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+--- Thread: With The Wires Humming (/showthread.php?tid=11585)
With The Wires Humming - Raoshar - Dec 26 2023
Raoshar had returned to venturing through the caves after spending a few days with his father in Pisces. The dragon's heavy steps took them through the cavern of Polaris, frills upon the side of their head quivering and shifting with the various sounds that echoed through the illuminated cavern.
Today, they were on the lookout for something special. Their steps came with a gentle jingle of golden bells hung around a chain on their neck, and clutched in one of their forehands was a polished chunk of sapphire. Their path took them close to the Crystal River's edge, minding the occasional golem in the distance that might cause trouble.
The dragon saw something among the smooth stone that carved its way along the river's bank and craned his head down to pull the piece free. He had found a flimsy scrap of-- leather? Cloth? The fabric was thin and nearly worn through from its trip through the currents, but it was large enough to wrap the stone in and tie to the chain around his neck.
He paused, turning around curiously as he caught a bit of movement nearby. Was it a golem, or a lesser, or--
Too big. It must have been another gembound.
"Hello," he called in greeting, raising his head and spreading his brilliant white wings in a display that made him impossible to miss.
Today, they were on the lookout for something special. Their steps came with a gentle jingle of golden bells hung around a chain on their neck, and clutched in one of their forehands was a polished chunk of sapphire. Their path took them close to the Crystal River's edge, minding the occasional golem in the distance that might cause trouble.
The dragon saw something among the smooth stone that carved its way along the river's bank and craned his head down to pull the piece free. He had found a flimsy scrap of-- leather? Cloth? The fabric was thin and nearly worn through from its trip through the currents, but it was large enough to wrap the stone in and tie to the chain around his neck.
He paused, turning around curiously as he caught a bit of movement nearby. Was it a golem, or a lesser, or--
Too big. It must have been another gembound.
"Hello," he called in greeting, raising his head and spreading his brilliant white wings in a display that made him impossible to miss.
@Doru
RE: With The Wires Humming - Doru - Dec 27 2023
Doru, now that he wasn't in swampy Cetus, was wearing his lovely white cloak and red fingerless mittens. He liked them. They were warm, and the weather lately had been a bit chilly. He had been walking and thinking, not quite pacing, but not far from it either.
He paused as he heard a greeting, turning in the direction of the sound. The other had their wings spread, but it seemed not so much a threat display, far more of a beacon. He felt his own wings twitch, wanting to extend, but he had no desire to end up with cold wings.
The other gembound was feathered, but still struck Doru as very much a dragon. Like their dad. "Hello," The bipedal draconic being greeted back.
"Are you related to the dragon called Dread?" Doru wondered aloud. The other was feathered and quite majestic, really.
He didn't need to step closer to see better, his purple viper gaze sharp as is, but he did so anyway, drawn closer by curiosity.
@Raoshar
RE: With The Wires Humming - Raoshar - Dec 27 2023
The other Gembound approached, and Raoshar's eyes flicked up and down, scanning them over with rapt curiosity. He dipped his head as he did so, twisting his head to a slight angle. His wings flicked and folded neatly as the other addressed him, drawing closer.
The being was more bipedal than he-- Raoshar's stance more avian, more raptorial-- swathed in a smooth, marbled navy and gold flesh. They blinked third eyelids, finding the long hair and tall stance an oddity. Most gembound of the caves were furred mammals or birds, and few ever looked quite as... human, as this one, not that Raoshar knew of humans himself.
There were beings not made of natural order, however, and out of instinct, Raoshar tried to sense the nature of this gembound. Certainly not to rule out Order with a capital O, as the stranger was not swathed in white and perfectly symmetrical, nor insectoid in any way... But Chaos, with a capital C, seemed a possibility.
In the light of the Spire, however, it was hard to get a distinct read. That, or his magic had failed him.
Regardless, he raised his head again at the gembound's question, puffing out his throat pouch a touch with pride. The crimson feathers on his throat glistened brightly against the dark ebony of the rest of his neck, and he practically preened his answer: "I am Raoshar, Son of Tenzin." He extended a wing in a broad gesture that was almost akin to a bow, though he did not lower his head again.
He saw no reason to be impolite, and as Doru drew closer, the faintest hint of something in the air settled softly in the back of his throat. Soothing.
"Who are you? And who is Dread?"
The being was more bipedal than he-- Raoshar's stance more avian, more raptorial-- swathed in a smooth, marbled navy and gold flesh. They blinked third eyelids, finding the long hair and tall stance an oddity. Most gembound of the caves were furred mammals or birds, and few ever looked quite as... human, as this one, not that Raoshar knew of humans himself.
There were beings not made of natural order, however, and out of instinct, Raoshar tried to sense the nature of this gembound. Certainly not to rule out Order with a capital O, as the stranger was not swathed in white and perfectly symmetrical, nor insectoid in any way... But Chaos, with a capital C, seemed a possibility.
In the light of the Spire, however, it was hard to get a distinct read. That, or his magic had failed him.
Regardless, he raised his head again at the gembound's question, puffing out his throat pouch a touch with pride. The crimson feathers on his throat glistened brightly against the dark ebony of the rest of his neck, and he practically preened his answer: "I am Raoshar, Son of Tenzin." He extended a wing in a broad gesture that was almost akin to a bow, though he did not lower his head again.
He saw no reason to be impolite, and as Doru drew closer, the faintest hint of something in the air settled softly in the back of his throat. Soothing.
"Who are you? And who is Dread?"
@Doru
RE: With The Wires Humming - Doru - Dec 27 2023
Others seemed to find his appearance a point of interest, for one reason or another, so Doru was not surprised at the gembound's visible curiosity regarding his looks. He stood tall, though not as quite as tall as he would be once he reached four cycles. Maybe an inch or two above six feet at the moment, compared to the seven foot height Doru would reach.
The other took pride in his parent, that was clear to see. It was interesting. "Greetings, Raoshar. I am Doru, child of Erasmus and Alek," He introduced himself the same way.
"Dread is family to me, though I have not met him. Cadenza is one of his children, and Alek, my dad, is one of Cadenza's children," Doru explained. "Dread is a dragon, as are many of his family. You resemble my dad Alek, who is also a dragon, in your form, at least somewhat."
"You take pride in your parent," Doru commented aloud now that he had answered the other's questions, curiosity to his voice. The name Tenzin felt faintly familiar, but Doru was not sure why.
@Raoshar
RE: With The Wires Humming - Raoshar - Dec 28 2023
These names were unfamiliar to Raoshar, but he folded them neatly into his mind, filing away for later. Should he encounter them, it seemed like a sensible thing to remember.
Doru, son of Alek, son of Cadenza, son of Dread.
His hand rose to gently cup the clothed stone tied to his necklace.
"I see," he nodded, "Quite the family." Raoshar wasn't sure what it was like to have a family so large you hadn't even met your great-grandfather, but... Then again, he had never asked Tenzin who his father was. It hadn't occurred to him. And clearly, it had not occurred to Tenzin to mention it.
As for pride, the word made the dragon puff up more, his tail feathers fanning and sweeping behind him in an iridescent glean. His throat swelled further, blooming around him like a black mane with a bleeding mark over his heart. He seemed to debate his own answer, carefully picking the right words. The answer seemed to be on the tip of his tongue. A trace of humor glinted through his eyes.
A private joke. He did not share it.
Instead, he took a few sweeping steps along the riverbank, eyes drifting along the flowing stream. There was a tension along his shoulders, drawing his wings up in anticipation, as though he was about to take flight. Yet the rest of him remained relaxed, with no intention of leaving the conversation. Instead, it seemed like he was content to let the unspoken question hang in the air.
His gaze slipped back to Doru, having closed the space between them further. They stood only a few steps away now. The amusement had not left his eyes, in fact, it had spread to a quiver through his whiskers, the tendrils upon the side of his head quirked up on one side and down on the other, and his lips were drawn back just enough to show the faintest pinprick of teeth. "Of course," the words slipped free, as easy as an exhale of breath. Then, a challenge: "Don't you?"
Doru, son of Alek, son of Cadenza, son of Dread.
His hand rose to gently cup the clothed stone tied to his necklace.
"I see," he nodded, "Quite the family." Raoshar wasn't sure what it was like to have a family so large you hadn't even met your great-grandfather, but... Then again, he had never asked Tenzin who his father was. It hadn't occurred to him. And clearly, it had not occurred to Tenzin to mention it.
As for pride, the word made the dragon puff up more, his tail feathers fanning and sweeping behind him in an iridescent glean. His throat swelled further, blooming around him like a black mane with a bleeding mark over his heart. He seemed to debate his own answer, carefully picking the right words. The answer seemed to be on the tip of his tongue. A trace of humor glinted through his eyes.
A private joke. He did not share it.
Instead, he took a few sweeping steps along the riverbank, eyes drifting along the flowing stream. There was a tension along his shoulders, drawing his wings up in anticipation, as though he was about to take flight. Yet the rest of him remained relaxed, with no intention of leaving the conversation. Instead, it seemed like he was content to let the unspoken question hang in the air.
His gaze slipped back to Doru, having closed the space between them further. They stood only a few steps away now. The amusement had not left his eyes, in fact, it had spread to a quiver through his whiskers, the tendrils upon the side of his head quirked up on one side and down on the other, and his lips were drawn back just enough to show the faintest pinprick of teeth. "Of course," the words slipped free, as easy as an exhale of breath. Then, a challenge: "Don't you?"
@Doru
RE: With The Wires Humming - Doru - Dec 31 2023
"It is a large family I possess," Doru stated, voice factual. Indeed, as he had listed his family earlier, he had an air that was not quite disinterest for he remained curious about his family, after all. But... Definitely an air of distance, at the very least.
"You are quite the impressive shape. Graceful yet strong," Doru considered as he delayed answering the other's question for a time. "I suppose you have much to take pride in, more than just family."
But, he did not let them challenge go unmet at all, for he then smiled. It was not a warm smile. It was sharp and full of unnerving teeth. More the eerie sharpness of Erasmus to his teeth than a dragon's teeth. "Should I?" He countered.
His expression faded into a more indifferent state. "I appreciate my parents. They raised me. But most of my family I have never met, except for the one. And the one I did meet believed that I should bend to the will of my parents rather than my own will," His tone revealed how poorly he thought of that.
"I respect my parents, don't get me wrong. But they are not me, and they will never be. My decisions are my own," Doru explained, tone gentler but still solid.
@Raoshar
RE: With The Wires Humming - Raoshar - Dec 31 2023
Raoshar was perfectly still, golden pinpricks in his eyes locked intently on Doru as he answered. The compliment made his lip twitch, but still he waited, expectantly, for Doru's answer.
The marbled dragon drew back his own lips, into a grimacing smile that was all teeth and fang. Raoshar's eyes widened, his muscles tensing like a predator preparing to strike.
But he made no motion to move.
And then in an instant that tension left him, as Doru's answer came with a returning question, and the air left Raoshar with a puff that might have been a laugh. He eased backward with a single flap of his wings, and seemed to settle into a more relaxed posture. For all that he outwardly relaxed, however, his limbs remained taunt and ready at a moments notice.
Raoshar's gaze swept away, back over the river beside them, as Doru spoke in further detail about his family. There was a lot that he had to say on the subject, it seemed, and Raoshar was keen to listen and absorb. Then, their eyes flicked back to Doru with silent agreement.
"As they should be," Raoshar responded.
They let those words sink in before they continued. "It sounds as though that one does not take pride in you," they commented icily, wings folding neatly flat to their sides and tail giving a flick.
Humor returned to their voice as they inclined their head. "Their loss."
The marbled dragon drew back his own lips, into a grimacing smile that was all teeth and fang. Raoshar's eyes widened, his muscles tensing like a predator preparing to strike.
But he made no motion to move.
And then in an instant that tension left him, as Doru's answer came with a returning question, and the air left Raoshar with a puff that might have been a laugh. He eased backward with a single flap of his wings, and seemed to settle into a more relaxed posture. For all that he outwardly relaxed, however, his limbs remained taunt and ready at a moments notice.
Raoshar's gaze swept away, back over the river beside them, as Doru spoke in further detail about his family. There was a lot that he had to say on the subject, it seemed, and Raoshar was keen to listen and absorb. Then, their eyes flicked back to Doru with silent agreement.
"As they should be," Raoshar responded.
They let those words sink in before they continued. "It sounds as though that one does not take pride in you," they commented icily, wings folding neatly flat to their sides and tail giving a flick.
Humor returned to their voice as they inclined their head. "Their loss."
@Doru