Roleplay

[url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=12115160] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/121152/12115160_350.png[/img] [/url] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=12115161] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/121152/12115161_350.png[/img] [/url] Amnion writhed in the chamber's dim yellow light, a sinuous creature the colour of bloodless meat. Her raw pallor was well compensated by the tattoos that whirled on her flanks in a pattern as angry as she was. "We couldn't delay San's exalting any longer. Couldn't wait for a better chance. So while he buzzed off with all his clan expecting him to go enslave himself to some... god, I checked myself into one of the Ashfall archives." She breathed and tensed, the mention of gods pressing her discomfort. San, the still brown body in the corner, took over passively. "While I distanced myself, Amnion found the extended nest records of my home clan and proceeded to edit them, removing my thinly- scrawled name from the record. It was a crude job, but the rest's history. With Amnion excommunicated and no written memory of my hatching, we assumed the role of progenitors. And here you are," he rounded off with a small, smug smile. Amnion wasn't smiling. "That's not just it! I wasn't alone with the tablets. There was a starry-eyed Pearlie there too. I avoided the minx, but if she was curious enough, she might have seen what I did. If one of the big cheese Ashfall clans got wind of that, they'd investigate, and they'd make a claim to my clan and everything in it. A rightful one. You see?" San took the pause meant for Nye's affirmation. "Even if they don't leave our clan as a familial vassal- unlikely, of course," he reacted to Amnion's scowl, "It could be publicised, and our fragile facade of legitimacy would be shattered. So we identified and tracked the 'catcher to a clan in the Starfall, and for the last few months I have been ingratiating us to them. Making our connection look coincidental. We've arranged to send you as an adoptive clanmate." "And as a killer. The Pearlie scares me too much. Scares me. She has to die! And you're the only freeloader in my clan that I trust to do that. Don't let me fall, kid. Son." Nye lowered his head, and the light illuminating the chamber from his skull grew a little brighter as he thought. With an air of dangerous finality he stood, and returned Amnion's stare. "I will make no mistakes." ---- [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13111810] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/131119/13111810_350.png[/img] [/url] Nye's wings were tiring, but the daylight was too brilliant, the prospect of his long-planned assignment too near for his pace to wane. This was the last island hop, and glittering in the distance was the green and pink mark of the seat of the Mystical Moon Water clan. [i]Mystical moon water. One out of three, at least.[/i] There was, certainly, an awfully large quantity of ocean in the Archivist's realm. Nye would be glad to make landfall, but the inescapable emptiness of the sea wouldn't allow him to escape the island easily. [i]Doesn't matter. I have time. Work it out slowly, enjoy the waves... It's like a paid vacation,[/i] he thought, and laughed, loop-de-looping through the air. So long as he kept four eyes open and waited for a chance to come, Nye's cares were really few and far between. Death was just another word in the vocabulary of the old and boring. The segments of his armour tapped melodically against each other, light and flexible, as he twisted his neck around to spot and signal any locals that might be fishing or holding watch for him. A welcoming party wasn't unusual, and it would appeal to him immensely. "Hey ho!" He yelled, diving downwards with his glAssy wings spread against the sky, loosing height too quickly in his enthusiasm and pulling himself up with difficulty. {@MoonWater Here we go~ First bit's wordy context for Nye's motivation. I'm going to wait for school to finish before I check back and maybe edit.}

@Fuzzberry ((This is great! Next time, could you include pictures of the dragons you're using? It's what we generally do during roleplays on FR. Now let me try my best to match your writing length...)) [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13201912] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/132020/13201912_350.png[/img][/url] Azura was an early riser. She had arisen that morning at dawn. She'd left her nest with a shake of her body, and sat down to watch the sunrise, just as she did every morning. When the sun turned from red to yellow to white, and was too bright to look at, she moved away from her nest. The Mystical Moon Water Clan had claimed a large area for themselves on an island. It was an island that hugged the coastline, and was a part of the Starwood Strand. Though it hugged the coastline, it was in such a remote area that one could only travel there by "island-hopping," which was what other dragons called it. This was the activity of flying to one island, resting for a night, before flying to the next island, and so on and so forth. The Clan itself was arranged very neatly. The very middle of the Clan was situated in a large glade in the Starwood Strand. This was where the dragons of the clan socialized with each other. To the north of the glade were all of the nests where the dragons slept, all sheltered under some of the greatest monarchs of the Strand. Asura and Krathadh's nest was a little bit farther away from everyone else's nest and a little larger: it was a courtesy that the progenitors of the clan deserved. To the west of the glade, were the food piles and the kitchen, which was especially set up for one of their dragons, who was a chef. The food he whipped up was divine, and only those looking for a snack or a quick meal ever went to the food piles since he came along. The southwest of the glade was dominated by a large cave, in which all of the clan's treasure was kept. The clan treasurer was in charge of these riches. In the south was a smaller clearing, where dragons practiced combat: sparring as well as strategic attacks and defense. The library of the clan was located to the southeast of the clan, and, like the treasury, it was also located in a large cave. Next to the library was an area for all those who used magic to practice their craft. To the east of the clan, there were the nesting grounds. While they sound like "nests," they are in actuality the nests in which eggs are cared for by their parents, not the sleeping area. In addition to the nesting grounds, there was also the healer's lair, where there were extra nests arranged just in case there were patients. Azura, having awoken, decided to head to the main glade, where she seated herself. Hearing a noise, she turned her head, only to see the leader of the clan, Asura, and her mate, Krathadh. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13254235] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/132543/13254235_350.png[/img][/url] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13254236] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/132543/13254236_350.png[/img][/url] "Good morning Asura! Good morning Krathadh!" Azura called. The two other dragons turned towards her. "Good morning Azura!" Asura fluttered over to the pearlcatcher, with the large Guardian following close behind her. "Why are you up so early, Asura?" Asura smiled, her crests moving in a contented manner. "We're waiting for a new adoptive clanmate. He belongs to one of the clans in the Fire Flight. I'm sure that Murdoc and he will get along quite well." "Of course. They're both from the Fire Flight, after all." "Would you like to wait with us?" Krathadh asked. His voice was a low rumble, and he towered above Azura. Azura nodded, smiling up at him. "Yes! I want to meet this new clanmate!"

{@Moonwater The pictures are in. Sorry, that was a real goof-up. Hopefully we won't be pressured for post length for much longer now that introduction posts are up, they do take me a bit of a while. Thanks for your clan details, too.} [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13111810] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/131119/13111810_350.png[/img] [/url] Nye closed the last stretch to the shore of the island, letting himself settle in the boughs of one of the towering starwood trees on the far southern edge of the clan space, feeling no strong compulsion to make an elegant landing directly to the ground. He waved in the general direction of what looked like the open center of the lair, though there were only a small handful of dragons there. Though a little let down at not being extravagantly welcomed with gifts and blessings and kisses galore, Nye quietly commended them on taking the chance to sleep in. What was the point of a lovely day if one couldn't relax? Scratching and hopping his way down, Nye brushed a flurry of sparkling white flowers from his wings as he crossed the open southern space of the lair, between two stone structures which- he guessed- Probably contained caves. This space, he could tell, was hardly a well-kept glade; The grass was marred by claw marks and scorches. A fighting area. [i]I'll come back here when it's later in the day, see if anyone's using it. See what I'm up against.[/i] For the moment, though, Nye walked at leisure. He was an honest guest, and that amused him plenty. "My dearest clanmates, it's a lovely day to meet," he joked openly when the glade came into full view, "And who better to meet than me? My name is Nye, son of San, of the Stacked Deck clan." The light banter gave him time to look over the three dragons gathered. A Guardian, the colour of grass but rather... Bigger than grass. And a Fae, around whose purple scales a gust of leaves spiralled. And alongside both, closer to him, a Pearlcatcher, whom Amnion had disdainfully described as an eye-jarring mess of colour, but to Nye she couldn't have been more wrong. "Good morning," he opened softly to the dragon he knew to be Azura. "I'd wink, but I don't have the eyelids." His tongue tapped his eye instead, a little mockingly. [i]What luck I'm having. Here she is already. And what a bright and shiny target she makes.[/i]

@Fuzzberry

((No problem! :) Also, please excuse me if I write Faes having more emotion than they're supposed to, and please tell me if I'm misreading Nye's actions, because that sometimes happens. ))

Azura didn't blink as the MIrror came closer, jokingly greeting the three of them together. When he turned to her, she was slightly suprised, but at his soft words she ducked her head down and proceeded to clean one of her already pristine scales, avoiding his gaze. She was a stranger to flirting: her previous mate, Hermaeus, on whom she used to have a little bit of a crush on, had simply been interested in seeing what type of offspring their genes would produce. He was completely lacking in the romantic department. And evidently, whatever experiment he had been doing, she must have failed, for he was no longer interested in her after their first clutch of four. She stopped liking him soon after that.

"Hello Nye." Asura said, her voice a complete monotone, though the ripples of her crests were welcoming. "We apologize that your welcoming party is so small, but we hope you understand, because we were all awake far too long after we were meant to sleep last night. We were celebrating Iris and Sheogorath's decision to become mates-for-life. They all know of your arrival, though, so be prepared for several of our more inquisitive dragons and hatchlings asking you numerous questions. They're all quite keen to know all about you. Don't worry about feeling left out: we are one large family here, and you should feel welcome.

"During your time here, you'll be required to take on a profession, if you will. Judging by your armor, you could be a warrior, in which case we'd ask you to join the clan guard. If teaching combat suits you better, we would be happy to let you work with one of our combat instructors, Hasil. Or, if your talents lie elsewhere, we'd be happy to assign you a different profession."

Asura paused suddenly. "Oh, yes. I believe you need a tour. How else will you know where everything is? Azura, are you busy?"

The last part was addressed rather abruptly to the Pearlcatcher. Azura hugged her pearl to her chest, and tilted her head upwards, thinking deeply.

"No, I don't believe I am." She replied, quietly.

"Would you mind giving Nye a tour of this clan?"

"I'll be happy to." Azura dipped her head. "But first, I need to put this pebble I found back in my nest."

She quickly left the glade, hoping that she didn't seem too uncomfortable with the Mirror's words.

Asura fluttered up to Krathadh's ear, and began whispering something to him. Once she was finished, she fluttered away from him, towards a large rock which stood in the very middle of the glade. She perched on top, and began to busy herself with something.

Krathadh did not leave immediately, but rather fixed his eyes on Nye.

"I do not trust your clan." He rumbled. "I will be keeping an eye on you. Asura is far too kind to be suspicious, but luckily one of us has the capacity to be so. If anything suspicious happens, if any of our clan members die... I suspect you first, and if there is proof that you are the one who harmed them... I will not hesitate to kill you and risk a war with your clan. We have allies in the Arcane, Shadow, Plague, Ice, Lightning, and Earth Flights. Many of them are ancient. Our clan may not be the biggest, but rest assured that if we fall, our allies will tear you apart."

With that, the huge Guardian turned away from Nye and moved to lie down by the rock that Asura was perched on.

It was at that moment that Azura came padding towards Nye. "Are you ready for your tour?"

{@Moonwater We'll be able to work around any misreadings we happen to make, I think. If they lead to the characters misunderstanding each other from time to time, they might even be fun.} [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13111810] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/131119/13111810_350.png[/img] [/url] Nye didn't wait for Azura to reply when he saw her averted gaze, and continued to the other two dragons. Taking interest too quickly was a good way to be branded untrustworthy. "Your own presence is more than enough for me... Asura, I presume. My celebrations can wait." Nye set his hand on his heart and bowed, though he didn't break eye contact. The grace in the Fae's demeanour suggested that she was the matriarch here, and though Nye didn't have much of a description to go from, that likely made the green Guardian her mate and co-regent. [i]I'm just sorry I missed the fun. I really am. I should give the couple a congratulations, if I see them.[/i] It had been easy to forget, in his own assignment, that Nye would have to assume a cover task while he was here, but Asura's reminder brought up the loose plans he had prepared earlier. "Hasil? Sounds like 'basil'. Good name for a spicy dragon, as fighters tend to be... Oh, I'm so sorry. Anyway, I like to tell myself I have a softer taste, for healing." And it would be useful to make himself take on a harmless task, one that made his fighting ability more difficult to gauge. His heart raced a little when Azura herself was asked to give a tour, and paused a little when she made an excuse to leave. A pebble? There were pebbles anywhere. [i]That's... The strangest thing I've ever heard.[/i] For the first time so far, he was left confused. [i]Is it a code phrase? An in-joke? Is she shy? Goodness.[/i] When his short pause ended, Nye was jolted back to caution and familiarity when Asura flitted away from Krathadh's enormous frame. Secretively. He rested still while the towering Guardian began his speech. [i]Don't you lie to me like that, old greenie. I saw Asura whisper to you. She's the real threat here.[/i] Somehow that comforted him considerably over the threats of war and ruin. "Lady Asura? I like your mate," he answered directly to her at first, but didn't risk leaving the Guardian hanging for long. "I have nothing to fear from you, Krathadh. You didn't list Fire in your list of allies. Soon, with my help, you'll do that. But for now I think a tour's in order." With that he took the chance to stop craning his head upwards at Krathadh and step back towards Azura. "Absolutely ready. Show me every pebble you have," he joked, with a little honest curiousity. "First I might want to see your healers, though, or your cooks. Professional prospects. And breakfast! One just as important as the other."

@Fuzzberry ((Haha, I love how he thinks Asura's the threat... and also, sorry about the one letter difference between Asura and Azura's names. That's bound to cause confusion sometime. Anyways, I'm getting on a plane in a few hours, so I'll reply as soon as I can!)) [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13201912] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/132020/13201912_350.png[/img][/url] Azura dipped her head in acknowledgment of his statement, before moving towards the west of the Glade. At his comment about pebbles, she ducked her head a little more. Despite using three legs to manoeuvre, she walked gracefully, with her left front paw clutching her pearl. Her tail flicked side to side as she walked, albeit slowly. "I'm a collector." She said in a quiet voice. Her voice was quite melodious, not oily or overly sweet like those trying to ingratiate themselves with others, but with just a natural smoothness. "I... I just found a pretty pebble this morning. I wanted to put it away, before I accidentally dropped it. I collect all sorts of pretty things. Haven't found anything nice for me to dress myself in yet, but... I'll find something." After a little while, they came across a large pile of food, and then a dragon wearing a chef's hat. He appeared to be very busy. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13485095] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/134851/13485095_350.png[/img][/url] "Are you here looking for food?" He asked. Azura tossed her pearl to her other foot, and made a gesture towards Hircine. She then spoke to Nye, again in a very quiet voice. "This is our food pile and our kitchen. Perhaps you don't have a chef in your clan. Allow me to tell you that it's a lot better than just normal food... that is, in my opinion." After that, she turned to Hircine, who was patiently waiting. "This is Nye, our new clanmate. I'm showing him around. May I have some food?" Hircine nodded, and soon enough she had in her hands a lovely little salad. Azura seated herself on the ground, curling her tail neatly around her toes. She set her pearl in her lap, and began to eat. Hircine, on the other hand, turned to Nye. "So. Do you cook?"

{@Moonwater Enjoy your flight.} [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13111810] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/131119/13111810_350.png[/img] [/url] [i]A collector? A gatherer, I guess. Or a... Storage clerk, or something.[/i] Nye found Azura difficult to read. Did she really care for a dropped pebble? [i]Accountants are all completely fruity, I swear.[/i] "...At least I can empathise with your fashion dilemma," he finished the thought aloud a few seconds later. "We'll get your wardrobe patched up in no time, I assure you." Their encounter with Hircine, though, further hinted to Nye that the Moon Waters didn't care much for accessories. The striped Guardian was in no more than his scales. Maybe that was practical when he was elbow deep in food. "Your opinion is right," nodded Nye, taking the lid from a clay jar without asking permission. "Us Ashfall folk tend to forget to hire a chef when we live in an oven. Oh, are these jellyfish?" He lifted a stringy, gelatinous mass from the amphora and nibbled on it while Azura tended to her own meal, though to a Mirror, nibbling is a fast and serious business. "No, I don't cook. I eat. You're a drake of few words and simple questions, aren't you, Hircine? I like you." Nye had shortly progressed from nibbling jelly to poking and prodding the racks of fish stacked carefully around the pile. Clearly, this clan didn't have very many resident Mirrors, if they could be so confident about leaving food unguarded. "Say, should I wait for you, or can I help myself?" He was already poking at some anchovies curiously, no longer making eye contact. "You should show me how to catch these things. Fire clans aren't well known for our fishing skills." [i]And if I know your gathering schedule, I'll know when Azura will be far away and alone.[/i]

@Fuzzberry ((Thank you! I did!)) [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13201912] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/132020/13201912_350.png[/img][/url] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13485095] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/134851/13485095_350.png[/img][/url] Hircine shifted around slightly. "Yes, those are jellyfish. No, you do not need to wait for me. Everyday, I have to serve a lmost all the members of the clan, so I'm used to having other dragons taking my food without waiting for me to eat. If anything, you should be asking Azura that question, for she's the one showing you around." Azura popped the last leafy green in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. "I don't mind if he eats..." She murmured. Hircine patted her gently on the head, nearly causing her to fall straight onto the ground. He didn't notice as he turned back to Nye. "As for teaching you how to catch fish, I think that Poseidon would be a much better fit. He is our resident fisherdragon, after all." Hircine slid the anchovies away from Nye, and busied himself with his cooking again. "Try not to abuse the food." "Sorry about Hircine." Azura whispered to Nye as she led him away from the food piles and towards who-knows-what. "He's a little protective over food, which is understandable, if you think about his profession. I heard you asking about catching fish. If you really want to know, we assigned a few dragons the task of finding food. Poseidon's our fisherdragon, as Hircine said, and Vesta catches insects. Our hunter is Hera, and the forager... hm... oh yes! Eros is our forager. As for scavenging and digging, one of our hatchlings, Ekko, has a knack for that, and so once he becomes an adult, we'll make him our archaeologist." The rest of the morning was spent with Azura, showing him all the different places of the clan, until they finally came across the healer's lair. "Tyadia? Are you here?" Azura called into the lair. [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13277727] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/132778/13277727_350.png[/img][/url] A Spiral practically shot out of the door. "Hi Azura!" Tyadia squealed, practically wrapping her coils around Azura. Instead, she simply coiled around Azura's feet. "What are you doing here are you sick are you ill let me take a look at you oh you're fine then why are you here oooh who's this person do I know him no I don't is he that new recruit from that Fire Flight Clan?" There was a moment's pause. "Yes." Azura finally responded. "Nye, this is Tyadia, our healer. Tyadia, Nye."

{@Moonwater I'm going to assume I can take over Tyadia's dialog a little, feel free to correct or touch up on necessary details.} [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13111810] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/131119/13111810_350.png[/img] [/url] Nye was enjoying himself. An honest attitude, he knew, was more believable than anything he could feign, and he didn't bother to hide his enthusiasm, even for the clan treasury which Azura led him to. After all, who [i]wouldn't[/i] feel a bit greedy in the face of all that wealth? He did have the manners to back off when an intimidating purple Skydancer gave him a look, though. Or perhaps the self-interest. He added Iris to his list of names, along with the clan leaders, gatherers, and craftsdragons, or at least those he had seen so far. The clan was starting to bustle as the sun grew high. Nye, unprepared for the greeting from the last stop, jumped when the pink blur leapt from the door, unintentionally flapping himself a few paces backwards. "Oh," he mouthed as Tyadia did what Nye had always thought of as [i]that thing what Spirals always do[/i] to Azura. "Charmed, as always," he finally replied. "I'm the new recruit. Specifically, your recruit, if you'd be so kind. This armour was for travel safety- And, I mean, [i]fashion[/i]- But I'm a mage. I need work, and I've had some healing experience. I'm a generalist." It was all true, but not the whole truth. The chosen son of Amnion had been educated by all of the clan mages, but his lessons had been territorial conflicts, his classroom the Ashfall's northern border. Nye [i]was[/i] a generalist- A combat generalist. It made him a good assassin. And where there were resource-hungry raiders, there were wounds to practise on. Tyadia, meanwhile, was nodding vigorously. "Oh oh look see I know a lot about making dragons all fixed up with magic have you ever done that before? Yes of course you have, come [i]in[/i] I can show you all about it just ask Azura I patch her up when she has an accident-" Tyadia began to untangle herself, talking the whole way. "-do you know Azura are you friends she collects things [i]all the time[/i]! And sometimes I use them but sometimes I-" Tyadia made a long, fluid jump from Azura's feet back to the door of her lair, but somehow petered out halfway, dropping to the ground and reflexively coiling again in a tight bundle, fast asleep. Nye was grinning by the time he looked back at Azura. "Does she do this during operations? It sounds like you need a backup, or she might tie up a patient in her sleep with her tail. She won't mind if I intrude a little, will she?" He stepped over Tyadia, not at all bothered by the idea of inspecting the den uninvited, or really considering the consequences. {...A whole paragraph of Tyadia doing the Thing What Spirals Always Do. Whoops.}

@Fuzzberry ((I'd prefer to develop Tyadia by myself, but I can see how this roleplay could easily get boring for you if you can only roleplay as Nye. I'm happy to let you write for her, and I'll tell you if you write something that I think goes against her personality.)) [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13201912] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/132020/13201912_350.png[/img][/url] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=13277727] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/132778/13277727_350.png[/img][/url] Azura laughed softly as she watched her friend crumple and fold like a flower wilting under a hot summer day. It was not a cruel laugh by any means, not mocking, simply a laugh with no other connotation. "Yes, she does always do that. Tyadia has always been one of our more excitable and high-strung Spirals. Even for her race. Some of them don't have the capacity to speak as quickly as she does. She's done it before during operations, but we manage without her pretty well when she does fall asleep. There's a nest for her at the back of the healing cave, and we always supervise her operations, so that if she does fall asleep, we can always carry her back to her nest. Then we simply keep the patient alive, and wait until she dies. Usually she doesn't fall asleep during operations, though, because she's very focused and not excited at all. It's the only time she doesn't compound her sentences into one giant run-on paragraph. As for whether or not she will mind if you take a look, I don't think she will, as long as you don't touch anything. Azura realized she had been rambling a little, and so ducked her head down. Her paws passed her pearl back and forth slowly in nervousness. Inside the healer's lair, there were shelves stacked with medicinal herbs, and there was even a set of equipment for making medicines. In the corner, there was a bloody nest, which was where all of the operations took place. "It's not much, but we plan to expand it for her soon." Azura murmured.