[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!

[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. ]

[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. ]

[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.

[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.

[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.]