Dragon!

[heresyandlace]

Who: ANYONE!
Broadcast: If you want
Action: The forest outside of town!
When: Ambiguously around the 23rd

→ Before the mob
[Tek has run out of time. he's pushed his body and spirit to its limit, and his hold over himself finally slips. he's quiet about fleeing the city, but it's a different story once he reaches the wilderness. the sudden release of energy as he loses his human shape hits the atmosphere in a silent wave. the countryside shivers as an aura of death and malaise touches every living thing, even if only in the very back of the mind. and for those more sensitive to such things... it's clear that something has happened. something is here.

for those wandering the forest that day, they may step into an area of the forest gone still with a graveyard hush. and if they linger there, they might happen upon a monstrous beast.

he's keeping to the tallest, deepest copses of trees... because it's hard to keep hidden when you're the height of a three-story building. either creeping and looming between the trunks, gratefully wading into streams, or curling up to rest in roomy clearings, he's there.

and he's hideous. though not actually rotting, the creature is at least designed to look cadavorous. he doesn't appear overtly aggressive... but something looking like that must be far from harmless.]


→ After the mob
[and he can only stay hidden for so long. a band of foresters eventually happen upon him, and a battle inevitably ensues. it isn't long before the remnants of the group run howling into town-- a dragon is less than a mile away, and it has already struck down several of their number!

at once, the bravest warriors take up arms, ring the alarms, and begin to set out in bands to take down the monster!

anyone striking out to find the dragon after the battles have begun is definitely in for a fight, because he is now wounded and angry. and, since he's so large and caught in such a small area of land before he hits the barrier, he won't be hard to find--especially whenever he breaks the canopy of trees and takes flight, to try and find another area of forest not already full of attackers. if you watch the sky and follow him long enough, you're sure to find him.]


(ooc: open to absolutely anyone! just take a look at the ooc post first, and then jump in! also open for any peripherally-related threads--like reacting to the creepy wave of feeling that goes through the town, gathering friends, etc.--if you feel like it!

if you have any other questions, dump 'em in the ooc post!

otherwise, DRAGONFIGHT DRAGONFIGHT!!)

Comments

Before the mob

[justamobster]

[ Ladon couldn't resist a trip to the planet. He had never bothered with Asphodel, the horrible little planet that Sacrosanct orbited. The mountain Zone had met some of his needs, especially when he needed a dark cave to hide in, but there had always been that knowledge. The sun, the atmosphere, everything was fake. So when the temptation of a real, actual, honest-to-God planet with trees and air and shit was dangled in front of him, he went.

He had already tried to dig at the stupid implant in his neck, but couldn't find the damn thing. If he was bugged, he wanted it out. He didn't care who these people were who had him on a short leash, he didn't want anyone keeping an eye on his location. It was worse than having a stoolie singing to the cops. On top of that, he had a feeling that getting the damn thing out would mean freedom. The attempt had left him with a few blood stains on his collar, which meant he smelled of gasoline in close proximity. Best to avoid other people until that aired out.

Rather than play tourist with a bunch of belligerent medieval locals who would likely question his way of talking and dressing, he's opted for a nature walk. And he's actually headed in a different direction when he feels this wave of... well. Magic. It's an alien force for sure, but magic is about all he can compare it to.

And so he seeks it out. What does he have to lose? And besides, there's a small, stubborn part of his brain that reminds him of the last time he'd felt strange magic-- the scent of copper and cut grass-- and he just has to know. If there are fae here, or anything even remotely similar, he needs to know.

The silence is foreboding, but he pushes on, until he's fairly certain he can see something moving amongst the trees. Then he pauses, sniffs the air, and just listens. ]

[heresyandlace]

[the air is empty, waiting, and thick with scent. it's a decaying smell, but not entirely repulsive. more like swamp muck and recently-skinned hides than something outright rotting. forests don't usually smell like this, but it still seems to fit somehow.

and he's certainly not alone. at first, it seems like there might be several animals back there, prowling slowly in the thickest of the brush. the subtle shifts of motion in the shadows hint at shapes maybe the size of bears--some big creatures.

but the longer he waits and watches, the more information he'd gather, until the true enormity of the picture becomes clear.

eventually, there's another movement--this time shuffling softly between branches, something like twenty feet over the other shapes. and when two rosy points of light open up and stare in his direction... it's pretty clear that they are eyes set in some thing's massive skull. the rest of whatever's back there must just be the rest of it.]

[justamobster]

[ A few years ago, he probably would have run away at this point. The woods were never a particularly safe or pleasant place for him even well before he'd been spoiled by the comforts of living in the city. And something that large was definitely a threat.

But two things keep him from turning tail and getting the hell out of there: his curiosity and his more recent experiences. He's reminded keenly of his first meetings with Wistala and Tintakki. Granted he has no reason to believe this large creature is a dragon like they were, but that's his frame of reference. His curiosity is all about the magic and scent that seems to emanate from the creature. Magic, at least in his experience, indicates intelligence. Or at least sentience. And so he gives the big, pink eyes a wave and carefully removes his hat. Atop his head, interrupting the otherwise believable human mobster facade, are two silver horns that poke out of his black hair. ]

Sorry for intrudin'. New 'round this joint, dunno whose territory's whose just yet. Felt somethin' from outta here and had to get a slant. Hopin' I'd find somethin' other'n a buncha backwater humans. Looks like I did just that, yeah?

[heresyandlace]

[a warning rumble splits the air and goes rolling deep through the earth... but the dragon leans forward into a bit of clearing--both getting a better look at the intruder, and ducking below the veil of shadow and leaves.

so, he can get a real good look at it now. especially once the monster processes everything that the little human-shaped creature is saying, and it gets a better look at those tiny horns.

the second rumble that it breathes isn't quite so aggressive. it's more of a musing sound--if one can ascribe such a human mannerism to it--and it brings its face even closer to its visitor.

it's listening.]

[justamobster]

[ He can't help the smile that crosses his face when it actually winds up being another dragon. True, the other dragons on Sacrosanct had been a handful, but he'd done his best to take in and protect all of them. There was just something about not being alone in that way-- he had that in Aza, Draig, and Guivres back home, but it was precious and rare in a place that pulled individuals from so many different worlds.

Though naturally now he's reminded of how much smaller he is than all the dragons from other worlds that he's met. Some day he's not going to be the smallest lizard on the block. That is, if he's stuck in space for the rest of his damn life. ]

Dunno if you're used to seein' our kind wanderin' 'round on two legs, but... yeah. S'just a disguise. Keeps the normies-- er, humans-- from gettin' any ideas 'bout makin' my hide into boots or some other baloney. I'd change but... can't really afford to ruin these clothes. Only ones I got so far. Hope you don't mind.

[heresyandlace]

[the dragon tilts its massive head much like a bird, considering. then, it answers in its native language... which it expects should work, if the horned man is telling the truth.

unfortunately, however, draconic words sound like little more than a string of vicious growls and hissing to anyone who doesn't understand it.]

[justamobster]

[ Ladon is sadly unable to understand, but he does return the noises with a rumbling of his own-- more neutral than a growl, though it does convey some of his frustration in the communication barrier. And it's certainly not a noise that any human should be capable of making. ]

Sorry. We ain't from the same world, guessin' we don't speak the same language.

[ Saying as much might be pointless. He has no idea if the other dragon understands a word he's saying, but he has to at least try. ]

[heresyandlace]

[hearing inhuman sounds come from the man at least serves as a little bit of proof, maybe. because the beast lifts its chin in what seems like acknowledgment, and answers with a wordless crooning rumble of its own.

it's the best indicator it can think of to show that it understands.]

[justamobster]

[ Well, he's not getting attacked or roasted alive, so that's something. So the other dragon somewhat understands him, and is friendly enough that he's not intruding on their territory. So really, the situation isn't that bad. It's sad that they can't communicate, though. If this dragon is a native of the planet, there's a possibility he won't run into another one again for a long time.

Much as he'd made friends on Sacrosanct who weren't dragons-- including Cathy, Camille, and of course Toby-- there was something about having that companionship that he needed. Jin, Wistala, and Tintakki had all been their own flavor of trouble, but he wouldn't trade any of them. And he sincerely missed them, dearly, almost as much as he missed his clutch back home. ]

S'it safe here for you? What I been hearin', the locals ain't so open-minded. [ There's that protective streak. ]

[heresyandlace]

[there's a big huff of breath that could easily be translated as a scoff, and the dragon tosses its head a bit, as if it had some luxurious mane instead of bristling rows of spines.

of course it isn't safe. there's no way they would leave such a creature in peace, here.

there is even an air of indignance in the way it straightens up where it's seated, and wraps its pair of tails around itself. like an enormous, hideous feline.]

[justamobster]

Yeah... Guess there ain't really anywhere safe, yeah? [ He makes another frustrated rumble at that. For once, he'd like to get swept away to somewhere full of other dragons. Somewhere he doesn't have to fear being himself, letting his secret out.

For now, though, he does take a little solace in having someone who understands that. ]

You look like you can take care of yourself though, yeah? Probably laugh if I changed. Ain't very, er. Big. Not, er, not like tiny. [ He gestures with his hands the rough size of a small dog. ] I mean, ain't a hatchlin' or nothin'. But. Er. Not... Y'know. Your size.