kingsroads | inbox for breathofusir

If there's a chance. After reading about these things, I'm not really thrilled with the idea of going up and stabbing one myself, alright? [ less because she cares, more because dragon blood is horrific? ] But I will if I have to.

Understandable. [ so what Strange is taking from this is that he needs to find a chance to save the dragon should that situation happen. ]

Though I suspect you would have to do more than simply 'go up and stab it.'

Yeah, well, I haven't picked up any books on dragon-slaying just yet. [ but she's ending that conversation for now by moving straight on into, ] When should I drop by?

Whenever works best for me—I don't have any plans or lessons to give any time soon.

Great. I'll be over in... hm. Ten minutes? Twenty? Something like that.

[ "whenever" is the famous last words of a man who now needs to hurry and get dressed. ]

Wait, what? [ he needs to clean up his room a little, he babysat dragons recently!!! ]

Ah, alright, I'll see you then.

[ It's more like thirty minutes since she has... extra creatures to wrangle now, but eventually, there is a knock on the window of his room. That's right. She's not entering like a normal person and it's still dark enough to creep in unseen this way. ]

[ And then Strange just fuckin ignores that knock on the window because he's expecting Billie to actually knock like a normal person would.

At least, he ignores it for a solid ten seconds as Bell notices Billie knock, she nudges Strange with her head, Strange turns to look at the window, and then just about jumps out of his skin when he sees Billie there. ]

Good gods! [ he hisses and fusses as he opens the window for her. ] Why can't you use a door like everyone else?

[ There's a tiny blue dragon curled up on Strange's bed and taking up most of the pillow. ]

You only get to see someone's reaction to that once, that's why.

[ On top of keeping a fairly low profile, one that doesn't require waltzing through an inn that probably has either Defenders or Resistance in it. With the window open, she'll slip into the room without any trouble, like she's done this a thousand times and is liable to do so a thousand more.

Of course, once she's in, her gaze immediately goes to the dragon on the pillow. Blue... It's not like she wasn't expecting a dragon here, too, but that one looks nothing like Red. ]

Who's that?

That's Alistair Tourmaline, [ Strange explains, as he gestures to the dragon. Hearing his name, the dragon makes a small, little sleepy noise before going back to curl up on the pillow. Bell makes a noise that might be the hare version of sighing before she hops over towards the little dragon and snuggles up next to him. ]

I trust you'll keep his existence a secret.

[ Hearing that name draws a long... long silence from Billie as she just stares at the little dragon rather than at Strange. Alistair Tourmaline.

That isn't even one name, that's two. ]

You really don't get to rename Red now. [ Of course she'll keep him a secret. Gods, Strange, they're in the same boat. Speaking of which, she'll slide the window shut again and only then will she open her coat. Red makes a curious noise from one of the larger pockets sewn into the inside of it, peeking out. ] But I did bring it along.

[ She has no clue if Red is a male or female yet, so. It it is. She'll help the little dragon clamber out of the pocket and deposits him on the bed, leaving him free to sniff around. After that, she's free to dump her bag out on the table, books and all. ]

Edited 2019-04-06 21:42 (UTC)

[ hey, gotta be sure they're on the same page about the dragons!

As Red gets dumped on the bed, Bell warily eyes the other dragon. She's already been chased by multiple dragons the past few days, the bunny would like a break! So, she nudges Alistair who sleepily starts to wake up.

Strange's focus, unsurprisingly, is on the books. His book is the one he's drawn to the quickest. There's an expression that's a mix between nostalgic and dumbfounded as he reaches over to pick it up. ]

I honestly thought I'd never see this again. I know that you found it by accident, but you cannot understand how much it means to me that you went out of your way to take it in the first place. Thank you.

[ ah, he's going to get mushy over the damn thing. Billie already expected that but it leaves an awkward pause from her, someone who normally doesn't deal with this sort of reaction. It's not that she's never done anything nice for anyone before, it's just all those people tend to be very business-like about it.

It just leads to her clearing her throat and picking up the other book, the handwritten one, to open again and fiddle with. ]

I figured it would be useful, that's all. [ not a lie, that. ] Besides, it's nice to have a reminder of home.

[ she has Daud, technically, but a book involves fewer disagreements all around. ]

It is, [ Strange admits as he opens the book, ] though some nostalgic aspects of the reminder can be dangerous.

[ He's idly looking down at a page as he says this. His fingers trace over an illustration of a dragon as Strange is briefly lost in thought. For all that he's been telling himself he can do this and trying to get over his long-dead wife, there are occasionally a few moments that make it hard to do so.

Still, he's really not going to get that personal in front of Billie. Strange quickly closes the book and moves to look at the one Billie's reading. ]

So, that's the one with the ritual written out in it? It's lucky you found that one before someone else did.

Edited 2019-04-07 00:03 (UTC)

[ yeah, she's not here for "let's miss our dead loved ones" feelings. she's even less likely to share her own pain there than Strange is. ]

It is. [ and once she's on the page detailing the Right of Power, she'll slide over to give Strange room to take a closer look. ] This is it. I'm not going to go into all the details over the courier but I'm pretty sure anyone else who was down there will recognize it.

[ meanwhile, now that the bed covers have been thoroughly investigated, Red has begun creeping towards Bell and Alistair. slowly, but curiously, making quiet noises at the two. ]

Edited 2019-04-07 00:27 (UTC)

[ Having not been down in the Pit, Strange is taking in as many details about that Right of Power as he possibly can. Secondhand information sucks! He peers over Billie's shoulder as he reads about the ritual himself. ]

Do you mind if I borrow this book? I'd like to take notes on that ritual for myself.

[ By now, Alistair has woken up and is blinking some sleep out of his eyes. Bell responds to the approaching dragon by just hopping off the bed. She is a tiny animal, she is not being metaphorically paid enough to deal with this! ]

[ Bell escapes. Red's interest in seeing another dragon overrides the urge to chase something fluffy. He's wary about Alistair, though, stopping a safe distance away and flattening out on the bed, watching the tiny blue dragon to see what he'll do next.

Meanwhile, Billie is just going to rain all over Strange's parade. ]

You can take notes but I'm not leaving it here. This thing is a lot more dangerous than your own book, Strange.

I know, [ Strange points out in a petulant 'gosh mom, I'm not an idiot' sort of tone. ] My book is only about the history of the dragons and how they practice their magic. There's nothing in there about controlling them.

[ But heck, it was worth a shot to ask Billie, even if that shot was a pretty solid 'no.' Strange moves to a desk in his room as he opens the drawers and takes out a pencil and notebook. ]

Do you have any idea who wrote that thing?

[ Thankfully, Red isn't the first dragon Alistair's seen. Unfortunately, Alistair is a big weenie. He's staying put on the pillow and watching Red in a very wary manner. ]

If it's signed, it isn't anywhere I've looked yet. [ Which is definitely another 'nope'. ] Considering what's in it, I can't imagine they wanted their name attached.

[ As for the actual dragons in the room, that's going to turn into a short staring contest for a minute or two. ]

Understandable. [ Taking his pencil and notebook, Strange flips to a blank page and starts writing all sorts of notes about the book, the contents, and so on. ]

Who else have you shown this book to?

Just Daud. If I'm going to let everyone else in on the ritual part of it, leaving him in the dark until the end... well... [ How should she put it? ] He wouldn't have been too happy with that.

[ But how do you even know when he is happy? A mystery. ]

Is that man ever happy?

[ Strange asks, unintentionally wanting to know what's on everyone's mind. ]

Still, I'm grateful that I'm one of the first.

I'm not so sure about that myself anymore.

[ It's just Billie musing aloud, more to herself than to Strange, but she'll shrug at him being grateful. ]

And you're already helping me. It wouldn't make a whole lot of sense to go to anyone else.

That's right. After all, no one here knows as much about dragons as I do.

[ says captain egotism. Looking over at the book one more time, Strange points at a certain passage. ]

This part right here...'only living magic can alter living magic's course.' They must be speaking solely about the dragon's magic and not using 'living magic' to describe the dragons as a whole. After all, they have minds of their own. They can be convinced or shaped just like any mortal can.

[ That ego is going to get him killed one day, she's already sure of it. ]

Couldn't that translate a little more literally? From what I could tell, they fed a whole lot of lives to that orb of theirs. Wouldn't that be living magic?

[ Or maybe that's what he already meant. She wouldn't know. ]

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