alacruun probably falls under the "malevolent" category, on a long enough timeline. He sees through the linguistic trickery being brought to bear against him. Mostly because that's the kind of thing he'd say or use against someone to tie their heads into knots.

On the other hand, Tim does imply a certain amount of respect in his tone and he seems to be apologetic. So Alacruun decides to let it slide - at least for now. Then again, he can't do much to him. Or shouldn't, rather. He can do a great many things. They just aren't advisable. He cocks his head in Tim's direction, apparently still considering him. ]

Politeness goes a very long way in my book. Good of you to be polite. I detest rudeness.

[ He laughs, low and quiet and deep. ]

I am Alacruun. And like you, have been dragooned into this adventure.

[dirtyredneck]

Daryl had noticed the big ass reptile that looked vaguely-dragonish within a few hours of him taking over the steps like a cat that didn't know it's own boundaries. It wasn't trying to come inside though and it seemed to be sleeping. But maybe that was because it couldn't. There was something comforting about the temple, like nothing truly bad could harm them while they were inside. Which of course meant he was far more paranoid about staying there, but it had been seeping into him, that feeling of peace, for a few days now and he was thinking maybe it was safer than instinct first made it out to be.

None of that dealt with the dragon, however, save that if it was a foe it might not be able to come at them quite so hard. But if it wasn't... maybe it could be friendly like the tiger he'd met not that long ago.

So after a few more hours of debating his method of approach, Daryl shouldered his crossbow and started down the steps, walking around the dragon, but only just skirting it. Real close, ready to retaliate if he got attacked, just... pushing the envelope a little to see what he'd get.

[coiledscales]

Alacruun has been dozing off and on and trying to keep an eye on peoples comings and goings. He wants to learn more about the people he's meant to work with. His method just happens to entail making a bit of a nuisance of himself at time. No big deal, right? Humans were maneuverable enough to step around him. His weight shifts slightly as he feels the vibrations of someone coming down the walkway and after a long moment, his eyes open and he regards Daryl with a lazy, reptilian look.

"I'm not going to eat you, you know," he comments after a moment, sounding incredibly pleased with himself.

[dirtyredneck]

He'll probably equally satisfied with the startled flinch and quick back-pedal Daryl gave at his speech. Much as he'd been trying to play it a little cool, he couldn't help the reaction. Big ass dragon-thing talks.

He should really expect it by now, but, well...

After a second or two, the tension didn't really go out of his body, but he seemed to get a handle on himself pretty well and lifted his chin in a jerky nod, "...kay."

[coiledscales]

"You're not mute are ypu? That would be irritating," Alacruun thinks aloud, regarding Daryl with a sort of detached interest. He's still meeting all of these people and figuring out who they are, what they want, how they all fit into this. He makes a noise - something thoughtful - at the back of his throat.

"You could at least give me your name."

[konman]

Kon's not easily phased by much. Comes part and parcel with being cloned as a replacement for one of the world's greatest heroes and starting life by breaking out of a test tube. His life is and always has been weird. From day one.

That means the dragon doesn't phase him at all. With everything having gone all Tolkien all of a sudden, this is probably going to be a recurring thing. Hell, the other dragon in the group already has a hate-on for him because of the whole dark magic biz. (Some kind of animal instinct or something.)

So he's not surprised to see another dragon. He isn't sure if this dragon is intelligent or not but the other one seemed to be, even if he couldn't talk, so he decides to treat this one as intelligent, too.

In the same friendly but firm tones he used on Grokk the Living Gargoyle back when he was hanging at Project Cadmus, he says, "Hey, buddy, you're blocking the stairs. Mind scootching over a bit?"

No fear. Yes, he's staying back a cautious distance, because he doesn't have his invulnerability right now and he's not a total idiot, but healthy caution isn't the same thing.

[coiledscales]

"I like this spot," Alacruun rumbles in reply, although he doesn't open his eyes or look at Kon just yet. He's going to content himself with just luxuriating and acting unconcerned for a few moments more. An affected air of nonchalance.

"But at least you're being polite about it. I suppose that's a point in your favor."

He finally cracks an eye open and regards Kon with a yellow-green eye, "I haven't met you yet."

[konman]

"I'm Kon, your friendly neighborhood Superboy."

He says it like that's all the introduction he needs.

Then he occupies himself with problem-solving, with all the enthusiasm of a superhero who's gone on more than on fetch quest. (Sometimes problems that need to be solved can't just be punched away.)

"That spot's in front of the door, which means you're between people and things like the bathroom. You're going to get trampled on at some point by somebody who's not nice enough to ask." Kon rubs his chin. "So what if I find you a better spot?"

[coiledscales]

"Superboy," Alacruun says, as if he's testing out the word and doesn't quite believe that anyone would actually use such a ridiculous title. Or maybe he's just a little confused. It's honestly a toss up at this point. He settles himself again with a low exhale of breath, calws tapping against the stone.

"And if I decline your offer?"

Because honestly, half the point of being here is seeing how people react to him and learning some things about them.

[wherenoonegoes]

[Another dragon, just as black but perhaps slightly smaller, lands in the grass. He and the Viking riding on top of him freeze when they spot Alacruun. Careful to not make any sudden movements, Hiccup slowly dismounts, and the pair move warily towards the new dragon.]

Hello there. We're not going to hurt you. We'd just like to get back into the temple, if that's alright with you?

[Hiccup speaks calmly and carefully as he walks, crouched low. Toothless doesn't move his eyes from where Alacruun is lying, ready to make defend Hiccup and himself if the other dragon tries anything.]

[coiledscales]

[ Another dragon. That's interesting. Alacruun cocks his head at Toothless, seeming... slightly confused. There's a human riding on it - why? What self-respecting dragon allows that sort of thing? He makes a low snort as the human boy moves toward him and after a long moment he fixes him with a stare. His eyes are sharp and intelligent and alive. ]

Why on earth would I stop you?

[ His gaze slides back to Toothless and after a moment of thought, he says something in a sibilant, hissing language and he waits expectantly for a response. ]

[wherenoonegoes]

[Hiccup stumbles and Toothless eyes widen in surprise at the sound of Alacruun's voice.]

Wait, you can talk? He can talk. [The latter sentence is said with a quick glance to Toothless before he returns his attention to Alacruun.]

You can talk.

[This is followed by a surprised, questioning growl from Toothless. Seriously, what the Hel?]

[coiledscales]

[ Alacruun seems disappointed that Toothless hasn't responded to him. His head cocks to the other side and he makes a low noise - something approaching frustration or possibly just thoughtful. ]

Of course I can talk. Dragons are intelligent, thinking creatures. Not dumb beasts.

[ He glances at Toothless. ]

You mean you can't?

[ That question is clearly directed at the other dragon. ]

The human hasn't enchanted you, has he? Because if he has, I'll happily bite his head off.