Story Event - Network and Log

[unbreakable_king]

Who; Rhy Maresh, A Dragon, And You!
What; Network Story and Encounter Log
Where; Network, Docks
When; August
Warnings; Log will involve a powerful magical creature attempting to woo/seduce those it encounters.

Network Video
It seems to me we've a little thing going on here regarding stories from home, and I do so love a good tale. I thought perhaps I'd share one that I was just telling the girls at work.

[Which he's still clearly at given Rhy's phone is angled to show not only him, but occasionally glimpses him pulling a threaded needle through the shot. Someone's getting some ifne embroidery finished for them quite soon.]

This one was actually a rather popular play back home, and of course I shall not do the tale justice to their level but I will try my best. But the story I am going to tell you is about the dragon and his sailor.

Long ago, before the doors were closed, the worlds were places of a great deal more magic than they are in our age. It flowed through the rivers, it grew in the roots of mountains, it gathered in the underbellies of clouds. Magic is life and life is magic, one is the other and will come always back to the other. This was truer in the old days, and there with that truth came more creatures of concentrated magic, things far more potent than any human might know, even an Antari. The strongest of all of these creatures of magic, of course, were the great and noble dragons.

There were many types of dragons. Dragons of the plains, dragons of the mountains, dragons of the skies, and dragons of the sea. Now most people know that dragons are rather solitary creatures, prone to avoiding even others of their kind. But it is also known that no dragons were more alone than those dragons of the sea. For dragons of the plains needed little effort to find other creatures to talk to. And dragons of the mountains spent most of their time asleep or talking to sky dragons. And sky dragons could go anywhere they pleased at any time. But sea dragons? They could swim the whole of the world and rarely encounter even their own kind. The oceans are vast, they are deep, and sometimes they come so close to touching each other yet still require countless league of travel to move between.

Such loneliness could be quite profound on creatures as old and powerful as dragons, and longing could drive them to great sorrow. The seas are said to be filled with the tears of dragons after all. One such dragon roamed the seas of Arnes, with a coiled length so long it might circle London twice. Though in those days London was a much smaller place it was still an impressive feat. And this dragon was lonely, as so many sea dragons were. Lonely enough that he would follow the great wooden ships out as they sailed. Sure the things did not speak, but the dragon could feel close to people that way.

It was on one of these days that the dragon followed a ship where a great storm arose. The seas were churned gray and violent by the winds, and the poor ship shook and rocked, quaked and fought. Alas but luck was not on the side of the ship that day, and it perchance approached rocky bar that, while in distant sight of the land, was to be its doom. The hull was cut into, ripped open with water pouring in. The lifeboats, already lost to the winds and waves, could do nothing to save anyone. The ship was lost.

Except... Except the dragon saw a body hit the water before the rocks, and in his desire for connection he moved. The sailor was gathered into the safety of his coils, and with his magic he pulled air from the water to wrap around them. Humans needed to breathe air, after all, not water. Carefully he swam for the shore, bringing the human with him. When he made it to a sheltered cove he uncoiled, placing the human upon the sands. And looking upon her, for it was indeed a woman, he found himself captivated by her beauty.

Now dragons are great creatures of magic, and could in those times work spells we cannot begin to fathom. Worried that the sailor might awaken and blame him for the ship, for in those days dragons were known to provoke bursts of ill weather when their tempers were roused. No, he wished to speak to her, but she could not know it, so he called upon a great magic and curled down upon himself, twist after twist after twist of his great coils until he was small, and then he shook his great form. His scales fell from him like drops of water, and when they touched the surf they turned to foam.

When the sailor awoke she found naught but the most handsome man she had ever seen before, with eyes the color of a warm summer sea, skin like the golden sands, and hair the color of the sunset over the waves. He seemed unbothered by the diminishing storm, using his elements to curve the wind around them as a space of peace and shelter.

"How have I come to be here?" she asked.

"Ah my fair lady, I fear ill has befallen your ship. I saw you floating upon a scrap of wood and coaxed the waters to bring you to this place. I fear I have seen no other."

And it hurt her heart to hear, but when he offered to take her somewhere safe, she agreed. And together they walked to the nearby town, where over the next days she grew enamored with the dragon in human form, and he in turn with her.

Charmed At The Docks (Please specify if you'd prefer a male or female manifestation)
Rains toss the dockside one evening, and with them comes a wave that washes over one dock and as it passes a figure stands there. They shake the water from rich red hair and where the water from it falls there's a momentary wash of seafoam. The figure turns its back upon the ocean, blue-green eyes set in to richly tanned skin searching. Clad in tall black boots, black breeches, a shirt as pure white as a pearl, and draped over with a rich cloak of deepest blue, the figure starts walking.

"Soon, my love," the person says, "I will find you again. You will hide from me no longer."

Comments

[unbreakable_king]

Magic has... been diminished since what happened in Black London. Even my world magic grew less potent. Just like magic faded from your world entirely.

[gadaboutdetective]

Oh… That’s unfortunate. I hadn’t thought about how that might change things like that as well… But I suppose it makes sense.

[ He commented softly, so even Rhy’s world had seen a decline that affected the beings and creatures that lived there… ]

[unbreakable_king]

They say that's why there are less Antari. Because magic continues to diminish.

[gadaboutdetective]

Mm I understand, then. So, as with there being less Antari, other things became less common as well.

[ He added with a sad note, he doesn’t fully understand everything but… He knows enough from their conversations. ]

[unbreakable_king]

Exactly. Only Antari cross the worlds. I think… I think Kell and Lila are the last living ones.

[gadaboutdetective]

I remembering you mentioning that, do you think there won’t be more at some point then?

[ To be the last ones must be sad, and a bit lonely in its own way. ]

[unbreakable_king]

Given they seem to grow less common as time passes, there is a chance they will be the last.

[gadaboutdetective]

That is sad to think… I am sorry that your world has also lost much.

[ That they might be the last. It seemed like if one thing held true for worlds… Some things were lost over time. ]

[unbreakable_king]

Less than yours has. We still have magic.

[gadaboutdetective]

True… But it’s not something I’ve grown up knowing. I never knew it as something to be missed. I expect it’s harder to watch it fade over time when you’ve known it your whole life?

[unbreakable_king]

Yes. There seem to be lingering tales of it of course, so my brother has said.

[gadaboutdetective]

There are those, of course. Most would call them only that, though. Stories and nothing more… So most people insist it’s not real. Even when I’m back in my world, I tend to find myself unsure from one day to the next what I believe. Funny, knowing what I know here.

[ Back there he’d flip-flopped on what he believed over the years. Sometimes he wanted to, and other times he found himself more pessimistic and skeptical. ]

I did meet a witch once in my world once… I had found her interesting, though most of what she did proved to be mostly tricks using herbs and timing… But I liked the idea of believing her more than doubting at the time.

[unbreakable_king]

A witch? What's that?

[Nope, that is not a concept that he has a parallel to. Except for Wanda, but she had never called herself that, so curiosity abounds.]

[gadaboutdetective]

Mm… I guess in a world like yours there must not be particular names for it, is there? [ Llewellyn presumed not, at least, based on his husband’s reaction. ] Where I’m from, generally it’s a title bestowed upon a woman who is said to practice magic.

[unbreakable_king]

Yes, it is not shocking we don't have such a term, given almost everyone practices magic.

[gadaboutdetective]

Exactly, so in my world there’s uh- words for things like that. Another one that I’m sure you’ve heard from Harry is ‘wizard,’ there are stories about them as well.

[unbreakable_king]

Wizards and witches are not the same then?

[gadaboutdetective]

Nope, they have rather different toned stories often enough. Witches are, unfortunately, painted in rather unflattering lights as far as the theme of their stories are.

[ It seemed a bit rude to Llewellyn. The witch he met had actually been nice enough. She just wanted to be left alone more than anything. ]

[unbreakable_king]

... Witches are women, aren't they?

[gadaboutdetective]

[ Llewellyn nodded. It was a sad truth that they tended to be targeted and looked upon so poorly. ]

They are, I’ve always thought that rather unfair for the way they’re spoken of.

[unbreakable_king]

But wizards are men?

[gadaboutdetective]

Yes. [ He confirmed with a small nod. ] I can’t recall ever hearing a story about a wizard that wasn’t a man, anyway.

[unbreakable_king]

Then it seems that there is unfair wait against women displayed there.

[gadaboutdetective]

There unfortunately is, I’m afraid. I’ve um- seen it a lot over the years.

[unbreakable_king]

I cannot fathom why. Some of the most capable mages in my world are women of course.

[He doesn't point at Lila. Lila was her own thing and she wasn't exactly female or male. She seems somewhere in between of her own accord.]

[gadaboutdetective]

Because unfortunately men really dislike the idea that women are as capable as them and dislike the idea of them being better at things more, I think.

[ He responded with a light frown, thinking back to his world for a moment. ]

I know several women who are doctors, and every one of them has been met by pigheaded men challenging them and trying to make them feel like they shouldn’t be there.

[unbreakable_king]

I could expect that from the nobility of my world, very much so. But the proper enchanters and fighters? They could do many things without people stepping in and bothering them.

[gadaboutdetective]

Unfortunately, as you well know, my world is full of people who like to judge others and say who belongs in what fields or spaces and who does not.

[unbreakable_king]

Exactly. I fear this will often be the nature of things. Though I quite hate it.

[gadaboutdetective]

As do I… And it’s quite apparent after my last return there.

[ He really didn’t like to think about it, though he did sometimes find himself wondering about certain people. ]

But here… There is a kind of peace, it seems. And I am lucky to have found a place of acceptance with you, love.

(ooc: I need to get some stuff done this week, want me to do something for Rhy and Llewellyn planting? )

[unbreakable_king]

You will always have my acceptance, beloved mine. You are all of my world at this point, Sweetling.

And you are not the only one glad for the acceptance.

(ooc: Oh yes please. Maybe in their library?)

[gadaboutdetective]

[ and he has to smile softly at that, hearing those words warm him. ]

And you are my, dearest. I’m glad that we could find this here, together. [ He counts himself very lucky to have found the other, and for the continued time by his side for them both being brought to the same place again. Thoughtfully, he tilted his head and continued with a grin. ] I look forward to seeing you after work every day, and tonight is no exception. Can I bring anything home tonight that you’d like?

( Here u go, if it needs any changes let me know <3)

[unbreakable_king]

Oh yes, please. I would like it if you brought home some zucchini and yellow squash. I am going to try that pasta primavera again tonight.

[gadaboutdetective]

Oh, that sounds good. [ He grinned a little, pausing to pull out a scrap of paper to jot the request down quickly. ] I’ll stop in the market on the way back and pick those up then. Mm… And if you think of anything else, just let me know.

wrap this one soon?

[unbreakable_king]

That sounds like a delight. I need to finish this small project before I get moving.

Sure thing!

[gadaboutdetective]

Excellent, then I’ll talk to you later or when I get home.

[ he offered with a smile, finishing the note on what needed to be picked up. ]